The Cotton Factory Times. — 1889-06-21 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

BITICIDIS AT ACC3INGTON.-011 Tuesday morning, Mr. H. J. Robinson, coroner, held an inquest at the Bridge Inn, Accrington, on the body of James Diggle, joiner, residing at 153, Wellingtonstreet, Accrington, who committed suicide by hanging himself on Monday morning. Deceased, who had been in a very low state of mind, was left in the house by his wife about nine o'clock, and on her return, about 2 45 p.m., she found the door locked. She, however' had a key, and opened the door. On entering, she found her husband suspended by a cord to the ceiling in the hack kitchen. She called in Detective-sergeant Ham, who took down the body, but the man was quite dead.—A verdict of "Committed suicide whilst in an unsound state of mind" was returned.  Shortly after four o'clock on Monday afternoon, considerable excitement was caused on Preston Station by the strange conduct of a militiaman. This man and a companion were standing together on the Charles-street excursion platform, both under the influence of drink, when something aroused Ms temper, and he drew his bayonet and oommenoed to brandish it s boat his head and to make thrusts at all sorts of imaginary enemies. Hie eye chancing to fall on a knot of porters standing together, he made for them, and "scattered the lot." In their harry to escape, some of them crossed the metals to No. 3 platform, whither they were followed by the mad militiaman, who exposed himself to considerable risk by walking in front of the shunting engines. For about a quarter of an hour no one dared venture near him, though the crowd of spectators lining No. 1 platform contained several county policemen. Mr. Miles, the stationmaster, hearing about the matter, at once left his office and crossed to the Charles-street platform, and encountered the militiaman as he was making another charge. The first thing which Mr. Miles aimed at securing was the man's bayonet, which he wrested clean from his hands and threw away. Then a borough policeman ventured togive some assistance, and some of the runaway porters came again on the scene. Between them the man was hustled to the ground, secured, and then led off in custody. On Tuesday, at Preston, Michael Brannan, 36, tailor, and a member of the Preston militia (Royal North Lancashire Regiment), was charged with being drunk and disorderly. On the previous day the militia left the barracks at Fulwood for a month's training at St. Anne's, going by special trains from Preston Station; but the prisoner, who was very drunk, reached the station about an hour. too late for the trains. This seems to have aroused his anger, and, according to Constable Tomlinson, he drew his bayonet, brandishing it about, and charged & group of porters, who " scattered " across the line to another platform. Brannan followed, vowing vengeance on everybody. Mr. Miles, the station-master, however, wrested the bayonet from him, threw it away, and gave him into custody. It was stated that the prisoner had been several times before the court, once for assaulting the police and once for unlawfully wounding. He was sentenced to one month's imprisonment with hard labour. When that time has expired, he will be dealt with by the military authorities.  1089.