The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-10-20 00:00:00

Advices received from San Domingo report that on
September 13 a man attempted to assassinate the
President of the Republic at Neyba. The President,
however, shot his assailant dead.
The number of visitors to the Fisheries Exhibition
last Saturday was 51 973, making a total for last week
of 122 267; the whole number from the openingof the
exhibition being 2,201,981.
At an orchid sale recently held at Mr. Stevens's
room, King street, Covent-garden, London, some very
high prices were realized. A unique specimen of the
newly introduced Vanda Sandtriana, measuring
21t. 10in. across, fetched 200 guineas.
The New Zealand Shipping Company's chartered
steamers British Kula and Catcaonia have arrived at
Plymouth from Lyttelton, both vessels bringing large
quantities of frozen mutton. The British Sing made
the passage from port to port in 40 days 224 hours'
steaming, being the fastest ever accomplished.
The crops of the maritime provinces of Canada are
reported to be very good this year. Oats, wheat, and
other grains are exceptionally good, the growth being
high and thick and the ears well filled; the hay crop
is generally above the average, and the potatoes are
excellent, though the yield is rather light.
A granary at Moorehead, Minnesota, in the Be
River Valley, gave way under the weight of corn
one night last week. Of 14 men who were sleeping
in a lower story six escaped, but eight were buried
in the corn and four of them killed. The others
were rescued injured.
At about twelve o'clock on Tuesday night, a man
named Stephen Anderson, who had been buried in a
pitshaft near Wednesbury for thirty hours, was
released. He had no bones broken, but was much
exhausted.
The statue of the late John Brown, personal attend-
ant to Her Majesty, which has been produced by Mr.
J. E. Boehm, has been erected on the ground adjoin-
ing Balmoral Castle. The statue, which is a cast, will
be replaced by the bronze statue when it has been
completed by the sculptor.
It is announced that the Central African Bishopric,
vacant by the death of Bishop Steere, has been ac-
cepted by the Rev. Charles Allen Smythies, Vicar of
Roath, Cardiff.
The Postal, Telegraphic, and Telephonic Garea4
states that the number of parcels transmitted by the
new Parcels Post in their first week of business was
289,385. In the eighth week, ending Sept. 25, the
number had increased to 370,119.
The statistics of summary proceedings for offenses
against the Game Laws in England and Wales in the
year 1881-2 show a remarkable diminution, the
numbers being 9,870 only, as against 11,117 in the
previous year. Cases of illegally selling or buying
game even fell by more than one•half. Cases of tres-
passing in the daytime in pursuit of game from 9,415
to 8,185.
New York imports for September amounted to
35,443,291 d015.,-a &crease of seven millions as com-
pared with the previous September. The exports were
only 29.6 6,668 dole being the smallest amount for
Seplember since 1876.
According to the recently published official volume
of judicial statistics, 447 of the inquests held in Eng-
land and Wales in 1880 resulted in a verdict of "died
from excessive drinking." This was 29 more than in
the previous year; but, on the other hand, was below
the average of the five years, which was 460.
- -

-
A singular and mysterious affair has happened at
Bogside Railway Station, near Dunfermline. On
Monday morning, at an early hour, the dead body of
a man was found lying across the south platform of
the station, the head being completely severed from it,
and carried to the other side of the line. The deceased
has been identified as a shepherd who was employed
in the neighbourhood.
The Hygienic Exhibition at Berlin was formally
closed on Monday by Herr Hobrecht, the President
of the Committee of Management. The financial
results of the Exhibition have been satisfactory. Since
the opening nearly a million peopie visited it, and the
admissions to the gardens numbered 409,336. The
receipts amounted to upwards of half a million of
marks.

James Stuton, goods guard on the Crieff and Perth
Rad waye was fatally injured on Friday in last week at
Midderty Station while engaged in shunting opera-
tions by being crashed between the loading bank and
one of the waggons. Deceased was about thirty-five
years of age, and leaves a widow and five children.
The thirtieth anniversary of the birthday of her
Royal Highness the Duchess of Edinburgh (the Grand
Duchess Marie of Russia), who was born on October
17. 1853, Was celebrated in London in the usual manner
on Wednesday.
An inquest was held at Coventry on Tuesday on the
body of a man named Wain, who met with a frighful
death. The deceased was a carpet weaver in the
employ of Dalton and Barton. While atterding to
the machinery in the workshop he was drawn in and
whiilei round several times with the shafting, his legs
and arms be;ng frightfully crushed.—A verdict of
"Accidental death" was recorded.
While the Earl of Dalhousie and one of his factors
were inspecting on Saturday afternoon improvements
carried out recently on some farms, their carriage was
accidentally overturned, and both were violently
thrown to the ground, the vehicle being smashed. The
earl es3aped with trifling injuries, bet the factor wa•
seriously hurt.
On Saturday Mr. C. C. Lewis, coroner for Essex,
held an inquest at Brentwood on the body of Thames
Pve i-.ged 83, who cut his throat at the "Spread
Eagle" Inn, where he had been living with his son.
He had been confined to his bed for three or four days
previously. The ,jury found that he committed suicide
_
A Sheffield grinder named Thomas Hall has corn
mitred suicide under peculiarly distressing circum-
stances. A few months ago he lost his wife, to whom
he was much attached and at whose grave he spent
much time. Be went there on Saturday afternoon,
stretched himself on the grave and cut his throat. He
was found before life was extinct, but died shortly
after. He was 63 years °tape.
It is reported tertm Dublin that a novel walking
match for £lO a side has been arranged for next mont's
between Bombardier Martin Tailor, of the Royal
Artillery, and Private Hogan, of the 2nd Enniskillin
Fusiliers. The distance is eighty miles, each com-
petitor to carry forty rounds of aa•munition, in walk-
ing order. The walking is to be fair heel and toe.
Earl Granville has recently invented for his own
private use a somewhat novel vehicle after the class of
the phaeton, and similar in lightness to the kind of
conveyance in use in America. The whole frame-
work is particularly light. The wheels are high, and
bound with india•rubber tyres, the seat being elevated
from the centre and sufficient to accommodate two
persons on a pinch.
A singular case has been heard at the Manchester
Police court. The keeper of the branch Post Office
was charged with a breach of the Weights and
Measures Act, by having in his possession weights
which had not been stamped. The weights were
correct, and had been supplied by the Postmaster
General for the purposes of the parcels post. They
were marked with the broad arrow and the letters
"G. P. 0." The case was adjourned for a fortnight for
consideration.
According to a report received from Cagliari (Sar-
dinia) a band of highway robbers lately waylaid a
train near the tunnel of Boners. The attack was
expected. The train stopped at the signal of the
robbers, who were much surprised on seeing fifty
carabineers alight. Part of the band were captured.
Six steamers arrived at Liverpool during the week
ending October 13, with live stock and fresh meat on
board, from the United States and Canada. The
total consignments were 1,385 cattle, 2,207 sheep,
6,141 quarters of beef, and 429 carcases of mutton-
against a total of 2,280 cattle, 3,157 sheep, 9,231
quarters of beef, and 1,526 carcases of mutton for the
preceding week, showing a decrease in the arrivals of
both live stock and fresh meat during the past week.
The additions to the Z inlogical Society's Gardens,
Regent's Park, London, during last week included a
Boba.ine antelope and a domestic goat, from Algeria,
presented by Mr. Robert Pitcairn; a black hornbill,
irom West Africa, presented by Mr. J. T. Carrington;
two grey monitors, from Arabia, presented by Captain
.J. S. Sanderson: four urel phrynocephalee, from the
east coast of tbe Caspian, presented by Dr. A. Strauoh,
F.M.Z S.; twelve European tree frogs, European,
presented by Mr. Carl Schorlemmer ; a Cape hyrax,
' from South Africa, a great bustard, European, d.-
posited; an ocelot, a king vulture, a Brazilian cars-
oars, an anaconda, a common boa, from Brazil, pur-
chased ; two Madarin ducks, two cockateels, bred in the
Gardens.