DEATH OF “KING OF SHOWMEN”
Mr John Evans, known s “The King of the Showmen,” a native of Spennymoor, and one of the most prominent owners of roundabouts in the showmen’s business, has died at his residence, 1, Strainton Place, Portobello, at the age of 51 years. His father was also a showman, but of the old school and in a small way.
In his boyhood Mr Evans came with his parents to Byker and began his career as proprietor of a coconut “shy,” and eventually kept on buying and extending his sphere of operations until he became one of the largest owners of attractions for fair grounds in the country. It is stated that frequently he had 18 traction engines to draw his paraphernalia about different parts of the kingdom. Among the fair grounds in which he had a controlling interest was the Jesmond Dene show ground, and he held leases for stands at the Spanish City, Whitley Bay.
For a time, he held possession of the Salmon Hotel, Berwick, but disposed of the property recently to Mr J. Sharp. He gave freely to many charitable institutions. He leaves a widow, a married daughter, and four sons, three of the latter being assistants in the show business. The funeral took place at Rosebank Cemetery, Edinburgh, on Thursday afternoon.
LOCAL NEWS
Now that the groupings of railways is an accomplished fact, it is just possible several employees will be affected as a result. The Railways Act 1921 specifically protests those with five years’ service previous to the passing of the Act, and the National Union of Railwaymen is circularising its branches urging branch secretaries to safeguard the position of members by keeping in touch with the Head Office on any case where they have been transferred to an inferior position as a result of the grouping. This usually has taken place at exchange stations- that is stations where previous to grouping one Company met another. Here the N.E. and N.B. met, and we learn the secretary of the newly-formed loco. branch at Tweedmouth has had occasion to request that the benefit of the Act be extended to his members, some of whom have been reduced about 20s weekly. He is in touch with Head Office and awaiting development.
The Tweedmouth N.E.R. St. John’s Ambulance Association held a successful whist drive in the King’s Arms Assembly Rooms, Berwick, on Wednesday evening, 10th January. The object was to raise funds to enable their members to enter this year for the various challenge shields offered in connection with ambulance work. The first of these competitions is on the first Saturday in March, when the Newcastle and District shield will be competed for at Gateshead. On the first Saturday in April the Lord Wharton shield will be competed for at York, and in the second week in May a competition for the National shield will be held at the Crystal Palace, London, the shield going to the team judged the best in the national contest. The conditions under which the Company deals with the men is that each team pays their own expenses to the first competition at Gateshead. After that the Company pay the expenses of successful teams at the subsequent events. With this encouragement the men of the Tweedmouth class have worked hard to make their whist drive a success. There were 240 presents.
A house-to-house collection in aid of the National Children’s Home and Orphanage, London, was taken up in Tweedmouth by some of the teachers of the Tweedmouth Scotch Church Sunday School, this being the Church chosen for the Tweedmouth district. The amount collected was £9 16s 8d, this sum being handed over to Mr Buglass, Castlegate, who acted as Hon. Secretary. Thanks are due to the lady collectors for this gratifying sum for such a good cause. Some of the young boys in the Home belong to the county of Northumberland. The Church secretary, Mr J. Paxton, has received a letter of thanks from headquarters.
Owners of wireless sets in Berwick have been enjoying the operas broadcasted from Covent Garden, London, during the past week. The operas have also been picked up at Ayton. Berwick Wireless Club members are now engaged inbuilding up a three-valve set of their own. There are some 20 members of the Club and attendances at the weekly meetings on Wednesday evenings continue good.
Archibold Barton, alias William Wagstaff, a native of Derbyshire, who was wanted by the Kelso police for fraud and a contravention of the Aliens Order, was apprehended by Sergeant Middlemiss at Berwick Police station on Saturday, Berwick police were informed at 1.45 that the man was wanted, and by two o’clock he was under arrest- a really smart piece of work. We understand that a woman who had been in the wanted man’s company in Kelso has been taken into custody by the Kelso police.
Up to the time of going to press the goods sent in for Berwick Rangers’ free gift sale, which is held in the Corn Exchange on Thursday (this afternoon), were much below the expectations of the Committee. There were a number of bags of potatoes and a few hens, rabbits, etc., but the miscellaneous goods were not of a very high value. The view was expressed by one who has experience in such sales that the Committee would be lucky to clear £50 off the venture. The Committee were unable to secure the services of the Mayor to open the sale, but Mr H. M. Young, auctioneer, kindly consented to make a few opening remarks.
We have picked up what we believe is one of the earliest Berwick printed books, namely “The English Hero; or Sir Francis Drake Revived,” being a full Account of the dangerous Voyages, admirable Adventures, notable Discoveries, and magnanimous Achievements of that valiant and renowned Commander.” The book was printed at Berwick in 1760 and sold by R. Taylor. It consists of 183 pp., about 3½ inches wide by 5¾, is set in a beautiful type of the period, with artistic headings and sometimes tailpieces to the chapters. The last page is ornamented with an oval picture, an inch and a half wide, of an old-fashioned printing office. To the side two compositors are sitting on stools working at case; the centre is taken up with a large press with two pressmen with their hats on. One is inking the former with bladders, and the other has his hand on the frisket. From the roof on rails hang printed sheets.
THE LAST WOMAN HUNG IN BERWICK
Before the Recorder, Mayor and Aldermen, and a jury, at the Court of Gaol Delivery at Berwick on July 23-24, 1823, Grace Griffin was found guilty of the charge of murdering her husband, John Griffin, on 27th April by throwing him to the ground and beating, trampling, and kicking upon him with both feet and hands, and was sentenced to be hung by the neck until she died.
It was a sordid case of drink and immorality but stripped of an immense quantity of evidence immaterial to the issue and which the Recorder paid little attention to, the persecution built up its case purely on circumstantial evidence. Statements by a woman of loose character who had stayed in a room above the couple were to the effect that she overheard the man saying, “Oh Grace, it was you that did this to me.” This was not a very damning thing to hear but taken in conjunction with other things there was a strong presumption that the woman had caught her husband sleeping drunk and had set about him. The jury found a verdict of guilty after twenty minutes’ adjournment, and after they had heard a summing up from the Recorder rather in favour of the prisoner.
After the trial Mrs Griffin expressed herself as satisfied with the verdict of the jury, which she said could not have been otherwise in consequence of the evidence; the witnesses had sworn as much, she said, as would have hanged twenty. She appears to have been kindly looked after by the ministers in the town before she was hung. The Vicar (Mr Barnes) urged her to confess before giving her the last sacrament, but she adhered to her story that she was innocent.
At 3 o’ clock on Saturday, 26th July, the hangman arrived from Edinburgh and on seeing him entering her cell Mrs Griffin asked who he was. No answer was returned but when she proceeded to pinion her arms she submitted with calmness. Twenty minutes later she walked in deep mourning to the entrance hall of the Town Hall and when she saw the sea of faces looking up on her she remarked that she had often seen Berwick fair very thrang, but never anything like this.
Seated on a cart draped in black, she was borne to Gallows Hill and it is recorded that she waved her hand and nodded to acquaintances as she observed them in the crowd. She viewed the scaffolding without emotion and after engaging inprayer with the Vicar she mounted without movement. The bolt was drawn at 4 o’clock and with her hands clasped Mrs Griffin accepted human judgment.
Commenting on the execution the “Advertiser” of August 2nd, 1823, says “In short the whole proceedings were conducted with a solemnity and decorum suited to the awful occasion. In the crowd we observed many eyes bathed in tears, and several females who from curiosity perhaps pardonable of seeing the mournful procession, found the scene too overwhelming for their feelings and actually fainted.”