The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-07-26 00:00:00

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SATURDAY, JULY 26 1884
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THE sTouRBRIDGE OBSERVER. -
1

The REFORM DEMONSTRATION

gates were opened only to those having business en-
titling them to admission.
At Charing-cross, the proc,essionists met a sea of
heads, which crowded every available point, and
they passed through a dense crowd into Pall-mall.
With the Reform Club company assembled at all the
windows there was an interchange of welcome, but
the other clubs were chiefly undemonstrative. Several
leading Conservatives were recognised at the windows
of the Carlton. The like dense throngs met the pro;
cession in St. James's-street, and the club windows
were more occupied than in Pall-mall. Warm greetings
were interchanged with Brooks's, at the balcony of
which were seen Lord Kensington,M.P.,Mr. Howard,
M.P., Mr. Sydney Bur on, and other members of
the Liberal party. In Piccadilly there was a party
on the roof of the lodge to Devonshire House. They -
were cheered, and some hats were raised to the
Baroness Burdett-Coutts. Mr. Chaplin and other
prominent Conservatives were recognised in Piccadilly,
The people made a stand opposite the residence ot
Mr. John Bright, and cheered until he appeared.
The Duke of Wellington's mansion (Apsley House)
was closed up, and the historic iron shutters were in
prominent display.

attitude in court, Wright merely making a request
for money taken from him to be given to his family.
Wheatley was quite silent.
The prisoners were remanded.

THE CAMP AT WIMBLEDON.

to the enclosure, and to have seen him hustled
into that honoured san)tum, lookers on weuld have
thought that ho had committed some serious crime.
Ho was again near fainting, and his tunic was
loosened, but the freedom from the pressure of the
crowd soon revived him, and his rifle having been
tested and his score certified as correct, Lady Wilmot
pinned the gold medal on his breast and the badge on
his arm, and Middlesex men, numerous enough to
have carried the monument, surrounded the cham-
pion's chair, and, lifting him aloft, marched off to the
strains of "See the conquering hero comes." Each
of the Middlesex camps was visited, beginning with
the 'V ictorias, and in each of them loving cups were
passed round. The winner is a hairdresser at
Twickenham, and in his corps and neighbourhood
has the reputation of being a steady shot.

in LONDON.
In London, on Monday, a great working men's
demonstration in support of the Franchise Bill, and
to protest against its rejection by the House of Lords,
was held in Hyde Park, and was the occasion for the,
gathering of the largest crowd which has ever assem-
bled in London for the advancement of a political
cause. The procession of trades' organizations,
political clubs, Liberal associations, provincial deputa-
tions, temperance bodies, and friendly societies, was
marshalled on the Thames Embankment, and moved
towards Hyde Park by way of Palace-yard, Parlia-
ment-street, Trafalgar-square, Pall-mall, and Picca-
dilly, entering the park by Apsley-gate.

Proceedings at the firing points on Satan:Tay were
full of interest for spectators, whose enthnsiasm in
the cause of rifle shooting proved stronger than their
dread of threatening clouds and frequent showers.
At one point 300 marksmen who had survived the
trying ordeal of previous stages were engaged in the
great struggle for places in the Queen's sixty, and for
p=ession of the silver medal, with its accompanying
£6O, a trophy only a little less coveted by ambitious
marksmen than her Majesty's Prize itself. At another
range medallists of previous years were competing for
the substantial prize of £lOO, presented by the
Prince of Wales, And others of less value
added by the National Rifle Association. A
few hours later representatives of the Lords
and Commons were engaged in a pz olonged but
not very exciting team maech for the Maharajah of
Vizianagram's Challenge Flagons; and towards
evening several important prizes, offered to members
and all corners, were being decided; while all day
long the Running Deer range was fruitful of inci-
dents entertaining to onlookers. The 300 competitors
for the Queen's Prize were squadded at an early-
hour, and had to shoot under authing but favour-
able conditions, the wind rising frequently in sudden
gusts, then dropping to a dead calm; the light
changing from glare to gloom with a rapidity very
deceptive, and heavy showers falling often. Soon
after ten o'clock a sudden squall swept across the
ranges with a velocity that at one moment reached
eighteen miles an hour, according to the anemometer,
It lasted only twenty minutes, but during that brief
time the rainfall was more than a sixth of an inch,
and by eleven o'clock there was not breeze enough to
blow out the languid folds of flags to which anxious
marksmen look so often for guidance.
In every way the day proved a glorious one for
Scotland. Sergeant Taylor, of the Ist Lanark, in ten
shots at 500 and fifteen at 600 yards added 105 to his
previous 90 points, and thus stood six ahead of any
other competitor for the Silver Medal, though many
made strenuous efforts to catch him at the long range
—Hyde, of the 2nd Hants, scoring 64 out of a pos-
sible 75; then Sergeant Williams, of the Artists, 63;
Major Pearce, Lieut. Lockhart, and Kilman, of Ross,
62 each. When registers of the shooting had been
returned it was found that ten men had tied for the
last four places in the sixty entitled to shoot again for
the Gold Medal, and these ten had to face the targets
again after luncheon. In their final trial Anderson,
of Renfrew, made a magpie, an inner, and a bull;
Machon, of the Guernsey Militia, and Lieut. Mert-
ford, Civil Service, each two bulls, with an outer be.
; Corporal MacDougall an inner, an outer, and a
Mill, following these with two more bulls, and Sergeant
Robinson, Ist Warwick, a bull, an inner, and an outer,
with an innei and a bull in his two additional shots.
The latter thus lost a place in the sixty by just one
point. The other five, who had each scored a total
of 175, but failed in shooting off, were Sergeant Mac-
donald, sth Lancashire; Private Conborough, Ist
Dumbarton; Sergeant Shivas, Ist Ross; Private
Macnaughten' 2nd Perth; and Private Davies, 3rd
Monmouth. In the sixty are the Gold Medallists of
former years—Pearse and Rae—two Silver Medallists
—lngram and Paton, and several veterans who
are well known as Wimbledon prize winners;
while several tyros have gained this high distinction
before appearing on the N.R.A. records as victors in
in less important competitions.
The Prince of Wales's prize of I'loo was won by
Captain J. H. Young, 2nd Renfrew, the Silver Medal-
list of last year, with a total of 95 in his ten shots at
200 and 15 at 600 yards. His county team also won
the China Cup with an aggregate of 410 out of a
possible 500; the 3rd Lanark took the Belgian Chal-
lenge Cup for volley firing, the 2nd Midlothian team
won the battalion sweepstakes, while the 2nd Ren-
frew stood next, the 3rd Roxburgh third, and tho 3rd
Lanark fourth. The Grand Aggregate Prize also
goes to Renfrew having been won by Quartermaster-
sergeant Grier, of the 3rd. southern marks-
men had to be content with such small crumbs
of comfort as the Halford, taken by Captain
Godsal, with 46 points •out of a possible 50 at
1000 yards; the Curtis and Harvey, won by
Sergeant-Instructor Gilder with a similar score,
and other less important prizes. In the Tyro
series for the highest scores made in Part 1., the first
stage of the Queen's, by marksmen who have never
won an individual prize at Wimbledon in previous
years Sergeant Maehon, Guernsey Militia, was first
with a tot-ail of 92. The tie for the Daily Telegraph
Cup resulted in favour of Sergeant Forster, Ist V. B.
Northumberland, who beat Lieut. Jones by two
points. For the Maharajah of Vizianagram's
Challenge Cup the Commons beat the Lords easily by
63 points. The highest score of either side was made
by Colonel Walrond, who only dropped four points in
twenty shots.
On Sunday morning a sermon was preached to the
volunteers in camp by the Rev. Teignmouth Shore,
who took for his text the fourth verse of the Bth
chapter of Judges, And Gideon came to Jordan
and passed over, he and the thrc4 hundred with
him."

On Saturday evening Police-constable Snell was
again examined at St. Bartholomew's by Dr. Baker,
resident surgeon, having been first rendered insensible
by chloroform. After a very careful and lengthened
search the bullet was discovered, and Dr. Baker suc-
ceeded in extracting it satisfactorily. Detective-
Inspecter Peel and his assistant officers have been
able to find out the residences of both Wright and
Wheatley, and, in the course of their search, have
discovered a number of revolver cartridges suiting the
revorvers which the prisoners used. They have also
found a quantity of goods, which will probably be
identified as having been taken from other places
which have been broken into. Wright remarked,
when at the police-station, that, had he not injured his
own hand, he would have done much more mischief
to the police.

THE ASSEMBLING ON THE EMBANKMENT.

By one o'clock, two hours before the appointed
time for marching, the Victoria Embankment of the
Thames was, especially towards its western end, the
assembling place of vast throngs of unorganised
people. These had come to take a share isi the de-
monstration; but belonging to the large mass of
people who are connected neither with political nor
with trade bodies, they had no assigned place in the
procession. They congregated in many thousands, the
on-lookers outnumbering the organised demonstra-
tionists by at leastfive to one. The police on the Embank-
ment, under District Superintendent Howard and
Superintendent Brennan, had undertaken to stop all
vehicular traffic at two o'clock, and had a heavy task
in carrying out this responsible duty, inasmuch
as vans loaded with people gathered on Westminster-
bridge and in Bridge-street, by the Houses of
Parliament, with a strong determination to stop
there. The St. Stephen's Club was crowded with
members and visitors, but no hostile demonstration
was made by the enormous crowd which gathered at
the point against those whom they knew to be poli-
tical antagonists, beyond the labourers pointing to
them, and saying, "There are some who have been
keeping us out of the vote." The crowd was exces-
sively good tempercd, although standing about 24
deep on the pavement of the Embankment They
cheerea me stalwart mounted farriers us they took
up the position of advanced guard. They welcomed
the agricultural labourers—estimated to number
about six thousand—from different parts of Kent,
Sussex, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, and
Devonshire, who had the place of honour after
the farriers. 'The Kent men bore hop-poles with
blue ribands. Then came some of the speakers at
the meeting and the committees, and Sir John
Bennett, being conspicuous and much recognised.
Throngs surrounded his carriage to protest their
desire to see him Lord Mayor of London. Sir John,
having long lectured on the House of Lords, was re-
garded on this occasion as a prophet. After the
speakers came provincial deputations, and these in-
cluded miners from Northumberland, men from
Edinburgh, Manchester, and from the great centres
of population. On the Embankment were placed
banners to mark where each section would fall in,
and the anticipation was that each section would form
rdund its banner in twelves, and march off in sixes.
The spectators, however, took possession of the broad
footways and of the roads. The whole space between
the " Needle " and the Houses of Parliament was
filled with dense masses of people, who disregarded
threatening showers, and made their dispositions
without the least friction with the enormous throngs
around them. The political clubs and societies occu-
pied the remainder of the Embankment up to Black-
friars-bridge.

THE MEETINGS IN HYDE PARK.
Arriving at Ilyd9-park-corner, in whi,-,h great space
was packed a crowd as great as at any point, the pro-
cession wheeled to the right and made direct across
the greensward, all obstructions having been removed.
The agricultural labourers at once marched to the A
platform, which was near to Hyde-park-corner.
The head of the procession did not reach the
platform until nearly five o'clock, the march being
at the rate of about a mile an hour. There was only
a slight shower in the park, and the demon-
stration, singular to say, escaped the drenching shower
which fell in the western streets at half-past five.
This shower only slightly touched the park, so that
throughout the day the weather, though threatening,
did not in the least mar the demonstration. The
meeting platforms were distinguished by the first
seven letters of the alphabet, and were presided over
respectively by Mr. Jesse Collings, M.P., Mr. Caine,
M.P., Mr. Broadhurst, M.P., Mr. Chatfield Clarke,
Mr. Storey, M.P., Sir Wilfrid Lawson, M.P., and
Mr. Thorold Rogers, M.P. The following was the
resolution submitted to the meetings:
"Resolved—That this vast assembly, consisting of
seven enormous meetings—composed of representa-
tives of the unenfranchised agricultural labourers,
miners, urban and rural non-voters, and other unen-
franchised classes; and of trade organisations, politi-
cal and Radical clubs, Liberal associations, and other
organised bodies, political and non-political—emphati-
cally protests against the rejection of the Repre-
sentation of the People Bill by an irresponsible and
and unrepresentative House of Lords, not-
withstanding its almost unanimous acceptance
by the peopli, and the people's accredited represen-
tatives; and it approves Mr. Gladstone's action in
adv:sing her Majesty to summon an Autumn Session
of Parliament, and his determination to send up the
Bill again to the peers; and further express its
opinion that the continued existence of an unchecked
power of impeding and obstructing the popular will,
at present exercised by the House of Peers, is not
conducive either to the welfare of the people or the
peace and prosperity of the country. That a copy of
this resolution be sent to the Prime Minister."

At the close of the meetings same of the contin-
gents kept their formations and marched back with
hands and banners. Others simply melted away in
all directions. There had been some talk of demon-
strating against the houses of Conservative peers;
but the leaders of the demonstration gave it clearly
to be understood that any persons who did so would
be regarded as public enemies and would be delivered
up to the police.
Writing to the Vines, Mr. G. Howell says: 1 Our
estimate of the procession is from 125,000 to 150,000
men. The aggregate multitude of human beings that
assembled in the streets and congregated at the several
meetings in the park was past calculation. At least
from 750,000 to 1,000,000 persons took part in the
day's proceedings, either as processionists or as gym-
pathisinr, spectators in the crowds which met the eye
at every point.

The feature of chief interest in Monday's shooting
was the competition for the Mullen's Prize, instituted
four years ago with the object of encouraging practice
at moveable targets and unknown distances. The
object aimed at is a dummy figure of a man. ix feet
in height and twenty inches across the breast, moving
at the rate of a slow march across the butts. The
conditions are that teams, of five men each, shall as-
semble 500 yards from the targets, advance in double
time, and halting at some point between 400 and 300
yards from the object fire as many rounds indepen-
dently as they can within the space of one minute,
any position being allowed. Then they advance
again in double time another hundred yards or so,
fire three volleys; kneeling, rise, double up to within
about 100 yards of the target, and fire, standing, as
many shots as possible in thirty seconds. Twenty-
nine squads entered, and the competition between
several of them was very close. The Ist Barks team
won the £lOO prize for the second time with the total
of 38 hits-14 below their score of last year. The
Liverpool Rifle Brigade squad was second, with 37
• hits; the Ist Aberdeen third, with 35 ; the Queen's
Westminster fourth, with 34; the 15th Lancashire
fifth, with 33; the Honourable Artillery compaey
sixth, with 32; and the Civil Service seventh.
with 30. Ixt the first stage of the Albert
Competition, Major Young, 21st Middlesex,
was proclaimed winner, he having made the
splendid score of 72 points out of a possible 75 in
fifteen shots at 600 yards, and 48 out of a possible 50
in ten shots at 900 yards. At the two ranges, there-
fore, he dropped only five points in twenty-five shots.
His aggregate was 120. Next to him came Captain
Thorburn, of Peebles, and Mr. Caldwell, of the Ulster
Rifle Association, with 119 each. A brilliant feat of
sustained steadiness was achieved by Mr. Osborne, of
Birmingham, who followed up his 34 from the St.
George's with 33 at 800 yards for the Fraser, a simi-
lar number at 900 for the Hartington, and another 33
out of a possible 35 at 1000 yards for the Henry,
shooting with a Webley military breechloader.
He thus won the M.B.L. aggregate by two points,
Mr. Turner, of Birmingham, being next with a
total of 97. For the Frodsham prizes, consisting of a
gold chronometer value £6O, a silver chronometer
worth .E3O, and a silver lever watch of £2O in value,
there were several ties of 34 points, and in shooting
off Captain Lamb, 22nd Regiment, took first prize.
In the Field ,Memorial Prize, Corporal Bates, Ist
Warwick, and Sergeant Davis, Ist Notts, tied with
43 points each, and in shooting off the Robin Hood
man won. The handsome prize given by Messrs.
Kirkman, as a prize open to all corners, to be shot fat
with Martini-Henry rifles at 800 yards, was won by
Sergeant-Instructor Gilder, who scored 33 out of a
possible 35.
THE WINICER OF THE QUEEN'S PRIZE.
Amid a scene of greater excitement than we can
remember to have witnessed at Wimbledon for many
a year, the great contest for her Majesty's Prize
closed on Tuesday. The sixty competitors assembled
at the 800 yards range at half-past two, and having
been squadded by lot were finally shuffled by the
range officer, so that there could be no possible chance
of collusion between the markers and the competitors.
The shooting began at three in squally weather, which
kept the men constantly on the watch. The light
varied from brilliant sunshine to stormy gloom, and it
was not surprising that some of the best men came to
grief. At the close of the 800 yards the leading
men were Private P. Rae, Ist Stirling, an ex-Queen's
prizeman, 63; Corporal Parry, 2nd Cheshire, 62;
Sergeant Harris, Ist Pembroke, 60; Major Pears°,
another gold medallist, 59; and Private Gallant, Bth
Middlesex, 58. As the men moved back to the 900
yards the crowd quickly increased, but the committee
had made excellent arrangements, so that the
members were able to watch the progress of
the contest, and though there were a few smart
showers, the people kept in their places. It
was any one's victory till the 10th round,
and then the best men forged to the front
shot by shot. Rae stood at 99 with two shots to
go, but he finished up with 3 and a miss—total
102. Attention was then directed to Corporal
Parry who had tied Taylor with 106, and had a shot
to fire. He fired and made a magpie, counting 3,
and thus closed his score with 109. Taylor, the
silver medallist, was 109, with one shot to fire. A
hit would give him the prize, but it was a ricochet. A
hundred Seotchmen strained their eyes to catch the
signal of a hit, but it was clear to the spectators that
the shot had struck the ground. Still the Scotchmen
were not crestfallen, for as he had tied the best man,
and had made the highest score in the first stage,
by the rules he would win; and the Scotch-
men turned up in amazing strength ready to
do honour to their countrymen. But there was still
hope for the _English. Private Gallant had made
103 and had two shots to fire. He fired and made
a bull's-eye. This made him one less than Taylor
and a hit of any kind would land him the winner. It
was impossible to keep down the excitement. The
people broke into the enclosures in their anxiety to
watch the last shot. The shot was fired, and the
target slowly began to drop, which showed that there
was a hit of some kind. It turned out to be only a
hit—the lowest shot that could be made, but it was
sufficient to give the prize to Middlesex, and the
winner was soon surrounded by such a crowd of
_Middlesex men, all eager to do him honour that
.amongst the bustle and excitement the hero of the
bow seemed near upon fainting. By the aid of some
offigers and meunted police o-I,lant was hurried

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