The Weekly News and Visitors' Chronicle for Colwyn Bay Colwyn Llandrillo Conway Deganwy and Neighbourhood

The Mysterious Railway Tragedy at Deganwy. THE INQUEST. An inquest was held on Thursday afternoon, October 31st, at the Deganwy Castle Hotel, by Mr. J. H. Bodvel-Roberts, (Coroner for Carnarvonshire), and a jury (of which Mr. T. T. Smith was foreman), into the causes of the deaths of William Miller and John Murphy, whose bodies lay in the ticket-hut on the down platform of Deganwy railway station. William George Parker, second engineer of the steamer Avenel," said that on Sunday last the steamer arrived alongside Deganwy quay, with a cargo of cement, which was commenced to be unloaded on Monday. Miller was a fireman, and Murphy was an able seaman. The "Avenel" was moored on the outside of the L. & N. W. Railway Company's quay. Both Miller and Murphy had joined the vessel about a fortnight ago at Great Yarmouth. The deceased men were found, dead, on Wednesday morning. The witness last saw the deceased men about seven o'clock on Tuesday evening, when they had knocked off work. They said that they were going ashore. They were quite sober. The witness had arranged to meet them ashore, but failed to find them. The deceased men did not turn up during the night. About 6.30 the next morning the witness was told that they had been run over on the railroad. In answer to Mr. Fenna (who represented the Railway Company), the witness said that he had visited the hotel about two o'clock, and had left them there. John Mass, stoker at the Electrical Light Works, Llandudno, said that he knew the deceased men, and that he met them at 7.15 on Tuesday evening. They were not in drink, but they had been drinking. They had about six or seven glasses of beer with the witness. They were all right in their talk and walk. The witness went down to the vessel with them whilst they changed their clothes, but as they were rather long the witness and another man went ashore to the village to wait for them until they came ashore, but they never turned up. They said they would come ashore. In answer to further questions, the witness said that Murphy showed indications of drink. The witness last saw the deceased men at 7.15. Parker (recalled) said that he had returned to the vessel about nine o'clock on Tuesday night. It was a very dark night, and he saw nothing unusual on going over the level crossing. Lewis Roberts, platelayer, Deganwy, said that he commenced walking his length about six o'clock on Wednesday morning, when he found the two bodies about four feet apart, lying in the four-foot of the down line. Both' were between the rails. It was moonlight. The witness and his companion moved the bodies to a place of safety, and then went for the police and the doctor. The bodies were quite cold and stiff. On the arrival of the police, the doctor, and the stationmaster, the bodies were moved to the place where they now were. The witness, after describing the injuries sustained by the bodies, said that he found them about eighteen yards from the crossing. There were marks all the way from the crossing to where they were found, as though they had been dragged from the crossing. gave corroborative evidence as to where the gave corroborative evidence as to where the bodies were found. The trains leaving for Llan- dudno on Tuesday night would be the 7.50, 8.5, 9.35, and 10.15, from the Junction. There would also be a light engine between five and six o'clock on Wednesday morning. The Coroner, summing up, said that his idea was that the deceased must have been caught by a down train whilst passing over the level-cross- ing. They were in an excitable state when last seen, and they had expressed an intention of going ashore. There was no evidence as to the time of the accident, or as to whether the men were in drink at the time. There seemed to be no negligence attributable to anyone, but it might be well that the Railway Company should, and they probably would, consider the condition of this level-crossing, as to lighting, &c. The jury found a verdict of Accidental Death on the Railway."

Merridew v. The Colwyn Bay Council. At the Conway County Court, on Thursday of last week, Mr. James Amphlett (of Messrs. Porter & Amphlett, Solicitors to the Colwyn Bay Urban District Council) appealed to His Honour Judge Sir Horatio Lloyd. against the registrar's action in disallowing certain amounts in the bill of costs of the Colwyn Bay Urban District Coun- cil, who were the defendants in an action brought by Mr. Merridew, of Colwyn Bay, judgment for the defendants kaving been given at the June Court. The costs in question were included in an item of instructions for brief," and included the counsel's charges for seeing witnesses. The Registrar explained that he could find no authority which gave him power to allow these costs. Mr. Amphlett cited a case lately heard in the Liverpool County Court. His Honour said that he had no machinery wherewith, to do what Mr. Amphlett asked him, therefore he must confirm the registrar's taxa- tion he must adhere to the scale.

The Temperance Movement in Colwyn Bay. MEETING IN THE CHURCH ROOM. A public Temperance meeting, held under the auspices of the C.E.T.S., was held in the Church Room, Colwyn Bay, on Monday evening, to inaugurate the winter's work of the Branch of the Society in Colwyn Bay. The Rev. Canon Roberts, Vicar of Colwyn Bay, presided, and there were with him on the platform the Revs. Hamer Lewis, Diocesan Inspector of Schools, and J. H. Hope and O. J. Davies, curates. The meeting was opened devotionally by the Rev. O. J. Davies. The Rev. Canon Roberts, in the course of a short introductory speech, said that that was the first meeting of their winter session, and he felt much encouraged by the excellent attend- ance. He would welcome them all, for the society did not wish to make things uncomfort- able for those who did not feel able to join their total abstinence section,—there was the other branch open to them. Their policy throughout the winter would be to get good speakers, and to do away with the musical programmes, with which the meetings had been hitherto occupied. They were making efforts to secure the cause of temperance, for, in addition to these meetings, they had the Band of Hope, a Guild of Lads, and a Young Men's and Young Women's Society, all engaged in Temperance work. The Rev. Hamer Lewis, in the course of an inspiriting address, said that he thought the Temperance Society in the Diocese owed the people of Colwyn Bay a deep debt of gratitude. Their work had received a considerable increase of energy since the great meeting in the Colwyn Bay Pavilion, and they owed, as he had said, a deep debt of gratitude to the people of Colwyn Bay, and especially to Canon Roberts. Review- ing the history of the cause for the past year, the speaker said that they would find that they had made a little progress during the year. One indi- cation of progress was the fact that they had had the Sale of Drink to Children Bill passed. Of course the enemy had knocked a good deal of good out of it before it was finally passed still they were thankful for the little good that had been brought about. It was a pity that they could not get a Bill of that sort passed through the House of Commons without being interfered with but children of tender years could now no longer get drink from a public-house unless the drink was stoppered," or supplied to them in such a manner that they could not touch it. He was almost despondent about getting the House of Commons to do anything more in the way of Temperance. That was true of whatever Government was in power, because of the power of those engaged in the drink traffic. They pre- vented, by the force of their influence and power, any strong Temperance measure passing through the House of Commons. What was to become of us if the drink traffic forces could throttle the House of Commons? It was a very solemn and serious fact for the people to consider, and the sooner Parliament asserted their authority over that or any other power, the better it would be. Another indication of progress was the noble stand made by the magistrates in the country. Birmingham, Liverpool, and Manchester had felt that influence quite as much as they had in Colwyn Bay. The great danger lay in the thou- sands of houses, all over the country, which were conducted with no other object than to sell as much drink as they possibly could without regard to the consequence. The magistrates had done much to improve the state of things, but they had still greater power, and he hoped they would exercise it. But the duties of the magis- trates were very far from easy, for it was sur- prisingly difficult to prove in the courts that a man was even drunk. To the magistrates he would say, with Punch," More power to your elbow, gentlemen." (Applause.) Another fea- ture of the year was the newPublic-house Trust Companies, which were carried on by a Society of excellent men endeavouring to carry on a public-house as they thought it should be con- ducted. The attitude of the C.E.T.S. was at present one of benevolent neutrality. They were not quite certain what stand to take. These Trusts were merely passing through the natural stages of the evolution of all good movements, and, having passed through the stage of inanition, they were now passing through the stage of ridicule, even as the Temperance move- ment itself has passed; and if it was a good movement it would succeed, and they welcomed anything and everything that would tend to show them that they were making a little progress towards the goal of making people sober. The greatest monstrosity of the nineteenth century was the bona-fide traveller. In many parts of the country he was a terrible nuisance. The speaker instanced the case of a certain little towm in the Diocese (Llangollen), where there was a drunkards' train, run for no other purpose than to take men over the limit. It was high time for the people of the country to set their faces against a monstrosity of that sort. Sunday Closing had been a blessing to Wales, although some people tried to say it was not. Even the Commission appointed recently to investigate the success of the movement, a Commission which had begun its work with a hostile inten- tion, had at last returned convinced that it was a blessing, and what they might very reasonably hope from legislation in the immediate future, was that the same blessing should be extended to England also. Another thing they wanted was a control of what were called grocers' licenses. They did great harm, and to women especially. Quoting an article from the London Echo," the speaker said that the death-rate from drink amongst women had increased by 104 per cent., chiefly through this cause. Another mis- chief which required to be taken in hand was the Drinking Club. Was it not reasonable to ask that the law should have something to say with the administration of those clubs? The speaker urged all to have something to say for their cause,—for the right and the good, using what gifts God had given them. Let them hold before them the definite aim of putting down the malicious habit of treating" The treaters were making the treated men prisoners with the chain of the terrible evil wound round their souls-and, try as those men would, they could not shake off their bonds. This statement was particularly applicable to Colwyn Bay, and especially so in the summer season. Instancing, in conclusion, the means by which Rudyard Kipling had been converted to Temperance, the speaker said that that was the kind of religion they wanted,—the religion of self-denial" that was the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ. The same great principle was pre- sented to them in the conduct of their great Archbishop at the recent meeting in Colwyn Bay, and a high dignitary of the Church in the diocese had been so impressed by that fact that he had decided to follow his example. An appeal was then made, by the Rev. O. J. Davies, for members' subscriptions to help pay the bill for the advocate who opposed the grant- ing of the license to the Colwyn Bay Pavilion. They fel't, as a Society, that they should take their share in that expense which such opposition involved.

THE MOST NUTRITIOUS. EPPS'S GRATEFUL-COM FORTING. COCOA BREAKFAST-SU PPER.

Row at Llanbedr Races. SEQUEL IN THE COUNTY COURT. Before His Honour Judge Sir Horatio Lloyd at the Conway County Court, on Thursday of last week, Evan Jones, employed as "boots" at the Victoria Hotel, Llanrwst, sued Thomas Jones, a farm labourer, of Llanbedr, for damages on account of injuries from a blow alleged to have been struck by the defendant. Mr. E. Davies Jones, solicitor, Llanrwst, was for the plaintiff, and Mr. David Jones, solicitor, Llan- rwst, for the defence. Evan Jones, the plaintiff, said that he attended the Llanbedr sports on the 24th August, and ran in some of the foot races there. One of the races was confined to men of the locality, and under some misunderstanding he ran in it, but was disqualified. After the race there was a bit of a bother, and he went to a friend of his. The defendant then came up to the witness, took hold of his shoulder, and turning him, struck him a blow on the mouth, the defendant having a pipe in his hand at the time. The pipe fairly went through his lip, knocked a tooth out, and broke some others. The witness fell down from the effect of the blow. He was afterwards attended by Dr. Hill, of Llanrwst, and was unable to work for over a fortnight afterwards. He had an engagement to go out as a beater for a gentle- man, and the pay he was to get was 5s. per day and his food. Cross-examined At the time of the sports he was living at Gyffin, having been there in his brother's house for seven days. That would qualify him, he thought, for running in the local" race. He denied that he wanted to fight after the race, nor did he say that he would lay a dollar that the defendant could not beat him. The work he was to have was not regular work, but the terms he had stated were those agreed upon. After the fortnight during which he was laid up, he went out beating, but during the fortnight he was simply walking about the streets, for he could not work without eating anything. Re-examined Through the effects of his injury he was not able to take solid food. Grenville Jones said that he was a manufac- turing confectioner. He ran in the race in ques- tion, but could not finish, and went aside. After the race the plaintiff came up to him and asked why he did not finish the race, and shortly after the defendant came up and struck the plaintiff, as had already been stated. Price Jones, John Owen Jones, and Peter Hughes, also gave corroborative evidence, and Dr. Hill, of Llanrwst, described the injuries which incapacitated the plaintiff for a fortnight. For the defence, Mr. David Jones said that the plaintiff was very disappointed because he was disqualified in the race, and wanted to fight everybody. The defendant then went up to him and told him that, if he was not quiet, he would give him a good thrashing. The plaintiff then went away, and, when he and the defendant met afterwards, he said he would bet a dollar that the defendant could not thrash him, and put himself in fighting attitude. The defendant then struck out, and a fight followed. Mr. Robert Ellis, of Brynpin, said that the plaintiff was disqualified from running in the race in question, for in the Caerhun Bazaar Sports he had given his address as Llanrwst. There was a dispute after the disqualiifcation, and Thomas Jones told the plaintiff that he must not make a disturbance there, or he would get a thrashing. A challenge followed, then a fight, and a general squabble. His Honour accepted what the last witness had said, for it was very likely to be the correct version of the matter. The plaintiff had a grievance, and would not probably be in the best of humours. But the defendant went far beyond what he ought to have done. The nature of the blow was shown bv the doctor's evidence —a tooth knocked out and others broken, showed a very violent blow. Judgment for the plaintiff, damages at three guineas, including the doctors' fees.

Rhos-on-Sea Golf Club. The annual meeting of this Club was held on Saturday afternoon, -when the following officers, &c., were elected by ballot :-President, Mr. Sam Wells Page vice-presidents, Mr. Hammer- sley Heenan, Dr. Francis Asherley, and Mr. W. E. Wimpenny; captain, Mr. Condrad Gamble; director of greens, Mr. F. W. Clover; ladies' committee, Miss Duerden, Mrs. Horton, Mrs. A. H. Venables-Williams, Miss Jackson, Mrs. Jerningham Murat, Miss Rotherham, and Mrs. Manley-Saunders; gentlemen's committee, Messrs. W. P. Samuels, W. E. Briercliffe, F. W. Clover, R. B. Perkins, Percy Higson, J. Simp- son, J. W. Keatinge, W. H. Beaty, C. C. Clutter- buck, and C. Manners; house committee, Messrs. A. Grant, W. E. Briercliffe, and Percy Higson.—The following report was submitted and approved :-The past season of this club has been a most successful one. The Links have rapidly improved, and complaints are now of rare occurrence. This is a cause for congratula- tion, as golfers are well known to be most particular and not at all bashful in stating their grievances. The Club now consists of 154 members, and there have been 927 temporary members and 148 visitors, or a total of 1,229 players already this season. Since the last annual meeting much money has been laid out in converting ditches into sand bunkers, further drainage, and work on the sea valve, which now keeps all but high tides from backing up the water in the Afon Ganol, besides the ordinary upkeep of the Links. The following work is now in hand or proposed for the next season:-(I) Some new greens in more sporting positions and enlargement of others (2) provision of perma- nent tees; (3) position of tees to be revised so that a good drive or Brassey shot does not get penalised; (4) remainder of ditches made into bunkers, so that they can be played out of; (5) raising of sea valve to keep out practically all tides (6) providing silver club challenge bowls for open competition at Easter, Whit-week, and the summer meeting, and arranging open compe- titions for every Saturday in the year; (7) if the light railway is not at once started, to provide a motor omnibus to run regularly all day between Colwyn Bay station and the Club House; (8) laying out a large piece of land on the Rhos side of the Links, for tennis, croquet, archery, bowls, &c. It is also proposed to engage an experienced groundsman for the coming season, who will teach and coach members and repair clubs in his spare time. The Hon. Secretary and the Secretary being now in residence at the Club House, it is anticipated that this will add very materially to the comfort and convenience of the members and visitors.—It was resolved that the Club House should be closed for refreshments on Sundays till 12.45 p.m.-The meeting further agreed to endeavour to make arrangements for matches with the other local Clubs. The open handicap sweepstake competition against bogey was held on Saturday. The following cards were returned:—T. S. Handley, 2 up (prize) J. Meakin, 1 down; A. J. Page, 5 down; S. Clayton, 7 down; H. Goldsmith, 13 down. Seven entered.

Dales' GOLD MEDAL Dubbin Makes BOOTS & HAR- NESS waterproof as a duck's back, sof as velvet.anA wear 3 times as lone; pleasant odour; allows polishing. 22 EXHIBITION HIGHEST AWARDS for superiority. Tins 2d., 6d., & 2/6 oj Boot Makers, Saddlers, Ironmon- gers, <3fc. Manufactory. E. Dulwich, London. 569-1$