The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-07-02 00:00:00

Rtistellancous Ifutelligcnte,

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL,

A POL!TICAL SCRUPLE. Among those upon
whom the dignity of Chevalier the 1,6,, of
Honour has been recently conferred was a celebrated
French landscape painter, M. Courbet, who, however.
has written to the Minist,r des Beaux Arts to decline
the proffered honour, which his republican principles
forbade him to accept, and in his letter he ...aye that,
after his death, he wishes to be spoken of as "one who
belonged to no school, to no Church, to no institution,
to no academy, and above all, to no rigime that is not
the regillit of liberty."

MARRIID LIM—A female friend of ours (we
are quoting from the Pall Mall Gazette) a spinster and
an observant moralist --whose opinion we value
highly, used to say that it was quite a mistake to sup-
pose, as people do generally, that children are a bond
of union between husband and wife. They are
only links between those who are already united by
conjugal love, and consequently require no other
bond. In other cases they are a source of distension,
and, above all, a source of poverty, which in its turn is
fruitful of quarrels. A husband, too' can better afford
t sulk with his wife when he has the children to talk
to, and a wife can do better without her husband's at-
fection when she has her maternal love to fall back
upon. Childless couples agree best—this wise woman
was accustomed to say—for the very obvious reason
that the more dependent people are upon one another
the more disps sed they are to bear with each other.
There may be some truth in this. It it very certain,
for instance, that but for the circumstance of the desert
island Robinson Crusoe would not have tolerated for
one slay the company of Friday, notwithstanding all
his virtues and his docility.

MORE FEVER THAN FODDER.—A physician ad-
vertises a book on "hay Fever." This work has run
to a sixth edition. Hence it would seem that Hay
Fever is a pre% talent complxint. But has not that
disease been namtil in a mistaken idea of its Cf• 11.40.
The fever may be raging just now; but where is the
hay f—Punch.
SAD FATE CF A DWARF.—The smallest dwarf
in the world has Fiat been admitted into the Bethnal-
green workhouse ma dying state, where he now remains
in the infirmary under the care of Drs. Smart and
Adripas. The name of the little sufferer is William
Satre. lie is 32 years of age. He is but 31 inches in
height. All his limbs are perfect, anti he presents the
appearance of a child three years oil, at which age
he ceased to grow. He is ef dark complexion, and his
features are by no means handsome. He speaks
fluently, but being slightly deaf it is with gieat difficulty
that a conversation can be carried on with him. He has
hero publicly exhibited both in England and France,
his father havinz made an arrangement with a French-
man for that purpose for the omaideration of two
pounds a week. The unhappy little ruau having fallen
into ill-health, and his family and himself being in a
state of destitution, the workficuse to which he has
been removed promises to be the place of his final ap-
pearance in this world.

IMPORTANT Via,c. CASE.—On Monday a will
case of considerable interebt was decided in the Court
of Seevion, after a trial of six days. The action was
brousht to set aside the will of the late Mr. Wm.
Mr siva Stewart, of Lochnsger, on the ground that de-
c,ustd when he made the will was of unsound mind. A
sum of about k 30,000 was involved in the action. Some
curious evitler es was given in the course of the trial in
proof of insanity—one or two of the witnesses taking
exception particularly to Mr. Stswart's conduct On
Sundays. The will will he Bet aside, the case having
resulted in favour of the pursuers.

WORKING Mot AND TALKING MEN.—The Col-
lective Wisdom in the House of Commons is known by
its much speaking, which commonly koeps our
loquacious legislators up till past three o'clock in the
morning. What, it is asked, is the work of the
hardest woiked working man compared to that of a
Member of Parliament? Little enough in point of
duration; but work is one thing and talk is another.
—Punch.

A HORRIBLE CONFINEKENT.—A correspondent
Benda the Pioneer the following sad and interesting
particulars with regard to an incident of Cashmere
rule :

"Several years ago," It, Faye, "a canspitacy was formed
by tome if subji cts. mostly. I believe. men of rank and
influence, against the rule of the Mahar...jell Toe plot was
discovered, and the ringleaders either executed or imprisot eel
for life. In a barred woodert esge in the guardroom of this
small fort at Kara, a place altuatel "II the road running
nearly east Mid vest between Srimeaur and 4th, the chief
town or Ladek, may be seen ono of there politica, pi imnars.
lite unfortunate man has passed eleven year, or captivi'y
this creel cep, vhi h toeatutea abmut lj f.et squ4re, and is
FO diabolically conllriVed that he CAO titillibr sir, .or stand,
nor he at este. lie hie never, since Ids incarceration, been
• Iflwn the small's; mercy; Ito ra,pite from Ids painful cut.
llniment. has hem reacted him ; God'a gun, the fresh air, the
slght of the comm. objects of nature he been denied hurt :
the four mud wolls of We Trisi n room are hit hero en ; the
repoy who from lime to lime I rhms him Ills 'may meals
lurnighes his Only connecting link with the livlng word."

-
SHUCKING OCCURRENCE IN LoaDoN.—OslSatuy
day afternoon, a horrible outrage was committed in
Chancery-lane by a man named Jermyn, aged 50, who
is believed to be insane. It appears that for some
years past Jermyn has been employed as a fireman at
the Patent-office, Chancery-lane. On Saturday after-
noon a Mr. Tomlinson was in his office on the third
floor of the building, and asked Jermyn to get hire
some luncheon, and gave him a sovereign for that
purpose. Jermyn returned to Mr. Tomlinson a few
minutes before two o'clock, and, after placing the
luucheon upon the table, handed him the change of
the sovereign. He then, without uttering a word,
took a special constable's staff out of his pocket atul
struck Mr. Tomlinson about the head with it several

.
Immediate.ly aftkr—ild threw the staff into a
earner of the room and then rushed toa-ards the win-
dow which was open. Jumping upon he sill he leaped
out, but before he reached the ground caught hold of
; the rail-water pipe and slid down. He thin ran into
a water closet, where he was discovered by a porter
and a policeman in the act of cutting ail throat with a
penknife. They instantly caught fold of him and
carried him to Kiwi's College Hospital, where it was
ascertained that he had inflicted a wound iipan his
throats, severe that the juAular vein was separated,
and that there was no chance of saving his life. On
Friday night hit wife called at the tragical, and stated
that two eats ago her husband fell down a fl;ght of
stairs mid i9jured his head. SIDON that time he had
fri quently bLo.n signs of insanity. lie never had any
towkds or misunderatanding with Mr.
Tomlinson. The police state that shortly after the
attempt made by the Ftllinei to b:ow up the House
of Detention at Olerkenwell, it was deemed advisable
to swear in all persons in the employ of the Govern-
ment as special constables, and upon Jermyn being
sworn.in he was given the staff with which he attacked