Christmas tragedy
Published at 21:36, Wednesday, 25 April 2012
By the last mail intelligence was received of an accident, which terminated fatally to James Beattie, at the Deep Lead, Old Inglewood, on the 25th December last. At Jedburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday, Andrew Hyslop, railway surfaceman, Riccarton Junction, was charged with assaulting Elliot Nichol, labourer, South Hermitage Street, Newcastleton, striking him on the face to the effusion of blood, and creating a breach of the peace in Newcastleton the previous day.The whole question of old Langholm has re-arisen through the alterations presently in progress in the Laird’s Entry to the Eskdale Hotel and at the Skinyards.A hoax bomb scare just before midnight on Saturday night forced the clearance of The Eskdale Hotel in Langholm until the premises had been quickly searched.
150 YEARS
FATAL ACCIDENT TO LANGHOLM MAN IN AUSTRALIA
It appears that himself and mates went to their claim on Christmas night, for the purpose of baling the shaft and the deceased was in the act of landing a bucket when he overbalanced himself and fell to the bottom of the shaft, a depth of 144 feet.
One of his mates who was below, hearing something coming down the shaft, fortunately stepped into a drive and thus escaped injury.
His death must have been instantaneous for, on his comrades bringing him to the surface, life was extinct.
He was 33 years of age and much respected.
100 YEARS
THE INFLUENCE OF DRINK
Hon. Sheriff Hilson said accused had been the worse for drink. The assault was unprovoked, and his conduct had been of a most violent nature. He was fined £3 or 20 days imprisonment.
50 YEARS
EVIDENCE
Work at these places has uncovered interior walls which would appear to be as old as Langholm itself.
These particular walls were built long before the Whita quarries were opened and consist of stones obviously taken from the river bed and bedded in the lime. The advent of the Whita quarries and wrought freestone can be seen on younger portions of the buildings where the wrought iron stone has been used for door and window lintels.
The Eskdale Hotel, of course, must be one of the oldest hostelries in the town – we are referring to the original building and the original name – the King’s Arms Inn.
The present hotel was completely rebuilt by the late Colonel W.E. Malcolm of Burnfoot and is of Whita stone, but some of the buildings at the rear must still date from the days of the King’s Arms.
It is the same with the Skinyards. The formation of a new loading bay in Elizabeth Street has uncovered an old gable which from its looks must be one of the oldest in the new town.
We take it that the Skinyards gable and the Eskdale Hotel outbuildings are well over two centuries old.
25 YEARS
BOMB SCARE CLEARS HOTEL
It was the second such call in a week for last Saturday night it was Canonbie Public Hall who were victims with a similar hoax call around the same time.
Police are still making enquiries.
General feeling is that ignorance is the motivation for the culprits and it is hoped that good sense can come and prevail and make them realise just how dangerous their hoax can be in the long term.
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