The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-07-11 00:00:00

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On Saturday, at the Cumberland Assizes, before Mr.
Justice Maniaty, a schoolmaster, named John Thomp-
son, claimed damages from the London and North-
Western Railway Company, for personal injuries sus-
tained when skpping out of a train, in the dark, at a
paint where there is no platform. The medical evidence
differed as to the chances of his recovery. The jury
awarded the plaintiff £l5OO damages, being the full
amount claimed.

Early on Saturday morning the driver of an engine on
the Midland Railway found the body of a man named
Fleetwood lying en the line, about a mile from Lane-
down Station, near Obeltenham, with the head com-
pletely severed from the trunk. The deceased was a
stonemason living in Cheltenham, and it is stated that
he had been drinking for some days, and that on Friday
afternoon, when he left his house, he said the chances
were his wife would not see him again.
The anniversary of the Declaration of the American
Independence, which took place on July 4, 1776, when
the States were declared" free, sovereign, and indepen-
dent," was observed as a holiday by the American
citizens residing in the metropolis on Saturday, all
places of business frequented by Americans being
closed. The American Exchange at Charing-cross was
opened only a short time in the morning, and the
American flag was hung from the windows of the
American Club and Reading and News Rooms opposite
the Exchange.
The following members of the Bar, who have recently
been appointed Queen's Counsel, were on Saturday
called within the bar of the different courts by the
respective judges: Mr. S. Taylor, Sir A. Watson, Mr.
M. Channel, Mr. R. A. Bayford, Mr. O. I. Elton, Mr. T.
T. Bucknill, Mr. L. Gana, Mr. W. R. Kennedy, Mr.
French, and Mr. Moulton.
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Dr. Walsh, Oatholic-ATehbishop elect of Dublin, has
sent a circular to the clergy of the archdiocese desiring
that the collection of Peter's pence should be trans-
mitted to the secretaries of the fund with the least
possible delay that he may himself lay the offering at
the feet of the Pope, who has desired his presence for
consecraticn.

The annual meeting in connection with the North-
umberland and Durham Miners' Permanent Relief Fund
was held in Newcastle on Saturday. The report showed
that the number of members on the books on March 31.
1885, was 87,000, showing an increase of 2000 over last
year. The number of recipients on the fund on March
31 was 4307, and during the year 14,500 claims has been
made for minor accidents. The yearly income had been
£69,572, and the expenditure £63,884.
A fire, in which an old man, named Anderson, and
his wife narrowly escaped being burnt to death, occurred
on Saturday in the warehouse of Messrs. Townsend and
Co., Pilgrim-street, Newcastle. The old couple lived
above the premises, and were awakened by a cat which
jumped upon the bed, and scratched at the clothes until
the man awoke. The fire at the time was smouldering,
the room full of stifling smoke, and it was with difficulty
they escaped.
On Saturday, at Guildford, Mrs. Harold Browne, ac-
companied by the Bishop of Winchester, laid the
foundation-stone of a parish hall and working men's
club. In a subsequent address the bishop remarked
on the separation of the classes, employers and em-
ployed, as being one of the worst features of the
present day. He hailed working men's clubs as sub-
stitutes for the home, and, if properly managed, rivals
to the public-houses. He was glad to hear that the
subject of politics would be excluded from the discus-
sions. Personally, he troubled himself very little about
politics, and when he saw ministers of God troubling
themselves with them he thought they had forgotten
their great

Lord Wolseley, having handed over the chief com-
mand of the British forces in Egypt to Lieutenant.
General Stephenson, left Cairo with his staff on
Monday en route for England, via Alexandria and
Venice.
It is announced from Ottawa that Big Bear and his
band—among them one of the Frog Lake murderers.

have been ca-ptured.
Despatches from General de Courcy, read by the
French Minister of War to the Chamber, states that
the French losses during the recent encounter at Hu6
amount to sixty killed and wounded, and that the
Annamite forces suffered a severe repulse.
A good deal of comment has been excited in the
Russian press by the recent conferment on Sir Peter
Lumsden of the Grand Cross of the Bath, and by the
report that Sir Henry Layard has been appointed
British Ambassador to Turkey.
Duke Ernest of Schleswig-Holstein was thrown out
of his carriage at Potsdam on Monday, and sustained
a slight injury to one of his hands.
Prince Albert Victor joined his regiment, the 10th
Hussars, at Aldershot, on Monday.
Nearly 100,000 fleeces were offered for sale at
Dorchester Wool Fair on Monday. Buyers attended
from Bradford, Leicester, Halifax, Bristol, and Man- -
chester, and prices ranged from is. od. to 91d. per lb.
At both Trim and Alullingar Assizes for the counties
of Meath and Westmeath white gloves were on Monday
presented to the judges, as they had no cases to try.
Four men were committed for trial in county Cork
on Monday for the manslaughter of a young man named.
Timothy Wal,b, who was struck with a stone on Sun-
day week while returning from Dripsey sports, and
received fat al injuries. The prisoners had been identi-
fied by Walsh, who pointed out one named Neill as
having given him the fatal wound.
George Townsend, hosiery manufacturer, was indicted
before Mr. Baron Pollock, at the Leicester Assizes on
Monday. on a charge of forging a mortgage for £lOO.
The prisoner absconded, leaving behind him nearly
£3OOO liabilities. He was captured on board a vessel in.
Plymouth Sound on the way to Australia. An exami-
nation disclosed that he had forged the deed upon which
be obtained £3OO from a solicitor. The jury found the
prisoner guilty, and the judge passed sentence of penal
servitude for five years.
A largely-attended meeting of magistrates was held
in Belfast Town Hall on Monday to consider the
arrangements necessary for the preservation of the
peace at the approaching 12th July anniversaries. The
12th falling on Sunday, there will, in addition to the
usual processions and sermons on that day, be great
Orange demonstrations on Monday in various parts of
the North of Ireland. It was decided not to draft in
any extra constabulary or military.
Lord Egerton of Tatton has intimated his intention
of revising the rents on his extensive estate in
Cheshire, with a view of meeting the fall in prices
and the agricultural depression generally. It is
announced that the whole of the increased rents '
imposed during the'past 40 years will be taken off. The
great fall in the price of cheese in Cheshire will, it is
anticipated, cause other landowners to revise their
rents in the tenants' interests.
A singular trial for forgery has taken place in Vienna.
The primmer, who was sentenced to two months' impri-
sonment was a young Roumanian Jew of great learning.
He had, however, renounced Judaism, and had for some
time past been one of the leaders of the Anti-Semitie
movement.

The Marquis of Tweeddale headed a deputation on
Monday to the Duke of Richmond, President of the
Board of Trade, with regard to the bill now before
Parliament to carry into effect the international con-
vention for the protection of submarine telegraph
cables. His lordship said that every mile of the 110,000
miles of submarine cable throughout the world had
been laid by Englishmen, and he asked that the bill
should be referred to a select committee. The Duke of
Richmond said he thought he must go on with the bill,
as the adoption of the course suggested would amount
to getting rid of the bill for this year.
A conference of delegates from guardian boards of
London on the subject of the alleged extravagant ex-
penditure of the Metropolitan Asylums Board has been
held at the City of London Union, Bartholomew-close.
It was decided to present a petition to Parliament asking
for a Parliamentary inquiry on the subject.
An interesting conference of teachers and managers
of elementary schools was held at the Town Hall,
Poplar, on Monday night. Sir E. Hay Currie presided,
and the principal subjects dißcussed were the method
and scope of school examinations and overpressure.
The Fan Makers' Company on Monday evening en-
tertained the Lord Mayor, Mr. Sheriff Phillips, and
other guests at dinner at Drapers' Hall, Throgmorton-
street. Mr. Alderman and Sheriff Whitehead, who is
the Master of the Comnanv. Dresided.