Western Mail Monday May 31st 1926. Mr. John BRYANT, of 27, Tel-el-Kyber-road, Hopkinstown, found his son, William BRYANT 36, a bachelor, on Sunday afternoon hanging dead in his bedroom. The victim had been in a depressed state for some time, and suffered from repeated attacks of malaria contracted during the war. A miraculous escape from death at the age of sixteen, and now an octogenarian! Mr. Charles PARROTT, of 87, Duckpool-road, Newport, declares that he was not born to be drowned and intends to complete his century. As a lad Mr. PARROTT, who, despite a singularly varied and strenuous life, carries his years lightly, was a member of the crew of a ship which encountered a terrible storm in mid-Atlantic. Huge waves were continually enveloping the vessel, and one of these struck him and carried him clean overboard. By a strange freak of the tempest, he was immediately washed on to the deck again, and, grasping a stanchion, was able to cheat death. On another occaision he fell into the dock between two vessels at Birkenhead, and when rescued was unconscious, but eventually revived. At the mature age of eight Mr. PARROTT became a page-boy at Beaufort, and it was not until afterwards, when he went to live in Newport that he attended school-the old St. Paul's School, where, incidentally, Mr. J.H. THOMAS, M.P., the late Councillor Edward DAVIES, J.P., the present Mayor of Newport, and the town-clerk of Southwark attended. On leaving school he was successfully an errand boy, seaman, and railwayman, working his way up to the position of stationmaster. Later he became a rate-collector under the Newport Corporation, a post he held for 33 years, and from which he retired about six years ago. (Did he make his century). Mr. E. Walter REES, manager of the Cardigan branch of Barclays Bank, was presented with a silver salver by the local Cymmrodorion Society, which he founded, on his departure to take up his new post as manager of the company's Carmarthen branch. Mrs. REES received a silver cake basket. OBITUARY. The death has taken place at 13, St. Mark's-crescent, Newport, of Mr. George BEESTON, aged 89 years. A native of Machen. Mr. BEESTON was, for a great many years, an assistant overseer for the parish of Newport. He leaves one son and a daughter. The death took place at Caedderwen, Nelson, on Saturday of Mr. David ROBERTS, M.E., aged 72, a well-known figure in South Wales colliery engineering circles. Mr. ROBERTS was for 21 years chief mechanical engineer at the Deep Navigation Pits, Treharris, and was later, for seventeen years, engaged in the same capacity at the Celynen Collieries, Newbridge. He retired five years ago. He is survived by one child of the first marriage and the widow and four children of the second marriage. The funeral took place on Saturday of Mrs. Mary NASH (89), of Pengam, Rhymney Valley, the oldest resident of the town. The Rev. D.L. JAMES, officiated. The chief mourners were:- Councillor W.S. NASH, J.P., M.B.E., and Mrs. NASH (son and daughter-in-law), the Rev. H.P. NASH, rector of Felthorpe (son), Mrs. M. NASH-WILLIAMS and Mrs. E. WILLIAMS (daughters), Dr. W.R. NASH, M.R.C.P., L.R.C.S. (grandson), and Miss Thelma WILLIAMS (granddaughter). The funeral of Mr. W.E. VAUGHAN, London, Midland, and Scottish Railway goods agent and stationmaster at Sirhowy, took place on Saturday at Vaynor Churchyard. The chief mourners were Mr. J. VAUGHAN, Barry, brother; Mr. C. VAUGHAN, stationmaster, Abergavenny, cousin, and Mr. A. FROWEN, Slough, brother-in-law. The Rev. D. JONES, M.A.., Tredegar, and Rev.- HILL, Ebbw Vale, officiated. The funeral of Mr. J. BARRY, ex-superintendent in the Monmouthshire Constabulary, will leave Usk by motor-hearse at two o'clock for Newport on Tuesday. Mr. H.J. RICKARD, manager of the photo etching department of the Western Mail, was presented with a silver cake basket by his colleagues on the staff on Saturday on the occaision of his silver wedding. Testimony to Mr. RICKARD'S work and his popularity among the staff was borne by Mr. W.J. MINCHINTON, advertising manager. The gift was formally handed over by Miss Marjorie GODWIN. Victor CHARLES (5) of 24, Wharf-road, Newport, is lying at the Royal Gwent Hospital with concussion of the brain sustained as the result of being knocked down by a motor-car on Saturday evening. After being taken ill as his ship entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Michael KAVANAGH (52), of 57, Glebe-street, Penarth, a sailor aboard the steamship Hallmoor, from Swansea, refused to go ashore to a hospital in Quebec and died while the ship was on its way to Montreal. A verdict of "Death death due to natural causes" was recorded at the inquest, when medical evidence showed that the man had been suffering from congestion of the lungs. The funeral took place in the memorial monument plot of the Catholic Sailors' Club, Cote des Neiges Cemetery. Arthur Harold FELTON (50), a Newport Corporation employe', living at 4, Gibbs-road, dropped dead when passing through St. Julian's Home Farm, Newport, on Sunday evening. A body found mutilated in the four-foot way of the Great Western Railway at Maindee North Junction, Newport, on Saturday has been identified as that of Walter HOBBS (73), a retired marine engineer. John Patrick