The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1885-01-10 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE CLEARED UP.  The mystery attending the disappearance of Mr, John Bradford, of 21, Wingrove-street, Loughboroughjunction, near London, has been solved—only, however, to result in an event still more tragic and painful—namely, the suicide of Mr. Bradford. It will be remembered that he left his house on the last day of 1884, and though a description of him was forwarded to the police and circulated by them, no trace of him was discovered during the whole of the following day. On Friday, however, he was found in the Walwortla-road under very peculiar circumstances. Mr. Diggi-ns, the occupant of the house in which Bradford lives, was driving a waggon belonging to his employer, a miller, in the Walworth-road, when he caught sight of Bradford, who at first tried to avoid him. Eventually Digg,ins persuaded Bradford to return home, which he did very reluctantly, expressing his fear that the bailiffs would be in the house. This apprehension was entirely without foundation, as Bradford had plenty of money in his possession. The sum of £75 was left in his drawer at Wingrove-street when he disappeared onWednesd ay, but he had taken .E 2 or .E 3 with him. He explained his absence by stating that he had spent Wednesday and Thursday nights in coffee taverns in the vicinity of Walworth-road, changing his lodgings in order to avoid the persons who in his disordered imagination were in quest of him. He at length suffered Mr. Diggins to drive him home, where his brother, who had been summoned to the house, took him in charge. Bradford went to bed on Friday night, his brother sleeping in the same room with him. At about eight o'clock on Saturday morning his brother dressed himself and left the room for a few minutes, upon which Bradford seized the opportunity to open the window and precipitate himself into the street below. The distance was considerable, as the room was on the second floor, and the injuries received by the unfortunate man were of a shocking character. In front of the house, and a few feet from the door, is a row of iron railings topped in the ordinary way with pikes. On one of these pointed pieces of iron the man's foot was impaled, the spike passing right through the flesh, but the force of his fall and the weight suddenly thrown upon it broke the piece of iron off short, and the man fell to the pavement with the spike still embedded in his foot. He also received serious injuries on the front part of his head and bled profusely. As soon as possible the unfortunate man, who was quite unconscious, was removed back into the house, and after lingering in that state for twentytwo hours, he expired on Sunday morning. In the opinion of Dr. Bradshaw, who was first called in, the injuries to the man's head precluded the possibility of recovery. On searching his room it was found that he had secreted a carving knife and two razors in a drawer, and other evidence of the disordered state of his mind were discovered.  " Janey," of the second ward, asks, "Why does my lover always kiss me with one side of his mouth ? " "We don't know much about this kind of business, Janey. Maybe- he uses the other side of his mouth for the other girl. There is nothing like keeping a good edge on and haying thinge_eyenz'_ Last -year the nativei of If r drank ten million barrels of English rum. ace:Have the English government:also:supports two missionaries in that country. Between the traders and the missionaries the People ought to be koot in good spirit&