The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-07-12 00:00:00

Eisrtiltancons
HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

AVERAGE PRICES or BRITISH CORN.—The following
are the average prices of British corn for last week, as
received from the inspectors and officers of Excise:
Wheat, 375. Id.; barley, 275. 2d.; oats, 235. sd. per
Imperial qr. Corresponding week last year: Wheat,
425. 41.; barley, 28s. lid.; oats, 235. sd.
WEIGHT OF MILK AND WATER.—The editor of the
"New England Farmer" says: "We were hardly pre-
pared to find, upon a recent occasion, where a number
of farmers were discussing the milk question, that
searcely one could tell, for certainty, which of the two
liquids milk or water, was the heavier, while of those
who thought they knew, the larger number were in the
wrong. Because milk contains fat, which is lighter
than either water or milk, many think that the milk
itself must be lightertswilhckeoe
rritdttsrahsori,auinra
kenbhltewhotareoi
sprewoiwe.
iregeil 'ihegnrhapott
ehbgsreaa
obleslrleeoyndln.
cent,
rehfaer heavier
a eithernv
if.ceieewkr.
pounds.wfaacar farmers
t e4red
iror egmvlaeni
srl milk
hot
hteooek: a
The, difference is comparatively slight, though varying
solids. Take a vessel that will hold exactly 100 pounds
of ,pure water, and fill it with pure milk of average
quality, and the weight will be found to be about 103
than water."

PIRATES IN THE BLACK SEA.—A St. Petersburg tele-
gram says: The Odessa messenger states that for some
time past pirates have appeared off the Anatolian Coast
of the Black Sea. They have already plundered two
sailing vessels which were proceeding from Batouru to
Constantinople with cargoes of silk goods. Resist,.
ance was out of the question, as the pirates, from 15 to
20 in number, had fast cutters and were well armed
-
Their nationality is net known.

URDLS JULY 12, EL

A MONUATENT IN JAPAN.-Mr. Robert IC. Douglas
writes from the British Museum: "Instances of that
true friendship which binds nations together are un-
fortunately rare as between the East and West, and I
therefore venture to ask to place on record a graceful
act lately performed by Mr. Kurokawa, a Japanese
gentleman, and owner of the piece of ground on which
in 1862 an unprovoked and murderous attack was made
upon Messrs. Richardson, Marshall, Clarke, and Mrs.
Borrociaile by the retainers of the Prince of Satsuma.
It will be remembered that the brunt of the attack was
borne by Mr. Richardson, who was so severely wounded
that he died where he fell. On this spot Mr. Kurokawa has
erected a monument on which he has placed an inscrip-
tion, of which, according to the "Mai Nichi Shinbun,"
the following is a translation: Upon this spot of earth,
the propeuty of Kurokawa of Tsurumi, the life of an
Englishman named Richardson was sacrificed, his blood
running in a river to the a. From that source sprung
the changes which hay been accomplished in this
country. The nobles rose, and the power of the
Imperial House was restored. The light of knowledge
was diffused, and the rights of the people recognized.
The victim's name has been made imperishable in the
history of the world, dedicated to one who rests in
heaveu.' "

Aseerms OF MONT BeANe.—The first time Mont
Blanc waS ascended was in August, 1786, by two French..
men. Duringthe 90 years from 1786 to 1876 no fewer than
535 expeditions consisting of 661 persons. reached the
highest point, known as the "Monarch." Of unsuccess-
ful attempts 115 were made from 1857 to 1861 while
in the following 16 years no less than 420 such are re-
corded—a fact which shows how much mountain climb-
ing iS developing in our days. Among the 661 persons
who ascended Mont Blanc 385 were English, 110 French
(including the 72-year old Marquess Turenne and a lady
of 17 summers), 70 Americans, 34 Germans, 30 Swiss
(among whom Mlle. Marie Paradis, the first woman
who reached the " Monarch " in 1809), 8 Italians, 7
RussianS, 6 Australians, 4 Spaniards, 3 Poles, 2 Dutch,
1 Swede, and 1 Norwegian. In 1878 three Danes,
Count Schulin-Zeuthen and his wife, and Herr Carl
Hall, who furnishes the present statistics, swelled the
ranks of the successful climbers. The number of
victims claimed by Mont Blanc during the present
century amounts to about 30.
ATTEMPTED SUICIDE WITH BEETLE POISON.—In
London, on Saturday, at the Westminster Police-court,
Jane Elliott, 51, described as a charwoman, of 6,
Pavilion-road, Chelsea, was charged with attempting
to commit suicide by swallowing a preparation contain-
ing phosphorus. Constable Mann, 212 B, deposed that
on the evening of the ?7th ult., the defendant entered
the Walton-street Police-station, and stated that she had
swallowed a quantity of beetle poison. As she pro-
duced a bottle containing a bluish paste, a doctor was
sent for, and emetics administered. The prisoner was
subsequently removed to the infirmary, where she was
under treatment for a week. Prisoner said she had
been on the drink lately, and she was now very sorry.
She took the phosphorus in beer at a public-house. She
had been very ill since, and hoped the magistrate would
discharge her. Mr. d'Eyncourt said he could not do
that. He remanded her for the advice of the chaplain.
FRUIT AND THE CHOLERA.—An outbreak of this
deadly epidemic so near to us as France, naturally pro-
vokes amongst timid people some alarm, a state of
mind that seems always to be productive of evil (says
the "Gardeners' Chronicle.") It is to be feared that
the report industriously circulated that the cholera at
Toulon originated with the free eating on the part of
some of the population of unripe apricots, may lead to
a faneical outcry against the eating of fruit in any
form during the present season. It is true we have
here no great abundance of that product, but still there
is some to dispose of, and market growers have been so
badly hit that any addition to their misfortunes by
raising a foolish cry against the use of fruit would be as
unfortunate as it would be stup;d. There is no proof
that unripe fruit had any connection with the cholera
outbreak at Toulon, and it does not seem certain
whether the disease prevalent is of the dread Asiatic
form, or is of the sporadic order. With the prospect
before us of a hot summer it is possible, nay, even pro-
bable, that this epidemic will visit our shores, and if it
does it will be as well if it finds us prepared to meet it
without alarm and surrounded by the best sanitary con-
ditions. Fruit growers will do well to send to market
only ripe fruit, and that which is in a perfectly sound
state. It is not, however, so much from the growers
that any danger of that kind will arise. It is rather
from dealers who are not too careful is to the places in
which they store their unsold frnit, or to the condition
in which it may be. However, fruit is perhaps less in-
jurious, if at all, when sound than many other articles
of food, and rightly used may help to promote the,
public health rather than bring it to any danger.
MILKMEN'S YROFITS.—in an action arising out of a
contract for the supply of milk, tried in Mr. Justice
Hawkins's Court on Monday, it was admitted by the
plaintiff that he charged his customers sd. a quart for
milk which was supplied to hire wholesale by a farmer
at Hocldesdon, and delivered at a station close to the
plaintiff's shop in London at the rate of 4d. a quart, or
is. Bd. the barn gallon. It appeared, however, that
some portion of the same milk was retailed at 4d.
DISCOVERY OF DYNAMITE.—On Monday, at the
Hanley Police-court an Englishman named Grattan was
remanded on the charge of having in his possession 35
dynamite cartridges for an unlawful purpose. The
prisoner, who has been in gaol no fewer than 26 times
during the past 20 years, resided in a disused railway
carriage at Ford-green, where on Saturday afternoon
the dynamite cartridges, with caps and _fuse, were dis—
covered. The prisoner gives no account of the dyna-
mite further than it came from Yorkshire.
Arreacon BY A LION.—A shocking scene was wit-
nessed in Edmonds's (late Wombwell's) menagerie
about nine o'clock on Monday night at Wrexham. One•
of the attendants was employed in cleaning out the
lions'tage, and, placing his right arm inside the bars,
one of the lions snapped at it, and tore off the arm at •
the elbow. A panic at once ensued, and in the attempt
to escape a number of persons were more or less
seriously injured. The panic was increased by the re-
port that the lion had escaped from its cage, but happily
this proved incorrect. The injured attendant was taken
to the infirmary.
KILLED BY LIGHTNING.—The coroner for North Oxon
has held an inquest on the body of William H. Smith,
a painter and landowner, who was killed during a
thunderstorm at Deddington on Friday in last week.
The deceased was taking shelter ender a tree and was
about to partake of dinner which his wife had just
brought him, when the lightning struck him and killed
him irotantaneously. The wife felt the shock, but was
not seriously injured. A verdict of killed by lightning
was returned.—During the thunderstorm which swept
over the district of Consett on Sunday afternoon, .
Thomas Gill, a miner, who was nursing an infant on
his knee, was struck by lightning and killed. The
child escaped. The house and furniture were much
damaged._ . .

BAjilt FARMING.—At Gerrard's-cross, on Monday,
Charloke Emily Reddington, 39, and Jane Morris, 36,
were Jommitted for trial, charged with the wilful
murder of Henry Robert Townsend, aged one year and
nine months, by starving him to death; further, with
neglecting to provide two other children with sufficient
food. The prisoners advertised for children, of which
they would take charge for 6s. per week. Complaints
of the manner in which they treated them having
reached the parish authorities, a search was made, and
the three infants were found in a starving condition,
filthy, and covered with vermin. They were removed
to the infirmary, where one of them died. His body
was found to be fearfully emaciated.
FATAL CARRIAGB ACCIDENT.—In London, on Monday,
Dr. Danford Thomas held an inquiry at the Providence
Hall, Paddington, into the circumstances attending the
death of Mrs. Mary Ann Cutler, aged eighty-six, widow
of the late Edward Cutler, F.R.0.5., who died from
Injuries received by being thrown from her carriage on
Friday in last week. Thomas Hewett, a coachman
stated that he was in the employ of Mrs. Webbe, the
daughter of the deceased, and upon Friday at four
o'clock he was engaged to drive them to Kensington.
When going along the Bayswater-road the wind blew
up the dust and some paper, wh:ch made the horse take
fright and it bolted, running into a van. The carriage
was overturned, and the occupants, the footman, and
witness, were thrown with violence to the ground. Dr.
John Easton stated that deceased died about seven
o'clock, death being due to shock following the injuries
received. The jury returned a verdict of" Accidental
death."