The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-08-20 00:00:00

TIE STUTIRBRIDGE OBSERVER.

you have?' Mrs. Crosby went to live att Bath, and
remained there filX or eight months ; then she went to
L mdon, and afterward. she came to Stockton on a
visit. At Stockton, whilst passiug through the streets,
she was called into a mutual friend's home, and shown
into a room where the defendant wan. Mr. Stephen
son immediately, with great enthusiasm and delniht,
rushed up to Mrs. Crosby, threw his arms around her,
and gyve her a hearty kiss. Of course it was a great
compliment to Mrs. Crosby to be treated with such
warmth, though she had been accustomed to some at-
tention and been the recipient of a present. From this
stage the courtship ripened, and a great many letters
had pawed between the parties. The corrsiipondence
which bore on the case commenced on the 27th Margie,
1869. 0,1 that date the defendant wrote from Great
Bunton as follows :

" My dear Mrs. Crosby —Secret—As you are a highly-
esteemed friend of mine, and I find that single life has so
few pleasures that I hope I shall Pave the good fortune to
get out of the way lamin at present. Now I think you will
smile upon roe, as it is more pleasant to smile than to frown.
Well. 1 beg to say that 1 hot a tranvia Etna dream of you—
ilatighter)—in which you said to me in these wry,!., • I am
gob g to be =wined,' which for your eke I do eincarely bps
to s. e this A 11.114.41, whoever the happy gentleman may be.
Well. I ant sure, my dear, that you know enough of me,
and bavlrg had proofs of soy love for you, in y I beg that
yon will kindly boson, me by an interchange of your glutr
loae for me? Were this to be the case, I beg to ray, my dear,
how interesting would your bapplowu he to me, and how
ferventl) should ecioveeunh other through life, alter having
long entertained the nua.t effecti • trate regard. I ;Mould foil
much obli,ed by yr or imasediati ly hnswern g my letter and
expreuing your sentiments to me up in this important suls
loot, as tone is very uncertain. In c dichtsi n. with my
kindest love to you. I pray that Almighty thud will Ness tOil
with no eternity of happinesa—Believe me my dear Mrs.
Crosby, your affeclionate friend,

THOMAS STEPIRENS,)N..
At the request of the plaintiff the per. jet had &personal
interview at arrlington, and she informed him that
she had no property, and nothing to give him beyond
r clothes. Tide courtship continued. Oo April 6,
the defendant wrote, "I have always been fond of
domestic life from my youth up, and am confirmed in
this opinion that there are more solid blessinge in such
a life as we decline into the vale of years." Mrs.
Cr. why expressed herself with similar fondness for
domestic happiness, and on the 2;ird April, the de-
fendant spoke "of that beautiful letter, which does
great credit to your heart :mil your feelings for raw"
On May 4 he wrote :- " Well, my dear, we correspond
with pleasure, and we don't love by fits arid etarte
as by interviews with each other, but by sincerely
confiding in mutual affection by letters, in which
the dearest interests of the heart are so well
expressed.' Ile stated in a letter, dated 25.1
May, that be would not be able to fix the mar-
riage before Ssprember, owing to pressure of business.
The marriage period being decided upon, preparations
were made by the plaintiff, and a mindier or presents
were provide.l by her friends. On July 24 the defend-
ant asked Mrs. Crosby for her "dear portrait, which
he admired immensely ; " and on August 19 he sated
that although not rich, he could afford to keep "her
dear self by being economical.' Various other letters
passed, but when September arrived the we &hog was
p intponed, and procrastinations were made repeatedly.
In another letter, dated sth November, the defendant
referred to his leaving Portion for a house at Ireighing-
ton—a very beautiful village. He etated—" Now, my
dear. I look upon the louse at Iletghington as a quiet,
lovely, and sweet place, for there, with the blessing of
Providence, I so fondly hope that we gall be at vat,
and upon a bed of roses (great laughter), as compared
with the home at Burdom." The defendant hail some
communication with his housekeeper on the subp ct of
bia marriage, and after that his or dour seemed to cool.
Whilst Mrs. Crosby W4B in London on a visit a letter
reached her in the following terms :

" Bunion, April 9111, ISTJ.

,
" My dear Mrs. Crosliy,—lii:ri-ssreni•to-Your kind letter of
yest•rde.y. I hope Mrs. Beale will meet with a nice convenient
house at King's cross, and how useful you will lie In assisting
on their removal there. Now If is Datum' to suppo=e as most
of your family live in bind..., that you will feel much tn.
Wasted in being there. Mary's brother's who died lately and
he wishes her to live with him. Tqat I cannot say ir cer-
tain. The weather is now dry I 'lin!. though rether frosty
here at nights. Now with kind regards, and hoping y. u are
all well, I beg to say that, owing to unpleasant circumstances,
I beg to decline the correspondence. Now, with every good
feeling, I remain your alidetionate frithd,

Thos. STICIMENSon."
This was the last letfer the plaintiff had received from
her lover, and, as night be stippueed, it annoyed her
exceedingly, awl she became ill for a tints. The friends
were indignant, and insi-ted on steps being taken
either to compel the defendant to al.ide by his contract
or to compensate the plaintiff. Correnpondence ha-1
taken place between the attorneys on both sides, and
an offer of 21200 to settle the matter was made, but
re-Need ; and the plaintiff's attorney had asked for
£1 000 or £750. It was admitted that the defendant
was possessed of 24,500. His age was stated to be
sixfy-eix. and that of the plaintiff fifty-six.
Mm. Harriet Crobbv, tile plaintiff, a ladylike, plea-
sant-looking wowan, was then called. The queitions
put to her were if a matter-of-fact character, and
nothing of the sent•mental or the huworons Co nonunion
in such cases was evoked during her examcaati in. Her
son-in-law and daughter—Mr. and Min. tharistopher
Martin—were alint examined.
_ _

---Mi:Seil;;11-r-,-"fin:-tir-iieKnce, threw ridicule on a
remark of Mr. Footer's, that tie a lady of 56 wee note°
enterpriing in the eearch of lovers as one of more
teader years, ample COMIWIIFSIotiOrI !Mould be given for
he very serious loss sustained by the plaintiff. who
had naturally expected to he settled in a comfortable
home for the rest of her life. The plaintiff eas for.
tunate, he maintained, in escaping front being the
nurse of a wheezy old gentleman of id. lie ai•lced the
jury to take a reasonable view of the one, and not be
led into awardirg extravagant damng.o.

--Ttt-ft:r Mr. Wae-lho'n-seiil7ieumnie7.l
The Jury retired, and when they returned into
court gave a verdict for the plaint;ff—lbruageA, £5OO.

The prisoner, who gives the name of John Pimlott
Brearley, is about thirty-two years of age, etands about
five feet nix inches high, is rasher slightly built, but is
very active. He formerly kept an hotel at Dorking,
in Surrey, and alleges whilst kridlord of that house he
fought onthe C.snfederate side. under Stonewall Jackson,
lin the late American war. Ile asserts that dusiag his
aheence from home, Capt. Elliott lodged at his betel,
I and a too intimate acquaintance sprung up beween
the captain and his (Brearley's) wife. About 10 months
ago a woman with two children took up their residence
at Saffron Waldron, and the woman on Sr. quext occa-
sions accosted the captain publicly and privately, to
his annoyance. Brearlay amens that this woman was
his wife, and the paper which be held in his hand
contained the words, "Ile mmt lu got rid of by
souse means." Tisis remark, he alleiies, retired to
himself, and is in the handwriting of Captain Elliott,
forming part of a leiter addrelised to his wife. It
seems that prisoner had been lurking about the neigh-
bourhood for some tla3 s, and on Sunday morning week
he concealed himself in a di'ch by the side of the road
along which it was expected the captain would drive
In church, hut beiug unwell the captain did not go to
church that day.
.. • _

Captain John Ihard3e Elliott waa formerly of the
43 11Foot, atml is now commander of the 17th E±BCX
Rfld Volunteets.

Revue et Gazette des Theatres, a very respectable
theatrical paper of more than 40 years standing, which
was regularly published twice a week, has announced
that for some time to come it will appear once a week
only. The charge is attributed to the want of theatri-
c news camel by the gravity of political events.
Such A notification would be of small significance in
England, but when the important part taken by the
theatre in Parisian life is considered it may be
regarded a sign of the times.
THIS IsOirf SEMISNT OF STRAEIBIJEO.—The Patrie
(Paris paper) states that at the time the town of Stras-
burg was invested it had been completely priviAioned
both in respectof food and ammunith n. The number of
guns mounted on the batteries is much larger than has
been stated. These guns are of heavy calibre and of im-
menserange. Moreover, the powder magasbaes have been
protected, as have also the ht.spitals and the buildings
necessary for defence. Many families had putted the
town before the investment, and during the three days
which preceded the arrival of the Prussians a large
number of persons. useless for defence, embarrassing to
provide for. Strasburg can only be reduced by stares.
tion. It now has provisions enough to last for reiveral
months, even ruppodug that in the course of the cam-
paign it should not be earlier relieved

AbCIENT AND MODERN IIiSTORT. Conscript
Fathers once attracted a large share of attention; now
it is all sibmrised by Conicript Sons.—Ploich.
FEENCH RECOGNITION OF THE SERVICNE OF
A WELSH PlLOT—During one of the n-mere gales last
winter a N'rench pc:homer, the Charlet Amelia, was
wrecked on the East Pier, when endeavouring to enter
the port of Swansea. A Tenby pilot, named Nowell,
had taken charge of her, arid had almost sure-piled in
bringing her safely into halbour, when a terriffi sea
struck her, driving her aeries than irrow entrance to
the Flat, and producing the catastrophe which we
have just stated. But, unhappily, the pilot in c, m-
mawl perished along with her. In at-empting hi, leap
for life from the dmmed craft, Borne accident occurred
to the rope which had been flung to him, and he sank
beyond the reach of help in the boiling surf which was
madly leaping against the stone barrier that resisted
its progress. le.,r amately, the crew of the Chlrles
Amelia were all a veil; and, owing to the representa-
tions of M. Moulin,the French vit-e-consul at Swansea.
the goverment 1-f the Emperor, admiring Nowell's
cdurage and sympathising with hia fondly in the Lae
it sustained, has granted a now of £3O bterliog to hie
widow.

Teo LARGEST LOCOMOTIVE E On Fri-
day Mr. Fairlie concluded some experiments at the
llatcham Iron Works which were intended to illus-
trate the principle of conetruetlon and the power of a
new locomotive engine which he has built for the
Iqriqoe R Away of Peru. The engine is called the
" Tampa.' ' and lathe largest and most powerful ever
constructed. It is built on the same plan as the now
well-brown Wonder" of the Feetimos line,
aml being mounted on " bodes," is capable of nuining
111 astritibhiurly sharp curves. Thi4 it did in the
Hat-ham "cabbage garden," and the profeesianal anti
other gentlemen who watched the experiments raw
freeh evidence of the value of Mr. Fahlie's principle.
In Itutria this Fairlit system it helm: largely adopted,
a large number Gf engines having been ordered by the
Government and by private compinles.
Soso FOR F.NoINE-DRIVEKS BEFORE A CaILIRION.
—" Whistle—and come to you, my lad."—Punch.
HEROIC CONDUCT OF A YOUNG LADY.—At the
last meeting of the Royal Humane Society, the eiiver
medallion was unanimously voted to Mist Ina Cum-
uli., a young lady, 18 years of age, for raving Mrs.
It. Jack, under the following drOumetarcee

A number of ladles were bathing at Whitepoint, Queens-
town, and among them Mrs. Jack, the wife of the surgeon on
board her Majesty's ship Mersey. Mrs Jack was dippkg in
the usual way customary to ladles, and ventured to go a
Wile too far ut for the purpo•e of trs Mg to swim in when,
on raising her feet In in the tvittom she found she was borne
out by a strong current. Finding herself being carried away
she screamed. There was no hoot near the spot, and in a
few moments she would probably have been drowned had
not Mira Cummins, who was In the hathimi-box drinslng,
immediately rushed Into the water and roam towards the
drowning lady. Having reached her with corisiderahe
difficulty 31iss C 1111.0113 clutched her with one arm, and
with the other ultimately succeeded in swrimolior with her to
shallow muter, Mrs. Jack being so much exhausted that her
resew, I.ad to pull her entire wel2ht through the water be-
fore any assistance could be obtained.

PIV/t PE,NINO.—Beiug in a poetic vein,
I stood by a child's cradle. and MAW the infant smilmg
in its Weep. "Here," said I to myself, "to Bliesful
Innocence." "Poor little dear," quoth the nurse,
' lie 'a werry much troubled." It was the wind.
"In pain!" I exclaimed, sadly turning away. "And
a hunting at this early age ! Already he hai learnt to
pin and bear it," Se I went to bed.— Pasch.

AN EFFECT 01, THE Wee.—The flue weather
which has now ao long prevailed and the war on the
Continent are, the former inducinz, and the latter
forcing, shoals of visitors to the Isle of Mau. On
Tussday evening, in last week, between 600 and 700
strangers arrived, on the previous evening 2,000, and
every evening brings hundreds of holiday makers and
health seekers; Co great, indeed, has the Mile: be-
come that there is the greatest difficulty in obtaining
even shelter and sleeping room to say nothing of com-
fortable apartments. We are told of visitors of all
grades tramping up end down Douglas for hours,
vainly en leavourinc to lied a place wherein to rest
their weary limbs, and ot lorlging.hongea and 15 .ardlog-
houses being full from the kitchen to the attic, and
chairs, sofas, hearthrogs, and carpets being ex-
t enaporiz into "beds," and scarcely a hail or lobby
but has its occupant.

HIGHLY Rt SP., CTA BLit L QT111111.—" Claret Medoc,
with bottled character." B 1 rays a Vaacard on A shop.
window. We all know that it is ste important for a
wine to have a character as it is for a Eervaut ; but
many of us now learn, for the first time, that it an
be bottler]. How is the thiug done ; for this feat, this
new bottle-trick, stems almost to be beyond even
modern ingenuity, ant ought certainly, if practicable,
to be a patented invenVon ? Let us hope one thing
that if the wine's character is bottled, it is not
" corked " also.—Punrk.

N-w STAMP 'oA oiiicin DITTIM—The CUs-
tows and Inland R.venue Act (33 and 31 Victoria,
cep. 32) has bsen issued, and by the 12th er ction it is
provided that on the Ist of October, 1870, the stamp
duties on newspapers shall cease and determine. In
the name stet is a s« ction reducing the duties on poliche
of insurance. 'On and aft r the lot of July, 1870,
there shall bo charged and paid uprn every p they of
insurance for any payment agreed to be made upon the
death of any person, only from accident or violence, or
wherwise than from a natural cause, or as camperisas
Con for p.rsonal ii j my, or I,y way of indemnity against
lose or damage of or to any property, a stamp duty of
one penny.' By the new Act (the 33 and 34 Victoria,
cap. 32) it is enacted that on the 2nd of Septemher
nr xt the duty af 2, 61. upon a licence to sell playing
cards, by a person not being the maker, shall cease
and de, ermine. There is a provi«iou in the New
Customs and Inland lima nue Act that the poundage
now paid to collectPre tor inhibited hones duty is to be
divided between the assessors and collectors in equal
proportions. •
-

• •
N s.W USE FOR PRISON LAEOUR.—Mr. H. Pow-
late chairman of the kliddiesex Sersions,
witted recently to the Committee of the Society for
Aid to the Saik and Wonnded a sample of very fine
picked oakum, which has been used in some of the
London hoepitals as a substitute for lint in dressing
wounds.

ONLY THEIR NAME AGAI,ST THEM.—" The
investment of Strasbourg appears, as far asy et learned,
to he conducted chiefly by the Ballet troops."—lt is
not at all improbable that these " Badisit' troops
may show themselves to be gisodish ones. —P mach.
RIMER HARD UPON THE ARISTOCRAOY ! —The
Timor, last Saturd iy, took the opportunity of the
bloodshed on the books of the Rhine to speak very
teriously to "our aristocracy" on the subject of grouse
shirsititm When it "compares the way in whied this
12th of August, 1870, has been spent on the ltaine,
with that frenzy fiir grouse shooting which has been
displayed in Great Britain, we shall see," it says, "that
while there is much that is noble and elevating in the
spectacle of two nations lock-ti in a death-grapple, the
one to repel aggres-ion, the other to hurl a hostile
army from her soil, there is something trivial in the
isght of a whole aristocracy given up ti grouse shoot-
ing, and hastening to it with a devotion and self-
sacrifice which, in too many cases, only implies the
neglect of public duty." All this muit be very nn-
plemant to "the aristocracy" (rernarlis the Pall-Mel!
Gazatc). but it seems rather hard upon them that they
should thus be singled out for imblic odium on account
of their grouse shooting, when we reflect that many of
the great manufacturing people, to say nothing o
City stoidtbrokers arel atockj•ilibers, hasteo to the
moire with quite as much eagernees as the unfortunate
aristocracy upon whose head 2/me Timm launches its
thunders.

QUESTION OP CONIRABAND.—If coals are con-
traband of war, why not call the cdliero, who are guilty
of exp irtiog the cos's, over them ?—Punch.
CONVENTION Wail FR.NCS.--RattlfiealiOnS have
been exchanged at Paris, on sth Aliv, of a c morn.
tion between Her iklajedty and the Emperor of the
French for the entabhatuuent of a system of post-office
money orders between the United Kingdom and
Freince. No order id to exceed £lO or 252 f. On orders
honed Fraimithe cummis i to 20 .tentinses per

lot.; on orders issued in the United Kingdom, 9J.up
to £2, Is. 61. if above £2 and not exceeding £5,
above £5 and not exceeding £7, 3s. above £7 and not
excessiing £lO. Toe produce into be shvidel equally
between the British and French post-offices ; but the
share of the department paying the money orders is
never to be lees than 1 per cent, of the money it has
advanced. The accounts are to be net led at stated I
times. The sums received on unclaimed money orders
will accrue to the issuing office. Orders are to be trans-
ferable by endorsement. Three months' notice on
either side will terminate the convention.
s: CIaMAT An/ Sm LL.—ln consequence
of the war now raging between the two chief military
nations of Europe, there will be, it is feared, a scaxcity
of G vman FAUI,R 4ef.. But, oat the contrary, the pro-
I oalolity is that w,, Audi have a glut of them. 11.- cel'eut
that the to s engaged on both rides will Lick&
cavalry.—Punclt.
A GARDE MOBILE ON THE WAIL—The follow-
ing is a letter from a Garde Mobile to his former
schoolmaster in England.:—
Veroelles, Aug. 2—Dear Sir,—l am on my departure to
seine etrone hold in the east of Era, c' as ',sing a Olr:te
aa not a stupid thing war is ! You hue., well what
a poor soldier I am. What do you thick of our Emperor's
henavlo,r after his piibiscite, with which he promised us
liberty and peace? I do uot know how long 1.0.11 be from
home ; it mignt be be three months or more. Fancy me
drilling on the field or fighting with the Prussian.. I cannot
bear the idea of it. Mr. Bonaparte has not left Parts yet.
Will he boat the Prussians, or will they beat oil That lithe
question."
-- - •

THREE SISTERS DROWSED.—OR Monday even
log there was an exciting recurrence off the Welsh
ciiatt, near Swansea, whtch ended in the death it
drowning, of three sisters—Ploshe Yin Hips, aged 14 ;
llama, Phillips, aged 12; and a still younger r
abut 19 years ot age, who were finely wattled away
trout a saFeilatnk by the ti le in the iii,enre of at leas'
Val cta,ora h-ti ithig hi. e oat, ei or.


Pacibmik, aucttXlL etunk t tue aiwre VAL

themselves surrounded by the tide, which flows in
with great rapidity at this point. The little
creatures were diecenaible from the shore, and
efforts were at once made to rescue them.
Swimmers went ast, and one of them brought
the youngest towards the shore, and banded
her over to another man who WAS on horseback
swimming. The horse, exhausted before it got to
laud, swerved, and was drowned, and the man and
child were left struggling in the water. A second
horse was bronght, but the child slipped from the
man's grasp and was drowned, her would-be rescuer
himself being brought to shore exhausted and insensi-
ble, In the meantime other swimmers strove in vain
to reach the sandbank, which was rapidly becomiag
overwhelmed, and the two children, screaming for
help till the water reached their armpits, were at
length washed away. The bodies of the two eldest
children hAve been recovered, but not that of the
3 oungest. They were the daughters of poor parents
living at Llanearniet. The event has created quite a
: sensation in the neighbourhood.