Pages from the Past

1860 Newspapers - the end of gossip? Newspapers have made many claims for themselves, including the famous quotation that they are "the first draft of history", but the Westmeath Independent 150 years ago argued that newspapers would put paid to petty gossip. "A thousand times ahve we heard the question and answer. Two gentlemen meet - "What's the news?" says one. "Nothing but what you see in the papers." They pass on about their business. Has it ever been noticed, among the thousand benefits of a newspaper, not the least is, that it does away with tittle-tattle, gossip, street-yarn, foolish exaggerations, scandal, and news-mongering, which once took up so much of the time of those who were always hearing or telling some new thing? One real evil of social life is thus ended. The man rises in the morning, looks over the paper, is satisfied that he knows all that is worth knowing of the passing history of the world. He has nothing to tell and nothing to hear further. He does not spend his time in giving information which his neighbour knows as well as himself. He is not annoyed in the midst of his business or pleasures by the recital of affairs in which he takes no interest. The same with women. Curiosity is gratified without the loss of time. The scandal of the day has not employed a hundred busy, meddling tongues in its circulation and exaggerations." Burgess expands its premises In an advertisement in the Westmeath Independent in August, 1860, Thomas Burgess informed "his numerous friends and the general public" that he was about to "unite the house, hitherto occupied, by Mrs Brennan, with his old establishment next the bridge and thereby make one extensive and commodious concern, by which means he fully expects greatly to increase the comfort and convenience of his customers." 1910 The capture of Dr Crippen 100 years ago, one story was dominating newspapers across the world - the capture of Dr Crippen Even the Westmeath Independent was updating its readers on the saga. "Probably the most extraordinary tale of a hunt for a supposed criminal was that which ended on Sunday last when Dr. Crippen and Miss Le Neve, travelling as "Mr Robinson and Son" were arrested on board the S.S. Montrose at Father Point, Canada, where the boat touched on her way to Quebec. For some ten days, the course of the Montrose and every throb of her engines have been matters of the keenest interest to the peoples of two continents. The story of the crime for which Crippen was wanted, though shocking in hits details, has been almost forgotten in the excitement of hunting him down. Crippen was married and his wife, a well-known Music Hall artiste, was missed from her usual haunts. In fact, Crippen had given out that she was dead and even gave the details of her death in the Western States of America, but in this tale, he was not always consistent and the theatrical friends of the deceased women had their suspicions aroused and Crippen was for a time at least kept under observation by the Scotland Yard detectives. Then mysteriously, he too disappeared and all the powers of Scotland Yard were unable to trace him. With him went Miss Le Neve whose part in the gruesome story, except as Crippen's companion in his flight, is not quite clear. A search in the late residence of Crippen resulted in a gruesome find. Buried in the floor of the cellar was a quantity of human flesh. There were however no bones and the manner in which the flesh was cut up displayed some skill in the work of dissection. This was supposed to be the remains of Crippen's wife whom he, it was feared, had killed." 1960 Scouts under a Scottish campus "Seventeen scouts attached to St Mary's Catholic Boy Scout Troop have left Athlone on their annual camp, held in Scotland this year. Parents of the scouts and committee members provided his transport to North Wall, Dublin, where the scouts embarked on their first ever overseas holiday. Through the courtesy of the Scottish Boy Scouts in Glasgow, all equipment was provided and erected on the camp site, an arrangement of great help, as it obviates the trouble of transporting tents, etc. In return the Scottish troops intend to visit Athlone next year, when the St Mary's Troop will lay on a similar camp arrangement for them."