The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-11-22 00:00:00

ALLEGED FIRING AT RAILWAY
TRAINS.

At the Clerkenwell Police-court, London, on Mon-
day, Edward Lake, 17, who gave an address at
Queensland-road, Holloway, was charged on a war-
rant with unlawfully firing a pistol loaded with
powder and shot in the direction of trains on the
Great Northern Railway, at Ashburton-yard, Hol-
loway, thereby endangering the lives of passengers
on the line. Mr. St. John Wontner, solicitor, prose-
cuted, on behalf of the Great Northern Company, and
said the principal witnesses against the prisoner would
give evidence on a future occasion. The evidence on
which the warrant was granted would show that the
prisoner had been seen on two occasions—on Oct.
24 and 25—to fire a large horse-pistol in the direction
of a train which was passing at full speed by Ash-
burton-yard. This yard belonged to the company,
and was used for the purpose of conveying away
dust and refuse in trucks. The dust was deposited
there at the instance of the Islington Vestry, and
on the first date named a foreman in the employ of
the vestry saw Lake secrete himself behind a fence
in the yard and fire over it at a train that was passing.
The witness told one of the company's officials, but
the prisoner made off. On the following day the
prisoner was again seen in the yard by a signalman.
The signalman was in his box, and saw the prisoner
again fire deliberately at the passing train from
behind the same fence. As Lake was probably inex-
perienced in the use of firearms, his pistol was forced
upwards when he fired, and the signalman heard a
rattling sound about the top of his box, as if it was
being struck with shot or small stones. He tried to
capture the prisoner, but as he dared not leave his
box for any length of time he did not succeed, and
Lake got away. The prisoner had, however, been
often seen by the company's officials loitering about
the railway, and on the matter being placed in the
hands of the police, Lake was apprehendedon Sunday
at a coffee palace in Drayton-park, Holloway. The
company could suggest no motive for the prisoner's
conduct except pure mischief. Lake had sold the
pistol.—Mr. Hosaek remanded the prisoner.

Unprepossessing old bachelor : "And why do you
think I ought to get married, Miss Mabel?" Miss
Mabel (aged twelve) : "Oh, you look as if you
needed somebody to take care of you and—Oh, good-
ness, you didn't think I said that to lead you on, did
you?'
Probable tenant: "Urn !—(sniff-sniff)--Cholera in
Paris makes one nervous; but—(sniff)--I'm sure
there's a bad smell." Mr. Bugging: "Ab, that's
nothing. It's only the church next door. le, very
'igh.l"—Funny Folks.

The recent erection of a statue to the novelist
Dumas in Paris recalls the story about him when a
committee was formed during his lifetime to erect
one. One day he asked a member of the committee
if an inscription had been chosen. "In front will be
the date of your birth," he said. "Oh the sides
the names of your novels; but what -will be on the
back has not been .deoiclecW. tiff Weity"-said Dumas
"suppose you put there the names of my creditors.
Then, after a pause, he added, "I am afraid ther
will not be room for alr