The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-10-27 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL POISONING CASE.

At the Liverpool Police•court, on Tuesday, before
Mr. Rbffles, the Stipendiary Magistrate, Catherine
Flanagan, 54, and Margaret Higgins, 44, were charged
on remand, on suspicion of having murdered Thomas
Higgins, a bricklayer's labourer, by poisoning him
with arsenic.

Mr. Marks prosecuted; and Mr. H. F. Neale de.
fended both prisoners.
Mr. Marks said: As his worship was aware, he
should have to ask for a further remand. He had
spoken to Mr. Neale, as representing both the pri-
soners, and had consented to the remand.

Mr. Raffles said it was a most reasonab e proposi-
tion, because in a case of this sort it was very difficult
to get it up all at once, and a great many inquiries
would have to be made.

The prisoners were then remanded for seven days.

FRANCE AND CHINA.

The following despatch has been received at the
London office of the New York Herald
" Hong Kong, Oct. 23.

"Today I met Major• General Mesny, a the
Imperial Chinese army, who had just arrived from
Yunam, where he has had an opportunity to observe
much that is of interest concerning the recent opera-
tions in Tonkin. He is well informed concerning
Chinese affairs, having spent fifteen years out of
twenty-four in travelling through the interior, chiefly
In an official capacity. He was ordered from the
Mongolian province to Yunam, to assist the Viceroy,
in consequence of his perfect knowledge of the French
language, he being a native of the island of Jersey.
Ha is now en route to Foochow to take charge of the
naval arsenal. He wears a Chinese costume with a
queue, and speaks the Chinese language fluently.
"While in Yunnan two of his men spent a month
in the Black Flag camp, and he also met the chief,
who holds a commission in the Chinese army. The
Black Flags received exaggerated reports of the
French losses at Hanoi, hut correct reports concerning
the Chinese loss, as stated in my despatches.
"He says that it me prisoners fall into the bands
of the Black flags they will be reserved for tortm,
but the bodies of the dead will not be found, as the
Chinese believe that eating the flesh of ferocious men
makes them brave, especially the heart and liver;
therefore they are accustomed to eat their enemies.
The Black Flags are strongly addicted to this habit;
they even eat their own people who die by accident
on the march.

"This may account for the ill-success which at-
tended the search for the bodies of Riviere and his
followers, whose heads alone were found on the last
sortie made by General Bonet. _

-
"He regards fighting the Black Flags as fighting
the Chinese army on a small scale. The Chinese
undoubtedly furnish arms, ammunition, and men to
perpetuate a harassing war upon the French in
Tonkin.

"The French originally made such a bugbear of the
Black Flags that the Chinese considered it worth
while to keep up the organisation by subsidy as long
as they were continuing the war with the French, At
that time they numbered only 1,500 fighting men;
now they can put 3,000 in the field and still garrison
the strongholds.
"My informant considers the Black Flags the best
and bravest of all the Chinese soldiers. He has no
doubt that France would conquer China if she made
war as with an European Power, but in the same way
as in Tonkin she must suffer defeat and disgrace for a
time.
"The city of Canton is apparently quiet, but there
is constant dread out further trouble unless the Hankow
affair is satisfactorily settled. Six war ships help to
preserve order. The Palos has gone to Formosa. The
Viceroy has about 10,000 troops in the city to curb
any attempt at rebellion fomented by the secret
societies.