The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-05-28 00:00:00

Our K.oll'oll Cortoponbtitt. I HORRIBLE TRAGEDY.

(We Ileem it right to state that we do not m ar. um('
identity ourselves with our correspondent': opinions.]

"Permissive parlismentry tenant-right" the most
important amendment that has yet been moved in
connection with the Irish Land Bill, having been de.

cisively rejected- the House deciding by 317 to 29, that
perpetuity of tenure must not be entertained, there
remains nothing to prevent the Commons sending the
bill up to the Lords but the formal third reading, and
we may now hope that the measure is pretty sure to
pass this session. This gives greater chance of the
Government Education Bill being carried, though this
result is by no means certain. The parliamentary
event that has lately aroused more interest than the
above or any other subjects Is the discussion on the
Greek massacres. Th's was looked forward to with
great interest but the result at present is rather dies
all stinting. The debate, however, clearly shows that
the Government have taken a judicious course hitherto
and that all that can be done, will be done to maintain
the honour of the country, to obtain justice, and to
preclude such awful atrocities for the future.
An important subject will probably be eagerly dins
cussed in the House of Commons, on the 17th of next
month, when Mr. M. Tomei s will move "that the
continued want of employment among those who live
by wage labour in many of the great towns of the
kingdom calls for the special consideration of this
House, with a view to the means that may be best de-
vised for the remedy of the same without delay." That
such a motion is wholly uncalled for cannot well be
asserted, but that it will lead to any practical result is
very problematical. Probably Mr. Torrent; looks to
State aid to emigration as a remedy for want of em-
ployment, but the Government will certainly, and the
House probably, oppose any such a proposal beyond
continuing to send out in transport ships some die
barged dockyard men and those depending on them;
but this is quite an exceptional affair in favour of those
who were Government employes, and therefore having
a claim upon the State. It may be questioned whether
there is any special ground for Mr. Torrens's motion.
Of course, there is to some extent a "continued" want
of employment, but the want is lessening, and emigre,
tion will probably be carried on all through the sum-
mer at higippreseure rate, thus relieving, to a large
extent, the labour market at home. An agreeable fact
may be mentioned, as indicating ndirectly the revival
of trade. Last Friday's Gmuite recorded only ten
bankruptcies, and to counteract this there were four
bankruptcies annulled.
Few people can have read the account of the pre-
liminary trial of the young man charged with attempt-
ing to shoot Mr. C. Buxton, M.P., without coming to
the conclusion that the prisoner is not right in his
mind. On the other hand, had not the gentleman
who was shot at had all his wits about him
he would most probably have - been killed. It
. .

must require eorue presence of mind, when a

revolver or pisto! is pointed at one, to throw
oneself down on the ground. Those who know Mr.
Ilaxton know that he is a kind-hearted man, and it in-
cid,utally appeared from this case that he treated Mr.
White very well, and there can he little doubt that the
latter will be found to have been legally irresponsible
for his actions at the time of the attempted murder. If
so, he is to be pitied for a hat he has been, is, and will
; but in any case we may rejoice that an estimable
man has not been assassinated.

Those foclish Out ird students who played sueh
fantastic tricks recently must now bitterly repent their
wild folly, to give it no worse name. To rife a library
of its works of sculpture and painting, pile them up,
corer them with conebustl,ile materials, and then set
fire to them so that all were irretrievably spoilt, is very
sorry fun. In several cases the offence has been traced
to the offenders, and " rusticating " and " gating '
have followed ; but this is only part of the punishment.
Depend upon it their goodenatured friends will not
forget to remind them of this extraordinary conduct
for many a day to come.
The efforts of the Government and of local autho-
rities to put down gambling necessarily occupy much
public attention, for many complicated questions
arise out of these prosecutions ; but a new develop-
ment of the passion for gaming is just now being
talked of. It has been proved that there is a
publichouse here where boys regularly go to toss for
halfpence! The keeper of the house has been fined 404.,
which is a very inadequate punishment for thus facili-
tating this juvenile garoblin.e. There were boys
found there who had not passed the mature age of
nine! In some respects this youthiul gaming is
worse than when adults engage in it, fcr while men
generally (thou,th not always) have the strergth of
mind to resist the temptation to robbery, from fear of
the consequences, to obtain the means of gambling,
boys are far more frequently tempted to steal with the
same object.
May, the month so dearly I seed by the poets, who
have said all sorts of sweet and charming things about
it, is at present keeping up its high reputation. All but
cloudless skies, soft balmy breezes, and genial sun-
shine are all very grateful to us, or rather we
are grateful for them. London contrasts disadvan-
tageously with many continental cities in respect to
the beauties of nature, as all the world knows, but we
have a few parks, and our suburbs are Lot wholly de-
voted to brick and stucco ; and parks and suburbs now
look charming. The genial weather we have lately
had suggests excursions, and clergymen, ministers, and
others are beginning to appeal for funds to give the
children a day in the country. And they will not
appeal in vain. It is pleasant to give pleasure to others,
and especially to children. Tens of thousands of Lon-
don children never see anything of fields and rural
scenery but once a year when they are taken out, by
railway or vans, to some country spot where they can
heartily enjoy themselves amidst the beauties of
Nature. And this one day's treat is really important
in another respect; it is the greatest inducement that
superintendents and teachers can offer in endeavour-
ing to obtain scholars. Many a school prospers with
such &treat, while it would fail without it. The day's
outing therefore is a great auxiliary to education.
"The editor" is to most persons a kind of myth or
abstraction, but the editor of Pesch was known, in
one way or another, to almost everylx dy. In photo-
graphers' windows the portrait o Mr. Mark Lemon
was common; engravings of him as Foist, fr familiarised
the public with his face and figure ; and people generally
knew that he was the editor of Pouch. For nearly
thirty years the gentleman whose death we now have
to regret was connected with this periodical, and for
the greater part of that time was its editor. And in
that character he certainly deserves the highest praise.
Mr. Lemon was universally liked by all who knew him,
and his loss will be deeply deplored. He was a hard
worker too. More than sixty dramatic pieces and about
a hundred songs, besides numerous tales and sketches,
prove that his life was far from an idle one.
Very pleasant news arrives from Llandudno with
regard to the health of Mr. Bright. He is gaining
strength, it is said, every day, and takes his usual
walks on the pier with increasing relish. The public
in such matters as this know no party polities. Be it
the most advanced Liberal or the most staunch Tory
who is ill, if he have occupied a prominent place in the
pilitical world and gained respect for his personal
qualities, we all rejoice to hear of his progress towards
perfect recovery.

The Horse Show this year will, I believe, prove
more attractive than ever. It is to open on the Satur-
day following the Derby-day, and thousands of visitors
I, London will probably stay to have a look at it.
There have been a great many more entries than could
be acceded to, and the consequence will be that the
horses exhibited will probably be Suer than at any
previous time. The exhibition of carriages and of
articles connected with riding and driving will be very
interesting, but perhaps the most attractive part of
the show will be the leaping, especially that famous
"water jump." Last year the crowds that visited
the Agricultural Hall were immense, and this
year they bid fair to be even greater. This
annual exhibition has not only its attractions but its
uses. A large part of it is in accordance with the name
of the place in which it is held, and crowds of deer
bucolic friends congregate in the department devotisd
to agricultural and horticultural implements, while

even Materfamilias may find much to interest her in
the display of articles of domestic use.
A fact connected with the approaching meeting of
the Female Medical Society incidentslly shows what
progress the ladies are making in medical study. No
less than 87 students, it is said, have taken part in his
operations of the society during the past year. Although
the laws of our hospitals prevent any lady from takihg
the degree of M.D., as is permitted in America, there
is nothing to prevent any lady, with tan necessary
education, study, and perseverance, from obtaining a
license from the Society of Apothecaries, and several
ladies now possess that license, and make use of it, for
all I know to the contrary.
A gentleman having gone to a great deal of trouble
ts get a knotty point of cab law settled, writes to nay
that a metropolitan magistrate has decided that,
although the new law (I thought there were two or
three new laws, or at least sets of regulations) fixes a
,ahillint se the minimum fare, the tariff being sixpente
mile, and sixpence for an extra perron,-the-driVerli
gay entitled to one shilling for driving three persons
any distance (up to one mile. Strangers arriving in
Loudon- Brown, Jones, and Robinson for example—
ml hiring a cab
,should take note of this, but it will
require no little courage to act up to it. Depend upon
it that cabby won't interpret the law in the same way.

I I

A FAMILY OF SEVEN PERSONS
MURDERED.

One of the most extraordinary tragedi( a which has
taken place f,a- many years Wa9 diSCOVertd n Mon-
day eveniu:t at the village of Denham, about two

wiles from Uxbridge.
It seems that a family named Marshall resided at •
cottage is that village, the husband carrying on buai.
nese as an engineer. Besides Marshall, there lived in
the cottage his wife and three children, whose
ages ran between three and nine years, and also
the mother and ster of Marshall. Tuesday in this
week had been fixed for the marriage of the sister, and
it is to the fact of her wedding dress being brought
home that the discovery of the murder is to be attri
buted. Netliing had been seen of the murdered per.
, sons since Saturday; but upon a young girl going to
! the cottage on Monday, with the garment referred to,
and gaining no reply, the neighbours had their euspi.
cions aroused, and an entry was soon effected into the
house.
! A recite of the most horrible description then pre-
sented itself. On the ground-floor the bodies of Mrs.
, Marshall and her sister-in-law were ound quite dead- -
the former lying on her back, and the latter, who had
her night-dress on and was evidently preparing for
bed, was placed across her. Both had their
heads fearfully mutilated, aril the abiexca of
blood about the place was remarked by those who wit-
nessed the dreadful discovery. At the right hand, on
entering the cottage, and near the flee-place, three chil-
dren belonging to Marshall were also found with their
heads frightfully battered, and also quite dead. The
mother of Marshall was likewise found, having been
brutally murdered in the same way ; and on entering the
shop where Marshall had been at work, wearing
a smock-frock, his body was also found. It was
covered with sacks, and it was apearent that
he had had a desperate struggle. His hands were
scratched in several places, and there were marks
as if he bad been dragged about the ground.
His head had also been beaten in in the same
manner as those of the other victims. There was
another child belonging to Marshall—a little boy,
aged sixteen months—who bad been sent to his
grandmother's to he "out of thttway " during the wed-
ding of Marshall's sister • and but for that circum-
stance there is very small doubt that the little creature
would have been added to the list of the murdered
members of the family.
The medical gentlemen who were called in said that
in their opinion the awful deed had been perpetrated
as long since as Saturday night or Sunday morning.
A forge hammer and an ordinary axe— with which
the murders are supposed to have been committed—
have been discovered with traces of blood upon them.
Whatever the motive by which the murderer or mur-
derers—for it seems difficult to imagine the fearful work
can have been done by one person—robbery does not
seems to have been the object, for nothing appears to
have been disturbed ; the rings and several articles of
jewellery worn by the unfortunate persona hot having
been removed.

As. may be ii.n.agiami: the.
,eacitea.tent in the village