The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-06-19 00:00:00

FASHIONABLE SUICIDE.

"What fools there are in the world V will be a
natural reflection by the philosophic mind on learning
the morsel of intelligence sill ,joined :
" An American paper says that nearly all the brilliant com-
plexions seen among the fashionable women of New York
are the result of eating arsenic. Since the introduction of
the blonde fashion, arsenic eating has became almost a
mania."
"Almost a mania" seems rather a mild phrase. A
person who can swallow poison for the sake of her com•
plexion must be either quite a maniac or else a down-
right idiot. But this is not the only proof of modern
fashionable insanity. Some ladies take poison to
beautify their eyes, and others dye their hair with
poisonous decoctions. Beauties without paint will
swallow deadly drugs to give a charm to their complex-
ions, and will run the risk of killing themselves in order
to look killing. Tight-lacing is another form of fashion-
able suicide, and annually slaughters a hecatomb of
victims. Indeed, the wonder is that ladies who only
care to live in order to be looked at, have vitality suf-
ficient to keep them in existence, while their life is so
imperilled by the means which they employ for the en-
hancement of their beauty—Punch.

THE REPRESENTATION OF
NOTTINGHAM.
One of the most exciting contests ever held in Not.
tingham terminated on Tuesday in the return of Mr. I
C. Seely, jun., by a majority of 109 over Mr. Digby
Seymour, Q.C. The town was in a most turbulent •
state from very early in the day. Colours were worn
by partisans on each side in unusual profusion;
small mobs of "roughs" perambulating the town,
and often coming into collision. The shops in
the principal thoroughfares were closed. Mr.
Seely took the lead at starting, and by eleven
o'clock was between twelve and thirteen hundred
votes ahead of his opponent. After twelve o'clock
Mr Seymour recovered ground progressively, and the
excitement increased. During the dinner hour stone
throwing began, and, as the police and special eon-
stables were overpowered, a body of pensioners with
their bayonets fixed were marched from the House of
Correction, under command of Major Storer, through
the etrees to the Exchange Rooms. Windows were
broken at Mr. Seely's central committee-rooms on the
Long Row, and panes were emaihed in two or three
other parts of the town.
Some time after two o'clock a large mob prevented
Mr. Seely and a party of his friends from entering his
central committee-rooms, and as the hon. candidate was
in danger of being hustled the pensioners were brought
out and charged the crowd, s as to clear a space there.
The disorder still continued, and the Mayor (Mr. J.
Barber) read the Riot Act. All the avenues of the
Great Market-place were blocked by enormous crowds,
and great excitement prevailed, which reached its
height when the close of the poll was announced as fol.
: lowr —Seely, 4,634 ; Seymour, 4,125. Mr. Seely re-
turned thanks from the hustings, when a part of the
dastardly mob threw stones, several of which narrowly
missed him. Afterwards they smashed the Exchange
windows.