The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-09-06 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Early on Sunday morning, upon the arrival of the up
Scotch mail at Rugby, a porter named Thomas Ashby,
in attempting to jump upon a carriage while the train
was in motion, slipped and fell beneath it, and was
killed on the spot.
A disastrJus fire broke out on Sunday in the exten-
sive flax stores of Sir John Preston and Co., Belfast.
The damage is estimated at £lO,OOO.
As a farmer, named Galpin, was riding to his home
at Newton Toney on Saturday, he suddenly fell from
his horse, and when picked up was quite dead.

The revenue received from the Ist of April last to the
30th ult. amounts to £31,817,305, or £1,671,390 less
than the £33,488,695 received in the corresponding
period ending the Ist of September, 1883. The expen-
diture up to the 30th ult. was £32,646,528, ' being
£2,853,697 less than the expenditure for the similar
period of 1883. The balances on the 30th ult, amounted
to £4,394,103, and on the Ist of September, 1883, were
£3,760,118.
In London last week 2460 births and 1542 deaths were
registered. Allowing for increase of population, the
births were 145 below, while the deaths exceeded by 88,
the average numbers in the corresponding weeks of the
last ten years. The annual death-rate from all causes,
which had been 21-2 and 20.5 per thousand in the two
preceding weeks, further declined last week to 20.
The body of a seaman was found on Tuesday in
Penarth Dock under circumstances which lead to
suspicions of a murder having been committed. The
deceased had a wound three inches long on the left side
of the neck, and it was evident that the weapon with
which the wound was inflicted had passed completely
through his throat.
The body of a man was found on Tuesday morning
amongst some bushes on the Downs near Horndean,
Sussex. The deceased had evidently committed suicide.
by shooting himself with a revolver, which lay at his
side. A ticket tor a watch, pawned at Portsmouth,
and 6s. were found upon him. It was subsequently
ascertained that his name was Nigel Hampton Carr,
and that he was secretary to the Alliance Economic
Investment Company, carrying' on business at 35,.
Lincoln's-jun-fields, L9ndon, He had been missing
from his offiee.since Friday: -

In the middle of the pcx7fermance of Wagner's " G6t-
terdiimmerung " at the Court Theatre at Munich, on
Sunda :7 night, a gentleman named Hummel, an archi-
tect from Vienna, suddenly became mad, and just as the
music of the third act was commencing he made a
violent attack on a lady who was sitting near him. Seiz-
ing her by the throat the lunatic nearly throttled her,
when the police interfered, and with considerable diffi-
culty succeeded in removing him from the house. The
incident caused immense excitement among the
audience, and it was some time before the performance
could be resumed.

The number of bills of sale published in England and
Wales for the week ending August 30 was 226. The
number in the corresponding week of last year was 236,
showing a decrease of 10, being a net decrease in 1884,
to date, of 588. The number published in Ireland for
the same week was 5. The number in the correspond-
ing week of last year was 8, showing a decrease of 3,
being a net decrease, in 1884, to date, of 573.

,
A lelegram to the Rassegna "of Rome, from Flisig-
nano, states that on Sunday night seven men, three of
whom carried guns and had their faces covered, stopped at
various places on the road near Bag nacavallo as many as
twenty workmen, robbing them of their money and
watches.
The feat of swimming from Portsmouth to Ryde and
back to Portsmouth was accomplished on Tuesday by
Mr. i
Horace e
d in
and captain of the Ilex Swimming Club. He left the
South Parade Pier at half-past eight, and
was accom-
panied
p choppy sea,
and
Rsuhsosweellr-ys
weatherciu are
' Bloomsbury,
bya pilot
and a doctor. Ryde was reached at eleven o'clock, and
after taking refreshment in the water without support
from the boat he began the return journey, completing
Tuesday, the Hon. Cecil Raikes, M.P., dwelt at some
length on the policy of the Government in regard to the
Franchise Bill. He maintained that the bill had been
thsepdeiaski distance ce
at at twoa Conservativeo'c lock.
meeting at Mold, on
introduced by the Government to divert the attention
of the public from other and more important topics, and
that the Government had done this because they were,
afraid of the verdict of the people upon their manage-
ment of affairs. He considered that the House of Lards
had acted in the very best interests of the country -in
effectually stopping the bill, and he had no doubt their
action was the correct interpretation of the feelings of
intelligent people in the country.

The Public Debt of the United States has been re-
duced during the month of August by about nine million
dollars.
The total amount expended by the Metropolitan
Board of Works ill surveying the London Theatres and
devising alterations with a view to diminishing the risk
of fire amounts to £3700.
On Monday an inquest was held at Lindley Lodge-
park, Hinckley, as to the death of Joseph Hood Clay, a
gentleman farmer, who had been found dead on Lis
farm. The deceased went out shooting on Saturday,
and as he did not return, search was made for him. He
was found in a bean field with a double-barrelled
gun lying 18 yards away. It is supposed that he
stumbled, that the gap was discharged, and that the
contents endered his abdomen. A verdict of "Acci-
dental death" was returned. ; _ _

A fight has occurred between some fishermen belong-
ing to the Isle of Man at one of the Orkney fishing
stations, and one of their number is believed to have
been murdered, his body having been found in a quarry.
It is not yet known who were engaged in the quarrel,
a large number of boats crews being now at the
station.
The traffic receipts of the Suez Canal on Saturday
amounted to 120,000 fr., and on Sunday to 190,000 fr.,
against 240,000 fr. and 180,000 fr. respectivery on the
corresponding days of last year.
John Pippin, a sheemaker, of Barnet, committed
suicide on Saturday, at the county gaol, St. Alban's by
hanging himself to a gaspipe in his cell. He had been
committed for stealing a horse and cart from Barnet.
At the inquest on Monday a vei diet of felo de se was
returned.
On Monday afternoon the shift bf the engine at Earl
Granvllle's deep pit, Hanley, broke while 200 men were
below. Fortunately no other consequences ensued than
the imprisonment of the men for several hours, as
access through the principal shaft was cut off. The
men were gradually got out by a communicating
shaft. The pit will have to stand until the engine is
repaired.
The Portsmouth coroner held an inquest on Monday
afternoon on the body of Eva Warn, a young woman
who had died from immersion ,in the water. It ap-
peared that three seamen of her Majesty's ship Assist-
ance hired a light rowing boat on Southsea beach, and
they took the deceased out with them. One of the men
named Thonihill, rowed towards the Spit Fort, and he
had got some distance when another of the men, Mit-
chell, to whom the girl was abt-ut to be married, offered
to help Thornhill in rowing. The latter declined, but
the other man, Gardener, rose to help, when the boat
was capsized. Mitchell grasped his sweetheart and
kept her afloat until the boat was righted. A second
time, however, the boat was upget by Gardener taking
hold of it. Mitchell dived after the young woman, and
held her up till she was rescuea by a yacht's crew, and
the remainder of the party were also picked up. The
deceased was taken home; but inflammation of the lungs
set in, from which she died.. Tire jury returned a verdict
of strnitipnisil death.

About seven o'clock on Saturday morning a man was
found dead at Waltham-cross Railway Station, a small
bottle, supposed to contain lioiSon, lying beside him.
Only a farthing was found in the pockets of the de-
ceased, who had been seen in en excited state in the last
down train on the previous evening.
Over 20,120,000 tons or coal were raised from the
Yorkshire coalfields during the last official year.
Tliba Archiepiscopal Library at Lambeth will be closed
for the recess for six weeks from September 1, 1884.
A despatch from Marseilles announces that from the
observatory of that town the two hundredth and for-
tieth planet of the group between Mars and Jupiter
was discovered on Thursday night. Its brilliancy is
stated to be equal to that of a .gtar of the twelfth mag-
nitude, .

Last year 12,411 children under ten were reported as
lost to the Metropolitan Police, but all of these save
six were found; 130 adults and six children were never
traced; and 35 dead bodies of persons were picked up,
of whom and of whose belongings nothing has ever
been discovered.
The first statue ever erected to a woman in the
United States has just been unveiled at New Orleans.
It is to Margaret Houghery, who devoted her great
wealth to the care of orphans. She WAS a Catholic, but
her charities were impartially dispensed by the ministers
of every creed.
Among the notable bridges in the world is the one at
Langang, China. It crosses an arm of the China Sea.
This structure is some five miles long, and has 300
arches. Over the pillar of each arch reclines a lion
made out of a single block of marble, and yet 21 feet
long. The roadway of this bridge is 75 feet wide.
The Mozart monument which is to be erected on an
elevated point of the Town-park, Vienna, is estimated
to cost 100,000t1., of which 60,0001 have already been
raised.

A shock of earthquake occurred at R6union on the
7th inst. at midnight. The oscillation was from east to
west, and was preceded by a loud report, like an explo-
sion. No damage was done:
A telegram from Tarasp; Grisons, Switzerland, states
that a tramway car while runhing between Schule
and that place, has been precipitated into the River
Inn. All the passengers were more or less seriously
hurt.
The crypt in the church of St. Laurent, at Rome in
which are the mortal remains of Pius IX., is shortlylx; be
opened. The mausoleum is of magnificent appear-
ance, the most precious.marble having been used in its
construction. There are some •plendid mosaics, and
three bassi-relievi represent the memorable aeta of
the Pope, including the Ecumeneial Council in wllich
he promulgated the doctrine of infallibility.
Friday night's "Gazette "contains notices respecting
the establishment of and alterations in lights and sig-
nals at the following places: Le •Cano, Salina Island;
Cape Pelero, Strait of 'Messina; .Elbe river entrance;
Sveuiier Island, Laurvik Fiord: Qaarkenv Norrslra r,O ulf
of Bothnia; Archangel flay; Portl4nd Bay, South Aus-
tralia; Kaipara Harbour. New Zealand; Boulogne
Harbour and St. Marcouf Island, France; Libby Island,
Machalas Eay,,Maine ; Sahibel Island, Florida; the Red
Sea Coast of Nubia; Dago an Osel Islands, Baltic;
Winterton Ness, Yarmouth'; Hashorough ; and Dome
Ness Reef, Gulf of Riga.
The Abyssinian Envoys, aocompanied by Captain W.
Grahame, R.N., visited Bortsmouth on Friday, anl
were the guests at luncheon of Admiral Sir G. T. Phipps
Hornby, CornraandeiaiirChief. On leaving for London
salutes were fired. r
King TawhaiUand his.chiefs bef9re leaving England
compiled a narrative of the leading incidents of their
visit, and, according to the " Atheimum," had it set up
in the Maori, language.:• The .pamphlet included a
report in Maori of the interview of. the chiefs with Lord
Derby. The King tbok With him to New Zealand a
large number of copieS,orthespamphlet for distribution
among the tribes which were represented in the depu-
tation.
An inquest was held on Saturday at Little Bytham,
near Grantham, on the body of a platelayer named
William Camm, who was crushed to death on the pre-
vious day while moving four ooal waggons in order to
lay fresh sleepers on a' The fourth waggon
started down the siding; which was a slight incline, and
crushed the deceased's head between the buffers, kill-
ing him instantaneously, anOther•in being severely
injured. A verdict of -Accidental death" was re-
turned, the jury adding that greater care should be
taken to see waggons properly secured.
In London, on Saturday, In extraordinary accident
with firearms occurred in York-Street, St. James's.
About two o'clock two men "Werd at the door of a
public-house, examining a revolver; They believed it
to be empty, but while handling.it. it' suddenly exploded.
A horse in a hansom waastanding beside them and the
Contents lodged in the animas. forehead,killing it
almost instantaneously.
Late on Saturday night Dr. James Collis Browne,
the inventor of chlorydine, died at his residence, Mount
Albion St. Lawrence-on-Sea. He was in about his 66th
year of age, and was known in.`th'e' yachting world for
his experiments in the •construetiOn' of yachts on the
principle of his well-known Icala fish:
Of all European countries 'Germany is the country
where suicide is most frequent, and Germany, again,
Saxony takes the lead. In 1872: the number of
suicides in Saxony amounted to' 687 (266 to every
1,000,000 inhabitants, five years later it rose to 1114,
and after five years more to 'l§72:i Last year 2004
persons thus ended their lives' 1081 ,of whom were of
the male sex and 923 of the female. In England in
1882 the suicides were 1446 Menlnd Only 519 females.
Thirteen hundred and eight 'Wolve's7 were killed last
year in France, mainly onthe-bor'der !ands of Belgium
and Germany. The rewards raid by the French Govern-
ment for these animals vary from 48, for a wolf who
has attacked a human being, to 325. for a cub, and;
amounted to £4150.
Groceries in England are 16 per cent. cheaper than'
in the United States; but meat, lintter, eggs, and vege-
tables are 23 per cent. 'dearer. House rent in provincial
England is only -about half what it is in Boston; in
London it is about two-thirds. Altogether the cost of
living in this country is 17 pecerit: lower than in the
States.

•
•
•

The number of visiters to ;the International Health
Exhibition for the week ending AAlguitt 30 was 153,103.
Total sincKs the 0pening„5.2,348,077. '
A railroad transfer steamer has been capsized during
a hurricane near Henderson; Indiana. Twelve persons
were drowned. . .
A Renter's telegram from Men, es that two hun-
dredto
constantconfi-
dence Abyssinians, led by'RasalOula,yhaye been repulsed
and routed by the Egyptian tidoios m 'an attack upon
Keren. Only six of the attackiiiip'arty succeeded in
escaping.
A ConservAtive gathering was held on Saturday at
Hatfield, and the Earl of f Lytton delivered an address
on the attitude of the Opposition towards the Franchise
Bill. He maintained that the Government were con-
fusing a simple isue and Mr. Gladstone did not deserve
the confidence which would be planed Th him if the re-
distributionthiseßil and it
proposals
thweerdeusty of ePara go d
fromc se
rtvhaet
iI P,
en-
dence in Lord Salisbury and Sir Stifford Northcote, and
calling for a Redistribution Bill to 'accompany the bill
for the extension of the franchise. ,
American journals record that not a single pas-
senger riding last year in a passenger train on the
111assac1iusetts railroads was killed except from his
own fault, and there were over 61,000,000 passengers
carried an average distance of 15 miles each.
While cutting operations were &lig on at a farm
near Burutisland the blade of the reaping machine came
in contact with something among the standing grain,
which the reapers were horrified to ,fine was a girl, four
years of age, daughter of David lielleeh, who was him-
self driving the machine. The child, strayed amongst
the grain unobserved. Both her feel had to be ampu-
tated close to the ankle.
The Belgian " Compromis des cemmunes " against
the Primary Schools Bill has been .presented to the
Chamber. It is 'sigma by 4171 burgomasters, aldermen,
ittst reek illelude a. !Gelada ' baboon, from
and town councillors; representing 799,c6raraunes, with
The additions! to. 11)0 Zoological semi., s Gardens
2d,161:5n,4239 inhabitants. .: . ..,
..,,
the Provinceof'Amara, Abyssima,preSented by H. E.
Litlze,Mercha Workee, Abyssinian Envoy:; a red-crested
ehrdinal, frCtUr ,:atth America, prefiented by Mr. John
W. Aliels;an AfriOn eTephant, fr•Mr,Abyssinia, de-
no 'ted by'ller'2la:idsty, the -Qgn;
f,,,pi.s'orufti Allio4;' t 44 L.Aveh from South
two:Cape hunting
e 10,7,
AM et i'a,-11:110Fittd. ;;• 'a • combiOn4arnStlint, British. rg-
crived iv ,I;Nt.har fro.
-31 g,, . ;'` 4A'aii_ .