The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1895-09-11 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

TRANMERE MYSTERY.  FOUND DEAD ON THE SHORE.  INQUEST AND VERDICT. Some consternation was created in Tranmere by the mysterious disappearance last Friday night of Henry Smith, aged 33 years of age, who resided at 10, Park-road, Tranmere, and was employed as a traveller by Meese& Young and Co., earn merchants, Liverpool. After oemilig from business on Friday evening he had tea as usual and made several arransemanta for performing certain business on the following day, and then he went out to call on some friends hi Orton-road, Birkenhead. He did not return at all that night. Inquires showed that he had left Birkenhead about eight o'clock presumably for home, where his wife was sitting up anxiously awaiting his return. As Mr. Smith had been for some time in an indifferent state of health, and was subject at times to fits of epilepsy, attended by blindness and semi-imoonscionsnese, the gravest fears were entertained for his safety, and these fears deepened in intensity as all Saturday passed with no news as to his whereabouts. On Sunday morning early, however, a Warrington man named William Henry Fall, who was on a visit to New Ferry, informed the police of the discovery of the body of a man, fully clothed, and apparently drowned, lying on the heath south of the New Ferry Pier and some 150 yards from the Esplanade. P.C. Woollain,of the County Constabulary,preceeded to the spot indicated and with assistance removed the body to the New Ferry Hotel, the nearest public place, the district being without a mortuary. The drowned man's forehead and face were bruised as though by a fall against stones and there was a swollen bruise on the back of the head. A search in the pockets of the clothing brought forth a silver watch and gold chain, a gold ring, a purse containing ss. 150., a copy of Williner's Railway Guide for the current month, and sundry small articles. The coupon in the Railway Guide was signed, and this led to the identification of the body se that of the missing man from Tranmere. Further inquiries elicited the information that the deceased rode from Rock Iferry'to New Ferry on the tram, and was then in a dazed condition, and when leaving the oar he stumbled along as if only halfconscious of his movements. It was presumed, reasonably, that he unthinkingly made his way down to the New Ferry Esplanade, and accidentally fell into the water and was drowned. Deceased leaves& wifeand one child. He was widely known in the neighbourhood, and his name was a familiar one in the district newspapers underneath amusing verses dealing with local topics, particularly at election times. He was a Freemason.  An inquest was held on Monday morning at the Hew Ferry Hotel, before Mr. Henry Churton, coroner for West Cheshire. Mr. Dalby, solicitor, watched the proceedings on behalf of the relatives of the deceased, and Dr. Paton, who was deoeaeed's medical adviser, was also present. The widow of, the deceased was the first witnee.s examined, and she spoke of her husband's ill-heath more or less for the last three years. She said he suffered from paralysis of the legs, of the arm, and that his sight was affected, She told of him going out on Friday evening after making arrangements for various things to be done on his return and in the morning, and said that was the last time she saw him. She never had the least suspicion that be contemplated suioide. The Coroner: Have you seen the body t--Witness: I have not seem it yet, air. Coroner: Then you cannot identify it withal of your late husband l--My brother-in-lsw is here, and. he hes seen it and identified it. Coroner: We don't want a multiplicity of enewiesNary witnesses. The Coroner then mats polies °operable with Mrs. Smith in order that the latter might see the body. On returning, Mrs. Smith said she had identified the "body as that of her late husband. The Coroner then called for the articles found upon the deceased. He Iras informed by P.C. Woollen that they ware left at the police station, u he did not think they would be required. The Coroner said the officer ought to know they would be required. Dr. Paton interposed at 'this stage and informed the Coroner that Mrs. Smith had omitted to state that deceased for the last year was subject to attacks of epilepsy, and nn certain occasions would become perfectly blind. Only a few nights before, deceased bad one of thine stupid attacks and did net know Where he wen and he had to be taken to bed. The faot that deceased had had those attacks was rather against the idea of suicide. Deceased himself, a short time ago, a:preened to him (Dr. Paton) his extreme desire to get well for the sake of his wife and child.  The Coroner intimated that he could not receive Dr. Paton' statement as evidence. P.C. Woollam then gave evidence as to the discovery of the body and its removal to the New Ferry Hotel. Coroner: Is there no mortuary here ?—No, sir. Were there any marks of external injury on the body ?—None, sir. Has the widow seen the things you found in his pocketsl—No, sir. Of course you will hand them over to her, and she will give you a receipt for them T—Yes, sir. The Coroner, addressing the jury, said the only verdict they could return legally was an open verdict to the effect that the deceased was "found drowned" on the shore. Nobody would suspect for a moment that he intended to do anything to himself. The jury were unanimous in returning a verdict of "Found drowned."  P toy Po .p-" 1 Alsok-a-dwy t Yellow atitumn is descending upon us with too great and unwonted haste, rel niV4=lY intohu 61, e 11,44:) tattier to blies on liat a ati eall this year,  ti7tee' r=ofrasluckeetri g" ;ellisced bY TIN