The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-03-01 00:00:00

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HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 1884

DART/cc; STREET .ttomirla.—in London on Saturday
at the Bow-street Police-court, Thomas Allen and
John Foreman, two youths, were charged with assault
and robbery. The prosecutrix, Miss Amelia Distin,
was proceeding down Drury-lane, about seven in the
evening, towards the Opera Comique, where she is
engaged. She was accosted by the two prisoners, and
one of them made a snatch at a small handbag she
was carrying, and which contained property to the
value of M. Failing to obtain possession of her bag,
one of the prisoners said "Hit her," whereupon pro-
secutrix received a blow on the back of the head, and
was knocked down. The bag was then snatched from
her hand with such force that the handle was broken

Information was given to the police, and Detective

_
Gregory arrested le prisoners, who were identified
at the station. Both prisoners called evidence with a
view of nrovinz an alibi. but they vere committed for
.._ _ _ _

GUARDIANS 01, INFANTS.—A bill- introduced by Mr.
Bryce, M.P., would make the parents of any infant
its joint guardians, and when either parent dies the
survivor would continue to be a guardian. At present,
strange to say, a mother even when a Widow cannot
appoint a guardian to her child, though a father can
do so either by deed or by will, whether a widower or
not. The bill would enable the parents to appoint a
guardian by a deed to act after their death. When
no such appointment is made, the survivor would, ac-
cording to this proposal, have the power of making
the appointment either by deed or will. And in case
this be not done, any one appointed by the will of the
parent who died first would act as guardian. But
when an infant becomes entitled to any property on
the death of its \ father, before the death of its
mother, any guardian appointed by his will is to act
jointly with the mother. Then, again, if any ques-
tion arises as to the custody of an infant whose
parents are living separate, or as to the religion in
which it is to be brought up, the Court is to have the
power to make such order as it may think fit.
Tun ALTIIAM COLLIERY EXPLOSION.—The report of
Mr. Arnold Morley, M.P., on the circumstances
attending the explosion of the Altham Colliery, near
Accrington, in November last, by which sixty-eight
men and boys were killed, has just been issued. After
fully setting out the facts, and dealing with the
various points raised, Mr. Morley thus concludes his
report: "I would point out that the result of the
inquiry has been to determine with comparative cer-
tainty the locality of the explosion and the origin of
the gas, and with only less precision the manner in
which the explosive mixture became ignited. It con-
firms what has long been recognised by those who
have had practical as well as by those who have
scientific experience on the subject, and bears out the
conclusion arrived at, from the experiments recently
held, that the Davy lamp, whatever may be its merits
for testing purposes, affords, under circumstances
which are far from exceptional or unlikely to occur,
very little 'Protection to the ordinary miner while
engaged in this perilous occupation undergroun,d. I
am of opinion that the present case is not one which
should be investigated before a criminal tribunal, and
that no grounds exist for instituting proceedings
against any persons in connection with the colliery."
A SERIOUS CIIARGE.—At Darlington, on Monday
morning, William noldsworth, a waggon-inspector on
the North-Is-stern Railway, was remanded on the
charge of shooting at Isabella Field, his housekeeper,
with intent to do her bodily harm. The woman had
been out with a young man until late on Saturday
night, and on her returning the prisoner is alleged to
have fired a shot at her and then kicked her. A
medical certificate showed she was unable to attend.

AN ALAa.u.—At Wadebridge, on Sunday evening, a
large congregation in the Methodist Chapel were
startled during the sermon by hearing a loud noise in
the gallery, followed by a whirring sound. The con-
gre,zation instantly became terrified—those below
rus_aed for the doors, and those in the gallery broke
the windows and got on to an adjoining building.
Several women were hurt in the struggle, and cries
were raised that the gallery was falling. The preacher
was blind and, being forgotten, remained in the pulpit
until the people returned, when it was ascertained
that the noise had been caused by the slipping of the
mainspring of the clock.