The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-12-05 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS:

BRITISH AND FOREIGN,

The Queen Regent of Spain haataken the oath to.
observe the Spanish Constitution, and a new Ministry
has been formed. Don Carlos is reported to have
stated that he was resolved to remain quiet as long as
Spain was tranquil.
According to a statement made by OrDonovan Rossa,
a meeting of the Fenian Brotherhood was held last
week, at which he was re-elected au leader by the
Executive Committee. Rossa adds that "skirmishing"
will continue au hitherto. He further states that he
gave a reward to the person who carried out the de-
struction of the Andre monument at Tappan, New
York State, at the beginning of November.
The Lord Chancellor has ordered that the offices of
the County Courts shall be closed on the 24th, the 26th,
and 28th of December.
The Prince of Wales opened the Birmingham Cattle
Show on Saturday. He afterwards opened the new art
gallery recently erected in that town. Subsequently he
was entertained by the Mayor at a banquet, at which
Mr. Chamberlain was present.
A complimentary farewell dinner was given on
Saturday at the Hotel Metropole, London, to Count
Pkiiinster, the German Ambassador, on his leaving
London for Pali& A large and distinguished company
assembled.

Through the heavy rains a disused level near
Troedyrhiw burst on Saturday, and the Taff Vale Rail-
way at that point was flooded and covered with debris.
Two colliers, who happened to perceive what had
occurred, lost no time in separating and stopping two
passenger trains almost due, and coming in opposite
directions. The action of these men, in all probability,
saved the two trains from being wrecked.
An interesting ceremony took place at the Viceregal
Lodge, Dublin, on Saturday, when Lord Wolselcy and
Marquis of Headfort were invested with the Order of
Knighthood of St. Patrick by command of the Qaeen.
The ceremony took place in the drawing. room of the •
Lodge..
A working man applied to Mr. De Rutzen at Maryle-
bone Police-court on Saturday stating that his landlord
had covenanted to pay the water rate, but had not
done so and the company had cut off the supply. Mr.
De Rutzen said he could commence an action in the
county-court, and advised him in the first instance to
go to the water company's office and explain the
circumstances.

By the mail train on Saturday night from Charing-
cross, London, the Red Cross Society forwarded 37
packages of medical comforts &c., for Bulgaria and
Bervia. Mr. Kennett Barrington, Dr. 0. Fetherstone-
haugh and Miss Stewart (for Sofia), and General J.
W. Laurie and Mr. F. N. Hume (for Belgrade) travelled
by the same train.
On Saturday an attempt was made at Londonderry
by a mob to rescue about thirty prisoners who were
arrested on Friday night for stone-throwing and riot-
ting. They were being conveyed to the police-court
from the station when the police guard was attacked,
but the latter drew their batons and dispersed the
mob. Mr. Lewis, the successful candidate. was pro.
tected by vast crowds of 'Prentice Boys, as he drove to•
the railway-station in the morning.
On Saturday Sir John Humphreys held an inquiry
at the Vicar of Wakefield, Old Gravel lane, St.
George's-in-the-Fast, relative to the death of George
Osborn of 78, Corfield-read, Bethnal Green. Accord.
ing to ;he statement of the widow, the deceased was a
polioe-constable, in the employ of the Great Eastern
Railway. On Wednesday he went to his work as usual,
and returned at a quarter-past six; and, although
looking very tired and fagged, he washed himself and
went out again to the polling booth for his division,
being very excited about recording his vote. After
having done so he returned home, and, seeming very
much knocked up, went to bed- At a quarter to.
eleven, however, he became suddenly ill with his head,
seeming excited, and so ill that witness went for Dr.
Paddrick, who came at once. When he reached the
house, however, her husband was dead. The medical
man attributed deth to extravasation of blood on the
brain, and the jury returned a verdict accordingly.
The conducting agent of the Conservatives has
lodged an objection against the return of Mr. Parnell,
on the ground that he was wrongly described on the
voting paper as leader of the Irish people. The sheriff
took a note of the objection.
On Saturday morning a commercial traveller, named
M‘Call, belonging to Sunderland, was found on the side
of a railway embankment near Seaham Harbour, in-
sensible from the effects evidently of a wound on the
back of the head, supposed to have been inflicted by
thieves, who had robbed him of his money, valuables,
and his revolver. _ _ _ _ _

The War Office authorities have conferred commis-
sions on the following non-commissioned officers:
Sergeant Shelley Alexander Seale, of the Worcester-
shire Regiment, and Colour-sergeant James Horatio
Hicks, of the South Wales Borderers. The former is
appointed to a vacant lieutenancy in the Princess of
Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment, and the latter to
the rank of lieutenant in the King's Shropshire Light
Infantry.
On Saturday Dr. Diploek held an inquest at the
Crown, High-street, Kensington, relative to the death
of William Burgess, aged 57, a captain in the merchant
service. Deceased was staying with his brother, land-
lord of the Crown public-hone. On Friday morning, as
he did not come down to breakfast, the servant knocked
at his door, but failed to obtain a reply. Dr. Roberts,
of Kensington-square, was called in, and the bed-room
door was forced open. The deceased was then found
hanging to the bedpost, life being extinct. He had
been treated for pains in his head. The jury returned
a verdict "That the deceased committed suicide whilst
in a state of unsound mind."

On Saturday Sir Jchn Humphreys held an investiga-
tion at the workhouse of St. George's-in-the-East re-
garding the death of an illegitimate female child. Mary
Crossley, superintendent of night nurses at St. George's
Infi4mary, said a woman came there on Tuesday night,
stating that she was a brushmaker and unmarried. She
had a newly-born female child in her apron, and said
that it was born in the street (London-terrace), and
that she at once put it in her apron and brought it
along. The little thing was yet alive, but very cold,
and, in spite of every attention from the nurses and the
dcctor, died in a short time of exhaustion and exposure.
Verdict accordingly.
The Eighth Chamber of the Paris Tribunal have tried
M. Duchesne, dentist, for homicide by imprudence.
He was found guilty of causing the death of M.
Lajeune by the administration of a powerful gas, and
was ordered to pay a fine of COOL and 3000 f. damages.
The judgment took note of the fact that although
the business of the deceased had suffered by his
death, his family had obtained immediate payment
of a substantial sum, the amount of an insurance upon
his life.
On Monday morning, shortly after nine o'clock, a
most alarming explosion took place at Wakefield, at
the Central Committee room of Lieutenant
Charlesworth, the Conservative candidate for the
Normanton Division of the West Riding. The premises
are situate in Westgate, and were formerly used by the
Wakefield and Barnsley Banking Company. A smell
of gas having been noticed, an examination was
commenced in order to discover from whence the gas
escaped. Suddenly a loud explosion took place, and
great damage was done. In one room the windows
were blown out and the furniture wrecked, a large
number of documents being destroyed.
The failure has been announced at the London
Bankruptcy Court of George Horace Muir, stock-
broker, of 16, Tokenhouse-yard, 8.C., managing
director of the International BourEe (Limited), to
whom he recently transferred his business.
Mr. Gladstore addressed a crowded meeting held on
Monday night at Buckley, in Flintshire, in support of the
candidature of Lord Richard Grosvenor. In the course
of his speech he referred to the Liberal seats sacrificed
to the Conservatives by what be characterised as the
tomfoolery of duplicate candidates, and said that the
delusion of Fair Trade had also misled many urban
electors. Mr. T. P. O'Connor claimed that twenty five
seats in England had been won for the Tories by the
Irish vote, and the Conservatives quoted in their own
favour the voice of Lancashire and many of the English ,
boroughs. If they listened to the accents of that voice
it would be found to be strongly tinged with an Irish
brogue. He believed that the Liberals had now seen
the worst, their polling having improved since Saturday.
If Scotland and Wales continued the good work they
had already begun, and if the counties showed gratitude
to those who had extended the franchise, the Liberals
might gain such a majority as would enable them to
meet in an independent and impartial spirit any
demands which Mr. Parnell might make.
At the London Bankruptcy Court, on Monday, the
first meeting was held, before Mr. Wildy, Assistant
Receiver, of the Rev. A. F. A. 'Woodford, until recently
the editor of the "Freemason." The failure is chiefly
attributed to the debtor not having been in receipt of
any regular Church preferment. The debts are U 735
6s. Bd., and the assets £578 15s. sd. On behalf of the
debtor, an adjournment was agreed to for fourteen days
to enable the debtor to make a definite proposal to the
creditors. It was stated in the course of the meeting
that property had been sold by the bill of sale holder
to the amount of £420 odd, and that the auctioneer's
charges, amounting to £l5O, were being investigated
by the Official Receiver.
On Monday morning Mr. William Carter held an
inquest at St. Thomas's Hospital, London, on the body
of Robert Dale, aged 48 years, a cab washer, late of 85,
Avenue-road, Camberwell. Between five and six
o'clock on the morning of the 11th inst., while washing
the spoi,es of a cab-wheel, the deceased ran a splinter
into his thumb. He continued his work, but on
, resuming at night he complained of his hard, and was
I unable to eat Innupper. The next day be remained.
at home, and on the following Monday, the Mb" ho
was removed to St. Thomas's Hospital, and adrji'leil
but erysipelas set in, and the decessed di a ci,
last. The jury returned a veraict A.rePeL•A
I death."