biglam/hmd_newspapers huggingface dataset:
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-06-30

ONE HUNDRED MILES TRICYCLE
RACE.

A 100 milers tricycle race was decided on Monday at
the Crystal Palace. The distance is the longest that
has yet been attempted on a track with tricycles.
The competitors were Mr. Lowndes, of Coventry (the
50 miles amateur champion), and Mr. Nixon, of the
London Tricycle Club. The former succeeded in
covering the half distance first, but in the 52nd mile
his wheel broke, and the pedal struck him. This gave
his opponent a considerable advantage, and when 60.
miles had been completed their respective times were
—Lowndes, 4 hours 14 min. 52 sec. ; Nixon, 4 hours
12 min. 10 sec. Shortly afterwards, however, the
Coventry man finally retired, having completed 62
miles 1 lap. Nixon had then covered 66 miles, and
ultimately accomplished his task of 100 miles in 7 hours
23 min, 50 sec.

SEVERE THUNDER-STORMS AND
DEATHS BY LIGHTNING.

There were thinder•etorms in varions parts of Eng•
land on Monday, and the lightning cansed not only
damage to property but loss of life.

At Chatham two persons were struck by lightning
and ki!led. While a Royal Marino pensioner was
eating his dinner in a sentry.box on her Majesty's
ship Pembroke he was struck by lightning and killed.
A boy who was taking shelter under some elm.trees
near the Royal Engineers' Barracks was also killed.
Stalybridge was visited by a very heavy thunder-
storm, such loud peals of thunder and vivid flashes of
lightning not having been experienced in the neigh-
bourhood for many years. During the storm the
Unitarian church was struck by lightning, the flash
first ettiking the front of the church, then travelling
along the roof, where it came into contact with some
birds' nests, which it set on fire, the woodwork of the
roof also catching fire. Owing to the prompt attend.
ance of the borough fire brigade the fire was soon got
under.

At Ashton-under-Lyne 3 boy was killed by Wilt-
ning while she!tering from the storm under a tree.
Another boy who was with him was also struck-, but
not fatally,
At Lees, near Oldham, a man who had sought
shelter in a shed, was killed by Fghtning. The
electric fluid palsed along an iron bar arid killod him
instantly.

A Royal Commisgion, presided over by Mr. B.
SllllIFon, M. P. hag held a sitting at Sheffield to
take evidence on the subject of technical education.
The Comink,ioners first visited the school,of art an'd
other iustitutions, .11isi then took the evidence of the
mayor, master cutler, and other merchants and mann.
facturerg, all of whom spoke strongly in favour of such
education, if our manufactures are to hold their own
in competition with foreign producers.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-06-30

A FATAL SLEEP.

The danger that may arise from sleeping in an
atmosphere laden with the perfume of dowers has just
received a fresh illustrstion of a very painful nature
(says the Evening Standard). Two young people re-
siding in a Parisian suburb, who had been married but
a few weeks went to pay a visit to their grand
parents on their return from the honeymoon trip.
After dinner the elder folks retired to rest, leaving
the young couple in the garden. The following
morning their non-appearance at the breakfast
table excited some surprise, which was increased
when on the room which they were supposed to
have occupied being visited, it was found empty.
A search in the grounds was instantly made, with-
out leading to any result; but ultimately an under-
gardener opened the door of the conservatory, and
drew back in consternation. The bodies of the two
young people were found there, reclining in a couple
of garden chairs, in a perfectly natural posture, as
though asleep. On a doctor being fetched, however,
he stated that life had been extinct some hours.
(loath having evidently been occasioned by the
poisonous odours which the flowers gave out during
the night. It is surmised that the deceased had
entered the conservatory to obtain shelter from a
passing shower, that they had unintentionally dropped
asleep there, and thus painlessly passed from life to
death.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-06-30

_
El ;

.1C 1 0 TO .£ 2,0 0 0 .
MONEY.—WHERE AND HOW TO GET IT.—
THE IMPERIAL ADVANCE BANK having
been established for eight years in Liverpool, has now
taken extensive Premises in London, where borrowers
will have the opportunity of obtaining advances upon
the same equitable terms which have caused the
Imperial Advance Bank in Liverpool to become familiar
as household words.
Householders, Professi./nal Gentlemen, Farmers,
Shopkeepers, Licensed Victualleve, Lodging-house
Keepers, Tradesmen, Dairymen, Cab Proprietors,
(iardevers, Clerks, persons entering into business, and
,tl,cr responsible persons, in any.part of England and
Wale. can obtain advances almosrimmediately, in sums
%•srying from £lO to £2,000, NO SURK TIES BE.
.4UIRED. either upon their furniture, stock, plant,
:attle, crops, implements (they retaining the free use of
•arne), or upon note of hand alone. Ben distraint'
tud other executions paid out. Advances extended
tons one ta five years. Easy reps mei ts. No cont.
mission is paid to agents, borrowers theretore renp the
oenefit. Liberal advaLces made up on dei,osit of niers
.:handise. surplus stocks. jewe'lerv. fur, ituro, deeds,
iife policies scrip, and upon eve). kind of va,luable pro.
pert) itim the strictest crivaey.
Further information by calling upon or writing
stating amount required) LEWIS SI M MO N S, Principa
Imperial Advance Bank,
245, Tottenham Court Road, London, W. C.

ONE BOX of CLARKE S B 41 Bill is
warrranted to cur alltlischurgia from the 'Urinary
jrgans, in either si.x, acquired or constitutional, Gravel
intl Pains in the Bsck.—Sold in boxes, 4s Ott each, by
ill Chemists and Patent AlediciLe Vendors; or sent to
illy address for 60 Stamps by tl;e r, " THE
LINCOLN 4.4; MIDLAND COUNTIES' DRUG ComFmrT,
Whcileaale Agents BAEcuis tiz Sox, Loona
and all th holegeithoussa
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-06-30

THE COST OF THE NAVY.

A Parliamentary paper issued on Wednesday, upon
the motion of Sir Massey Lopes, shows the actual ex-
penditure upon the navy (excluding the conveyance of
troops) from each year from 1860-61 to 1883-84.

From this it would appear that the greatest expen-
diture in any one of these years was in 1877-78, when
the total reached £,12,346,348, the nearest to that being
1861-62, when £l2 094.110 was spent, but in the last.
mentioned year £10,769,206 of the total was "effective
expenditure," as against £10,435,442 in the first.men-
tioned.

The lowest expenditure in any one year was
£9,374,328 in 1872-73, and the next to that £9,509,655
in 1869.70.

The expenditare for 1882.83 was £10,799,201, and
hat for 1883.4 is estimated at £10,620,700.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-06-30

A BODY FOUND IN A BOX.

Ile a number of unclaimed boxes and parcels
being searched at the King's•cross (London)
reticarof the Great Northern Railway Company on
taella.37 night, the body of a child in a mummified
thikit—e7t°on was found in a box. On the body being
a police•station the divisional surgeon pro-
Old „ uced that the child, who had been about two years
at the time of death, had evidently been dead for
be ytz.re—though the cause of death could not then
Skatlertalned.

Whi
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-06-30

OLD HILL.

SWINE FEVER. IN THE OLD HILL DISTEICT.—This
disease still exis'A in th,) Old Hill district. Six pigs
belonging to Mr Daniel P. Fellows, milkseller, of
Cradley Heath, had recently to be slaughtered.
Three pigs belon,„criu,; to Joseph Hampton, furnace.
man, Garratt's Lane, Old Hill, have died from the
disease, and two others were slaughtered by order
of the local authorities.

--
FUNERAL OF FOLIC& CONSTABLE MOUNTFORD.—
The remains of the late Police-onstable John Wm.
auntford, who Was, o Wednesday evening the
20thinst. found drowned in a Pig-lane pool, were
interred on Saturday iu Cradley Heath churchyard.
The funeral was attended by Police Inspeetor
Walters of Old Hill, four sergeants, and 24 con.
stables. The deceased's relatives, who had not
arrived up to the time of the inquest being held,
reached Old Hill directly afterwards, and his two
brothers and a brother--m-law followed his remains
to the grave.
ROWLEY REGIS SCHOOL BOAED,—Mr, George
Green presided at the monthly meeting of this
Board on Monday afternoon. The other members
present were Messrs. Strawson, Pewtriss, Standish,
Hadley, and Cave. There were 143 applicants for
the post of attendance officer, rendered vacant by
the resignation of Mr. W. Hodgetts. Five candi—
dates were selected to attAad before the Board, and
eventually Mr. W. T. Kibbler, of Blackheath, was
appointed. The salary is £BO per annum. The
attendance officer's report shewed that there were
3,715 children on the school registers, with an
average attendance of 3,099, and a. percentage of
84.1, calculating upon the number on the registers.
Last month the numbers were 3,580, 3,009, and 84-6
respectively, and in the corresponding month of
last year they were 3,178,2,647, and 83. In 1879,
when Mr. Hodgetts was appointed, there were 2,102
on the books, 1,426 in average attendance, and a
percentage of 70. There had also since then been
an increase in the attendance at the voluntary
schools in the parish, and, the report added, it '
Might be said that all of the ciiildren in the pariah
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-06-30

BROMSGROVE.

SCHOOL BOARD.—TI,e fortnightly meeting of this
Board was held on VVednesdayevening, Mr. Horton
in the chair.—.A. letter from the Education Depart-
ment was read, calling attention to the bad and
persistently irregular att2ndance at the schools,
and to the fact that the Board had altered their
scale of fees without the sanction of the Depart-
ment, and were remitting a penny of the 31. tees,
and where more than three children from one family
attended school were admitting all over that
number free. It was stated that the Board had
already taken measures to improve the attendAnce,
and that the alteration of fees had worked well, and
had increas2d the attendance.—Another letter from
the Depirtment respecting increased school accom-
modation at Sidemoor and in Worcester Street, was
read, and it expressOd the hope that the Board
w uld reconsider its determination net to provide
those schools, This letter was read at the last meet-
ing, and it was then resolved to ask Mr. Hastings,
M.P., to put the question in the House of Commons
—whether School Boards are legally bound to build
schoo!s for children under five years of age? No
answer had yet been received from Mr, Hastings,
and the consideration of the letter from the De-
partment was therefere deferred.--• The Midsummer
holidays were fixed to commence on the 13th July
and end on the 7th August.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-06-30

CHARGE OF SCALDING A CHILD TO
DEATH.

In London, on Wednesday, at the Central Criminal
Court, Anne Hatchard, 21, was indicted for the man-
slaughter of Ethel Alice Lawrence by placing her in
boiling water.

The prisoner, it appeared, was an unmarried
woman, who lived with a man named Lawrence,
and they passed as man • and wife. Lawrence had
two or three children, among whom was the deceased,
who at the time of the occurrence was about two
and a half years old. It was alleged on the part
of the prosecution that the prisoner was in the
habit of beating and otherwise ill-treating this
child. On Saturday, the 26th of May, Lawrence
went out to his work about five o'clock in the morn-
ing, and when he returned to his breakfast about
eight o'clock, he discovered that the deceased had
been fearfully burned, and that nearly the whole of
its skin had peeled off. • The prisoner accounted for
this by saying that she bad given the child a bath, and
ha,l put too much soda in the water. It turned out
that soon after Lawrence had left the prisoner had
placed the child in a pan of nearly boiling water, and
it was alleged by the prosecution that the prisoner, by
her criminal negligence in not taking care to ascertain
that the water was not too hot to be dangerous, had
caused the death of the child. After the occurrence
the prisoner appeared to have admitted that she had
placed the child in the bath, and that she had placed it
into the water that was hot, in order to cure it of its
dirty habits.—A medical gentleman proved that death
arose from shock to the system in consequence of the
burning.

The jury found the prisoner guilty, but recom-
mended her to mercy,

Mr. Justice Manisty said that she had been guilty
of a very cruel act, and he sentenced the prisoner to
twelve months' hard labour..
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-06-30

A.GLEY.

STOCK SALE.—At their sale on Monday last,
Messrs. Oates, Perrens, and Wooldridge had a
smaller supply of stock than usual on account of
Bromsgrove Fair falling on the same day. The
sale included 25 head of cattle, 240 sheep and
lambs, and 95 pigs. There was a good company of
buyers, and trade was very brisk, sheep showing a
mark-d rise in price, uhilgt beef continued at
about the same rates as before. The supply of
sheep coming evory we,:k t) this sale is very large
and of first-class quality.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-06-30

were now attending a school of some kind.
THRELTS.--. At the Police Court on Wednesday
before H. Walker and C. Holcroft, Esqs. Ben-
jamin Johnson was charged with using threats
toward, his father. Defendant was ordered to flul
two sureties £lO each and himself in .£2O to keep
the peace for 6 months or ; in default 2 months.
SCHOOL BOARD CASES.— Several perons were
summoned for not sending their children to school
and were each fined ss.
DRUNKENNESS.— James Newy was charged with
being drunk on the 23rd inst. P. C, Cohishly proved
the case. Fined 2s. 6d. and costs ;or in default 7
days