The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-05-31 00:00:00

EPITOME op NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Two men are in custody at Ardraghan, county Ga-1
way, for an extraordinary assault on a young woman in
the service of a Protestant clergyman, for having
changed her religion and become a Protestant. They
waylaid her and severely assaulted her. They then cut
off her hair and all the buttons off her dress.
The" Standard" says that when the Franchise Bill
as presented to the House has passed through Com-
mittee', Mr. Gladstone will move a new clause fixing the
date at which the bill shall come into operation. This
will, we understand, leave ample margin for passing the
Redistribution Bill next Session.

At Manchester -(1---Diend;;;,—Joseph James Donald
was remanded on a charge of attempting to murder his
mother and sister and attempting to commit suicide.
On Sunday night the Prisoner went home drunk and
caused a disturbance, in the course of which he pro-
duced a razor and cut the throats of his mother and
sister, and subsequently attempted to take his own
life in a similar manner.

The extensive match factory of Messrs. Patterson
and Co., Macaulay-street, Belfast, was completely des-
troyed by fire on Monday. Four hundred persons are
thus thrown out of employment.
Grouse prospects in North Yorkshire are said to be
exceedingly favourable and judging from present
appearances the season will be above an average one.
The total number of beasts entered for consumption
at the Metropolitan Cattle Market for the week ending
Saturday last was 2070 head; the corresponding period
of 1883, 2820 ; 1882, 3530; 1881, 2960; 1880, 3790;
1879, 3780; 1878, 3960; 1877, 1520; 1876, 4630; and
1875, 4480.
Major Cowell, of the Hants Artillery Militia, was
found on Monday morning with his back broken, lying
outside Fort Grange, five miles from Portsmouth.
Major Cowell had been dining with the county magis-
trates on Sunday night, and left for the fort at ten
o'clock. He tried to get to his quarters by a short cut,
and ascended a steep slope with the object of getting in
at the billiard-room window, but slipped and fell to the
bottom of the slope, where he lay all night helpless and
unable to make himself heard.

The Indian Government transport Clive arrived at
Portsmouth on Sunday evening after a very quick
passage, being two days before her anticipated arrival.
She brings time-expired men, invalids, and drafts num-
bering altogether 900 souls.
The vicinity of Bagdad is inundated by floods from
the River Tigris. The town itself was saved by the
exertions of the troops. Fears are entertained of the
outbreak of an epidemic when the water dries up.
The latest weather and crop reports are fairly good
in most parts of India. Rain has fallen in most of the
tea districts, and its manufacture is proceeding favour-
ably. Indigo prospects have also improved, but only an
ordinary out-turn is expected.
Sir Saul Samuel, K.0.M.G., Agent-General for New
South Wales, has been informed by telegram of the
arrival in Sydney of the steamer Texan, which sailed
from Plymouth with emigrants in April last.
Mr. William Davenport, solicitor, of Ely - place,
London, committed suicide on Sunday afternoon at his
residence, The Limes, East Moulsey, by hanging him-
self with a pockethandkerehief to one of the bedroom
doors. He was 'about 66 years of age, and his brain
had been affected some months past.
At Dudley two women, Hannah Stevenson, alias
Black Hannah, and Elizabeth Chater, met at Parley
End to fight for £1 a side and to settle a quarrel. There
were hundreds of people to see the fight, but while pre-
liminaries were being arranged in the ring Stevenson
struck Chater in the face, and the fight was given
against her. Some disturbance ensued, but the police
appeared and suppressed it.
A respite has been received from the Home Office
for the prisoner Margaret Ryder, who was convicted
of the murder of her skid by drowning it at Uxbridge.
The Empress of Mina has issued a decree ordering
the Viceroy and Governor of Yunnan to start public
companies, with a view to open all the mines in Yunnan
to nrocure gold, silver, copper. fr,e.
A shocking carriage accident occurred on Tuesday
morning at Sheffield. Mr. Alfred Dearden, an estate
agent, was being driven from his residence into the
town, when the phaeton came into collision with a cab,
and the horse bolted. The coachman jumped off, with
the intention of stopping the horse, but failed. Mr.
Dearden then jumped off, and fell heavily upon his
head. He was taken up in an unconscious condition,
and died soon afterwards.

The "London Gazette" states that the Queen has
been pleased to confer the Decoration of the Royal Red
Cross upon the undermentioned ladies under the pro-
visions of her Majesty's Warrant dated 23rd April,
1883, viz.: Mrs. Margaret Maistre, Mrs. Anne Fox, Mrs.
M. J. W. Armfield, and Mrs. Gildea.
Major G. A. Elliott, attached to the 19th Regiment,
stationed at Curragh Camp, and belonging to the Army
Pay Department, who was a passenger on board the
steamer Violet, from Dublin for Holyhead on Mon-
day night, threw himself overboard when about half-
way across the Channel. With as little delay as
possible a boat was lowered from the steamer and he
was picked up insensible, but he died before he could
be brought to Holyhead.
A man named Joseph Nixon, employed as a plate-
layer, met with a terrible death on Monday night on
the Trent Valley Rgilway, near Bulkington. It seems
that the deceased, while upon the line, heard a train
approaching. He stepped on to the other line of rails,
and was immediately knocked down by a train coming
in the opposite direction.
According to a Parliamentary paper just issued there
were in Ireland during the past year 21,490 marriages,
118,224 births, aid 0.6,388, deaths.. During the same
period 108,724 persons eiaigrated. A decrease of
86,888 thus appears to have taken place in the popula-
tion. The estimated population in the middle of the
year was 5,015,328.
The Wirral (Cheshire) Farmers' Club have issued a
circular, to be posted in all the townships, offering 3d.
per dozen for young or old sparrows or their eggs, till
the end of September.
On Monday evening as the North-Eastern express due
at West Hartlepool at seven minutes past five was run-
ning near Billingham at a high speed the driver ob-
served n woman and a boy about twelve cross the line
directly in front of his engine. The boy escaped, but
the woman was run over and killed instantly They
were the wife and son of a labourer at
brickyard.nan adjoining
On
by
Tuesday a notification from the Home Office was
Tues
received the governor of her Majesty's prison, Kirk-
dale, thaf tbillet'Black, condemned to death at the
recent assizes for the murder of Mary Jane Macnamara
by throwing a lighted lamp at her should be re-
spited until a further signification oi her Majesty's
pleasure.

- The six hundredth anniversary of the legendary
incident of the " Ratcatcher of Hamelin" is to be
celebrated in an elaborate manner by the inhabitants
of the little Hanoverian town cul the 28tli and =la of
June.