The Cotton Factory Times. — 1905-03-24 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

SUICIDE OF A CAN TENTER.  On Tuesday morning Mr. J. F. Price, county coroner, held an inquest at the Dog and Pheasant Inn, Oldham-road, Waterloo, touching the death of Annie Gordon (17), residing at 33, New Lees-street. Thirst, and engaged as a can tenter at the Victor Mill, Stalybrid.ge. She was discharged at the mill on the previoug Thursday. and this seemed to have troubled her. She left home on Friday morning, but she was not seen alive again. her dead body beingi found in the canal at Bardsley the veme evening.  Annie Jordan, the mother, was the first witness called. Her daughter, she said, was a can-tenter at the new Victor Mill, Stalybridge, and was §eventeen years of age. There she had been working for six weeks, and was delighted when she came home at the way she could manage. On Thursday night he complained that the work was very hard, and said that a new carder had started that morning, who commenced "saucing" her over her work, and stood over her nearly the whole of the day. Witness asked her if he had stopped her, but she assured her that he had not, although when she had no empty cans he said it must not occur again. About 8 o'clock she went to bed, and on Friday morning rose at 5 o'clock, al left at twenty past five, as usual, and again assured witness that he hadn't discharged her, and that she was goinx to' work that morning. That night the girl should have met her in the Old-square at quarter to six, hut she never turned up, and she never saw her alive after—The Coroner: Do you know what the carder meant if he told her to come and learn a week or two, and then try again. Yes, sir; I should have willingly agreed to that, but she said she was quite able to do the work.—Do you know whether she, did go on Friday or not Yes, a young man said he went with her.--Mr. G. H. Flowers (one of the jury): How many cards had she to attend to? Twenty-sm.—Ridiculous!  Alfred Burrows, an--' Operative at the Victor Mill. Stalybridge, of 25, Hope-street, Hurst, said he knew the girl by sight, and he last saw her alive on Friday morning, the 17th. At that time he overtook her about twenty minutes to six, going through the fields off Infirmary-road, going to work. He said to her. " You're going to be late," and walked with her all the way. She seemed as usual, and in cheerful spirits, and never said anything about being discharged. He saw her go int,, the cardroom, and that was the last he saw of her. Peter Ashton, of 38, High-street, Stalybridge, the carder, said he commenced work as a head carder, in which capacity he had oharge of the cardroom. The girl was working there during the day, and he found she wasn't competent, and warned her several times. She had twenty cards to attend to, and she couldn't manage them. She couldn't piece an end up efficiently, which was one of the, rudiments of can tenting. At twenty minutes past five he said to her, "It's no use, we cannot put up with it; you'd better go." She had been making a lot of waste, but she wasn't short of cans, as there were hundreds lying idle. She let her cans run over, and they were generally in a dirty condition. In his opinion she hadn't had sufficient experience. After the engine had stopped she met him at the door, and asked him to take her back. He answered, "No, you cannot manage, but if you like to come and learn a week or two we might try you again later on." She made no reply and went away. She was perfectly at liberty to go tho next morning, but without wages. He never saw her in the cardroom on Friday morniqi, nor had anyone else he knew. He thought he wigs justified in dismissing her, because, as a matter of fact„ she had been learning before. He had many applications from girls who could perform the work efficiently, and it wasn't likely that he would let her stay when she couldn't perform the work. The man who was there before told him he would get without her if he could have got someone in her place.—Mr. Flowers: It looks funny that the girl should be able to manage four days under the old carder, and when the new one comes that he should dismiss her the first day. It was carrying things with .a very high hand.—The Coroner: It's a pity he didn't try her another day.—Mr. Flowers: Is it a fact you had others ready-to fill her place? No, that was my first day. Constable Richard Ernest Swarbrick. of Woodhouses, said that on Friday, about quarter past seven, he went to the canal, alter being told by a man named Webb that he had seen a shawl floating in the canal. He obtained grappling irons, and about quarter of a mile from Barcb.ley bridge, at the Fairbottom end, commenced to grapple, and a little later recovered the body of the girl. She was fully dressed, and quite dead. There was no injury on her. The jury ultimately returned an open verdict of "Found drowned."  "Do you think she will make him a good wife?" "More likely she.will make him a good husband."  NEXT WEEK'S "FACTORY TIMES" will contain the first instalment of one of the most strikingly original serial atones we have ever had the pleasure of presenting to our readers. "The Adventures of Lady Margaret" is founded on actual fact, and deals with a phase of life which is bound to enlist the warmest sympathies of all. Side by side with the main course of the story.tbere runs a vein of romance of the kind without which no story is complete. Further particulars will be found on Page 1, and the first instalment of this powerful story should certainly not be missed next week.  KT IS NO rrEA.IEIE? TAN  LEVER BROTHERS, LIMITED, PORT 5 The name LEVER on soap is a guarantee of pur