The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1904-03-23 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

SSMERR PORT NOTES.  A OVAPIIIIR OF TRAGIC OCCURRENCES '  Ilas dark curtain of death hangs heavily over the district, sad an inbono_ • gloom usaribere pervaffts the asighboorhoOd. while the peaceful if monotonous tontine which for so many weeks has chaisoterised th• life of the district has been abruptly and tmically broken. At the street corners aM in tb• inns there is but one t.gyie of coarersation—it is the sad affair at Whitby on Monday morning.  This Is the story that is being recited. For the past quarter of a century a man known as Wright has lived in a small dwelling in Whitby Heath. aged and decrepit, ' and it is mid of a manewhat ntrio dispo. He made few friends,and seldom went , anion his neighbours, most of his time being spent is oaring for his garden. Them are_places of weevilly' in the distriot, but to Wright, it was said, snob a place was unknown, and meet of hie Sundays wore spent at his hearth. He worked until advancing years, acoompanied by mental and physical degenination made that tZfillie, and at length was recto* comps to retire. With inactivity caane feebleness, and ill-health, and that seemed to have • depressing influence on hick and an Monday morning in • fit of despondency the unfortunate man committed suicide by cut.nns his throat with a knife. Meanwhile the Coroner has bees notified, and an inquest will probably be held to-day.  Yet another painful sensation was caused in the district on Saturday, when it became known that Captain Ickkin had been accidentally. killed at Liverpool. The captain had charge of the fiat Ducheee, which was berthed st the time in one of the Liverpool docks. At low water on that day he attempted to climb up on to the quay, but in doing so he fell, and hie lifeless body was afterwards found on the deck by the mate. Captain Idldon was an old and respected resident of the district, and for several years had taken an active interest in the work connected with the Primitive Methodist Church. Daring the course of his address on Sunday, the Rev. W. Spedding sympathetically referred to the deceased man. and spoke in eulogistic terms of his character. The interment will take place to-day at the Parish Church. the Vicar and the Roe. W. Spedding officiating.  Much sympathy has been aroused in file dietrict by the death of another flagman named Christopher Peterson, who although not a resident was well known in the die trick On Saturday he left the port on the fiat Bancroft in hie usual health for Birkenhead docks, where he sustained a fall from the quay and was picked up lifelese. An inquest was held, and a report of this will appear in another column.  Equally sad was the death of the sin Ada Watkins, which took place in the Cheater Infirmary on Wednesday. The deceased, it will be remembered, was severely burnt a few weeks ago at her home, and was removed to the Infirmary, where for some time she progressed in such a satisfactory manner so to beoome practically out of danger. A relapse occurred, however, and she died as stated on Wednesday. The funeral book place at the Pariah Church on Saturday in the preeence of a large concourse of mourners.  The choir anniversary service in connection with the Ellesmere Port Primitive Methodist Church wan hPlii on Sunday. lane congregations being pr,,..7 at all the eer•ices. At the mornim, ean impressive sermon was preached he Rev. Henry Taylor, of Princes-avenue. Liverpool. and in the afternoon by the Rev. E. Snedding. Solos and anthems were renidered by the choir, and Mr. D. Hayes, Mr. Hughes, Miss Greene, and Miss Stockton, while Mr. Roberta acted aa organist.  The jumble sale in connection with the same church was held in the Central Hall on Wednesday and Thursday in aid of the funds. The sale proved most suocessful, and as a roan It about £25 will be handed over to the treasurer. Vocal and instrumental items wars contributed by Messrs. Barlow (Liverpool Boncl, Jones, Stockton, Nicholas, and Gri th J. s, Bradshaw, Hiss Hilton, and othere.  The usual meeting of the Church Council was held in the Schoolroom, the Vicar presiding over a large attendance. After come discussion it was decided to have the pesochiel tea on April 20th, ths proceedings of which will be devoted to the purchasing of material for the ladies' sewing meeting, who are working for the forthconung bazaar.  Another nieeting of the Port Mutual Improvement Society was held on Thaniday evening, when Dr. Cahill read a paper on the advantage* of ambuCance training, with practical demonetraticrns by Messrs. Bradshaw and Andrews. Mr. Dnmergue, who presided, delivered some interesting and appropriate remark. on the subject.