GENEROUS GIFT TO RUGBY.
PUBLIC HALL TO RE ERECTED BY MRS. ARTHUR JAMES.
EXTENSIVE SCHEME OUTLINED.
SITE ALREADY SELECTED.
“ The Arthur James Memorial Hall.”
An announcement was made by the Chairman (Mr J J McKinnell) at the monthly meeting of the Rugby Urban District Council on Tuesday evening. About fifteen months ago, he said, Mrs Arthur James informed him that she wished to make a gift to Rugby in memory of her late husband, and after a certain amount of consideration she finally decided to erect a new Public Hall, and to present it to the town. A site in Albert Street, at the corner of James Street, has been purchased by Mrs James for this purpose. At a special meeting of the Council held in private, he announced Mrs James’s intention to the members, and they at once passed a resolution thanking her for her great generosity. When among other suggested War Memorials a new Public Hall was mentioned, he felt it was his duty to consult Mrs James and to ask if he might make public her intentions. Then, too, as there was a suggestion of providing a Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Institute he mentioned this matter to Mrs James and asked her if a part of the site could be utilised for this purpose. Mrs James kindly replied that if this was the desire of the town she would be quite a willing to fall in with it and to allow a part of her site to be used. But she said quite clearly that she would prefer to erect a memorial to her husband by itself. However, if the town thought the scheme a good one she was quite willing to put her own feelings on one side and join in a general scheme. He thought they would all agree that this was a very kind and public-spirited attitude on the part of Mrs James. This plan also had been put before the Council and after some deliberation they came to the conclusion that the advantages of building on one site were so numerous that they desired to call a public meeting of townspeople and to suggest that the Rugby memorial should consist of (1) An Obelisk, and (2) of a Sailors and Soldiers’ Institute on the site in Albert Street. Mm James made one stipulation in regard to the Public Hall, and that was that it should be called the Arthur James Memorial Hall. In any case she will pay for the Hall and if the two buildings adjoin the cost of the Hall as apart from the Institute will be ascertained as nearly as possible.
RUGBY URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL
MAJOR BAIRD AND THE WAR MEMORIAL.
The following letter was received from Major J L Baird, M.P. :—“ I should like to confirm my telegram supporting the proposal that the Rugby War Memorial should take the form of a soldiers’ institute and hostel. I feel very strongly that a war armorial should fulfil the following conditions, (1) Be of use to the men who have fought for us ; (2) Afford citizens an opportunity of showing their gratitude to these men by contributing towards their comfort and welfare ; (3) Embody the traditions of the British Army, which have been so superbly upheld during the past four years. The regimental tradition is one of our most treasured national assets. It should be maintained and fostered. It is a truly British tradition and has nothing what-ever to do with militarism. Indeed it is the spirit which has enabled us to defeat Prussian militarism. For these reasons I most earnestly hope that the scheme will be adopted and I will support it to the utmost of my ability.”
RETURNED PRISONERS.—The latest list of repatriated prisoners of war contains the names of four Rugby men—Acting Sergt R A Rogers, R.F.A, Corpl G Jones, D.C.M, Rifle Brigade, Sergt E Watts, Oxon & Bucks L.I, and Pte A C Williams, R.W.R.
Dr H J Beddow, who has been on active service at the 72nd General Hospital in France, has this week returned to Rugby to resume his practice.
SERGT O H WOOTTON, Oxford * Bucks Light Infantry, whose home is at 74 York Street, Rugby, has been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. Sergt Wootton is an old St Matthew’s boy, and when at school played in the Rugby Football Schoolboys’ International Match of 1908 for England against Wales.
SERGT ARTHUR W HUGHES, Royal Engineers (late B.T.H), has been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal in recognition of valuable service rendered in France. He has also been decorated with the Croix de Guerre by the President of the French Republic, and some time ago was mentioned in despatches.
MARRIED A GERMAN.—The plight of a young Englishwoman married to a German was described at Hull on Saturday, when her husband, Rudolph Koepp, was summoned for maintenance. She said she was 21, and had never been out of England. She had maintained herself and four children by working in a munitions factory. Then she had to get relief from the Guardians. The husband has been interned in the Isle of Man, but subsequently was released, and earned £2 12s weekly at cement works at Rugby. Prior to August he sent his wife 5s weekly, but since then he had sent nothing. Defendant, in sobs, complained that he was not allowed to go near the coast to visit his wife, and the case was adjourned to enable him to provide a home for her and the children.
CHESTER STREET CANTEEN.—As will be seen from an announcement in another column, the Chester Street Canteen will be closed as from to-morrow. The canteen was opened by Lady Ethel Baird in June, 1917, with the idea of economising fuel and food, and that it met an urgent need is proved by fact that, during the busiest period of its existence as many as 400 dinners were served daily in the two departments. The success of the scheme was made possible by an efficient staff in the kitchen. The canteen has proved a great boon to many of the workers employed by the large firms in this part of the town, but now that the food supply has become easier, the demands upon the canteen have become substantially less, and for this reason the decision to close down was made. It is interesting and gratifying to note that the project has paid its way.
WAR TROPHIES.
The Clerk announce that the War Office had allocated two German machine guns, two machine gun ammunition boxes and two machine gun ammunition belts to Rugby, and these would be placed in the museum.
BRANDON & WOLSTON.
PRISONER’S RETURN.—Pte Leonard Lixenfield, of 6th Royal Berks, has returned home. He has been in the hands of the Germans since November 30, 1917. He was taken behind the lines and placed in a cage in a field. It was too cold to sleep. Although quite exhausted, the prisoners were only given a drink of cold water. Next morning they had a loaf of black bread between 8. They were then marched to the station, where they were placed in cattle trucks, the bottom of which were covered with manure, and he could not sleep. They were without food for two days until they reached Munster in Westphalia. He was kept in Germany six weeks, and then sent in cattle trucks to France, where he was made to work behind the lines. Many of the parcels were pilfered, but had it not been for them he would have died of starvation. Last winter out of 200 in his lot quite 100 died of starvation. He escaped three times. He was recaptured twice, but his third escape was from Gemapp[?] the day before the armistice was declared. He then reached Cambrai, where he was first captured.
LONG ITCHINGTON.
WAR MEMORIAL.—Collections have recently been made in church and by means of envelopes for the purpose of erecting in the south aisle of the Church a side altar in memory of the Long Itchington men who have fallen in the war. Altogether some £15 is in hand for this object. The Vicar now, however, proposes, with the consent of the contributors, that the memorial should take the form of an oak reredos to the altar in the chancel with a brass plate containing the names of the fallen soldiers. He estimates that about £30 will be required. A meeting of the subscribers will shortly be called to deliberate.
DEATHS.
CLEMENTS.—On October 24, at Prison Hospital, Zebest, Germany, Corpl. FRED CLEMENTS, second son of Mr. and Mrs. Clements, 33 Winfield Street, aged 21.—At Rest.
IN MEMORIAM.
JESSON.—In ever affectionate remembrance of my dear chum, Corporal “ BOB ” JESSON, D.C.M., killed in action at Hebuterne, January 20th, 1916. R.I.P..—B.Q.M.S. W Heath, R.F.A.
WALDUCK.—In loving memory of ERN, who died of wounds Jan. 28, 1916.
—From his loving Father, Mother, Sisters, & Brothers.
Rugby Remembers 