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

EisallantcTus Zufelligenct,

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

FARM SERVANTS BURNT TO DRAM. —On Friday
night in last week a fatal fire occurred at a farm stead-
ing in Gowan's Parish of Glenbaire, the property of
Mr. James Badenoch Nicholson. A new steading is in
course of construction, and the fire broke out m the
old farmhouse, and when discovered it had such a com-
plete hold that nothing could be done to save life. Two
male servants occupied an upper room as a sleeping
apartment, and after the fire had spent itself their
bodies were discovered among the embers much
charred and quite unrecognisable. Their names were
David Donald, 18, and James Taylor Bain, 13. The
fire is supposed to have originated in the opposite end
of the building to that occupied by them. Some valu-
able machinery was also destroyed.
TwEEn SALMON FISUINCL—SaImon still continue to
be scarce. There is a little improvement, however, in
the takes of trout and grilse. The prices on Saturday
were: Salmon, is. 5d.; grilse, /s. id.; and trout, is.
per lb. • compared with 11d, for salmon, 10.1. for grilse,
and 9cl. for trout, in the corresponding week last year.
For the week ended June 14, the number of boxes of
salmon sent from Berwick to Billingsgate was fifty-
eight, as compared with thirty-eight at the same time in
the previous year. _

--ST.RLX-E IN THE COAL 4E'. —The Witehed strike
in the coal trade of South Staffordshire and East Wor-
cestershire took effect on Mondayrivhen gorge 16,000
miners turned out against the reduction of 401. Per ;ig
decreed by the arbitrator, Mr. JoSeph Rowlands. rhe
award was to have taken effect from the 14thd
tult.he if the
men had accepted it, but as they repudiate
arbi-
tration
expedient,
n order
t went againstto bbe
onh
t them,e tshafeemalssidteer,stothought
t
fortnight's notice of the reduction. The notice ex-
pired on Monday. For the present the supply of coal
is ample, and the demand very limited.
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY IN FRAWCE.—A young man of
good family, named Bertheaud, has been convicted at
INfontbrison of murdering his grandfather with extraor-
dinary premeditation. After having dissipated the
fortune he had from his mother, he concealed himself
for several days in his grandfather's house, watchiTig
his opportunity, and was almost starved, though he stole
a little food from thci.kitchen. He ultimately knocked
on the head an old woman, his grandfather' house-
keeper, and killed his grazdfather afterwards, taking
'away. the money he found in the drawers. tt was long
before he was found out, and despite 'an eloquent
defence he was sentencectto death. -

OOMPLIWENTART DINNER. TO TMs SPEAKER:. =Oil'
Saturday evening the Speaker of the ouse' of
Commons was entertained by the Master and FelloWs'
df Balliol College, Oxford, of which he is a member, af
a,dinner in the hall. Nearly 200 of the past and presenV
members of the College assembled to meet him. The
Master of Bailie' proposed the health of the Speaker.
He •alluded to the great statesman, whose son was now
called on to pregde over tho assembly which was the
scene ,0./ his fatherle fame. He spoke of the proofs of
etrength and dignity of character which were manifest
In the Speaker as erzly as his undergraduate days at
Balliol. The Speaker, in reply, paid a tribute to his
predecessorsin the chair,, the fruits of whose kvbours he
inherited, and, expressed his warm satkrfaction in revisit-
ing his old college.
AVERAGE PRICES or Burnsu Quota-4%e following
are the average prices of British corn for last week, as
received from the inspectors and officers- of Excise:
Wheat, 375. 4d..; barley, 275. 11d, •, oats' 235. Od. per im-
perial qr. Corresponding week last year:' Wheat,.
425. :3.d..; barley-, 295. Bd.; oatst_23s. sd.
'Tax RESERVE SQVADRON.—The nine ironcbsda com-
posing the reserve squadron, under the command of
Admiral Hoskins, steamed into Kirkwall Bay between,
four and five o'clock on Sunday afternoon, having left
Heligoland the previous Friday. The squadron made,
a good ran across the German Ocean, and.as the. wind
had increased almost to a gale it was thought better to.
take up anchorage in Kirkwall Bay for the night..
-Very few people witnessed the arrival of the squadron,.
most of the inhabitants being at church. As the shipla
sailed up between Shapinsay Island and the mainland,
a narrow sea passage leading from tho German Ocean
to Kirkwall Harbour, they presented a magnificent
appearance, and appeared to be so close to the landi
that one could almost hear the orders given on board,
as the ships passed.
DISASTERS AT SEA—The Bureau Veritas has just:
published the following statistics of maritime disasters,.
reported dur:ng the month of May, 1884, concerning all
fags: Sailing vessels reported lost—Five American,
two Austrian, 38 British, three Milian, one Danish, one.
Dutch, 10 French, two German, two Greek, four Italian,
one Liberian, eight Norwegian' one Portuguese, one
Russian, six Swedish; total, 85. In this number are
included 15 vessels reported missing. Steamers re-
ported lost: One American, 12 British, one Chinese, one •
Greek; total, 15.
TRHTYCLING IN Swirzzaas.Nn.—The entire tour round.
the Lake of Geneva has just been accomplished on a
tricycle in the day by Mr. Hutchinson, a member of
the Alpine Club. The time occupied in running was
eleven hours, distance 112 miles. There was a strong
head wind to contend with most of the way, with the
thermometer considerably over 70 deg. Fahr. The.road
between Evian and Bouveret is in a very bad state
owing to the construction of the new line of railway,
and necessitated frequent halts. Starting from Vevey -
la Tour, Nyon, 37 miles was reached in 3i hours;
Geneva, 51 miles, in five hours; Thonon, 72 miles, in •
7/ hours; Evian, 78 miles, in 7/ hours; Bouveret, 91
miles, in 9 hours; and Vevey is Tour, 112 miles, in 11
bolus. The machine ridden was a 42-inch Humber
roadster, geared up to 56 inches.
PRIZE FIGHT NEAR LIVERPOOL.—A very,. sensational
prize fight took place in the Stanley Grounds, Stanley,
near Liverpool, on Saturday. The stakes were £5O a
side, and the combatants were Barney M`Gee and a man
named Williams, of Manchester, the latter being the
lighter in weight; but the more scientific pugilist of the
two. Williams had received a fortnight's special train-
ing. There was a large attendance at the fight, the
charge for admission being from Is. to 10s. The fight
began at five o'clock. Gloves were used, but they were
so hard that the punishment inflicted was as bad as if
the naked fists had been used. Six rounds were fought,
M`Gee being knocked out of time. His cheek and
breast were cut open and one of his eyes was closed.
Williams sprained his wrist in giving a blow in the
second round. A policeman was present, but gloves
being used he did not interfere.

AdnicuurnaAL PROSPECTS.—The "Mark Lane Ex-
press" says: During the past week upland hay, together
with a fair proportion of the meadow hay, has been
secured in very fine order, and must prove to be of ex-
cellent quality. The earlier wheats have had an ex-
ceptionally favourable time cor blossoming, but all
spring crops are being severely punished by the drought.
The hot weather has been theoretically in favour of the
hop crop, so far as the attack of vermin is concerned,
but some of the bine looks small and of a bad colour,
whilst with persistent washing the vermin keep in the
ascendant; the outlook therefore is very critical. The
sustained drought is greatly ag.ainst the root CTOPS.
THE LOCUSTS IN SOUTHERN RUSSIA.—The locusts in
several districts of South Russia are committing fright-
ful ravages. In the district of Elizevatgrad the peasants
have just received 17,003 roubles from the Imperial
Agricultural Society as a reward for the destruction of
1,700,000 of those pestilential insects. The disastrous
effects of this plague for the -past two years have
impelled the authorities to stringently repressive and
efficacious measures for its destruction.

TOBACCO CULTIVATION IN AMERICA.—In the United
States 671,522 acres are devoted to the cultivation of
the tobacco plant. In 1882 the average yield per acre
was 7641 b., which at an average price, 8 dols. 4 cents.
per lb., made the aggregate value more than forty-three
million dollars. Until recently the foreign leaf was little
used in American manufacture. In 1883, however; the
consumption of the foreign leaf nearly doubled, in-
creasing from 7,800,0001 b. in 1882 to 13,811,1401 b. in
1883.

DROWNED.—An accident, in which three lives were
lost, occurred at Morpeth on Friday morning in last
week. A party of excursionists from Gateshead and
Jarrow went to Morpeth, among them being Albert
Edward Richards, aged 20, of Jarrow, Ellen Richards,
aged 16, and Walter Richards, aged six, residing in the
same town. The heat being oppressive, the girl stooped
over the river bank and dipped her handkerchief in the
water. Her foot slipped and she fell into the stream.
The younger brother, Walter Richards, ran to her
assistance. She seized hold of him, and in a short time
they were both struggling in the water. Seeing this,
the elder brother, Albert Edward Richards, jumped
into the water and endeavoured to rescue them. Un-
fortunately, however, he was unable to do so, and all
three were drowned. Two or three relatives of the de-
ceased witnesF.ed the accident, but were unable to
render any assistance.
JOURNALISM IN JAPAN.—Japanese journalism has
developed with great rapidity during the last ten years.
In 1875 the Japanese Empire counted only 53 periodical
publications of all kinds. To-day there are published
within its boundaries at least 2000, counting periodicals
of all kinds. Most of the Japanese newspapers are sold
at three-halfpence. They are mainly modelled upon
the best European aailies. They contain leading
articles, news paragraphs, money articles, market
reports and advertisements—all as with us, save that
one reads from the bottom of the column to the top.
MILITARY EXECUTION IN SPAIN.—A Madrid telegram
states that on Saturday Commander Fernandez and
Lieutenant Velles were shot at Gerona for desertion
and attempted rebellion while six of their comrades
were publicly degraded before being sent to endure the
punishments to which they have been condemned, one
to chains for life, another to 20 years, and the others to
lesser terms of imprisonment. Both men met death
with courage and serenity: They were placed in chairs
with their backs to the firing party. Venes died at the
first discharge, and Fernandez at the second. Great
consternation reigned in Gerona. All the shops were
closed, people remained in their houses, and the few
hundred persons who witnessed the executions were
principally women and children.
RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE IN RUSSIA.—A resident of
St. Petersburg writes: Colonel Paschkoff, who has again
been banished for holding religious meetings, has done
as much as any man of his generation for the good of
his country and the benefit of the poor. For many
years he has spent the greater part of a princely income
in seeking to help others. Count Korff, who has also
been ordered to leave, is the son of one who was raised
to a higher rank among the nobility on account of the
services he rendered to the Government. On receiving
the order to leave his country, Count Korff appealed
for a few weeks' respite owing to the fact that his wife
was near her confinement and in a delicate state of
health. This was refused. Hence they must leave in
a few days, though it be at the risk of the lady's life.
The shop of Mr. Grote in the Litanaya has been closed
by order of the police. Henceforth it is illegal to dis-
tribute the publications of the Religious Tract Society,
though, strange to say, they bear the printed permission
of the censor. A more stringent law has also been
passed respecting the children of those who cannot
conform to the Greek Church. They may now be
taken and shut up in a convent without even an appeal
to the Emperor