The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-08-22 00:00:00

DARING SAFE ROBBERY IN
SHEFFIELD.

FINAN CIAL POSITION OF FRIENDLY
SOCIETIES WITH BRANCHES.
On December 26, 1883, a Blue-book issued by the
Chief Registrar of the Friendly Societies Office was
noticed in the 71,271C3 ander the heading "Friendly
Society Finance." This Blue-book was a remarkable
one, containing as it did the first authentic informa-
tion obtained under the Friendly Societies Act, 1875,
in connection with the question which is always being
raieed as to the general financial position of friendly
societies. At the end of that Blue-book was a memo- The fearful ravages wrought by the explosions of
randurn by Mr. Sutton, the actuary to the central dynamite leave no one unable to conjecture what
office, which, in addition to commenting on the sum- might be the consequence of a bombardment in which
marised results deduced from the actuarial valuation missiles charged with dynamite should be employed.
returns to the Friendly Societies Office made under The difficulty has also been easy to anticipate. The
the Act, contained most valuable explanations on the shock of explosion of the gun-charge would under the
various technical points involved in the returns. The old system in all probability fire the shell-charge,
valuation returns then dealt with were those of dynamite being easily exploded by mechanical shock,
societies registered as ordinary friendly societies, and the gun and shell might naturally be expected to
destroy the gunners rather than the enemy. The
and the date up to which the returns related was'
December 31, 1880. Americans, who seem rather fond of trying the sup-
Another Blue-book in two volumes has recently posed impossible, first began to experiment on dyna-
mite missiles, and an officer of the American Navy
been issued by the Chief Registrar containing a com-
plete list of the affiliated orders and of their regis- coatrived what may be called a colossal air gun, in
which the shell charged with dynamite might be
tered branches as at December 31, 1881, tegether
started on its flight with an easy but accelerating
with particulars of their annual returns of receipts
motion, avoiding the shock so certainly productive of
and expenditure for the year 1881 and of their
premature explosion, and obtaining by a high air
actuarial valuation returns made up to dates not
pressure through a long bore the velocity requisite.
later than December 31, 1881. The information is,
The idea had been foreshadowed by the Lyman
it will be seen, of a similar character to that given in
accelerating gun, which, starting the shot with a
small charge, followed it up by successive ex-
the Blue-book already commented upon in the Times,
but relates to societies which are legally in a some-
plosions of accelerating charges placed along the
what different position from those included in that
bore
Blue-book. In other words the information relates re, and giving it the highest initial velocity ever
:
to societies and their branch'es. Prior to the Act of attained by any gun. The Lyman gun faled,
1875 the affiliated orders had no power legally to as might have been anticipated, through
the weak spots introduced into the system by the
give effect to the voluntary connection between one
, mechanical arrangement for securing the accelerating
society and another. For instance, none of the
, charges from exploding prematurely or not exploding
general rules of the Manchester Unity of Odd-
But how is this state of things to be amounted for?
. fellows could be enforced by that society against its at all, and the great relief given to the gun by the
,
How i it to be platsinaenddtht while large scfhools as a
lodges registered as independent societies but bearing modification of the explosive qualities of the 'powder
had probably put an end to the experiments in accele- rule show high reexsul
names of which the words Manchester Unity of
Oddfellows formed a part. These lodges were in rating charges. The success of the experimental air head, small schools fall much behind
h ianrg? in ratet
e of
annualrente pa!:
gun in :throwing to effective distances shells filled
: the • eye of the law independent societies, mination and are awarded grants upon a much lower
with dynamite or even nitro-glycerine was such that a
, bound only by their own rules. Under scale? Soruethieg, perhapsonust be set do wn to the fact
gun of Sin, calibre
naend calculated to throw a shell
the Act of 1875 these lodges were enabled that most small schools are rural schools. For it is
. to register as legal branches of the order, and as such made.appafiren y on the only safe
three milesnwdasasplan d I was perfectly correct certain that in country parishes, where there is so
, would be legally bound by the rules of the order. in theory,
d, but while thethsciednti c officer who conceived much less contact of mind with mind than in towns
This change in the law was made in deference to the !T.'
calculationspractical i
no and where the children have little if any opportunity'
wishes of the affiliated orders, and has been very ex- .i.t, et
as following out the development of his system
D w mathematicalof acquiring knowledge except while actually in the
tensively made use of ; so much so, that probably by
attackedmyo r e chtahraecteristicinventors had school, the material to be dealt with by the teachers
this time the number of lodges of the Manchesteris duller and more difficult t k to the standard
problem from the other side, amoerweor, up ;, e
Unity and Courts of the Ancient Order of Foresters
Instead f o making his propelling force more elastic of excellence. But for pass examination,
still unregistered as branches of their respective I.egave such as has to be . annually gone through before her
e the elasticity to his
orders is comparatively small; and it may, be that the " g s y missile, and by a wad or Majesty's
Inspector of Schools a slight dulness
same holds more or less with other orders. What , cushion of caoutchouc of the requisite quality so took would be under but little disadvantage' if the
ateat
the
, ultimately will turn out to be the result of these
Buy
.t,he,..,,fir_st impulse given by the explosion that a
Power we/ e both sufficient and
, changes it is difficult at the present time to say ; bat 'VI hued with dynamite was fired with complete attendance fairly regular. How, h efficient
n t en, stand these two
,at all events, even as matters aro, it seems that the ; safety and an effect which can be imagined more '
branches of the various orders are still practically, for easily than calculated. A shell fired from an ordinary conditions?
individual
or the attendance. While there
financial purposes, independent—that is to say, they battery gun and carrying 111 b. of dynamite striking a irregular
manylrattendan .
ruralinstances of
thewretchedly
have little, if anything, more than their own funds to ledge of gneiss which formed the target blew out a
attendance,
es in d disittriiictsti;enumber average
have
look to for providing the benefits undertaken by them. Cavity 201 t. in diameter and Oft. deep. No fuse is re-
theebOokseo'rwith the compared
rteion with
the school district,
, It is most important to bear this in mind, as nearly quired, as the shell explodes by concussion as it hits •
s quite as good in the country as in the towns. So the
, every discussion on friendly societies shows that most its mark; and it was easy to perceive that a single ' -
inefficiency of small schools cannot be set
comparative.
. of those taking part in it are under the impression shell of this description striking the side of the mostble degree to the
down in any appreciable irregular
that these large orders are for financial purposes to solid ironclad in existence near the water line would attendance. But what, lastly, about the teaching
be taken as single societies. be likely to send her to the bottom. ,
i staff? There are over 5000 rural schools with lees
The Blue-book before us gives summaries for each Thus far no accident is reported in the experiments, than 60 children in average • less
attendance in each.
i which are to be, if they are not by this time, repeated •n •
1 of the orders, both in•respect of number of branches, What is the usual staff of each of those schools? A
i number of members of those branches, their assets ~ with guns of much heavier calibre. But the calibre y
head-teacher, nearly always a mistress , often only
, FATAL TERMINATION OF A I receipts, and expenditure, and of their actuarial of the gun is of secondary importance; its range and provisionally certificated and scarcely ever trained,
the capacity of the shell for carrying dynaroite are
valuation returns. Of the former we have already ssisted by a monitor (not apupil teacher who has
, PLEASURE TRIP. ..„,. , I 1 •
, givenesome particulars, and to the latter we propose the chief elements to calculate on, and if a shell a \ )
passed the fourth or fifth standard, but is otherwise in
, 1 At Woolwich
i Police-court on Saturday, Charlotte now to refer. carrying 1001 b of the explosive can be fired from
i • no way qualified for the work to be done. And with
M Carter held ' • t
On Saturday r. Williaman inquiry a , William f 1 Albert-terrace, Silvertown, was sum- On p. 714 is given a final summary of the value.- one of the heavy guns now in use the first hit decides . s '
this staff the elementary subjects have to be taught to
the Earl Grey, Oakley-street, Waterloo-road, London, oned for e'conflict as between single'd f
ships,. an one o our
m r unlawfully detaining two gold rings, two tions received from orders and their branches, Eng-each of four or five standards; class subjects have to
respecting the death of Mrs. Elizabeth Newton, agedany d •
steelunarmoure cruisers will yield noquicker than
medals, a silver watch and emu- n, and a quantity of land and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland being sepa-be dealt with in three groups • singing and sewing
50 years, the wife of a master cooper, residing and clothing,
theh property of Thomas Finn. The corn- rately dealt with. From the figures relating to Eng- the Inflexible to the shock of such an explosion,
have to be provided for; and, over and above all,
carrying on businesa at 81, James-street, Lower 1 •The f h•condition f '
prospect o such a change in the o
p ainant, wois an inmate of the Woolwich Union land and Wales alone we find that of the 5896 values- ..the infants' class have to be instructed in every-
Marsh. Mr. George Newton, the husband, stated w d' h 1 1t• If h
wartare
ciis appa ing, an t eon y conso. a ion w ic
Work houee, said that his son, late a sergeant in the tion returns, of which all but 179 are those of ordi- thing prescribed for them. Of course, if the head
that the deceased had always enjoyed good health. Ist Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment, had re- nary branches -that is, lodges or courts—some 1330, defencecivilisati
thatprofitsiecandraw from it
It
thranteitisalways the teacher were always a really skilful and experienced
On the 10th inst., having been spending ei holiday of ' cently returned from Egypt, where he had kept a with funds amounting to £2,032,414, show a surplus
tivel llgunboatsmost. . It is true _ that compar
man or woman, and if the one or two monitors
ten days at Great Yarmouth, witness and the deceased canteen and saved a considerable sum of money. His of £528,291, or about 25 per cent. of their funds, y sine_
._t carrying on large gun mightt
were at all equal in value to a pupil teacher of the
returned home by boat, but while on the boat the de- son, who was keeping company with the defendant, whereas the remaining 4566, with funds of £2,898,716, approachtobytnirgolwi ,or event
dynamite
day,nearenough o a
first or second year, then the results in the small
ceased complained of feeling poorly. They arrived . h severe . shells into
.an
broke a blood-vessel on June 27, on his return from a show a deficiency of £3,892,551, or about 134 per eal).°!'tschool need not fall much behind what they come to
home in safety, and retired to bed, and on the next inhabited city, and with a devastating effect which • '
visit to some friends at Silvertown, and was removed cent. of their funds. in a largsr seaeel. But when it is remembered that
morning, about eleven o'clock, witness left home to t events can suggest and the boats themselves
to the defendant's house, where he remained till he In the memorandum by the actuary to the central recent
s all and swift ' h difficult • the average salary of a Board school mistress is nearly
collect some rents, the deceased then being in bed. may e very to hit,
£lOO, and of a master over £l4O, it will be seen at
died on July 1. The defendant had taken possession office, on p. 716, Mr. Sutton gives other groupings of being
dene 't
Witness, having been absent about two hours returned hcai y can hardlyo be missed; but the land
of the articles mentioned above, and had gone to the results, and calls attention to the financial posi- while once how hopeless it is to try and secure any such
and found his w"fe dead. In further reply' t ques- ' not
of
the faculty of employing
at : his son's lodgings at a Mr. Smith's, in Union- tion of district funeral funds and the antiquated and defencese
,vrartilleer teachers for schools of 50 in average attendance, for
tions, the witness said that during their sojoe longer range, but of working
street, Woolwich, and taken from his box various grossly inequitable system of levies on the members with such highly-paid teachers the expenditure in
with much greater a
Yarmouth the deceased had enjoyed excellent health g accuracy and safety
.and much
articles, together with his army account-book, which to pay for death benefits. In reference to the last- , these small schools would run up to double and even
and saints. On the morning of her death she only less expense, as an accident with dynamite, such as
would show the amount of his savings. The defen- , mentioned point, be says : average cos per scholar in e average of
treble the averts t• th
partook of a cup of tea and some soda waterand milk, premature explosion of a shell, will sink a ship but
dant pleaded that everything was given to her by "In recent years the levy system has been the sub- elementary schools. As it is, a village school of 50
Henry Clarke, residing at 74, Commercread, Lam_ would be attended with but slight d t works or
damage o.wor
Sergeant Finn before his death, in the presence of ject of much discussion among the orders, and therechildren has almost as large an absolute expenditure
beth, stated that he was in the service of Mr. Newton, men in an o battery,
pen and such accidents will always
witnesses. Edward Cox, in the employ of a whole. are clear indications that the imperfections ofas a small town school, the cost per head in a very
On the morning of Tuesday last Mr. Newton's grand- be more likely to happen at s than on shore. A
1 sale confectioner at Silvertown, said he was ac- the system are getting more widely known and large number of cases exceeding 40s. or even 50s.
child came to him, and from what she said witness flotilla of small unarni b seta each carry•ng one
quainted with Sergeant Finn, and knew that he in- better understood, so that at no distant date it may
heavy gun will, thus ariennedeandeaided by shore defences, And how is this outlay met ? The " pence " must
went to his master's bedroom, where he discovered the
tended to marry the defendant. On the Sunday pre- he expected to have disappeared, its place being taken necessarily be small, because of the general
deceased in her nightdress lying on the Boor, with her . defy in defence any ironclad fleet that can be formed
TiOUS to his death witness saw the sergeant give the 'by properly graduated scales of contributions andpoverty of the agricultural Labourer. The
head resting on the child's bed. Witness called in a to-day, and as the boats dalready in
y, a e an guns are
, watch and chain and the two gold rings which he accumulated funds." as has been shown • , is small, too,
neighbour, Mrs. Tremble, and sent for medical aid, existence, any rifled gun being available, as the entire grant,
slipped from off his fingers, into the hand's of Miss The information given in this Blue-book may be and can never be much increased until the
and Dr. Brookes attended and pronounced life extinct.novelty is in the shot, it is possible that we may see
_Williams,and heard him say that he had no friends, described as an admirably arranged and condensed school staff is considerably improved. But one other
Mr. Robert Charles Brookes, surgeon in practice at iiironclads out of fashion, and the navies of the whole
and that
,all he had would be now for his "poor account of financial position of the units, in the resource is left—voluntary contributions; and these
137, Westminster-bridge-road, deposed to being calledcivilised world running to the opposite extreme from
Charlotte," his "intended wife." The deceased also form lodges and courts, which go to make up the already are five or six times as great in the small
and finding the deceased to be dead. Witness had nothat lately resorted to and building the smallest gun-
wanted witness and a young man named Cain to go friendly societies known as the affiliated orders, and country parishes as in most of the large towns. If,
doubt that death was duo to syncope of the heart'S
.. , to his lodgings in Unimftstreet, and bring all his deserves careful study at the hands of all who are boats that can safely 'c
- •
y carry a gun. It is rash to con-
action. The jury returned a verdict in accoretance •
things to Silvertown, but they declined, not knowing interested in the great social questions connected elude anything e on such novel conditions, but one thing
. therefore, school fees and voluntary subscriptions are
with the medical opinion, already at their maximum and the Government grant
is clear—that if from a gun of moderate calibre a shot • • - • ' • •
the landlord. The latter, however, was sent for, and with the welfare of the working classes in this is incapable of increase unless the school staff is m-
ean be fired which shall crush •in the side of any iron- -
in his presence the deceased said that he wished all country. proved, things evidently are pretty well at a deadlock
clad in existence, the work of a shot will be wisely
a y "remarked a Hot Slines attorney, "Texas h""given Char' tt " Witness said At the end of Mr. Sutton's memorandum is a sea-
is things to be to Charlotte." e. . among this class of schools. Is there any way out of
expended in getting range with ifccuracy alone, and it
I' country." "Your -
is a line were pleased, then ? " he might mention to his worship that the complain- tence which we content ourselves wifh quoting, leav- the difficulty? Let it be repeated that it is the Edu-
Most intelligent may be necessary to make new calculations for the
"Very much so. . gent people I ever Met. ant went to his son's lodgings and broke open his ing it to speak for itself: cation Department itself which has discovered and
construction of the most efficient typo of gun, while
Was not in the Srate eight hours until I was called box taking therefrom • ental tunic "It is a matter for serious regret that the mem- . reported the fact that schools fall off in efficiency as
, . a sergeant's regimental 2 ,ironclads will be considered s far more
d aspeculative
captain, at tne euc , ' lof the first week I was 1• 1 •a co one , which he immediately eold to a Jew for 3s. 6d. oers of societies are, speaking generally, so little alive .they decrease in average attendance. Is there any-
an
investments A long gun of relatively smell calibre
d. have been a ' iudge ever since.' - Frederick Cain, barman at the Bell public-house, to their own interest that they look upon compliance ' thing, then, which the'department could do for these
and carry along shot would seem ,in se .1 circum-
Eating with the knife is an accomplishment familiar Benwalergaaa Woulvvich, gave similar evidence to with the Act in the matter of valuation returns as a a carryingschools, vitheetat in any serious degree deperting from
to most English frequenting foreign tables d'hzte. An the previous witness. Mr. Balguy said that the come duty to be got over at the .least possible cost and stances tohe the ell otsh:comip,
~, ... , " the principi d h• h ''' tth P 1
es Un er wic at presen 0 ar iamen-t
old American has been so horrified by the sight, that plainant had no 'clahn on the article in.dispute. as tronblee having no regard to the trustworthinds df ',"• t 1e . , • .., -
._ , tary, dratti tti ciiiitiribWN ?
~.„
he has bequeathed a large property to be used in tin!. .. tlindeceased,' who wae'etigaged tcetheAlefendantand the results shown by the valuations oretheir bearing. ' ' ,Tohn William. Coulbertt, described ;as Ili fvtAgithiahl ' Illeigt 'dfltietie'•sn'esill 'sle 1 b infant'
O-00 0, ave an class
best manner for atippressin'g the custom of eating In mud; attached' her, had, Ape,firdiug,,to„ theAestiv,-, -11P0# Mei', future welfare of the society,"--ee" ---,', - • Ws' tent inAdte4-lane,„was- charged -atethe 'tendon '-t sb' . un ex Ar,en TeADS.Oft age"'
c.iillaren d -
this uncivilised manner. "Tuiging from experience, monk of two independent -witnesses, whomeravielaieeee.'i h dhall und liae,new Act for ethe protegee:leo tif . Ler;oll' -•' ' ' ' 1
ac us reneeesekaeneenen earl y 7s. a head for
the whole sum might be spent m a small part Of clog-. no reason to doght given them to her during his life, . was steted, at aujnquest on-three
c refi; ,Ip nteagirleelsietean.fe,easef aese,afft
v' - s-.
" frice grant:" If this- so-called "fixed grant "
di S' bv tile breakine.of a chain-that WWI . e4oftto'. • ler mot ter. 'Evidence baying ~.- ,
many alOnes,i. 'i4 l',. • - "time. Cemgantly, the ,seemmons would be due f 04- 9 bead • 11d
I were really fixed at s. am a meets, the a -
' ' *toisteel • or lfY a .ijuseytowita mat Jeseeesn, iven. he was remanded, bail being refused.
etie nesai sese• '' " ' . . , -.,.. are ,astaausteleseeaeeeezet ete.4a•
yeereet sea es 4
S 4,

A most cunning and daring shop robbery has just
been perpetrated in Sheffield, the thief, by his modus
operandi, exhibiting very unusual burglarious talent.
The premises of Mr. George Chappell, boot and shoe
manufacturer, Castle-street (which are within a very
few yards of the Police Offices), were left secure, so
it was supposed, late on Saturday night. On Monday
morning they were found to have been ransacked;
the safe had been blown up with gunpowder, and its
financial contents abstracted. Appearances went to
show that the thief had been inside the premises for
about 24 hours, and that he had gone about his
nefarious work with great deliberation and coolness.
He could only have gained admission at the back,
and it is believed that he secreted himself in the
coal-yard while the shutters were being brought
out on Saturday. He had then wrenched off an iron
bar fastening the back-kitchen window, and got into
the kitchen. Being aware that he had the premises
all to himself till .Aionday morning, he lighted the
gas, ignited a fire, had some hot tea and boiled him-
self some potatoes. He round s large chisel, and this
had been applied in various ways, the chief of which
was its being heated in the fire and applied to the
woodwork around the lock of the door leading into
the office. Having thus effected an entrance to the
office, he had applied gunpowder to the safe and ulti-
mately got it open. About £2O worth of silver and
some valuables were stolen from the safe. To escape
from the premises he had smashed the lock of an iron
gate, and cut a lock cut of a massive wooden door.
He had left some gaslights burning, and had blown
the gaslight out in the office, but had forgotten to turn
it off.

The period of observation for vessels from -Varna
with passengers on board has for the present been
raised to forty-eight hours. A.rrivids from Kustendje
and Odessa have to submit to twenty-four hours' ob-
servation.
All vessels which have left Gibraltar since the 13th
inst. are subjected to the same regulations as arrivals
from Spain and France.

4. The chill evenings, which are traditionally
supposed to be an appanage of October, but
which this year have marked August for their
own, have distinctly lessened the pleasure of
those who have visited the Inventions Exhibi-
tion during the past two weeks. A series of
shivers is far from an agreeable accompaniment
of the instantaneous lighting of the grounds or
the electrically illuminated fountains; and when
a trip to South Kensington bespeaks an attack
of neuralgia or rheumatism, there is apt to be a
feeling that too much has been had for the
money. The added misfortune is that the interior
of the show is generally looked upon as less
interesting than last year, and, as the grounds
are the main attraction, milder evenings are
earnestly hoped for by the authorities.
• It is impossible for the theatres to do much
business with such rivals as the Inventions
Exhibition, the Albert Palace, and the Prome-
nade Concerts, and the best houses are not half
filled, while some are barely patronised at all.
An exception may be made in the case of the
Prince's Theatre, where the "Great Pink Pearl"
is very well received; this has been on for some
few weeks now, and sends melancholy people
away in fits of laughter. The "Private Secre-
tary," which still runs on at the Globe, is also
Zoing well for the time of the year. Coming out
originally at Mr. E. Bruce's house in the Hay-
market, it was transferred to the Globe, where
it has been played incessantly for 520 odd nights;
it will no doubt be kept on through the winter,
when fresh crowds will flock to see Mr. Penley,
who personates the country curate so well.
"Arrah-na-Pogue " and "It's Never Too Late
To Mend," are still on at the Adelphi and Drury-
lane respectively.
• Everybody has not left town after all. On
Saturday afternoon, at the Guildhall, Princess
Christian presented the certificates to the success-
ful pupils of the City and Port of London Dis-
trict Ambulance Classes, and a vote of thanks to
her Royal Highness was seconded by General Sir
Gerald Graham. This gallant officer was very
warmly cheered ; audit will have been observed that
Lord Wolseley has lately been raised to the dig-
nity of a viscount. Yet that expedition to the
Soudan is one upon which no Englishman can
ever look back with pride: there was a large
sacrifice of English and Arab life, without the
attainment of any substantial results. G. R.

ditional 2s. a head would enable the managers to
obtain a far better monitor than at present; and
with the infants thus more complete! off the head
teacher's hands, the work in the "standards would be
' much more efficiently done, the general grant would
be improved, and in time the monitor might give
place to an assistant over 18 years of age, and the
permanent prosperity of the school would be assured.
This is a very small change, and would involve- an
additional expenditure of less than £20,000 a year,
or about 2.3 Der cent, of the present gross Parlia-
mentary grant. The principle of giving a special
erant in the case of very small parishes was adopted
from the Code into Lord Sandon's Act of 1876. But
the limit of population assisted by this means has to
be kept below 300. Is there any valid reason why
this number should not be changed to 400?
But whatever may be the most effectual remedy to
apply, the case itself is plain beyond all possible mis-
take. Large schools, as a rule, are everywhere
,rapidly improving. They can command larger fees,
employ better teachers, earn higher grants, and in
every way ensure more rapid progress. Small schools,
on the contrary, are at a standstill, chiefly from
want of funds to meet the much greater outlay
per head reqUired for maintaining them. This
lack of funds compels the managers to employ
a less efficient staff than is really required,
with the result of earning small grants and of
never reaching the position of being able sensibly to
increase or improve their teaching power. The
' difference between these two classes of schools has
long been known; but, thanks to the new Code, that
difference has now been greatly accentuated—
so much so as to call loudly for some remedial
measure to bring small rural schools up into line
with the larger and more highly favoured tows
schools.