The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-06-21 00:00:00

Out Vonbon torrespolbent,
(We deem ft right to state that ve do Wolk at all times
Identify ourselves with our Correspondent's ‘opinions.]

Those who have been accustotetekbo assemble in the
churches of the metropolis, and to pray for deliver-
ance from sedition, privy cestviiracy, and rebellion,
have been brought acquaint-E4 with privy conspiracy
in its wcrst and most diabolietl form within the past
few days. The discoveries 'of dynamite at several of
the great London termiti've created a general sense
of uneasiness. In v9st cases the metropolitan
I•ailwaystations are tennected with palatial hotels,
'which not only :accommodate scores or oven
hundreds of guests; 'but contain vast apartmcnts 'for
the holding of publts, meetings. They are allsnraptuo usly
fitted, but country readers will remember snore especi-
ally the Midlane, at St. Pancras; the Great Nortlrera,
at King's Cross: ; the Great Western, at Paddingter- ;the
City Terminus, at Cannon-street; the Imperial, tit Rol-
born; and the:South-Eastern, at Charing 'Cross. 'Then,
there is the Grosvenor, at Victoria, one .of thelnost
splendidly-appointed places of entertainment in the
kingdom. These hotels are largely used by travellers
arriving at, and departing from, the adjacent-stations.
It will'have been noted that at Vieteaia,lit'Charing
Cross, and at Paddington, the cloak-room, where tire
deposits of dynamite were left, were 'immediately
contiguous to the hotel, so that, had the plans, (51'
the conspirators been carried out in 'their entirety,
not only a part of the station, lent:a portion. 61 the
hotel also would have been blown into 'the • air,
Looking at the busy life which is 'to be always
associated with the traffic of a great :London terminus,
it is impossible for an ordinary mortal-to,coneeive the
awful depth of wickedness which (can ,calraly contern_
plate the destruction of unsuspecting and unoffending
fellow-creatures in the manner 'clearly designed by
the constructors of these infernal maChines. In iso-
lated cases we have heard of attempts being made to
wreck railway trains by iron bars orbeams -of weed
being placed across the line; but;happily these are not
of frequent occurrence in thiscountry. The endeavours
to destroy life and property by the ;fearful agency Of
dynamite becomes, however, more' frequent and more
persistent. It is just three years since, during the
mayoralty of SifWilliam McArthur, a clumsily-con-
structed infernal machine was discovered near the
windows of the Egyptian Hall of the Mansion House,
and since then the skill of the conspirators has de-.
veloped to a deadly degree. It is not only public
buildings which are now marked' oat for destruction,
but hundreds of innocent lives.

Many strange feelings must have come over Mr.
Gladstone when he rose on the 28th February, to
introduce a bill to amend the laws relating to
the representation of the people. On that
day exactly a quarter of a century before,
namely, on the 28th February, 1859, Mr.
Disraeli had risen with the same object in view.
That measure, like the one which the Prime Minister
has now placed before the country, proposed to
assimilate the county with the borough franchise.
The qualification in towns was then £lO, and Mr.
Disraeli introduced a bill to leave the borough
suffrage unaltered, to sweep away the £5O qualifica-
tion in the skires, and to reduce it to .ElO. Mr.
Gladstone supported the proposition, but it was not
acer-pted by the House of Commons, and on appeal
n•ipeted by the country. But that was not the
fir, it, form Bill in the discussion of which Mr.
GladAone had taken part in his long career. He
was a member of the Administration of Lord
Aberdeen, which introduced a Reform Bill in the
session of 1854, but withdrew it in consequence of the
absorbing interest of the Russian war.
Saturday was a daT of considerable excitement in
London. First came the discovery of an infernal
machine at Ludgate-hill Station, which, although un-
connected with an hotel, is one of the busiest in the
central part of the metropolis. The suburban traffic
of the Chatham and Dover is so enormous that
the structure at Ludgate - hill is totally in--
adequate to its accommodation, and a second
bridge across the Thames is in course of construction
wbich is to lead to a new station to be raised in
Queen Victoria-street. An explosion in such a place
as Ludgate-hill could not fail to have terribly fatal
consequences. Then, as the day wore on, came the
tidings of the battle between General Graham and
Osman Digna, and there was a considerable demand
for the evening papers. In the evening there was the
result of the Brighton election, which had been awaited
by both parties with very considerable interest owing
to the peculiar political circumstances su4rounding it.
Great was the rejoicing in Conservative circles when
it was known that Mr. Marriott had been returned by
a majority of 1457.

If the members of the Common Council of London
were not fathers as well as men of business it is not
unlikely that ere this would have been issued an
edict against a common source of danger to the tra-
versers of City pavements. Perambulators come as a
boon and a blessing to nursemaids, and mothers are
often loud in their praise; but although a country
road, a suburban street, or a London park are fit
places in which they may be wheeled, they are surely
out of their element on the crowded pathways of the
City. In most owes the pavements of the busiest
thoroughfares are of an extreme narrowness, and
when a perambulator occupies the greater portion of
their width ordinary passengers have to go into the
street to their personal danger and great disturbance
of mind. Perhaps, when some noteworthy personage
is seriously injured by reason of what appears to be a
growing nuisance, means may be found to deal, with
what would fairly claim attention from "grand-
motherly legislation."
There is now about a month before we arrive at the
date of the University Boat-race, which will be rowed
from Putney to Mortlake on April sth. On Ash
Wednesday both crews commenced strict training,
and have begun to prepare for the annual contest in
earnest. Although it is rather early to judge the
merits of either crew, the Oxonians seem to be the
favourites. There was a bet laid last week of 60 to 40
on Oxford, doubtless because the rowing of the Dark
Blues up to the present has been slightly better than that
of their opponents. However, according to recent ac-
counts, the Cantabs appear to have made great improve-
ment, and this, no doubt, is partly owing to the crew being
of the same order during the past week. •Before this
they were constantly changed, and shifted from one
thwart to another. They are under the guidance of
a very good coach, and if they still go on improving
we may see before long a revulsion in the betting.
Both crews are very evenly matched as regards weight,
but when the Oxonians recently scaled it was seen
that almost the whole of the crew had lost flesh.
Last year the race was rowed on a Thursday; now
Saturdry is the day selected. This year it will be
rowed about three weeks suthlequent to the date of
last, owing to Easter coming so late this time. We
sliall not see the rival crews at Putney, until about a
fortiaight before the day of the race. When they are
at work on the Thames, judges of good rowing will
be able to form some opinion as to their relative
chances. As the Cantabs are steadily improving, and
the Oxonians are not deteriorating, there seems.every
chance of a close race.

On'Satur3.ay the bust of the poet Longfellow, by
Mr. Brock, A.R.A., which has been placed in Poets
Corner, Westminster Abbey, was unveiled by Canon
rtothero, in the presence of a numerous and dis-
tingui-lled company, which included the Foreign Sec-
retary, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the
American Minister. Mr. Russell Lowell is one of the
most graceful speakers who ever discharged the duties
belonging to the representative of the United States
in this country, ar4 his little speech at tji,s ceremonial
was quite worthy of his reputation as a cultivated p üblic
speaker and as a man of letters. Longfellow, there
can be no question, was as niuch of an Ea,glish poet
as Tennyson, or to gp further back, as Keats or
Shelley, or Cowper, or Gray. Mr. Lowell daelared
that Westminster Abbey waz to be the Walhallaof our
race; zad if so, the monument of no Anglo-Saxon

could be more appropriately 'laced there than that-o—f

the po^t vhose popularity is as great on this side nf
the thntic as on that of his birth. The admiration
of Earl Granville for the character and works of Long-
fellow had lazen previously exprassal on more than
one occasion, ,Lut was never better col.weyed than last
saturday.

At the monthly meeting of the Liverpool Teacher's
Association, Mr. Shaw, the president, said that in
Livertior.; at present no fewer than twelve teachers were
suffering from general debility through work. To
remedy the evil the merit grant must be abolished Lim
the code, the high percentzze of passes in the clam
subjects reduced, greater freedom of classiiication al
lowed, and the amount of work required in girb' And
infewits' octooks materially reducer],

THE DEFEAT OP THE REBELS
IN THE SOUDAN.
On Friday in last week qeneral Graham, in
manding the British array, about four thtatsand
strong, completely defeated, close to the seem of the
battle and massacre of the 4th February, the rebel
forces, estimated to 'outnumber our own y three to
one. The staecial correspondent of the Pally News, in
ss telegram dated Drinkitat, Saturday, gives some
particulars of the battle, from which Nre extract the
lollowhag :
On Thursday teternoon a last oE.-irt was made to
treat with the ret els. A flag of truce, with a letter
!fixed in a•cleft stick, was carrion by Major Harvey,
late of the 42nd, to a distaget of two miles from
Tort Baker. Major Harvey, who gallantly proceeded
-atone, was,ileed upon by the cenenay. Thrusting the
stick into the ground, he gaopped back. Going out
on Friday morning he foursql the flag taken away, but
no reply awaiting him. the enemy's intention to
fight was thus clear.
It had been already manifested during the night
by their firing several rockets, but no damage was
,done.
At eight o'clock we marched out in the form of
battle chosen by the General the previous evening.
This time, in order that there should be no risk -o1
'being caught by surprise, the formation consisted of a
large square, or rather oblong, with the 75th Gordon
'Highlanders in front, the Black Watch occupying the
Tear, the 89th on the right flank, and on the left the
'6sth, who had late in the evening arrived from Aden,
and immediately on landing marched to Fort Baker
across the lagoon in thick mud, which they trudged
and floundered in up to their knees.
Our line of march coincided with the path ,of
retreat of the 4th February. Beginning near the
fort skeletons half-covered with flesh dotted either
side of the line of advance for miles. On the scene
of the massacre of Baker's square it was strewn
literally with hundreds, numbers of them in the most
extraordinary attitudes, and with fleshless fingers
clutching into the sand. I noticed most of them lay
on their faces, and showed one or more spear thrusts
in the back, head, and neck.
It was a hideous picture—those grinning, 'half-
decomposed skeletons, in their positions so significant
of abject despair, and it would have horrified the
most hardened against such sights.
Near the spot, but five hundred yards to the wind-
ward side, yesterday a stubbornly-fought fight began.
The time was about eleven; but by nine rifle shots on
the enemy's side were becoming frequent, and groups
and a line of rebels were seen on the low horizon
from mr left, round by the front to part of the
right.
As in the previous encounter, the enemy's chief
strength was on the left.
-Until eleven o'clock we marched slowly onwards,
with frequent halts, not replying to the enemy's fire.
The view of the mounted riflemen, spread out far to
the left of the 10th Hussars, and the 19th massed in
the other part of the field, and of the large square,
solid as a wall, and imperceptibly gliding, so to speak,
across the level landscape, was extremely striking and
picturesque.
The infantry had reached the point already men-
tioned, about a mile from the wells at El Teb when
the enemy entrenched there, opened upon us in earnest
with the Krupp guns they had captured from us on
the 4th February. Doubtless, too, these guns were
worked by men of the same Tokar garrison which the
expedition was intended to relieve.
The first three rounds were ludicrously wide of the
mark, throwing up cascades of sand half a mile or
more beyond the square; but the enemy soon found
our range. Two or three of their shells burst right
over the square. A splinter from one of them badly
wounded General Baker, who had been attached to
the Intelligence Department under Colonel Ardagh.
Shortly the nine-pounders landed from the fleet and
the machine-guns were brought into play. The
practice was excellent. The Gatlings and Gardiners
in particular made great execution. No sooner did
the hoarse growling rattle of the mitrailleuses com-
mence than numbers of the rebels were seen dropping.
Meanwhile the infantry only advanced slowly and
steadily, and the cavalry was retained in the rear
ready for a charge.
At this time we were right opposite Teb, and as we
turned to move upon it the 65th, on our left flank,
became the front line. They and the 75th were for a
time exposed to a heavy fire.
After some interval, the square, moving now to-
wards the left flank, made a turning movement
upon the Wells, thus temporarily converting the
Black Watch into the front line, and straight in face
of the Wells and the rebel entrenchments, which
included two so-called forts in which the Krupps and
Gatlings were mounted.
Colonel Slade, of the Egyptian army, 'took one
company of the 42nd. An officer, whose name I am
sorry I do not recollect, took another detachment.
Colonel Burnaby, who accompanied the 42nd men,
had his horse shot and was wounded in the arm, and
then with a rifle in his hand cleared a small building
from which a group of Arabs were firing.
The enemy's position was really strong, and the
enemy fought like fiends. One man, for example,
rushed upon the Highlanders after he had already
received three bayonet wounds. Some of them close
to the Wells found their way inside the square, where
they were bayoneted. Round an old rusty boiler,
which must have found its way to Teb in Ismail
Pasha's improving days, at least one hundred Arabs
lay dead. A portion of the entrenchment consisted
of a number of deep large holes, or rifle pits, in which
side by side, and over the dead bodies, a great many
had hidden themselves with the purpose to rush upon
the square and cut their way inside it.
Evidently the rebels had all along been laying stress
on their favourite tactics of rushing, fully determined
to try it at all hazards. Concealed as they were,
many of them escaped observation until our men had
passed them. Thus for some time the fighting was a
hand-to-hand conflict, in which the Arabs used their
spears. They discarded their rifles before our troops
came to close quarters.
By this time the enemy was taking rapidly to flight
from the left side of Teb, in the Tokar direction. The
10th Hussars was ordered to charge, and rode at them
in splendid style. They were followed by the 19th.
The 10th gallopped through them repeatedly, dispera-
ing those right and left, but apparently doing little
execution. The real reason of this was not the alleged
inferiority of swords against spears, but the unsteadi-
ness of the Egyptian horses, which had never been
properly trained, and which swerved and plunged as
the spearmen darted and dodged about the bush. It
was in their charge that Major Slade, a most gallant
officer, fell. His horse was hamstrung, and Major
Slade, falling on the ground, was overwhelmed by the
rebels.
The battle was over by about two, the troops giving
hearty and loud cheers when the last band of fugitives
were seen disappearing towards Tokar.
The conduct of the troops was admirable through-
out. There was no hurry and no flinching in their
movements. Considering how recklessly brave their
enemy was, our men, it is but common justice to them
to say, maintained the honour and the glorrous tradi-
tions of British soldiers and sailors.
No captures were made except that of guns; but in
the evening a message reached Trinkitat that a large
number of bullocks had been taken.
All our casualties, except those of the cavalry, wer3
caused by bullets. Had the Arabs fired lower, our
roll of dead and wounded would have been much more
serious.
Admiral Hewett and General Baker returned to
Trinkitat late in the afternoon with a small escort of
cavalry, General Graham with the main body remain-
ing at the Wells to which supplies of water,food, and
munitions were sent early in the evening.
On reaching the Trinkitat beach General Baker,
,who rode with difficulty, and was supported into the
admiral's boat by two men, was loudly cheered by the
-soldiers and bluejackets, who rushed from the tents to
welcome him.

In a further telegram on Sunday the same corre-
,spondent says:
Among the feats of Friday's battle none was more
'brilliant than those of the 19th and 10th Hussars.
In the charge named in an earlier telegram the 19th
found themselves confronted by a large body of rebels
mounted on camels and horses, the former masking
the latter, behind which again were considerable
numbers of spearmen on foot. The rebel horsemen,
armed with two-edged swords, made for the 19th,
producing, however, little or no effect. The real
opposition was from the spearmen, who, lying down,
• as the cavalry galloped on, started up, and attempted
;to hamstring our horses.
Lieutenant-colonel Barrow, leading the charge, ro-
,ceived a spear wound, but rode until his horse felL
The colonel's trumpeter coming to the rescue was
severely mauled. Lieutenant Probyn, attached to the
10th, was the first to fall in this charge. Major Slade,
of the same regiment, was not missed until the cavalry
had for some time been returning to the square.
Major Slade is supposed to have been killed in an
attempt to help Lieutenant Probyn. Twelve spear
wounds were found on his body. Sergeants Phipps
and Conolly deserve something more than verbal
:recognition of their brave rescue of one of their corn-
rades. In this attempt Phipps was twice wounded.
After all was over and the enemy was in full flight
to Tokar, the walls presented a steange spectacle. The
horses were eagerly making for wakiier, and the cavalry
and infantry men -vere slaking their thirst, and wash-
ing off the dust, rat:el, and blood from their clothes.
Old soldiers to wJeom I have spoken on the spot
said they p in met a more resolute foe the course
of all their service. The scene of the battle-field,
which J again rode over yesterday, justified this
description of savage valour.
Judging from what I raw, I should think the esti-
mate of 2000 killed on the side of the enemyrathew under
than over the mark. The space inside the entrench-
ments was thickly strewn witi: bodies, especially:a:Mut
the few ruined brick buildings. Near the builsrt2g
which Colonel Burnaby helped to clear, with ;hit
double-barrelled rifle charged with buckshot, I coumedl
among a great heap of bodies those of seven boys,
not one of whom was more than tweice. They fought
as desperately even as the adults.
Some tirn!3 after the battle, and when the troops
were searching about the enclosure, a youth lying un-
oberved amongst a crowd of dead and dying started
up, and rushed with a drawn knife on two of our
resell, who, Laken aback, ran for some distance, and
then, turning round, shot him. The adventure caund

brief commotion in the camp, for more might be
lurking unseen. At some distance outside an Arab
sprang like a cat upon the back of one of our soldiers,
and tried to cut his throat. An officer rushing up
pistolled the Arab through the heart, barely in time
to save the soldier's life.

The ambulance was admirably managed. Every
requisite was in readiness, and the wounded were all
under careful treatment before dusk. Next morning
the wounded were sent on to Fort Baker. It was
deemed unsafe to transport them during the night,
when, in spite of our victory, stray bands might be
prowling about. Notwithstanding the danger Captain
Turner volunteered to go on foot to Fort Baker for
stores. Hs returned at midnight, guiding his path
by the light of a huge bonfire which the soldiers kept
piling up on the top of a mound.
Late in the evening the Highlanders shot seven
Arabs hovering about the encampment. About the
same time a number of Arabs, including one woman
and two boys, came in and surrendered themselves
prisoners.

The loss in killed on the British side was five
officers, twenty-two privates, ana two marines; in
wounded seventeen officers and 142 soldiers ana
marines. The officers killed are Lieutenant Free-
man, 19th Hussars; Major Slade, 10th Hussars;
Lieutenant Probyn, 9th Bengal Cavalry; Quarter-
master Wilkins, 3rd Battalion King's Royal Rifles;
and Lieutenant Frank Royds, of the Carysfort.
It is stated in the "Court Circular" that her
Majesty received on Saturday the gratifying intel-
ligence of the victory of Sir G. Graham over the rebel
forces near Trinkitat, and at once telegraphed her
congratulations to Sir G. Graham through the
General Commanding her forces in Egypt, as well as
the expression of her sorrow at the loss of brave
officers and men, and her anxious inquiries after the
wounded.

Lieutenant Franic Royds, of her Majesty's ship
'Carysfort, joined the Mediterranean Squadron four
years ago, and was engaged in the operations at Kas-
sassin and Tel-el-Kebir. He was at Teb, in coin-
imand of the Naval Brigade who had charge of the
Gaffing guns.
Quartermaster T. Wilkins, 3rd Battalion King's
Royal Rifle Corps (60th Rifles), by his bravery in
battle raised himself from the ranks after fifteen
years' hard service. He was born in 1848, and
.entered the army at 19. Two years ago he
,obtained his commission after gallant conduct
.at Tel-el-Kebir. He was engaged in the South
African War from 1879 to 1881, and in the Zulu and
Transvaal campaigns. His conduct during the action
,on the Ingogo River in the Transvaal was particularly
mentioned in the dispatches, and he received her
Majesty's 9pm:el medal for distinguished conduct in
the field. In the Egyptian campaign he was present
,at the action of Kas.sassin and the battle of Tel-el-
Kebir.
Colonel Montague Mauls Slade, of the 10th If assars,
,was the only other officer killed who had previously been
engaged in warlike operations. Born in 1849, he
entered the service in 1868, with a commission in the
56th foot, but the same year he joined the 18th
Hiissars, two years ago changing into the 10th Hussars.
He was engaged in the Afghan War of 1878-9, and
for his gallantry was frequently mentioned in the dis-
patches. He was on his way home from India when
he was stopped to do duty with his regiment at
Trinkitat. 'He has two brothers in the Royal Horse
Artillery, both of whom have rendered distinguished
services, one in Zululand and the other in the
march from Cabul to the relief of Candahar.
Lieutenant Probyn was a nephew of Sir Dighton
Probyn, ,private secretary to the Prince of Wales.
Lieutenant Probyn was appointed only a few weeks
ago, after a most successful term of studentship at
the Staff College, to the 9th Bengal Cavalry. He
was granted leave to accompany Colonel Stewart
to Egypt, in order to take part in the cavalry opera-
tion under General Graham.
Lieutenant Freeman, 19th Hussars, was born in
18.58. He joined the service in 1879, and this was
the first occasion upon which he had been engaged on
active service.