The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-07-05 00:00:00

BURGLARY WITH VIOLENCE.

On Sunday morning a daring burglary, accompanied
by extreme brutality, was committed at No. 81, High-
street, Camden-town, London. The premises have
been occupied by Mr. J. Gordon, an octogenarian, for
over half-a-century, as a tobacconist's. Mr. Gordon
has lived by himself for the last twelve months,
having first lost his wife, and then a brother who
lived with him. On Saturday night he closed the shop as
usual shortly after eleven o'clock, and after seeing
everything secure, went to bed. About three o'clock
he was disturbed by hearing some one outside his bed-
room door. He at Once got out of bed to raise an
alarm, but before he could get to the window to do
so he was seized by two men and thrown on to the
bed. While one of them held him the other held a
dagger to his breast, and threatened that if he did
not at once tell them where his money was hidden
he would be a dead man in five minutes. He,
however, refused, and they then proc_ceded to beat
him unmercifully about the head. Ire remained
unconscious for a considerable time, the men ran-
sacking the place in the meantime. When he
recovered the men were gill in the room, and he
assured them that he had no money hidden, and
begged them to give him a drink of water; this they
did, and then decamped by the way they had entered.
He was enabled a short iime afterwards to raise an
alarm, and Police-constable GO9 Y arriving took the
injured man to the University College Hospital,
where his wounds were attended to by the house
surgeon. In the meantime Inspector Thomas
Banister, of the Criminal Investigation Department,
was communicated with, and on arrival found that
the house and shop had been entirely ransacked, the
thieves having got clean off with their booty, which
included £3O in cash. They had obtained an entry
by forcing back a window catch from a passage in
the rear of High-street leading to the Bedford Music
Hall, and were enabled to carry out their plans
without fear of detection, owing to the habits of the
occupier. 'Through failing eyesight, Mr. Gordon is
not able to give a description of the men.

Enthusiastic professor of physics, discussing the
organic and inorganic kingdoms: "Now, if I should
shut my eyes—so—and drop my head—so--and
should not move, you would say I was a clod. But
I move, I leap, I run. Then what do you call me?"
Voice from the rear: "A clodhopper." Class dis-
missed.

A young lady, after six months of blissfully happy
wedded life, inquired of a lady friend possessing ex-
perience, how she should best retain the affections of
her lord and master. The reply was "Feed him and
flatter him."

BROOM RAPE.-It is in the month of June that 1,
many clover fields begin to get disfigured by the am '
pearance of the sickly-looking thief known as broom-
rape. Imagine an upright stem, not unlike that of
the succulent shoots of the asparagus, rising vertically
out of the ground, and of a reddish-purple colour at
the base, shading off into a somewhat sickly yellow at
the upper free end. The entire plant is a foot or less
in height, and its more or less cylindrical stem is
covered with a slight hairy growth. The upper
quarter of the stem cOnsists of a dense spike of
yellowish. flowers tinged with purple, and though not
much like it in appearance, the structure of the
flower very closely resembles that of the foxglove, and
in a few weeks' time each flower will be succeeded by
a dried-up fruit containing numerous seeds, which
being she on the laid will constitute the foundation
of another generation• of thieves in a future, though
not necessarily the nest year. What gives the broom-
rape an excellent charice. in the struggle for existence
is the property possessed by its seeds of remaining
dormant or inactive in the soil for four, five, and even
more years. Its generic name by which botanists
know it, Orobanche, is from two Greek words signify-
ing vetch-strangler, as its effect upon the vetch
is
similar to that of strangling, inasmuch as it killsit.
Our object -in drawing attention to this abominable
pest just now is that it is too early fcT it yet to have
gone,to seed, and we would earned:lv. recommend
jaftel-nickine.—Stookkoper.

11.1161111111111111

THE RECENT FIGHTING IN THE
SOUDAN.

A Times' telegram, dated Wady Hai, dune X,
says:
The messengers sent to Dongola retuned' „hero
yesterdaty, bringing a letter :from the only :European
merchant there. The writer, alluding to tha recent
fight near Merawi, sa,3 s it is trwe that a considerable
number of Shaggias were killed by the Bashi-Bazeuks.
He declares, however, that these were not armed
rebels, but peasants who had refased to pay tames.
Many of the persons killedwere women and children.
The peasants, doubtless, sought to defend themselvea;
for two Bashi-Bazouks were killed and ten were
wounded. The letter continues:

"The Mudir went to Merawi after the fighting,
which lasted from May 17 to May 20, and restored
order in the district. He then returned to Oordeh,
or New Dongola, one day's march distant from Old
Dongola, whence it is half a day's march to Debbe,
and one day and a half's march to Merawi. Berber
is three days' march from Merawi across the desert.
The news of the fall of Berber has reached Dongola,
but it is not believed. The various reports agree in
stating that the rebels around Berber are without
firearms. About 200 of the inhabitants of Oordeh
are in a great state of alarm, and are very anxious
to escape, but are restrained from doing so by the
Mudir. Of the 600 Bashi-Bazouks enrolled only 150
are fit for service; the rest are mostly boys, unable to
carry a rifle."
The writer of the letter is himself anxious to leave
Oordeh, but fears being robbed en route, even if he
should succeed in leaving the town.