The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-10-13 00:00:00

A CURIOUS COMPLICATION.

A Swiss paper relates the following story, in which
a cat and dog played the principal parts, but the
sequel to which will be provided by the lawoourts. A
few days back a dog belonging to an English tourist
staying at Lausanne perceived 4 cat • a little .distance
off in, the street, and, true to the instincts of his
- rane, 'set off in chase Of 'Peet' push. The cat,
;Oinking apparently, discretion . the better part
:Of valour, ,scuddett • away and bolted - down ~an
Otpqn cellar, trip, the pursuer following her through
the aperture. in the cellar was a large barrel
,containing • two 'thousand eight ' hundred litres of
wire, worth, it is estimated, three thousand francs.
tap was not in very good order, and one of the two '
'isisitnals in falling-7which, it is impossible to determine
-LiSrOire it off, the consequence being that the cellar
-410 inundated with the -wine, -the mishap not being
discovered until eVery drop the cask (Contained was
Jost. The wine meichent to whom the cellar belongs,
holding the dog's master responsible 'for the loss
he., has sustained, has brought an action against
him ; the landlord of the house, on his side,
holding the wine merchant answerable for the damage
done his premises .by the inundation, has equally
brOnght atriactien, to-recaveripeeuniary torapensatio*,
' and the owner of the dog is seeking to find out who
the oat belongs to, in order to follow the example of
the other two, arguing that the cat was seen to jump
through the cellar trap the first, and was probably the
real author of the accident. Between the cat, the dog,
the dog's master, the wine merchant, and the land-
lord, it will need the wisdom of a Solomon to judge.—
Eventing Stainckixd.

GREAT MORMON CONFERENCE AT
SALT LAKE CITY.

Writing from Salt Lake City, on Sunday, the
travell,ng Correspondent of the Daily News says :
A great conference of Mormons has been held here
to•day. Summoned by the President and marshalled
by their bishops, the people have flockid in from all
parts of the territory of Utah. Two services were
held in the Tabernacle, and both morning and after-
noon the vast edifice was crowded, many being unable
to get in. The avowed object of this gathering of the
people is to consolidate and strengthen the pnwer of the
Church, and to this end various speakers de-
voted themselves in their addresses. It was an-
nounced that a number of missionaries had been
selecteil to go abroad and spread the Mormon
gospel. In all fifty-seven men have been selected
for this labour. Fourteen go to Great Britain or
to Scandinavia; seven to the Northern States of
America; thirteen to the Southern States ; eight to
Germany and Switzerland; one to Canada; two to
Austria; and two to Indian territory. It is note-
worthy that whilst Ragland, Scotland, and Wales
have assigned to them a larger number of missionaries
than any other country, Ireland is positively neglected.
The names were submitted for the approval of the
people, who silently assented by holding up the right
hand. According to Mormon discipline this call is
peremptory, and the missionaries must at their own
expense leave home and friends and go out in the
world.

I bad to-day a long conversation with Mr. Taylor,
successor to Brigham Young in the presidency of the
hlorman State, with respect to the relations of Utah
with the United States Governmeat. I gather that they
are now approaching a critical state. The Mormon
leaders have one or two test cases upon which they will
dispute the recent legislation designed to put down
polygamy. The trials will shortly come off in the Utah
courts. Should the Mormons lose the day they will
carry the matter before the Supreme Court. President
Taylor views with perfect indifference what may
follow thereupon. The United States legislation
strikes at the electoral rights of polygamists, but the
President is certain that they can, as they did at the
last elections, carry all their men by the votes of
Mormons with one wife, and they will continue quietly
to ignore the law. President Taylor tells me that
snore distinguished Englishmen have vielted Salt Lake
City this year than during any previous one. Amongst
his recent callers have been Lori Justice Bowen, Lord
Carrington, and Mr. Charles Russell.