2 July 1904

STREET ACCIDENTS AT ASHTON
Yesterday (Friday), about noon, two serious street accidents occurred near St Michael’s-square. A pony belonging to Mr W. C. SLATER, butcher, Old-street, was temporarily left against its owner’s shop when suddenly it darted off. The animal, which was attached to a spring cart, rounded the corner into St Michael’s square, and plunged through the large plate glass window of the stationer’s and cycle shop belonging to Messrs H. HURST and Co. at the corner of Scotland-street.

The contents of the window were scattered in all directions, and the pony was badly cut and otherwise injured. Mr J. HALL, veterinary surgeon, was soon on the spot, and he attended to the suffering animal.

A few minutes afterwards, a hansom cab belonging to Mr LEECH, and driven by one of his sons, was passing along from the direction of Stalybridge, and when at the top of Scotland-street a little boy, Robert THEWLIS, six year old son of William THEWLIS, labourer, Chapel-street, made an effort to cross the thoroughfare in front of the vehicle. The driver did all in his power to avert an accident, but he failed, and the youngster was knocked down.

Assistance was quickly at hand, and the unfortunate boy was taken home, where it was found that his leg was fractured. Dr WALLACE was sent for and attended to the injuries, and the boy was subsequently removed on the police ambulance in charge of Constables STOREY and ALFORD to the District Infirmary.

SINGULAR DEATH OF AN ASHTON WORKHOUSE INMATE
The death took place under singular circumstances at the Ashton Union Workhouse, on Wednesday forenoon, of an inmate named Harriet BRAYFORD, widow, aged 75 years. Deceased was a patient in the imbecile ward as a result of a weak intellect, and she suffered from an internal malady, for which she was attended by Dr HAMILTON prior to going into the Workhouse six months ago.

On June 2oth she was passing through the doorway of the imbecile ward at the same time as another patient, and fell, fracturing her thigh. She was put in bed, and attended by Dr W. H. HUGHES, jun. Her condition became serious and she gradually weakened and died. The inquest was held on Thursday afternoon at the Workhouse by Mr J. F. PRICE, county coroner, and a jury.

Mary POINTON, a widow of 104, Oxford-street, Ashton, niece of deceased, was the first witness called, and said deceased was the widow of Thomas BRAYFORD, and was about 75 years old, and had lived with witness about six months, up to July of last year.

She was of weak intellect, and had been so for some time, and also suffered from some internal complaint. She had been advised by Dr HAMILTON to go into the Workhouse. Witness had visited her since she fractured her thigh, but she had been unable to account for the accident.

Nurse Annie WARDLE said the deceased had been for the last twelve months in the imbecile ward. She was rather feeble and of weak intellect, although she had lucid intervals. On the 20th of June, about a quarter to five, witness was walking from BRAYFORD, and was about two yards away when she heard her fall on the floor. She looked round and saw her lying on the floor on her right side.

She saw another imbecile inmate, who was coming through the doorway, and the other inmates shouted that she had knocked her down. Witness lifted deceased up, and she complained of her knee. She was treated, put to bed, and seen by the doctor the same night, who found the thigh fractured. The girl who knocked the woman down often entered the ward with a rush. - By a Juryman: She didn't think there was any feeling between the girl and the woman.

Florence TATTERSALL, superintendent of the Workhouse, said she had known the old woman for some time, and corroborated the previous witness's statement, and said deceased had told her the accident occurred whilst she was passing the girl. Death occurred on Wednesday morning from shock. The girl was not a certified lunatic, but was "daft" and quarrelsome with the other patients.

A verdict of "Accidental death" was returned.

MARPLE MAN TAMPERING WITH SHIP'S PAPERS
Government Prosecution
At Altrincham, on Tuesday, a young man named Walter BARRETT, gardener, of Marple, formerly of Sale, was charged at the instance of the Board of Trade with fraudulently using a certificate of discharge and a copy of a report of character which had been forged or altered.

The allegation was that the certificate of discharge from the Manchester Importer at Manchester had been altered by the prisoner from August 7th, 1903, to 27th, for the purpose of defence in connection with an affiliation case heard at Altrincham recently.

Prisoner, who had nothing to say, was sent to gaol for three months with hard labour. The Chairman observed that the prisoner behaved in such a disgraceful manner when the case referred to was heard that he deserved a good deal more.

WAGONETTE ACCIDENT AT GLOSSOP
Serious Street Accident
On Sunday evening, at Glossop, a small wagonette containing two men, two women, and six children, who had been for an outing to the Snake, was being driven down High-street West by a young man named NIELD, of Charlesworth, when the horse shied at a passing electric car, and swerved across the roadway, with the result that the wagonette was overturned and the occupants precipitated into the street.

Mrs NIELD, the wife of the driver, was seriously injured, whilst others were badly shaken and bruised. Drs NELSON and WALKER attended to the injured, and Mrs NIELD was subsequently removed to Wood's Hospital, the others being able to proceed home. The occurrence naturally caused much excitement and alarm.

DROYLDEN MAN'S UNFORTUNATE WEAKNESS
James ARRUNDALE, a well-known Droylsden character, appeared before the magistrates sitting at the Ashton County Police Court, on Wednesday, charged with committing a breach of the peace at Droylsden. Mr Joseph HURST, who appeared to defend, pleaded not guilty.

Constable GREEN said that on Monday night, the 13th of the present month, ARRUNDALE was surrounded by a crowd of children. He was shouting and bawling at them. It was an almost nightly occurrence, and if the least child said anything to him he flew into a rage.

Mr HURST: Did you see a boy throw a stone at him? — No. — Do you know it is the practice of the children to tease Jimmy? Well, they do sometimes. - Are you aware that his door is battered with stones, and that he had to put shutters at his window? — Superintendent HEWITT: I do.

Mr HURST said that ARRUNDALE was the butt of the neighbourhood. He got excitable, it was true, but never used bad language. He thought he was more sinned against than sinning. He was a very respectable inhabitant of the district, but unfortunately suffered from delusions as to witchcraft and other things.

Mr J. R. BYROM (continued Mr HURST) was present that morning, and he would tell them that poor Jimmy was quite respectable, except for the tempest of language which he could raise at times, which would do credit to a lawyer. — The Magistrates' Clerk: Some lawyers. — (Laughter.)

He thought the police ought to protect him rather than prosecute him. The boys ought not to have been there that morning. The irony of the thing was that whenever he obtained employment — he was a bricklayer — his fellow workmen soon discovered his disposition, and chaffed him accordingly, with the result that he flew into a passion and lost his place.

The magistrates dismissed ARRUNDALE with a few words of kindly advice to keep his temper.

DEATH OF A STALYBRIDGE MAN IN AMERICA
An American cutting to hand records the death on May 27th of Mr Thomas Kenworthy BOTTOMLEY, who was born on January 3rd, 1832, at Stalybridge, and who was known amongst the older residents of the borough. Before going to the United States he was a weaver, and afterwards a dresser at Mr John LEECH's mill, Stalybridge. He belonged to Court No. 9 Foresters' Lodge, and was librarian and teacher of arithmetic in the Foresters' Refuge evening school.

A newspaper published in Martin County, Minnesota, contains the following notice:— "At the age of 25 Mr BOTTOMLEY emigrated to the United States and came west to Missouri, where he lived a few years. The Civil War was a source of great unrest in that State, and as Mr BOTTOMLEY's sympathies were with the north he soon sought more congenial surroundings, and moved to Minnesota in 1863. In that same year he moved up to the beautiful farm in Section 11, Nashville, where he has ever since resided.

How few there are of those sturdy pioneers left! And what tremendous odds they struggled against in their efforts to carve out homes on the bleak prairie which spread out westward from the Blue Earth river. The good name that their lives have given to Nashville is a grand tribute to their sterling worth, and among them was none more respected and more worthy of respect than Thomas BOTTOMLEY.

His unquestioned honesty and natural ability led his neighbours to select him for Justice of the Peace many years ago, and he has been continued in that office since. That was only one of many positions of honour and trust which he has held in the past forty years, and the amount of time which Mr BOTTOMLEY gave to the careful and painstaking fulfilment of all his duties was remarkable.

The secret of Mr BOTTOMLEY's success as a public man was that he thought twice before he spoke. He was not married until about fifteen years ago, when he married a Mrs GASKELL, of Cleveland, Ohio. She only lived a few years after their marriage, his second wife being Mrs Emma KANDS, who survives him.

Mr BOTTOMLEY left many relatives to mourn for him, the nearest besides his wife being Seth BOTTOMLEY and Mrs Ann BROWN, a brother and sister, living near him, and a brother Will, who resides in Kansas.

The funeral was held on Sunday forenoon at Basey(?) U.S. Church, of which deceased was an honoured member. The attendance was the largest we ever saw there, the church only accommodating about three fourths of the assembly. Rev A. B. WOLFE was the officiating clergyman.

Mr BOTTOMLEY had been failing in health for about two years, and has been confined to his home most of the time. The end came suddenly, however, his illness only lasting about six hours. A just and righteous man has gone to his reward."

WITH THE ASHTON WOMEN'S CONSERVATIVE ASSOCIATION AT BELLE VUE
Sketches by One Who Was There
A glorious sense of freedom animates the visitor to Belle Vue. It strikes the keynotes of Bohemianism, and provides a temporary respite from the humdrum of daily life.

It was therefore a capital idea that took the members of the newly-formed Women's Conservative Association to this far-famed Lancashire resort on Saturday afternoon, as a sort of chumming-up of the Conservative forces of the borough to strengthen them for the Parliamentary contest which must come within the next two years, as well as the great municipal fight expected next November, and to give backbone to the party in its herculean task.

That the women folk were a potent factor in the political arena had long been recognised, and a half-day's enjoyment "all on their own" was very fitting and extremely welcome. Domestic cares were given a truce, and for once in a while the responsible duties of household management were turned to others, probably in some cases to the noble lord of the little home circle who did not apparently mind a wee bit, and so long as rational enjoyment was being provided for his better half he was in no sense "agin the Government" in matters of women's suffrage.

The train journey from Park Parade station was both interesting and amusing. The departure was about twenty minutes after the advertised time, to give, as one railway official put it, the older end time to get their second wind. Notwithstanding this wise move, there was a lot of puffing and blowing in order to be in time, and the railway officials had a lively time of it answering questions as to the right platform, etc.

One could almost detect a gleam in their eyes as portly dames just on time hurried up, a quivering mass of frills and satin, and instead of using the subway would persist in their excitement in attempting to cross the line where the old footway used to be, to find themselves unable to negotiate the climb on to the down platform, and having to turn back after all.

Then there would be a stampede back, and speculations as to whether they would really miss the train, the porters smiling at the thought that the train could not leave for at least ten minutes, as there was an ordinary train due then, and the special had not yet arrived from Guidebridge, to reverse and pick up its human freight.

There was a merry party on the platform. One old dame made the station ring with her shrill clarion voice, so shrill and piercing, in fact, that it went through one like an east wind. It was anything but the still small voice that one reads about, though it might have been small, but not still. She fairly screamed with delight, and thumped her gingham on the platform with such emphasis that sparks flew from the tip.

The sinuous railway track on the short journey to Hyde-road Station was a perfect babble of voices, many tongues apparently wagging at both ends. One careful soul, evidently determined not to famish on the journey, had taken precautionary measures and armed herself with a stock of the "old cratur," which she was continually handing round in a thimble to the numerous friends as a sort of "corpse reviver."

All went merry as a marriage bell and the quips and jokes en route made the journey appear all too short.

There was quite a gathering of the clans on the Hyde-road Station platform, and the long quasi-procession thence to the grounds was one which might have done credit to any full-blown and well-established association. All were in full fig. And yet it was wonderful how such a host seemed to vanish and lose themselves within the monster Belle Vue enclosure.

It was like the rush of a stream into a vast lake losing itself in the turgid waters. Submitting oneself to the inevitable jostling, one was thrown willy-nilly into the vortex of humanity, and very soon ingratiated into the spirit of the place. Begone dull care was the order of the day, and there was quite a happy-go-lucky spirit about the crowd which seemed to be existing entirely in a world of its own. The short time allowed prior to the assembly in the grand hall for tea was easily occupied in viewing some of the attractions of the grounds.

Having heard so much about the giraffe "Maggie" imported from Abyssinia a day or so previously, one's thoughts instinctively turned towards this latest acquisition, possibly on the off chance of picking up some scraps of local knowledge political, as Maggie had already several interview fiends on her trail, and was reputed for her loquacity.

Towering to a height of 11 feet 6 inches in her stocking feet, and a prospect of adding another six feet or more to her stature, Maggie could afford to "look down" on her Ashton admirers. Neat and clean was her boudoir, and her cuisine of hay and other vegetarian diet was so dangerously near the ceiling, on account of her long neck, and had to be reached by a ladder, that poor Maggie was precluded from inviting even her nextdoor neighbour, the hippopotamus, to dine with her, unless, of course, the fable of the fox and stork were repeated.

She surveyed her surroundings from her lofty pedestal, and walked backwards and forwards as if on tar, her long velvety neck, short body, and long slender legs presenting a bit of a parody. She appeared to relish the opportunity afforded of stretching her neck after the enforced confinement of a long voyage, and was continually gazing aloft at the newly-whitewashed ceiling — a sort of counterfeit presentment of the cerulean skies she had just left.

It was difficult to refrain from quizzing her — as others appeared to have done the day previous on different topics — as to what she thought of the members of the Women's Conservative Association now before her, and her views on a subject of great importance to the association, viz, the prospects of Conservatism in Ashton: but not being acclimatised, and fresh from a country where politics are taboo and despotism the rule, we felt it would be impertinent.

If the face is an index of the mind, Maggie's expression suggested that success at the poll could only be assured by efficient organisation, and a long pull, a strong pull, and a pull altogether, and that the members of the association would have to exert all their energies if they meant to be victorious in the municipal and Parliamentary contests. A compliment was arrogated to the Ashton lady workers, who not unnaturally blushed at the merest attempt at flattery as to their personal charms.

Close by was a begging elephant, continually "kow-towing" for pennies which it seized in its trunk, and dropped into a slot, and down came a tasty biscuit, which quickly vanished within the capacious jaws, almost like a drop of water in the ocean. A huge hippopotamus was enjoying an after-dinner siesta, its great square snout protruding above the surface of a sheet of water constituting its bath. Other animals were to be seen in the same compound, and it was quite clear that the giraffe had plenty of company, mostly from her own native shores.

Passing along to another part of the grounds, we get to the steam velocipedes where a few of the Ashton visitors of the male sex are standing, with fun and adventure largely written upon their countenances. Several of them, conspicuous by a surplus of adipose tissue, mount the machines, and simultaneously one of the party sneaks round to the engineer in charge, and offers to pays extra if he will give them a good shaking on.

Off goes the roundabout at full speed, and for a time they fairly revel in the fun. After the first five minutes, the usual time allowed, sour looks begin to show themselves. Another five minutes, and an exclamation that the whirligig ought to be elsewhere. Still another five minutes, and not a stopping station. Limbs begin to ache, and several of the party are in some straits. They cannot dismount until the machine stops, and they stick like leeches as they whirl round and round, to the amusement of the spectators.

Their protests contrast sharply with their previous hilarity, and finally the author of the trouble slips round to the engineer, and says they have had enough. Immediately the machine stops there is a great demand for the perpetrator of the trick, who has in the meantime executed a double shuffle.

The ocean wave, an additional attraction in the Gardens, claims attention for a while, the gyratory motions of which sends the highly sensitive off into the throes of mal de mer. It was rare fun for those blessed with good sea legs, but "never more" is the verdict of some of the Ashton visitors. One party who had qualms of "sea sickness" appeared to be troubled more than anything else on account of only having had tea a short time previously, and in "voyages" of this description it is always hard to rant with those we love.

The daintily-served tea was voted by each and everyone as one of the grandest items of the outing. The boating lake was placid, and the tiny craft were thronged with familiar faces. The steamers, "Little Eastern" and "Little Britain," had a busy time of it. The shooting jungle was an attraction for some of the crack shots interested in the formation of a rifle club in Ashton, and a visit was paid to the monkey house where much fun and amusement was found in watching the antics of the little creatures.

The feeding of the lions, tigers, sea lions, &c, was watched with considerable interest, followed by the novelty of an elephant ride, a bewildering time in the main and an exhilarating tripping of the light fantastic on the dancing board, followed by the colossal firework display, representing the Japanese attack on Port Arthur. The outing was a great success, and was thoroughly enjoyed. A repetition is eagerly looked forward to.