Idea for wounded was just the ticket
HERE in this new weekly feature, we take a look back at the Rochdale Observer from 100 years ago...
●●HARVEST FESTIVALS CHRIST CHURCH, HEALEY
Harvest festival services were held in Christ Church, Healey, on Sunday. In the morning and the afternoon, the preacher was the vicar, the Rev W S White, whose farewell address in the afternoon is reported in today’s Observer. At night, the vicar of Dearnley, the Rev G R Oakley, preached. Special music was rendered by the choir, under the leadership of Mr P Shepherd and to the accompaniment of Mr T Howarth. The choir stalls, front and pulpit were prettily decorated with flowers. The congregations were large. ●●WAR CASUALTY PHOTOS
Private T Lawler of the Manchester Regiment, whose widow and seven children reside at 14 Holt Street, off West Street, Rochdale, was killed in action in France on August 16.
Lance-Corporal F Brearley of the King’s Royal Rifles, son of Mrs Brearley of 8 Market Street, Shawforth, was killed instantly by a shell on August 24.
●●TO THE EDITOR OF THE ROCHDALE OBSERVER
Sir, may I suggest a means which will give our wounded lads their tram rides, and also provide the public with an opportunity to do what they have strongly desired to do, namely, pay the lads’ tram fares without hurting their feelings. Let the tramway authorities have special wounded soldier’s tickets printed, which, when presented to the conductor by the lads, shall be partly torn off, as in the case with workmen’s tickets. Let them announce to the public through the medium of notices in the cars that these tickets can be bought, and where, and also give the addresses of the military hospitals on the car routes. Then the purchaser can send the tickets to the hospital authorities who will, I am sure, receive and equally distribute them amongst the lads. I should be glad to purchase, one hundred penny tickets.
“ASTR.”
●●SERIOUS SHOP FIRE TWO WORKROOMS DESTROYED
A fire, which had evidently been burning for some time before it was discovered, occurred at Mr Frank Horsman’s tailor’s shop, 135 Drake Street, Rochdale, early yesterday morning. Mr Horsman does not live on the premises and the apartments on the first floor, which extended from Drake Street to Henry Street, were used as workrooms. It was in one of the workrooms that the fire originated. Shortly before 1am a man, who happened to be passing the place, saw flames issuing from the building and he at once telephoned to the fire station. Though the brigade promptly turned out, by the time they arrived the fire was burning fiercely. The roof had collapsed and the second and third workrooms had been completely destroyed, and the falling timber and masonry had gone through a large hole burned in the floor and dropped into the fitting room. This is immediately behind the shop. For a time, the flames rose yards high into the air, illuminating the neighbourhood.
●●LEARNING TO BURGLE - A BOYS IMPROPER CONDUCT
On Tuesday night, moving lights inside a shop in Yorkshire Street attracted the attention of PC Milburn. He watched and shortly a boy came out. The constable took him up and the lad handed him some keys saying: “I have stolen these keys from my father’s pocket, I have been in for some money but I left it. I told my mother that I was a big piecer earning 35s a week, but I am a little piecer. I went there to get money to make up the difference in my wages.” The boy, who is 13, appeared at the juvenile court, held in the magistrates private room at the Rochdale Town Hall on Wednesday morning. He was charged with breaking and entering the shop with intent to steal. The lad’s father, who is the manager of the shop stated that nothing had been taken from the premises.
It was decided that the boy and the father should be bound over for six months and the son placed under the supervision of Miss Dugdale, the probation officer.