The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1878-12-28 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

MIDNIGHT SCENE ON THE RIVER.  The passengers by the Woodside steamer on its journey from Liverpool at midnight on Christmas Eve experienced a little painful excitement, the cry being raised when the vessel was in mid river that a man had thrown himself overboard. During the evening a very heavy fog had enveloped the Mersey, making the cross river traffic anything but enticing or pleasurable. Fortunately, however, when the would-be suicide alarmed his fellow passengers on board by jumping into the water, the fog had lifted considerably, but the atmosphere was far from being clear, and the process of rescuing the man, what with' the darkness and the intense excitement of the passengers, was a very difficult task. The affair caused quite a panic on board. When the cry " A man overboard" was raised there was a general rush on deck of those who had been sitting calmly below, and the occupants of the deck saloon, which was crowded at the time, came out hurriedly, and helped to form a seething mass of people, from which proceeded the cries of women who had fainted, and of others who were in danger themselves of being forced overboard. The boat was at once stopped when the captain saw what had happened, and whilst some of the crew put forward the most praiseworthy exertions to save the would-be-suicide's life, others appealed, but in vain, for the people to go back into the saloons and to remain quiet. It was some little time before it could be made out where the man was, but hie cries of " Help" assisted the crew to find out his position, and a life buoy was at once thrown to him. This he put about him very dexterously, as could be observed hy the dim light of the pampa held to him over the side of the boat, but there was a strong ebb tide flowing, and in a little while it carried him out of sight. It was feared that he had hopelessly drifted down the river with the current, but in a few minutes he appeared alongside the " Cheshire ' striking out boldly with his arms, and in a manner which surprised those who had imagined the extreme coldness of the weateer would have taken all the power from him after his immersion of about eight or nine minutes. One of the crew got over the bulmaid; and, holding on by the side of the boat, attempted to get hold of him and bring him aboard, but, either from,want of strength or the excitement which prevailed on the boat, which was alarmingly one-sided with the crush, the man slipped into the water and was only sighted again by the passengers going to the other side of the boat, from whence came renewed and lusty cries for assistance. The boat on the stern of the Cheshire was a considerable time in being lowered, but when she had been put down two of the officials (Wm. White and Henry Bean) got into her and were not long in picking up the object of their search. He was hauled into the small boat amidst I confusing cries of "Port your helm," "Hard a-starboard," and other similar orders, meant for the ears of the man at the helm, who, however, took no heed, a circumstance which turned out for the best. When White and Haan shouted "We have him," the two seamen received three hearty cheers, in the midst of which the would-besuicide was brought on board in an 9hausted state, and taken below to the engine fires, where he was stripped and subjected to the ordinary means of restoration. Being Christmas Eve, several of the passengers appeared to be fortified with small bottles of spirits, which all seemed willing enough to dispense. One offer was accepted, and the man was taken to one of the rooms at Woodside, and given by White some of his own clothing, in which he was conveyed to the Borough Hospital, where he speedily recovered consciousness He gave his name as Wm. Fraser, a gilder, living at 5, Jones-street, Brownlow. hill, Liverpool. Several reasons got afloat as to the man attempting suicide, one being that he had fallen out with his sweetheart, he having had an altercation with a female on board a bhort time previously. It would appear, however, that the man is married, and has experienced certain domestic unhappiness, which no doubt, aided with drink, made him endeavour to put an end to his life. He was formally brought up I at the Borough Police Court on Thursday and remanded till yesterday, when he was disahat gest with a caution. It was near one o'clock when the Cheshire, with her passengers, arrived at Woodside, her time being a quarter past midnight.