The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-05-10 00:00:00

niisaltantous Initilignut,
_ HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

COMMUTATION OF SENTENCES.—A communication has
been received at Manchester from the Home Secretary,
referring to William Smart, who was condemned to
death at the last assizes, along with a woman named
Mallinson, for causing the death of a girl named
Brierley by improper treatment. Both convicts
were respited, and the Home Secretary stated that
the sentence on Smart was commuted to penal servi-
tude for life, but it would be reconsidered at the ei-xl
of five years. Mallinson's life sentence would not be
altered.
THE LIGHTNING ROD.—Attention has recently been
called to the use of iron as a metal for lightning rods
(remarks a contemporary). In this country, where the
subject has been left in the hands of the manufacturers,
lightning rods are made of pure copper, and consequently
are far too expensive for general use. In France,
America, and other countries iron rods are in vogue, an.:l
found to answer the purpose very well, besides being
inexpensive. In Canada a church was recently protected
by a round iron rod 1-inch in diameter, and welded at
each joint. The upper end of the rod was drawn to a
point, and a damp ground connection provided for the
lower end. The rod was secured to the church by gal-
vanised iron staples; the total cost was under £3.
While upon this subject we may mention that Franklin
was probably anticipated in his discovery of lightning
conduction. According to M. de Rochas, the ancient
Etruscans understood the art of guiding the lightning.
Servius relates that in ancient times the priests ignited
their sacrifices by lightning, and on one occasion Tullius
Hostilius was struck dead because he neglected the pre-
cautions laid down by Numa.
A LITERARY PORTRAIT GALLERY.—The librarian of
the Bodleian Library, Oxford, has issued a notice in-
viting authors to present the library with their photo-
graphs and engraved portraits, and to add on the back
their full names and any ether particulars ; by
" authors " are meant composers of printed books,
pamphlets, magazine articles, maps, and music. His
design is to form and perpetuate a portrait-gallery of
literature, for which the oldest public library in the
world and the second largest in the British Empire
would be a fitting home. It already affords room to
the Hope collection of engraved portraits, the number
of which is estimated at 210,000.
SCENE AT A FIRE.—In London, on Saturday morning
a fire broke out in a narrow turning (without a
thoroughfare) in Manor-street, Walworth-road. The
premises consisted of a stable and outbuildings, in the
occupation of Mr. Young, furrier. The smoke pene-
trated an adjoining dwelling-house, seriously alarming
three women and two men who resided there. The
men escaped by the door, but the females clambered on
to the roof of their dwelling in their nightdresses and
thence, although directed to remain quiet, dropped on
to the roof of the stable, and threw themselves off
into the street below. One woman was removed in an
injured state to the house of a neighbour, but the other
two were removed to the hospital. In the course of
the fire a pony was burned to death.
A MAN-EATING CROCODILE—KILIED.—A correspon-
dent, writing from Rohri, in Scinde, gives an account of
the death of a man-eating muggur, which had for a long
time established itself near a village on the Rohri
river, to the great sorrow of the villagers. "Thirteen
people--men, women, and children—had from time to
time been carried off and eaten, till, at length, all
approaches to the river were practically blockaded by
the huge saurian. No one seems to have thought of
killing him and, in all probability, he would have appro-
priated venturous bathers and wandering cattle-tenders
till the end of the chapter, had not a roving English-
man suggested that it might be as well to shoot him.
Accordingly a buffalo was tied out for bait near the
river hank; while the sportsman hid himself in a
machan hard by. In a little time the buffalo and mug-
gur met; the latter seizing the buffalo's hind leg, and
attempting to carry him off. Two shots through the
head pat a stop to an interesting and exciting struggle,
and, when measured, the muggur was found to be two
inches over twenty-three feet in length. On disem-
bowelling the creature gold nose-rings, silver bangles,
and arm ornaments, to the value of 97-12 rupees, were
founcl in his stomach, proving conclusively the nature
of his meals."
BOILING THE CLocx.—On the subject of "How to
clean old clocks," W. F. Marsh Jackson, of Smethwick,
writes to "Notes and Queries :" "Though many notes
have appeared respecting old clocks, I have not observed
that any correspondent has referred to the process of
cleaning them. In case there should be among the
fortunate possessors one who has a clock that will not
go, and who, fearing to trust his valued relic in the
bands of a elockmaker, is allowing it to stand idle, I
may mention, for his comfort and edification, that I
have recently met with a very fine example in the house
of a poor woman, which she informs me she boils well
every now and then, and always finds the process effec-
tual. Perhaps the story of the boy who, having heard
his father remark that he must have his watch cleaned,
proceeded, in the absence of his parent, to give it a
good washing, is not so very apocryphal after all."

CHOLERA IN JAVA.—The British ship Iron Cross,
1508 tons, arrived at Queenstown on Monday from Java,
in charge of Captain Atkinson with a cargo of sugar,
and reported the loss of five of her crew from cholera.
The vessel originally sailed from Shields with coals for
Batavia, and was in command of Captain M'Clure.
Soon after her arrival in Java the chief officer con-
tracted and died from cholera, which was then prevalent
at the port she touched. The steward and two seamen
shared the same fate. Another chief officer was engaged,
but he also fell a victim to the disease. A short time

before the vessel left on her homeward voyage Captain
Bl'Clure was prostrated with Java fever, but he re-
covered. The crew were not attacked with illness after
the Iron Cross sailed for home.
SERIOUS EXPLOSION.—An alarming explosion occurred
at Newport, Monmouthshire, on Monday afternoon.-
The roadway above the sewer in the main thoroughfare
in the Baneswell district burst, volumes of water were
forced from the sewer into the neighbouring shops, and

the kitchen floors of several houses in the square were

torn up, flames issuing from the ruins. Several persons
were thrown down in the street, but no one was
seriously injured. After an examination of the scene
by the engineer of the gas company and the town sur-
veyor, the opinion was formed that a quantity of
paraffin from a store had been allowed to run into the
sewer, but how it became ignited is not known.
SHOCKING OCCURRENCE.—A shocking fatality oc-
curred on the highway at Marchwiel, two miles from
Wrexham, about midnight on Saturday. An elderly
female, named Sarah Davies, living at Eyton, better
known as " old Sally, the Huckster, who has attended
Wrexham Market for the last 50 years, was returning -
home in a carrier's cart driven by another woman,.
named Povey. When near Marchwiel Church, Mrs.
Davies fell out of the trap, alighting upon her head,
and was killed on the spot. The deceased was 70 years

of ag.e.
GAROTTING ON THE THAMES EMBANKMENT.
London, on Monday morning, a dastardly assault and
robbery occurred on the Victoria Embankment. It
appears that shortly after midnight, as Mr. Thomas
Spurr, of the Moore and Burgess Minstrels, was passing
near the Embankment, opposite the Royal Hotel, he
was accosted by two men, who asked him for a light.
While unbuttoning his overcoat to seek for a fusee, he
received a violent blow in the mouth and another at the
back part of his head, rendering him nearly insensible.
Before he could recover himself he was surrounded by
four men, who garotted and robbed him of his money.
Although he was so near Blackfriars-bridge he obtained
no help, and was left on the pavement in a semi—
conscious state, with most of his front teeth knocked
out.

THE NA:TI6I4AL GAr.r.EU-The National Gallery was
visited last year by 850,000 persons on the public days,
the daily average being 4104, while 21,192 people were
admitted on students' days (Thursday and Friday).
Exclusive of water-colour drawings, the gallery now
contains about 940 pictures; and it is curious to note
that only fifty of these paintings were copied, although
students made 800 oil copies, besides partial studies.
Loans of pictures were made to the National Portrait
Gallery, the Irish National Gallery, to the Glasgow
and Dundee Corporations, and to nine provincial ex-
hibitions. _ _ _

Cumous ExprosioN.—ln London, the other evening,
some excitement was caused by a report that an explo-
sion of dynamite had taken place at the City News
Rooms, Ludgate-circus. On inquiry/it was found that
the report was caused by the fact that a man lit a cigar
in the rooms, which almost immediately went off with
a loud report. The police were sent for, and Chief
Superintendent Forster and a detective-sergeant having
arrived the man was taken to Bridewell-place Police-
station, when another cigar was found on him, which on
being opened was found to contain an explosive. The
man, who gave an address at Ponsonby-place, Pimlico,
explained that the cigars were given him by his brother,
who was a sailor. The police accompanied the man to
his lodgings, where he gave up two other cigars, which
were found to be loaded with cartridges over 2in. in
length. It is believed they are of foreign manufacture.
TIRED SITEEP.—The " Lancet " says: It is a pitiful
sight in London to see sheep being driven from the -
market, nnd one or more of the flock lagging behind for
the chance of a drop of water in some stagnant gutter,
and, lacking this, to see the poor animal fail alto-
gether, and lie down, or rather fall down, for very
weariness. This is especially so with sheep in the wool,
and when a warmer wind blows. It is apt to be for.
gotten that these animals between leaving their native
fields and arriving at their fatal destination have great
hardships to undergo, apart from any intentional
cruelty on the part of the drovers—which, we are
willing to admit, is now very rare. The mere wool they
carry is considerable. Thus Lincolnshire sheep may
carry from twelve to sixteen pounds, Leicestershire
sheep ten to twelve pounds, half-breds six to nine -
pounds. It is an idea of some people that the sheep
are purposely starved during their stay in the cattle-
marke tto be the better for killing. This is a mistake;
but it is 'undeniable that on their journey there, and
even during their stay, they are liable to great vicissi-
tudes, with long intervals of fasting, and, more intoler-
able still, of thirst. We appeal to all who are responsible
for attending to these animals in the final days of their
innocent but doomed lives to abate these miseries, and
to the police, and even the public, to intervene on
behalf of tired cattle, and see that they are both rested
and refreshed.
SIMMER-BEDDING Ptarrs.—Now that the weather
has become mild (says the "Gardeners' Chronicle "),
advantage should be taken of it to remove from the
vineries or other heated structures all such plants as
will bear removal to the open air with safety, but
where cold frames or pits are plentiful it will be safer
to make use of them for this purpose for a short time,
but as many have not sufficient of these convenient
structures all the hardier kinds of plants may be trans-
ferred to the open air' provided they are hooped over
and carefully protected from frost by mats, frigi-domo,
or other similar material. The nearer they can be
arranged to the flower garden the greater will be the
saving in time and labour when the operation of plant-
ing commences. They should be placed on a bed of
ashes in a partially sheltered position where they will
not be fully exposed to cold winds, and where water is
conveniently close at hand. The sowing, picking-out,
and transplanting of annuals, biennials, and perennials,
should now be proceeded with. The more tender kinds
should be sown either in pans or boxes, and placed in a
gentle heat till they germinate. The less tender
should, after sowing, be placed in a cold frame, and the
hardier kinds may be sown in an outdoor border, either
in seed-beds, to be afterwards transplanted, or they
may be sown at once in the positions which they are
intended permanently to occupy. As the spring plants
and bulbs cease blooming they should be immediately
removed to the reserve garden; the beds should then
be dressed, dug, and planted with the summer plants,
taking care to put out the hardier kinds first, such as
calceolarias, verbenas, and lobelias; by so doing the
garden will present a neat appearance, and the summer
plants will have the advantage of becoming established
early in the season.
SAD ACCIDENT.—In London, on Saturday, Mr. S. F.
Langham held an inquest at Mount-street, Grosvenor-
square, on the body of Edward Coulston Kerr Colville,
aged six years, the son of Captain Colville, of 4,
Chesterfield-street. From the evidence of Madame
Consendoz (who had acted as French governess to the
child), Henry Marlow, the valet, and others it appeared
that about half-past one o'clock on Monday in last
week the child was found to have fallen over the stair-
case of the dining-room floor on to the basement. A
doctor was immediately sent for, and life was pro-
nounced to be extinct, death having been caused by
fracture of the slcull. It was surmised that the child
had climbed on the bannisters, and missing his hold
fell over. A verdict of accidental death was returned.
SUICIDE IN PRISON.—An inquest was held on Satur-
day in Durham Gaol on Henry Whittle, a prisoner
undergoing penal servitude for life. He hanged him-
self on the previous Thursday, effecting his purpose by
means of a contrivance consisting of two bed boards, a,
hand brush,a loop of untwisted oakum, and a neckerchief.
To de len the sound of the struggle he placed the bed-
clothe below him and plugged oakum into the keyhole
of the door, and to prevent the door being opened he
wedged scouring stones, used in the cells, beneath it.
A warder at a desk seven feet from the cell heard no
sound, and two men were required to force the door
open. The jury returned a verdict of "Suicide whilst
in a state of temporary insanity."