The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-01-13 00:00:00

Misallaneous

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL,

METHOD/CAL MENDICANCY. —The South Lon-
don Press says that a woman called a day or two ago
at a house in Dante-road, Newington, and solicited
relief. The proprietor of the house happened to have
some tickets of the Newington Relief Society, and
offered her one, telling her that she should go to the
office in the Walwcrth road. The woman took the
ticket, turned it about, and said that it was no use
going because it was too late in the day. " Well,
then, go to-morrow," said the giver. "Why, Sir, how
can I? 'returned the beggar piteously, "I shan't be
here to-momow. I only comes round this way once a
week."

SINGULAR RECOVERY OF STOLEN PROPERTY.—
A gentleman named Itessugrand, who resides at Ville-
juif, has just recovered, in a singular manner, an
article of stolen property. He was ping along the
Boulevard Pigalle, when an individual in a state of in-
toxication passed near him. The man's clothes were
in great disorder, and a gold watch was dangling by a
chain before him. The former approached, with the
intention of warninq the other that the watch was in
ahanger, when, to his surprise, he discovered that it
was one which had been stolen from himself, with as
sum of 16,000 f. in gold, and 90,000 f. in securities, just
before the Prussian siege. The gentleman at once had
the man arrested, and then the latter confessed that
he had broken into the house at Villejuif while the
Bth battalion of the Garde Afolaile of the Seine, to
which he belonged, was encamped there. The securi-
ties were found intact, concealed in a mattress at his
house, but very little of the gold remained.
THE TICHBORNE CASE.—The case of "rich-
borne v. Lushington" will be resumed, before Chief
Justice Bovill, and the " eleven" special jurors, on
Monday, the 15th instant, when the Attorney-General
will open his case against the claimant to the property
and baronetcy. On the adjournment for the Christ-
mas recess the jurorewere paid one guinea a day each
for the 30 days attendance, making 70 guineas paid to
each of them for their attendance on the trial. The
first sittings extended to 40 days, and the second to 30.
According to the strict rule, now the provision as to
special jurors has been repealed, a special juryman is
only entitled to one guinea for a cause, but it was ar-
ranged that in this case the payment should be one
guinea per day, and the solicitors on both sides have
divided the expense between theni.

A STRUGGLE WITH A LUNATIC. -Onthe after
noon of Friday last a constable named Dean observed
a lunatic, .if the name of William Dempsey, jump
from the high wall surrounding the County Lunatic
Asylum at Hanwell, and run off towards Southall.
Dean at once gave chase, and only succeeded in
coming up with the fugitive on the twin' path
the Grand Junction Canal, near Greenford, after
having run about three miles. A violent struggle
then ensued, and the madman at last clasping the
constable in his arms, jumped with him into about
nine feet of water in the canal Dean shouted for
assistance, and fortunately a barge, in charge of a man
named Holdford, came up at the time. Holdford at
once leaped into the water, and endeavoured to
separate Dean from the lunatic. Attracted by the
nien's cries, several villagers also hurried to the spot,
and by means of ropes all three were extricated, and
conveyed to the Black Horse Inn, Greenford, where
they were supplied with restoratives and dry clothing.
Dempsey was then conveyed back to the asylum in a
cab, and the Governor complimented Dean and Hold-
ford on their bravery promising to lay the matter
before the Visiting Justices. Had it not been for
Iloldford, both Constable Dean and the lunatic must
have been drowned.

EDUCATIONAL PRODRESS. —Leeds and Shef-
field on Monday practically inaugurated the educa-
tional work empowered by the Act of 1870, by the
opening of elementary board schools. In Leeds 13
provisional schools were commenced, spread over the
borough in districts where the population is 'nog dense,
and where the new accommodation is least likely to
interfere with that already existing. The total accom-
modation thus provided is for about 3,400 children.
There is one school solely for infants, and the others
are either mixed or distinct schools for boys and girls.
The attendance, with one exception, exceeded the ex-
pectations of the board. At llramley the school was
most largely attended, 270 children entering their
names on the roll. These temporary schools, ins short
time, will be superseded by buildings specially erected
with accommodation for 12,500 sch,dars, the estimated
deficiency being 11.600. At Sheffield two elementary
schools were opened on Monday.

r
DEATH OF • WATEALOO VETERAN. —The
death is announced, in the 79th year of his age, of
Captain Arthur Ormsbey, which occurred on the 31st
ult., at West villas, Upton-park, Slough. The de-
ceased gallant officer took an active part in the
Peninsula from March, 1809, till 1811, an.l was present
at the crossing of the Douro, and in the Lines of
Torres Vedraa. He was present at the battle of
Waterloo, and storming of Cambray. He afterwards
served in the East Indies, and was present at the seige
and capture of Hattras; also at the Deccan campaign
of 1817-18, and the Beige and capture of Bhurtpore
under Lord Combermere.

TIIE Newseeree PRlSE.—According to the
Printers' Register, the trade organ, there are now 118
daily newspapers published in Great Britain and Ire-
' land, distributed as follows ;—ln London, 21-12 morn-
ing, 9 evening; in the provinces. 62; in Wales, 1; in
Scotland, 11 ; in Ireland, 22; and in the Channel
Islanibi, L These statistics show an increase of eight
th.ily paper, an against the corresponding list of last
year—viz., in London, one; in the provinces, flee; in
Ireland, three ; while thenshas been a decrease in Wales
of one. The January number also contains some
useful tables, showing the population of the larger
towns, their distance from London. the great literary
centre, the number of papers which they support,
and the price at which thPy are sold.

JUSTICE TO IRELAND.- -Motto for a bottle of
Potheen.—"Oireland ! with all thy faults I love thy

MISTAKEN KINIINENS.—A few days ago the
United States zealous and efficient president of the
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,
visited Barnues show, and had his pity deeply stirred
by the sufferings of the hyena, which was chained in
its cage. Mr. Beigh ordered the chain to be taken off
so that the animal might be allowed to roam up and
down its narrow place of confinement. This demand
was at once complied with, and the result came very
near proving disastrous to the whole menagerie. The
hyena broke out of its den in the night, enterel by
main strength the cage of the loapard, and mutilated
that beast severely.; then attacked the elephant, and,
being beaten off, seized upon an inoffensive camel,
which it so seriously injured that the poor brute had to
be killed, and was only secured at last by the Lela,
dexterously thrown by a Digger Indian, who was one of
lianium's keepers.

TREATMENT OF A HUMANITARIAN BY A LON-
DON MOB—An occurrence of an exciting character
took place on Sunday upon that part of the Thames
Embankment which lies next to Chelsea College-
gardens. This is the spot chosen on Sundays as the
debating ground of self-styled ministers of various
denominations. On Sunday, a German, who called him-
self a Humanitarian, was holding forth to an immense
crowd, and above him was aplacard on a large board,
headed, 'A Challenge to All,, ' defying popes, cardinals,
patriarchs, archbishops, &c., to contradict him. He
stated that there was no God, and Englishmen were
fools and rogues for believing that there was one. At
last a vivacious cockney youth began to chaff him, and
then a scene of great confusion ensued. The lecturer's
hat was knocked over his eves, his board was torn
down, and his stool seized. With an iron nsl which
had supported the board he strove to defend himself,
but this was of.little avail, as it was soon wrested from
him; and amid the groans, hisses, and buffets of about
500 people, be commenced his retreat to the station of
the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway. His bat,
or, at least, the remains, was politely handed to him,
and, more dead than alive, he reached his goal
safety. An assistant was subjected to equally rough
treatment.

THE BISHOP OF LINCOLN.—The Bishop of
Lincoln has issued a pastoral letter to his clergy and
laity for 1872. His lordship says
The year which Is-now closing upon us has been a very
eventful one. NVoliave seen the continent of Europe ravaged
by a terrible war. We have seen a mighty empire suddenly
laid low. We have seen one of Hie fairest cities of the world
stained with the blood of its own oilmen., shed by the bands
of their brethren, and laid waste by tires lighted by their
hands. These things are warnings to us. They call on us
to humble ourselves before God; to confess stir sins, public
and private; to repent and amend our h.., and to pray
Him to have mercy on us and spare on and protect us. It
needs no spirit of prophecy to foretell that we have a severe
and searchinglrial before us. The uncertainty of the future
ought to stir us up to make a good use of the present, and to
abound more and more in good works."

-
THE BEST ToNtc.—The Doctors disapprovo
of alcohol, but they are as alive as ever to the cheer.
ing effect of "good spirits" on their patients.
Punch.

-
SOMETHING NEW IN WHlSKY.—Something
new in whisky is reported from Canada. An inhabi-
tant of the township of ('ayuga, after much thought
on the question for what purpose thistles were created,
came to the conclusion that it might be possible to ex-
tract whisky from them. The Cayuga experimentalist
has got an article of spirit by the distillation of the
leaves and stalks of the thistle which he calls whisky,
the alcoholic strength of which is declared to be about
35 per cent., the flavour being pleasant and aromatic ;
while the effect of the new drink on the system is said
to be "penetrating and exhilarating," the sensation
being the same as if a Jew's harp in full tune was at-
tached to every nerve.
NOVEL AIDS TO NOVELISTS.—A sale is an-
nounced in Paris of the puppets or little wooden
figures which the late M. Ponson du Terrail, the well-
known romance writer, made use of when employed in
comp, snug the voluminous fel/illness for which he WAS
so celebrated. The marionettes, which represent the
various characters of the author's different novels, are
small dolls, their faces having been carved ex-
pressly for IL du Terrail's use by M. D0116,,u5, a
Swiss artist. They are divided into groups, each bear-
ing the name of the story in which the personages
composing it played a part. For his great —in length
at least work of " Rocambole" the author had no
fewer than 282. It should pethaps be mentioned that
this last work fills nearly a score of closely printed
volumes. M. Ponson du Terrail at one time contri-
buted simultaneously five distinct novels to the
fruilletons of five journals in Paris ; and it is not to be
wondered at that lie was driven to the use of mechani-
cal contrivances in order to avoid confusing his plots.
It is said that M. Paul FeCval employed the same plan.
THE Lan INVENTION !—An ingenious in-
strument for dyeing hair has been invented in America.
It (soloists of an arrangement like a large pair 14
scissors; but one blade consists of a hollow cone, like
an extinguisher, and the other of a flat plate, which
shuts up against the side of the extinguisher. Within
the extinguisher a piece of sponge is titted, and an ob-
long hole is cut in the side of the extinguisher where
theflat plate comes in contact with it, through which
hole the sponge slightly protrudes. The sponge is now
saturated with the dye, and the hair is drawn through
between the fiat plate and the projecting sponge,
whereby it is dyed without any of the dye being spilt
upon the skin.
A LONG AND QL-D..K. RIDE—The celebrated
ride of Dick Turydn on his famous Black Bess WaS
brought forcibly to memory by the evidence given by
a man nanivil Shea, one of the witnesses for the
prosecution in a case of sheep-stealing which was
tried at Melbourne on the 27th ult. This man
stated that on the morning of the 10th of August
he rode from Egerton to Melbourne, a distance
of 62 miles, leaving the former place after sun-
rise, and, after half-au-hour's stoppage on the way,
reaching Melbourne at eleven o'clock; that he re-
mained in Melbourne an hour, and then returned to
Egerton, getting there by dark, and accomplishing a
distance of 12( miles, riding one horse.

s t c)Te
o dn thatil coia
nference
M
M4en of the Emmastermsi
builders ti sd
u no
f the
metropolis will be held in the coursecof a week, to de-
eide upon what steps should be taken with reference
to the request .11 the Stonemason's Society that the em-
ployers should adopt a uniform nine hours system for
the whole year, instead of confining the nine hours to
the winter months, and terminating that rule on the
14th of February. Added to this, the demand on the
part of the society for an advance of one penny an hour
on the present rate of wages, on and after the It July
next, has caused a considerable amount of anxiety
amongst the leading men in the trade—in fact, amongst
the master builders generally, as the penny an hour
would add something like 10 per cent, to the present
amount paid the men. Not the least important ques-
tion to be considrerd by the conference is stated to be
—in connection with taking contracts—that of the
large prospective increase in the cost of building
operations, should the nine hours and advanced wages
hereafter apply to other operatives in the building
trade besides the stonemasons.
MR. BRIGHT AND THE CABINET.—OH Satur-
day night Mr. Potter, member fontoclidale, in address-
ing the members of the Lowerplace Liberal Associa-
tion, said that they would remember that in July, 1870,
the Government proposed the increase of the army by
20,000 men, and an enlarged vote of two millions sterling.
He voted with the glorious minority of seven on that
occasion. They had been called "the seven wise men,"
and he had been told by the Tory party that he
had taken a course that was a disgrace to Rochdale.
Since Mr. John Bright had been better, he had told
him (Mr. Potter) that when he was far fnan being well
he had heard of this question being brought before the
House, and partially connected with the Belgian diffi-
culty, and that, agreeing with the "seven wise men,"
although he knew nothing of their voting at the time,
he (Mr. Bright) sent in his resignation to Mr. Clad-
stoue on that very question. However, it was likely
that, for the stability of the Government, his resigna-
tion was not then pressed. It was now a satisfaction
to him (Mr. Potter) to remember how he voted on that
occasion, and he was sure there were now many
members of the House of Commons who wished they
had taken the same course, fir to this day the egregious
blunder was a stumbling-block in the way of the
Government. -

fiawfizits' LICENCES.—The plan of granting
sixpenny licences to hawkers, available for one year,
has been tried for twelve months, and was fsuperseded
on the lst inst. by a five-shilling licence. The conse-
quence has been that the crowd of itinerants who lust
year obtained hawkers' licences as a cover for begging,
and defied the police, havethis year kept aloof, and the
number of applications has not exceeded 2 per cent, of
the number who obtained licences in the first week of
1871.
__

--YHE MORGUE.—There died in Paris (remarks
the (.ilobe), just in time to have his name included in
the obituary f 1871, a somewhat remarkable person.
His name was Charles Francois Ferat, and his business
in life was to receive the bodies of persons whom crime,
accident, or suicide led to the Morgue. FerW, by
reason of his taste in waistcoats popularly known as
" l'llomme rouge," is described as a man who, under
a somewhat rough deameanour, hid a kind heal t.
.Many stories of his acts of humanity are current, but
it suffices to know that he has left behind him a child
which the double suicide of its parents had left unpro-
vide.' for, and whom " l'Homme rouge" took horne
with him, eared for, and had properly educated. But
he has left behind him something more interesting still.
Day by day, during the 26 years of his service at the
Morgue, Ferti• was composing a book, to which he has
given th4eingular title, Itiyietre de Macabre. The book,
which extends to many volumes, is nothing more nor
less than the register of the names and addressee—
when known, otherwise of the descriptions—of the
bodies received by him, which resell a total of 20,000.
lerte appears to have spent his leisure hourt.in leakin
i g
inquiries into the antecedents of the more interesting
of his charges, and the results are given la volutninow
notes appended to the register of death. It is not stated
whether the book is for sale, but if it be, we need not
point out its value to a youthful novelist alsiut to com-
mence business. In the record of 20,00 U violent deaths
annotated by the late keeper of the Morgue there
would surely he found material for a complete parkmr
library of sensational novels

SINGULAR EXHIBITION.—The Slaw Radicalo
contains the programme of the Exhibition to be opened
in 1872 by the Society for the Protection of Annuals.
The Exlubition will consist of collectima of domestic
animals :—Quadrupeds (stuffed), birds and their eggs,
drawings and paintings. Of non-dornestic animals:
Quadrupeds and birds, reptiles, insects preyed upon
hy insectivorous hints, and drawings and paintings.
Tile second section will consist of the various
objects having reference to the society's aims i—Col.
lections of reptiles and birds' eggs, artificial nests,
improved horse-shoes, bridles, harnesses, reins, yokes,
&c., carts for the transportation a live cattle, &c.,
veterinary instruments and remedies; agriculture—
improvedo2.24s hives, tec. ; iculture--various imple-
ments ; literature - s ' biography, drawings, plans.
paintings, statisti maps, list of places wlmre the
society has branches, etee. IntencliiM exhibitors are
requested to send in their applications by, or before,
April 20, to M. M. Carey, No. 2., hue du V ieux •
Coll4ge, Geneve. Prizes, in money and medals, will
be awarded by jury. Contributions will he th!ink.
fully received by M. Lagier, treasurer of the society,
at the Athenee.