The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-10-26 00:00:00

Nisallantous

ROME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

THE BAGPIPES IN BRITISH GITIANA.—The
bagpipes are not appreciated in Georgetown, British
Guiana, or, at any rate, by the policemen of that
colonial town. The Royal Gazette, publi died there,
gives a long account of the arrest and trial of an en-
thusiastic Scotch sailor, for having "endangered the
lives of passengers, contrary to law," by a too ex-
uberant musical performance in the streets on the night
of the 7th September. The ignorant officer who
arrested the poor sailor declared in court that he heard
a loud instrument blowing," and, never having seen
such an instrument before, he imagined that the sailor
was endeavouting to disturb the public, and accordingly
arrested him. The sailor, on being aked what was
his defence, replied that he had been over the world,
and his chief amusement when be came ashore was his
native bagpipes ; and that be did not know he was
doing wrong in playing a tune out of doors, Had the
policeman asked him he would have stopped.—The
Magistrate thought the officer was scarcely justified in
making the arrest, to vehicle the policeman rejoined,
"He was blowing it very hard, sir." Notwithstaad-
ing, however, the Magistrate saw no ground for com-
mittal, and discharged the Scotchman, who received
back hie bagpipes with the greatest delight.

How PANAMA HATS ARE MAIM—The process
is as follows :—The leaves of the Pandamus, or screw
pine, are gathered before they unfold, the ribs and
coareer veins removed, and the rest reduced to shreds.
After having been put itt the sun for a day, and tied
into a knot, the straw is immersed in boiling water
until it &comes white. It is then hung up in a :shady
place, laud bleached for two or three days. The plaiting
commences at the crown and finishes at the brim. The
hats are in‘de on a block placed on the knees, and re-
quire to he constantly pressed with the breast. The
coarser hat may be finished in two or three days, but
the anest may require as many months.

ACCIDENT AT A CIRCE/I.—An alarming acci-
dent occurred on Monday night at Mr. Hengler's
circus, at Sheffield. The structure is of wood, ani was
only opened on Saturday week. On Monday night the
place was crowded, and during some acrobatic per-
formances a gallery which ran across the passage from
the stables to the arena suddenly gavu way, and from
thirty to forty persons were precipitated to the ground,
a distance of about fourteen feet. A panic seized the
remainder of the spectators, and a great many rushed
from the building. Mr. Hengisr and his company
rendered prompt assistance to the unfortunate people
who were struggling and screaming among the beams
and boarding of tha broken gallery. In a short time
they were all rescued. After some time order was
restored and the performances were proceeded with.
Seven persons were taken to the General Infirmary,
and a similar number to the public hospitaL Richard
Shaw has received ;serious injuries to the back; George
Booth, compound dislocation of the ankle joint;
Thomas Anson, fracture of both legs; Thomas
Woodhouse, injury to the hip ; and Angelina Gamble,
concussion of the spine. The full extent of the
injuites sustained by some of the other persons who
were hurt has not been ascertained. Miss E
me
one of the rwtormers, wee much abaken and crush

SUBPKNDED ANIILLTION.—A. most wonderful
instance of reanimation (says the Toronto GlOlO. is
now exciting the attention of the people of Quebec
city. The Afercury, to which we are indebted for the
particulars, says :—•• A young lady of this city, Millie.
B--e, aged 16, and who was on the point of being
married, was lately seized with a severe attack of
typhoid fever, and on Tuesday evening sank so low as
to have been considered dead. According to custom
the room was put in funeral order, and the undertaker
sent for, when, lo ! just as he was drawing his measure
from his pocket to calculate the length of her coffin, to
his utter amazement the supposed dead girl at up erect
in her bed. With great presence of mind he threw a
handkerchief over her eyes to prevent hgr seeing the
change her bedroom had undergone, till the parents
removed the extra lights and hangings around ; coon
afterwards the girl asked for fool of which she par-
took more heartily than before, and she is since doing
, well.

THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD.--Instrumen-
tal Mash is said to attain to the highest perfection in
the "Organ Mountains."—Punch.

THE KING 01, THE BAGMEN !—A gentleman
who rejoiced in the title of "King of the Bagmen"
has just departed this life, after a long and rather
prosperous reign. He arrived at the purple in a manner
which the Americans would call "smart," and filled
his throne on the eleotive principles. The deceased
monarch began life by travelling for a large house at
Bordeaux Many years ago he suddenly quitted his
humble dwelling in the Faubourg St. Denis, and in-
stalled himself in the Faubourg St. Germain, where
the cholera was then raging and carrying off the no-
bility of the quarter. The " King " used to wander
about the streets, and directly he found a house where
a duke, marquis, or count had departed this life, he
would go home and write a letter to the dead man, to
the effect that, in compliance with his instructions, he
had the honour to inform him that the wine he had
ordered had arrived in Paris, &c. The heirs never ob-
jected to receive the liquor, and to console themselves
for their loss, and in two months Casimir disposed of
£lO,OOO worth of wine, and was elected king of the
bagmen.

ASHASINATION IN LIBSRIA.—The Volta brings
over the following item of news :

A few days before the steamer arrived at Monrovia, a
cowardly outrage was committed on Mr. Anderson, one of
the Commissioners who came to England about twelve
months since to negotiate the L beri. Loan, and who was a
particular friend of the late unfortunate President Roberts,
who was accused of high treason and imprisoned, but who,
whilst endeavouring to escape from gaol, was drowned in
attempting; ra *oh ,ne of the African mail steamers. It
appears that Mr. Anderson and a person named Sharp, •
large sugar planter, were engaged in some legal proceed-
ings, and the case was decided in favour of Mr. Anderson.
The verdict appeared to have exasperated Sharp to such
an extent that for some time after the decision lie waited
for Anderson outside the court-house at Monrovia. AB
the latter gentleman came out of the ci urt-house, and was
about descending thenteps, Sharp pulled out a revolver and
fired at Anderson, inflicting a fearful wound in the head,
and completely blowing away a portion of the jaw. The
as,, main, in returning the revolver to his belt, accidentally
wounded himself, one of the chambers exploding, the charge
penetrating.,the lower part of the back. A correspondent in
writing about tho affair saps—it is strange that no steps
were taken in the matter, either by the bystanders or by the
police or law officials, to arrest Sharpe, but such occurrences
are quite common at Monrovia, and generally go unchallenged
by the law." Just as the Volta was leaving Monrovia. Intel-
ligence was received on board from shore that Mr. Anderson
had succumbed to the injuries inflicted on him by Sharp ;
but in reference to the latter there was no news, and the
general opinion was that he had escaped, and was still at
large.