The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-10-02 00:00:00

A letter from Brunels states that M. Henri Roche-
fort has bad a duel with an officer of the stall of the National
Guard who had beton invited to be present at the tertivitits
in that city. The affair is said to have been connected with
politics.

:genera. Macmillan have received from the American
publnher of Mrs Stowek article on Lord Byron a telt.logru,
to the effect that for the present Mrs. Stowe reserves her
reply to the criticisms thereon On this account the reply
will not appesz in the November number of Maemillan's
Magazine.
Mr. Ileddle, of Melsetter, was out shooting, in
Orkney, with one of his eons, and the dog having tr_pped the
latter, Ms gun went Mt and the contents lodged in his
father, who was instantly killed. Mr Huddle was In the
prime of life, and has left a lawny, lie was an influential
proprietor, and took a leading part with the Conservatives
in the last election.

Another startling murder is reported from Toulon,
One Ni. Samson, a local merchant, was found on Saturday
morning, lying dead in his room, his body riddled cub
stiletto stabs ; his watch and several bankrotes lay on the
table untouched. A private vendetta is supposed to be at OA+
bottom of this crime.

Great alarm has existed in the cities on the west
coast of South America, owing to the prediction of M. Falb
that some great convulsion of nature would visit and destroy
the coast about the Ist of October. The excitement was
raised to a fearful height by severe shocks of earthquake
having been felt at Coptapo, Iquique. Arica, and many other
places. Business was at a standstill, and the people illng
to all directions from the supposed doomed localities.

"Justice in Massachusetts does not seem to Le a
respecter of persons Some years ago it hung a Harvard pro-
fessor for murder: lately it disposed of an eminent deacon
for a simPar offence, and now a member of the distinguished
and historical Curtis family haa been sentenced to thirty
daps' imprisonment notwittintanding all the efforts which
wealth and influence ci•uld make to the contrary, for pulling
the to.se of a humble individual who chanced to take Mr.
Curtis's seat iii a railway carriage during that gentlemen's
absence."—Pall Mail Gazette.
An agitation has commenced for the suppression of
bull-fighting in Spain.
The Auetrian army is officially reported to cost
£120,000 per diem, or £43,800,000 per annum. .
At Frictown, Mass., recently, some thieves stole a
stone wall that inch sed a cemetery, and the town offers a re-
ward for their arrest.
The town commissioners of Kingstown, near Dublin,
In addition to a resolution in favour of "unity of tenure,*
have adopted one Whim "the earnest attention of her
Majesty's Government to the volition of the owners of house
property in growing towns, who ham expended immense
euma on short tenures."
The property ot the gentleman who committed
suicide at Crewe, on the 14th July last, by throwing himeelf
before the Liverpool mail train, and who has been clearly
identified by his relations as Mr.'Willism twine, of New York,
has been given up by the Cheshire constabulary to hie
brother, Captain Henry Lei's, of Darmstadt, on a bond of
indemnity being signed by the latter and the German consul
at Liverpool. The property amounted to nearly £OOO, besides
gold watch and chair:, diamond ring, and other effects.
In London, last Saturday, the directors of the
Albert Life Assurance Company were brought on Saturday
before the magistrate, at Marlborough-street, on a charge of
defrauding the shareholder, by issuing false reports that
represented the condition of the company an other than it
was. A great deal of evidence was given, and the ease was
adjourned for three weeks—the directors being admitted
to ball, and leave was given to the prosecution to examine
the booka
The foreign sheep which arrived in the port of L-n-
-don lard Monday morning, were prohibited from being soot
to the Metropolitan Cattle Market, on account of disease.
We (Pall Mall Gasette) are authorized to state that
Earl Itiutell in no way counselled the deatruction of Lord
Byron's memoir, which step was decided on at a meetleg held
at Mr. Murray's house, and carried out by Mr. Wilmot
Horton and Colonel Doyle under the circumstances set forth
in the Diary of Moore edited by Earl Rumen (vol. IV.,
page 191); from which it will be peen that Mr. Moore repaid
to Mr. Murray the sum of 2000, guineas he had received teem
that gentleman on account of the memoir, and also toil the
Interest which had accrued in the meantime on the sum thus
advanced
Tom Thumb and his party advertised their p.r.
formances in San Francisco by means of posters in Chinese
as wet as English. In two weeks they took in 15,000 dole- in
gold,
The death is announced of Mr. J. C. Bakewell, for
some time connected with the Morning Post, and well known
In the scientific world. Mr. Bakewell was born at Wakefield
In 1500, and was the author of "The Natural lividemes of •
Future Life," " Philosophical Conversation.,"" Electric
Science." and other works.
M. Armand, a French savant, has stated to the
Academy of Sciences that he has discovered a sure antidote
to nicetene in the watercress. It destroys the peleenous
effects of nleotene, and yet does not alter the aroma of to-
bacco. A solution of watercress may be employed for steep-
ing the leaves of to'ciceo, and would thus divest them of
their noxious properties.
The Nenagh Guardian states that a threatening
entice has been posted on the chapel gates of Cioughjordan,
Money gall, Buena, and Dunkerrin, county Tipperary, warn-
ing a farmer of the district that if he pereevere In using a
threshlog machine In Ms granary, his own and one of hie ser-
vants' lives will be the forfeit. if dwelling-house was also
visited, and a "death's head and cross-bon." chalked
upon the door, and shots fired.
A deplorable accident occurred during the celebration
of the Emperor's fete at Cayenne on the 15th August. During
the display of fireworks on the Plate d'Armes a burning fusee
fell on a box containing a (inutility of fireworks. The explo-
sion which followed seriously wounded eighteen persons,
four of whom have since died.

Three men and a woman were drowned by the up-
setting of a brat at Trove° Eye, near Norwich, on Monday
evening.
A singular wager has just been decided at Dieppe.
An Englishman and an American differed as to the number
of dishes that could be produced in which eget and potatoes
scould form the chief ingredients. The 'Englishman sided
with potatoes and the American with eggs. Both displayed
much culinary research, as our countryman produced toil
Itches with potatoes. The Yankee concocted 104 with eggs
and won the wager. The last plot was poached eggs in wild
I boar soup.
I The following iliac* are taken from the medical
records of a sailor now on board the Dreadnought Hospital
ship ,—" Paid-off on the sth ult ; received £2O and spent all
but a few shillings in a fortnight. During that time dilly
allowance of ligto k consisted of about forty glasses of rum.
two gallons of beer, three or four glasses of gin, and a giaes
of brassily with milk in the morning."

Another metropolitan demonatreion in !support 01
the movement for the unconditional release of the Fenton
political prisoners is anneunced to be held in Hyde Park ou
Sunday, the 24th of October.
At Lieruore, hat Friday, the Marquis of Hartington
addressed his father's tenantry on the land question, and
assured them that the Ergnah Parliament would never
sanction any measure which did not recognise the rights of
the proprietors and the farm labourers as well as the tenants.
It is true that Lord Hardt:icon explained that he does not
speak or the Government, but he WM very decided in speak-
ing lor himself.
A petition to the House of Commons is in course of
signature by the working classes in the metropolis and its
eunuchs, iraying for all alteration in the system which now
regulatee the lamming of workmen's trains. They pray that
the. e trains may be ruu between the hours of five soil eight
In the morniug, that the tickets may be issued daily, anti be
available for retorts at any time of the same day, and that
the fare should not exceed a penny each way.
The citizens of Chester are exerting themaelves to
give eclat to the forthcoming visit of thelPrince of Waled,
£4,300 having been subscribed for that purpose, and • suite
ef rooms are being fitted up at the Grosvenor Hotel in the
hope and expectation that the Princess will accompany his
Royal Highness.
A Paris paper, the other day. indignantly denying
that the Empress's journey to the East would cost anything
like eight millions of francs, said the expenses would no
exceed 700,000 fr. or 000,000ir , and that Inasmuch as the
aurmal stay of the Court at Compiegne cost too,ooom , and
that expense would be saved this year, the extra charge on
the civil list occasioned by her Majesty's journey will be
next to nothing.
The Treasury has directed that, after the termina•
lion of the present year, the privilege now greeted to com-
missioned officers of the army, navy, and Royal Marines, as
well as to superintending or first-class army schoolniastors
serving abroad, of sending and receiving their letters at the
reduced British postage of sixpence per half-ounce, in eases
where the postage of ordinary letters to or from the same
place Is higher than sixpeuce, shall be withdrawn.
The directors of the European Asaurance Company
continue to affirm Its stability. On Monday, at a meeth gof
the policyholders of the Royal Naval, Military, and Last
India Company, one of those amalgamated with the
European, Captain Jones, speaking ass director, stated that
the Buropean was in a position to meet all it. claims, and
was doing • good businew. Mr. Walker, the actuary of the
European, corroborated this statement.
" Mysteriously disappeared from his home, on the
afternoon of the and of April, the only child of a wealthy
citizen of Franldurt-on-the-Maiii, • lad named Friedrich
Maximilian Freielsen, le years of age, middle stature, string
built, full lace, ruddy complexion, thick light air, nut light
eyebrows ; has. large swelling on the left hip. Was dre- sea
in black coat and vest, black necktie, dark speckled tl-011.-..,.
and snmll hat. Up to his disappearauce he bore a most
exemplary character. Information to be given to Mr.
Pollaky, private fequiry-ottice, 1.3, Paddingtou-glOOO, Lois
den."—Advertasernent in The Times. -
On Thursday Charles Russel, the youngest son of
Mr. Ruesel, the editor of the Scotsman, while attempting to
cbsss the Ettrick by sense steppieg-stones, missed his footing
amid, being carried away by the swollen river, was drowned.
A letter from Spa atates that young Irish " lady "
was arrested in the net of theft at the trente-et-quarante
saloon at Spa. The splendid toilette of this lade thief was
far from suggesting the nature of her dangerous industry.
The exclusion of M. Ledru Rollin from the amnesty
is again the reelect of comment in the Parka Journals. M.
Rollin maintains that the order to arrest him was sent to the
outposts the very night the amnesty was signed. Ile says
that on two occasions within the last ten years attempts have
been made to obtain his extradition from the British Govern.
meat. On the first occasion the application was refused by a
majority of one. On the next It was contemptuously re-
jected. The Sink thinks that the statement of M. Ledru
Rollin should be met by explanations from the French
Government.
On Monday, during the hearing of acme of attempted
howiebreaking, at the police-court, Liverpool, Mr. Superb..
tendent Kehoe, the head of the detective department, in-
formed the magistrates that since the passhig ot the new
Act of Parliament, called the Habitual Criminals Act, the
fraternity of thieves had changed their mode of operations.
They now almost invariably selected the afternoon as the
time for housebreaking. The provisions of the new Act
made them rather careful as to being seen about the streets
at night.
An announcement has been issued to the affect that
the post dividend warrants lemma by the Bank of England
will be cashed at money-order offices, provided that when the
holder of the warrant presents it for this purpoee the muter
of the office shall have sufficient post-office Muds it; his hands
to meet the payment of the warrant, and that the holder le
known to the postmaster, or can give him a satisfactory
reference.
A shocking occurrence took place at Mirseld rail.
Way station, on Saturday night. Among the persons on the
platform was Mrs. Howe, of Wakefield, who, at the thee
'lenses', was carrying a child in her arms. As she was hurry-
ing forward some person aceidehtally trod on her elrear,
which caused her to stumble and fall. The child was thrown
out of her arms, It rolled off the platform, &i d. tiding
beneath the wheels of an advancing train, was literally cut
to pieces. The shocking occurrence was witnessed by is badgo
number a people.
The New York Times Faye it is no longer a State
secret that Mr. Motley has Men instructed to notify Lord
Clarendon that whenever it is thought be:t to renew beg"-
tiations for a settlement of the Mobsters ciaiuun, It is ill be
at Washington. The subject hes been very recently the
theme of an important correspo•oionce betws en repro -. ots
Dee parties in England andlle, Slates, itha sne :lost
favourable proposals which the English gotermneut is
supposed to be prepared to make were communicated, but
they were not such proposals as the Government of the
United States would eutertain for a m; ment. It is not
probable that Mr. Motley, up to this time has been ea-
couraged to meet say more aseeirtanle terms than these
from Mr. GleAstone.
A great annexation meeting was held on the 12th
inst. at (mimeo, 7,000 people being present. The best order
prevailed. A resolution Wag wianimously passed, cAlleg the
people to address the lnmenal authorities through the
Governor-General, asking whether, if a nearly unaiamous
desire lie voted by the people of the Dominion for annexa-
tion, it would receive the same gracious asseet as was
accorded to the inhabitants of the lonian Isles a few years
soh when they were united to Greece. Several speeches fol-
lowed, end the meeting adjourned with three cheers for
auuexation. the streets have been placarded for some lays
with such writings as" AnneUSlo/1 without dolny," "Amiens
tion,' right or wrong," iscli