The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-09-19 00:00:00

Mistcliantatis lintritigcnct,
HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

A FAVOR REPAID In" MURDER.—A man named
Carpentier has just been tried at the Court of Assizes
of the Oise, France. for the murder of a woman. The
deceased, wife of a Labourer named Lane and the
mother of nine children, resided in a cottage adjoining
that if the prisoner, who was a man of idle and dissi-
pated habits ; his own wife had obtained a separation
from him in consequence of his ill-usage, and he had
undergone several condemnations for poaching and
acts of violence. He was on good terms with his
neighbour the woman Lancea, until she lent him five
francs, which he refused to pay. From that moment
they frequently quarrelled, and the woman threatened
to denounce lam to the police as an incendiary, refer-
ring to something which he had previously told her in
confidence. He appears to have feared she would carry
out her menace, as he shot her dead while she was at
work in her garden, and then buried her in a piece of
ground adjoining his own house. The man being sus-
pected, after a five hours' search the body was dis-
covered, and he was arrested. He did not attempt to
deny his guilt, and was condemned to hard labour for
life.
A REMARKAULE CASE.—A pitman residing at
Oughterside, near Aspatria, haul been spending a con-
vivial evening with some of his friends, and being
somewhat under the influence of "John Barleycorn,"
in attempting to make his way home, laid him down by
the wayside, and slept " until daylight did appear." In
the morning he reached home, and, feeling very
unwell, immediately sent for the doctor, who found
him labouring under acute inflammation of the
windpipe ; in fact, dangerously ill from the con-
sequences, it was presumed, of his night's exposure. It
was not until Wednesday last, about three weeks from
the date of the attack, that a new light was thrown
upon the case. On that day the patient presented his
I medical attendant with a sixpence, not in liquidation
of his fee, but as the Jon., et origo malt which he had
coughed up a few hours before. In his half tipsy state
the mall hail undoubtedly swallowed the sixpence,
which, sticking in the larynx, had caused such acute
suffering. The doctor ()wetly remarked that " Adam's
Apple " was hardly a proper receptacle for its owner's
loose essh.
FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE SEASIDE.—Mr. Rush,
a young London solicitor, aged twenty-four, who had
been but recently married, went to spend Ills autumn
holiday at Worthing. One day last week he proceeded
with his wife for a canter along the Lancing-road.
Whilst on the road Mrs. Rush was in danger of falling
off her horse, and her husband tried to save her. In
doing so both list their balance, and fell heavily to the
ground. Some persons near witnessed the accident,
and instant assistance was rendered. Mr. Rush was
picked up insensible, and taken in a cart to his lodgings
at Worthing. He had sustained a severe fracture of
the skull, and, though he had the best medical atten-
tion the place afforded, he died on the second day after
the accident. Mrs. Rush was a good deal shaken, but
she was not seriouslyinjared.
AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE. Julius Cesar
Thompson was married at St. Louis to Mdlle. An-
toinette Ilutger (says an American piper). The bride-
groom was a handsome mulatto, worth 200,000 dols.
and upwards, and the bride a plain-looking ditto, but
richly gilded likewise. The flunkey parsons decked
the church. As for magnates of the land, and for
such as those who by education, intelligence, antisocial
position could command such attention, carpets were
spread, and six clergymen, with eighteen satellites,
tied the dusky knot. 'rite num was a barber, and gave
his wife 15,000 dols. to buy her trousseau with. The
bride had always refused white men, and possesses a
scrapbook containing several thousand letters received
from white young men anxious to marry the rich child
of Ethiope.
TIIE CAUSE OF DEAR MEAT.—"The butchers
of Paris," says the Gazette de Paris, "lately held a
meeting to consider the causes of the dearness of meat
anl devise means if remedying that evil. The obser-
vation was made by some one present that one great
reason was--the army. Few people think how many
oxen the soldiers consume in a year. Statistics give
the astonishing number of 108,405 ! The ordinary
ration is 225 grammes daily (about 70z.) which gives
for every 400,000 men, 130,000 kilos. (21b. each) a day.
Estimating the weight of each ox or cow at 470 kilos.,
to satisfy the two regulation repasts of the army re-
quires 207 head of cattle daily, or 108,401 annually.
But, if the four hundred thousand individuals con-
demned to perpetual beef were spread over the surface
of the country to cultivate the soil, they would lend to
agriculture the labour which it wants; and their toil
would enable many more herds to be raised, and pro-
duce an abundance and cheapness which would profit
every one."
HORRIBLE. SC i.N it AT AN EXECUTION.--The
New York Times says :
Another of those horrible scenes at the gallows, which are
of too frequent occurrence in this country, occurred at
Waco ick Court Home, Virginia, on Fri-lay, when a negro
was executed for the nitirder of a white man. After haying
made his last prayer, and protested for the last time that he
was innocent of the crime imputed to I ' , the drop fell, the
rope broke, alit the half-strangled wretch Jell to the ground.
He was speedily restored to consciousness, another rope pro-
cured, :tinl the luau was finally strangled to death. This
horrible sight was witnessei by about two hundred persona,
most of them Modred.
THE MURDER IN LEICESTER.—At the Town
Ilall, Leicester, on Monday, the man John Scampton,
who has been committed by the borough coroner, to
the Leicester Assizes on a charge of wilfully murder-
ing his child, Helena I'arr Seampton, aged two years
anl nine months, was brought up for magisterial exa-
mination on the above charge; also for shooting at his
father-in-law, Robert Parr, with intent to murder him,
on Monday, the 24th ult. Throughout the lengthened
hearing of the case, the prisoner maintained a sullen
demeanour. The only additional evidence to the facts
already published was that of Mr. Lankester, a sur-
geon, who had an interview with the prisoner shortly
before the occurrence of the tragedy, and who deposed
that it was impossible for him then to have certified as
to the insanity of the prisoner. The prisoner, on being
charged by the magistrate, reserved Ills defence on both
charges; but on being removed he asked of his solicitor
whether he would be tried at the sessions or the assizes.
Being informed tile latter, he replied that he was per-
fectly satisfied, and in a few moments added, "I'll
hang somebody, or they oh .11 hang me; I will, as sure
as I'm a man." On being removed he said to the offi
err in charge, "If they don't hang me, I'll make it hot
for some of theng" Prisoner was committed for trial
to the assizes on both charges.
SUICIDE OF A WEDDING GUEST.— On Friday
night a young man, about twenty-two years of age,
eonimitted suicide by hanging himself at the house of
his father, in Potter's-hill, Ashton New Town. There
had been a marriage in connection with the family that
day, arid the festivities had been held at the father's
house. A little past midnight, as the party were about
to separate, most of them went to a neighbouring
licensed victualler to partake of a parting glass, the
young Fisher, however, declining to go with them.
trllllll their return they did not readily meet with him,
and, upon a search, lie was found hanging quite dead.
No cause has as yet been assigned as to why he should
have committed so rash an act. He had been engaged
in the amusements lof the wedding with apparently the
same zest as the others.
WOMAN'S COURAGE AND WOMAN'S WIT.-----The
annual dinner of the Tipperary Union Farming Society
was held a few days since. The usual toasts were pro-
posed, and Mr. O'Connell proposed "The Ladies."
Mr. Bayly rose to respond, but some one in the ladies'
gallery, dressed in the haughtiest style, rose and said,
" Sit down, sir," and Mr. Ilayly did so. The lady
continued standing, fanning herself, and made a very
humourous speech, hoping that there should be a prize
for the best husband, who minded what his wife said
to him (laughter) -and the best wife, who insisted on
her rights. (Laughter.) The gentlemen looked well to
be eating and drinking all the evening, and compli-
nienting one another, and leaving the ladies without a
bit iir sup. (Cheers.) This ought to be remedied next
year.
FRENCH GALLANTRY.—An inhabitant of Gran-
abet (Tarn et (iaronne) sold his wife and horse a few
days ago for 4:8. The following are the terms of the
sale : - The price to be paid in two payments. The
price of the horse is £O, of the wife £2. The wife to be
delivered la ithout shoes- -the horse to retain his bridle.
The notary of the place haying refused to be connected
with the affair, the parties entered a cabaret and drew
the contract themselves, which is eigned by four wit-
nuns& a.

TIIE ABERGELE COEONER.—The Coroner 80
bittelly attacked by Lord Farnham and Sir Henry
Edwards, M. l'., for incapacity, has written and mr-
ciliated an exceedingly temperate, and, we (Spectator) ,
think, extremely successful defence of himself in which
he says he refrained from committing for contempt of
court those whose openly asserted his incapacity, from
respect for the excited feelings of men terribly and
recently afflicted,—and, if so, what was wanting in the
judge was creditable to the man and the Christian.
He points out that Lord Farnham's solicitor,--and
after Lord Farnham's arrival in person, his lordship
himself, wanted him to give a certificate of burial
h.,/ oriole for a body which it was entirely impi,ssible to
identify as that of the late Lord Farnham, and which,
in fact, filmed out to be a female's; and that when Sir
Henry Edwards accused him if favouritism in granting
such a certificate to a po,w widow, Mrs. Cripps, for the
burial of her husband, Sir H. Edwards did not know
what he was saying, since the laxly of Mr. Cripps was
clearly identified. On the whole the coroner's defence
of himself for everything, except, perhaps, sufficiently
judicial firmness with his excited accusers, was ade-
quate, dignified, and temperate.
TEE HAYDOCK FESTIVAL.—The Church Tinics,
a recognised organ of the Ritualist party, has the
folli wing remarks on an extraordinary harvest festival
at Haydock, of which an account has appeared in the
palleni
In Ritualistic churches there is apt to be a smell clique '
that tlunk they can never have enough of bowing, or prostrw
tration, or the sign of the Cross ; and perhaps one ought not
to w.miler that there should be persons who are thing their
best to make harvest thanksgivings ridiculous. At St.
James's itellaydock we learn that among the offerings plarial
on the altar were eggs, pats of butter, and, most astounding
of all, a pig's head. We shall not waste time in remonstrating
with those who permitted this. To do so would be like
arguing with a poetaster against COMMOTI place. If they
possessed the faintest sense of propriety they would over
hare done it itinl if they Mail. nothing we could say nimbi
be of any avail, list in out places there are people if sense
that have some say in the matter, and we implore them to
Prevent a rePetaloll .4 such a scale lid.
A " Protestant" writes in The Times : -
on reading the extraordinary account of the ilaydock
Festival, where tanners, candles, eggs, tomatoes, cocoanuts,