28.—The members of the Automobile Club of Great Britain arrived at Norwich in the course of a Whitsuntide tour through East Anglia.
JUNE.
9.—A verdict of accidental death was returned by a coroner’s jury at Norwich in the case of Henry Skepworth, a sergeant in the 7th Dragoon Guards, who died from injuries received when returning from Wymondham, where a party of non-commissioned officers and men of the regiment had given a military display at the athletic sports. It was subsequently announced that “certain irregularities having lately occurred at sports and other displays in which soldiers have taken part, and notably in the Colchester district, where a sergeant met with his death, the Commander-in-Chief has refused applications for their services on such occasions.”
16.—Mr. Ben Greet’s company gave pastoral representations of “As You Like It” and “The Comedy of Errors” at Bracondale Woods in aid of the endowment fund of the Jenny Lind Infirmary at Norwich.
20.—The railway from North Walsham to Mundesley was opened for goods traffic. The first passenger trains were run on July 1st.
21.—The Norwich Corporation Baths at the old Museum premises, St. Andrew’s Broad Street, were opened by the Mayor (Mr. C. C. R. Spelman).
—At the Norfolk Assizes, before Mr. Justice Hawkins, Samuel Frederick Steele (27), railway carman, was indicted for the wilful murder of Thurza Ann Bensley, at Yarmouth, on February 23rd. The jury found him guilty, but considered him insane when he committed the act, and expressed the hope that he would be kept in strict custody for the rest of his life. His lordship said he would add that as a rider to the verdict.
—It was reported at a meeting of the Norwich Town Council that Messrs. Hughes and Lancaster had completed their contract, amounting to £21,522 for supplying Shone’s ejectors, &c., in connection with the sewerage works.
22.—George Watt (44), labourer, was indicted at the Norwich Assizes, before Mr. Justice Hawkins, for the wilful murder of his wife, Sophia Watt, at Sprowston, on April 14th, and was found guilty, and sentenced to death. The execution (by Billington) took place at Norwich Prison on July 12th.
25.—The championship meeting of the National Cyclists’ Union was held on the Earlham Road Recreation Ground, Norwich. The five miles’ professional championship was won by H. E. Meyers, Dutch Cyclists’ Club, in 15 minutes 36 1-5th seconds; the five miles’ amateur championship by A. S. Ingram, Polytechnic Club, in 14 minutes 11 2-5ths seconds; and the 25 miles’ amateur championship by H. W. Payne, West Roads Cyclists’ Club, in 1 hour 4 minutes 52 4-5ths seconds.