AN AMBLE MYSTERY SOLVED
Mr Charles Percy, coroner for North Northumberland, held an inquest at the Schooner Inn, Amble, on Friday evening on the remains of the late Richard Graham, butcher, Amble, which had been brought up by the dredger while working in Amble Harbour.
Margaret Jane Graham, widow of deceased, deposed that her late husband, who was 42 years of age, had been missing since the 18th January 1893. At seven o'clock that night he was at home, and she last saw him standing at his shop door. She just then went from the shop into the kitchen, and when she returned in a quarter of an hour he was gone, and she never saw him again. Her husband was not much the worse of drink. He never said anything that night as to where he was going. He then had on a pair of brown leather leggings, strong laced boots, and brown stockings. She had seen the leggings, boots and stockings on the remains that had been brought from the river, and she was quite satisfied they were those belonging to her deceased husband, for whom every possible search had been made at the time but without success.
Robert Bryson, bootmaker, Amble, deposed that the boots on the remains viewed by the jury, he had no hesitation in saying, were those he had sold the deceased on the 25th April, 1891. He made them himself and repaired them in November 1892. The repairs were quite easy to be seen.
James Clark said he was a coal trimmer residing at Amble. He remembered seeing deceased on the night of the 18th January, 1893, going into the shop of Mr Kendall (now deceased) about ten minutes past ten o'clock. Deceased was the worse of liquor, but he could walk steadily.
John Henderson, mariner, Amble, stated that on the 27th ult., between 10 and 11 o'clock in the forenoon, he was working on the Priestman Grab, a dredger, in Amble Harbour. He saw the remains of deceased pulled up, consisting of the boots, leggings, and stockings, seen by the jury, also one leg-bone complete and part of the other leg. A skull was found at the same spot about two years ago.
Dr. Wm. Smyth, practising at Amble, said that he had seen the remains viewed by the Jury, and identified them as those of a male. The boots were well preserved. He thought the remains, judging from appearances and condition, must have been in the water at least for four years. The height of the deceased would be about 5ft 8in. or 5ft. 9in.
The jury returned the verdict "That Richard Graham (or part of his remains) was found dead at Amble Harbour on 27th October 1897, he having been missing since the 18th January, 1893, but when or how he came by his death there is no evidence to show."
[Shields Daily Gazette 3 November 1897]
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