Saturday 1 December 1883

SUDDEN DEATH
At an early hour on Sunday morning (observes the Argus) it was reported to the police that an Italian named OLIVIERI, residing in Waterkant-street, had been found dead in bed, and after an examination by a medical man the body was removed in due course to the Somerset Hospital, where it was examined in the afternoon by Mr. CAMPBELL, Resident magistrate. A post mortem examination will take place, but OLIVIERI had been ailing for some time, and we understand that there can be little doubt that death was due to some internal disorder of long existence.

A WEDDING AT LESSEYTON
(From a Correspondent)
Lesseyton, one of the few beautiful spots near Queenstown, was enlivened on Wednesday the 14th inst by a wedding, particulars of which may interest some of your readers. The chief actors in the happy scene were Mr. W.G. BLENKINS R.M. of Dutoitspan, Diamond Fields, and Mary, second daughter of the Rev. Geo. CHAPMAN, Lesseyton (late of Healdtown). The 8:35 am train brought the first guests who had come from a distance, and in the afternoon a few arrived from Queenstown, the wedding having been fixed for three o’clock. Exactly at that time the bridegroom stepped into the neat little chapel, which had been decorated for the occasion. He had not long to wait, for this being a training institution, everybody connected with Lesseyton falls unconsciously into the habit of being punctual, and even in this memorable instance, when one could pardon a little delay (at least as far as the ladies were concerned) scarcely a minute was lost. The charming bride, led by her father, caused quite a sensation as she entered, being most elegantly dressed in a superb cream satin, trimmed with exquisite lace, the brocaded train was handsome in the extreme, and the wreath and veil very beautiful. Her bridesmaids, Miss MALLETT of Fort Beaufort and Miss Dora SHAW of Peddie, were in lovely costumes of pale pink which, combined and blending with the surroundings of fern, smilax and other decorations, made an impression that will not soon be forgotten. The fortunate bridegroom sustained his part in the ceremony with gentlemanly composure; he was well supported by Messrs. R.H. DUGMORE and Percy MALLETT of Healdtown and Fort Beaufort respectively. For those who know the bride, it is enough to add that she behaved with her accustomed grace and dignity. After the wedding an adjournment to the house followed, where a delightful effect was caused by the appearance of two tables in the comfortable dining room, one of which groaned under the weight of the bride’s cake, surrounded by the usual delicacies laid out most enticingly; the other was covered with a rich variety of beautiful presents, from many parts of the colony and from England, showing that although so far apart there were many friends to think of what was to happen on the 14th. Congratulatory telegrams also poured in most opportunely, and rather mysteriously too, considering that the nearest station was three or four mile away; coming so, they added considerably to the brightness of the occasion. Among other things the guests were all [obscured] to see the taste displayed by the girls from the institution, who with a few suggestions from their lady teacher (Miss SIMPSON) had [obscured] the commodious schoolroom really pretty. It was a model of order and neatness ..[obscured] evergreens and flowers were charmingly arranged. At 5 o’clock the bride and bridegroom drove away, amid showers of good wishes for their future prosperity and happiness, which may they long enjoy. They were soon followed by the Queenstown friends, who still had an hour or two of daylight in which to drive homewards.

Monday 3 December 1883

FATAL ACCIDENT
A fatal gun accident (writes the Dispatch) took place on the West Bank on Monday last, when two brothers named YOUNG were foolishly trying their strength against each other to secure possession of a gun. It proved to be loaded, and on being accidentally discharged one of the lads aged thirteen or so received the contents full in his chest. He died on Wednesday after severe suffering. [See report for 7 December]

Tuesday 4 December 1883

DIED at Beaufort vale, District of Bathurst, on Wednesday 28th November 1883, Joseph Cameron, third and beloved son of John and Mary PURDON, aged 18 years 5 months and 22 days.
Not gone from memory, not gone from love,
But gone to Our Father’s house above.

Wednesday 5 December 1883

DIED this morning, 5th December 1883, Claude Norman DeRiberac EDDIE, aged 41 years. R.I.P.
The Funeral will take place tomorrow afternoon, and will leave his residence at 4pm precisely. Friends are invited to attend.

MILITARY FUNERAL
It is notified in the Volunteer Gazette that a meeting of the 1st City Volunteers will be held in the Albany Hall this evening (Wednesday) to make arrangements for attending the funeral of the late Captain EDDIE tomorrow afternoon; a good muster of officers, non-commissioned officers and men is requested.

KILLED BY LIGHTNING
A correspondent at Heidelberg sends De Volkstem the following under date 14th November: A sad occurrence took place on Sunday last, on the farm of Mr. Barend OLIVER, of this district, when one Oelof MEIJER, his wife and two children were killed by lightning. It appears from the statement of one of the children, a girl aged about fifteen or sixteen, who escaped unhurt, that the family had retired to rest when she suddenly woke up and found herself lying on the ground (evidently thrown out of bed by the shock of the lightning) and saw that the house was on fire. She also heard her father ask “how is it that the house is on fire?”. She at once flew into the bedroom where her parents and three children were sleeping, and commenced carrying them out. She succeeded in getting the three children out, two of whom had been killed, and a third severely injured. She made an attempt to save her parents, when the roof fell in on the bedroom part of the house. She had been sleeping in the front room with three other children, two boys and a girl, whom she also managed to carry out, all severely injured by the lightning. I saw the remains of the deceased. They were fearfully burnt, in fact past recognition. They seemed burnt almost to ashes. From the statement of the girl the father must have been burnt alive. The children who were injured I also saw; they all seem to be hurt on their backs, one of them, a girl of about seventeen years of age, was the most severely injured and seemed in great pain. I believe they are all now doing well. The children who were killed were aged five and thirteen years. The deceased father was between thirty and forty years of age. The remains of the parents were dug out from beneath the ashes the following morning. Great credit is due to the girl who bravely saved her brothers and sisters from sharing the melancholy fate of her poor parents, she being from appearance a very weak child. She also tried to save some of the furniture. This sad occurrence seems to have thrown a gloom over the whole district, and sincere sympathy is felt for the children in their great loss, for whom I trust something will be done.

Thursday 6 December 1883

MARRIED on Thursday 6th inst by the Rev. J. Edwards, Charles Henry Nelson GIRDLESTONE to Alice Harriet, third daughter of the late [D.] ROBERTS Esq.

SAD OCCURRENCE AT THE SUNDAY RIVER’S MOUTH
TWO BATHERS DROWNED
E.P. Herald
News reached town on Monday morning of two sad cases of drowning, which occurred at the beach, close to the Sunday’s River Mouth, on the south side, on Saturday morning last. It appears that four families well-known and highly respected in the Addo district, viz. the BEANs, SMITHs, VERMAAKs and DOWs, left their homes in wagons on Friday for a picnic trip to the river’s mouth, intending to camp out there for two or three days. Mr. VERMAAK joined the party on Saturday morning, and it having been suggested that the ladies and children might have a sea-bath, he, with Mr. Duncan SMITH and Mr. BEAN ventured into the sea with the view of selecting a safe and convenient bathing place for them. The three of them appear to have got into a hole, and after combatting with the strong current which was running to the eastward, Mr. BEAN managed to get ashore in a most exhausted state. Nothing more was seen of his two companions, whose bodies were, it is supposed, carried up the coast and may probably wash up at [Brenton] Island or somewhere in that locality. It is believed that Mr. SMITH went to save Mr. VERMAAK, who, finding himself in the hole, was heard to cry for help. Soon after this Mr. VERMAAK disappeared, and Mr. SMITH was seen struggling in the water with his mouth open and in apparent despair of saving himself. It should be stated that both were excellent swimmers, but the undercurrent was no doubt too much for them. Mr. H. HUDSON, of Coega, the Field-cornet, was communicated with, and he immediately placed some special constables on the beach to watch for the bodies, but nothing was seen of them. Mr. HUDSON spent the whole of Sunday morning on the beach and rode up some considerable distance in the hope of finding the bodies of the two deceased, but returned to the families with the news that there were no tidings. The sorrowing relatives and friends then proceeded to their homes, and we need not say that the melancholy affair which had already been reported there had cast quite a gloom over the neighbourhood. In order to give our readers an idea of the strength of the current at the particular spot where the drowning took place, we may state that on Sunday Mr. BEAN, who was the last to see the two deceased alive, having had a long rope attached to him, went into the fatal pit in order that it might be ascertained which direction the bodies would have been taken. The current, it was found, was travelling eastward, and it was not without much difficulty that four men, who were holding the rope, got him ashore again. Mr. VERMAAK, whose wife was with the picnic party, sad to relate, has only been married some seven or eight months. He, as well as Mr. SMITH, were both well-known in Port Elizabeth, and the latter resided some time at Kimberley.

DIED at Cradock-street, West Hill, Elizabeth HAWKINS (born YOUNG), Exeter, Devonshire, England, in her 69th year. English papers please copy.
The funeral of the late Mrs. HAWKINS will move from her late residence, Cradock-street, tomorrow afternoon at 4 o’clock. Friends are respectfully invited to attend.

Friday 7 December 1883

MILITARY FUNERAL
Yesterday afternoon the funeral of the late Capt. Claude EDDIE, of the 1st City, took place with military honours. The effect was most impressive; and the solemn strains of the Dead March, and the slow pacing of the cortege, and all the accompaniments of the procession inspired the large attending crowd with feelings of awe. The funeral [sic] covered with the flag and bearing the helmet and sword of the deceased was carried on the artillery carriage, and followed by the well-known white charger with the riding boots reversed in the stirrups. Captains SAMPSON, MACLACHLAN, DALE and SIMKINS were pall-bearers, followed by Mr. L EDDIE, chief mourner, and prominent citizens. The artillery carriage was preceded by a large firing party from the 1st City, the Band, Cadets and Artillerymen. The cortege proceeded from deceased’s residence up Beaufort-street, up Somerset-street, down High-street, then to St.Patrick’s Cathedral, where service was conducted by Rev RICARDS, and thence to the cemetery.

THE GUN ACCIDENT
An East London contemporary has the following: We have been requested to state that a paragraph in our last issue gave an incorrect account, which we much regret, of the accident which took place last week on Capt. JACKSON’s farm. It appears that the two brothers were named John and Edward FITZGERALD, and that John, the younger, aged 13, was having breakfast when his brother Edward, aged 16, came into his room and took up the gun [in] order to draw the cartridge. He did not notice that the gun was cocked, and while in the act of loosening the breech the gun went off, and the contents, which was quail shot, was lodged in the chest of his brother John, who was sitting at the table. From the position in which [he] was found, the lad must have been leaning back from the gun when the discharge took place. He was attended to by Dr. DUMINY but succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday afternoon, the accident having taken place on Monday.

Saturday 8 December 1883

BIRTH on Thursday morning, the 6th inst, Mrs. Hugh HUNTLY of a son.

SAD DEATH
On Saturday the 10th November (observes the Friend) during the terrific thunderstorm that swept over the Dundee district, the roof of Mr. Christoffel Petrus Johannes JORDAAN’s house, Preswick, was carried away. Mr. JORDAAN at the time being seriously ill in bed, he was at once removed to his son’s house, where he died from the effects of the shock in half an hour from the time of his removal.

Thursday 13 December 1883

MURDER AT BULFONTEIN
On Saturday morning last (says the D.F. Advertiser) a white man named Patrick ROIRDEN was found murdered in his bed at Bulfontein, having been brutally beaten to death with a pick and a large axe, which were found near the body of the deceased with blood and hair. The murderers are believed to be natives employed by the deceased who did it out of revenge because they had not received their wages. Several arrests have been made on suspicion, and it is to be hoped that the perpetrators of this foul tragedy will be brought to account for their hellish night’s work. The place where the unfortunate man lived is in a remote part of Bulfontein, some distance off what is known as Capetown Road.

Monday 17 December 1833

NOTICE
The Undersigned hereby notifies that he purposes from and after this date adopting his own name of Archibald HADDAW in place of that of SMITH, under which he has been previously known, on purpose to allow the woman known as Mrs. SMITH to adopt her maiden name at her own request, viz. Matilda BIEROWSKY.
A. HADDAW
Somerset East Dec 15 1883.

BIRTH at Kingwilliamstown on the 13th inst, the wife of A. McGREGOR of a son.

Wednesday 19 December 1883

MARRIED by the Rev J.A. Chalmers, at the Manse this morning 18th Dec. 1883, Emma Jane FRASER, second daughter of James Douglas FRASER of Grahamstown, to Conrod William Luis HUTZEN, only son of P.W. HUTZEN of Copenhagen, Denmark.

NOTICE
Mr. Joseph Price GOWEN and Mrs. Elizabeth Ann GOWEEN, his Wife, have on this 19th day of December AD 1883 executed a Deed of Separation from Bed, Board, Cohabitation and Community of Goods, and whereby they have amongst other things agreed that the one will not be responsible for any debts or liabilities which the other of them shall contract, but that each shall be alone responsible for any debts or liabilities which he or she shall contract.
E.H. COLDRIDGE
Notary Public

Thursday 20 December 1883

WEDDING
This morning Mr. HOCKEY of Port Alfred was married to Miss LUKE, the only daughter of Geo. LUKE Esq, the Mayor of Grahamstown. The service was conducted in the presence of a large audience of friends at the Baptist Chapel in Bathurst-street by the Rev. Mr. NUTTALL. The fair bride, who was charmingly dressed in biscuit colour silk, was supported by Miss NUTTALL, Miss BOWER and Misses HOCKEY (2), who looked very enchanting in pale blue costumes. The best man was a brother of the bridegroom. After the ceremony the happy couple and a great number of wedding guests drove to the residence of the Mayor in George-street. We wish the newly-wedded couple every happiness in their career of married life.

Friday 21 December 1883

BIRTH at Grahamstown on December 20 1883, the wife of Mr. W.H.S BELL, of a daughter.

MARRIED by Special Licence at the Baptist Church, Grahamstown, on the 20th December 1883, by the Rev. L. Nuttall, assisted by the Rev H.T. Cousins, John Boulton, third son of B. HOCKEY Esq of Port Alfred, to Ellen, only daughter of George LUKE Esq. No cards.

DEATH OF MISS DWYER
The Argus writes: Our readers will be grieved to learn of the death, at the early age of sixteen years, of the only daughter of Mr. Justice DWYER. The deceased young lady was at school in Wynburg, and returned home some three weeks ago suffering from tubercular deposit in the lungs, and the best medical skill, aided by the tenderest of maternal care, proved unable to cope with the disease, which had a fatal termination.

Wednesday 26 December 1883

TRAGIC OCCURRENCE
(Uitenhage Times)
A terrible accident, resulting in the death of a mother and her eldest child, took place on Monday afternoon at Plate Layer’s Cottage No.J near Centlivres Station on the Midland line. A few yards from the door of the cottage is a circular cement tank about 15 feet deep into which the water taken up by the maintenance trains from Uitenhage was discharged for the use of the occupants of the cottage. This tank is domed over and an aperture, about twenty inches square, is left on the top for the purpose of receiving the water from the trains and allowing it to be drawn up as required by a bucket attached to a rope. There is a well-made door over this aperture, but owing to the frequent requirement for the bucket this could not be well kept locked. The tenement nearest the tank, for there are two tenements under one roof, was the family of a Platelayer named McCORMACK, consisting of husband, wife, a little son about seven years old named Willie, and two younger children aged respectively two years and six months. This tank was a great attraction to poor little Willie, who, in spite of maternal remonstrances, would amuse himself by letting the bucket down the tank and drawing it up. On Monday afternoon a neighbour visiting Mrs. McCORMACK, finding that Willie was missing, went to the door, and perceiving the tank open ran and looked into it and saw a few bubbles rising to the surface of the water, which was then ten feet deep in the tank: and on looking again she saw the little boy standing at the bottom of the tank (for the water was very clear) with his arms held up and spread out. He was quite still. She screamed and went to the cottage, meeting Mrs. McCORMACK at the door, whom she told that her child Willie was in the tank. The poor mother rushed to the tank, got through the hole and dropped into the water. The woman could do nothing to save her friend, for the bucket and rope, all that could have been used in such an emergency, had gone into the tank with the little boy; so she ran to the Station as hard as she could for help. Another young woman, named Mary Ann BURGESS, who was on a visit to the adjoining cottage, on hearing screams ran to the tank and there saw the poor mother struggling in the water. She called to her to try and keep her head up, but she only replied “Oh, my bairn, my bairn!” Miss BURGESS looked around to see if there was anything she could let down to save the poor woman, but she saw nothing, so she ran as hard as she could for Mr. McCORMACK, who was working up the line, and he returned with all speed on a trolley. When he arrived at the sad scene he found that the Station Master and Mr. DENNIS had arrived and that a coloured man had been let down the tank with a wire rope, and his unfortunate wife had been fetched out dead. The little boy was soon got out and laid beside his mother in the bed from which they had risen in full life and health that morning. The Magistrate, Mr. PHILLPOTT, and District Surgeon DR. LAMB held an inquest on Tuesday, resulting in a verdict of accidental drowning. It is to be hoped that this fatal trap, and all others like it, if there are any, will be at once fastened down and pumps put in for drawing up the water, for while they remain a percentage of fatalities may be calculated upon with certainty. The best swimmer in the world could not escape from such a place without help, were he to fall in; the walls are so fashioned that nothing could climb them. Had it occurred to Miss BURGESS to get the bed quilt or blanket off the bed and throw it down, it might have supported the drowning mother till help arrived. But who would have thought of that in such a moment of terror and excitement?