The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-12-03 00:00:00

A BIG BENEFACTION.

The Pester Lloyd recently announced that Baron
Hirsch has given a hundred million francs to be dis-
tributed among the Jewish communities of Europe,
and the Jewish charities, in proportions corresponding
to their necessities. This news was contradicted;
and, in point of fact, in this form it was in-
accurate. The true version is the following. About,
three months ago, some days before the depar-
ture for Copenhagen of the Emperor of Russia,
Baron Hirsch sent a letter to the Czar, in which he
offered the sum of £2,000,000 to found in Russia
primary schools for the Jews, and £40,000 to be at
the disposal of the Czar for works of charity. The
Czar wrote a note on the letter, and requested the
Russian Minister of the Interior to report verbally
upon it on his return to Russia. The offer thus
remained a dead letter for three months. During
this time those who knew of it asked if Baron Hirsch,
justly offended by this delay, would not withdraw
his promise, and if such a delay did not expose
this great and generous idea to the risk of not being
realised.
Happily these fears are at an end. On the return
of the Czar he heard the verbal report of his Minister
of the Interior, and signed the acceptancy of the
gift. The £2,000,000 have been or are to be paid
into the Bank of England, and Baron Rothschild and
Baron de Worms, who are appointed trustees, and
who will be replaced in case of death, will receive
the interest of the sum so deposited. It is estimated
that with the annnal interest of about £lOO,OOO it
will be possible to open 1000 schools, receiving 50,000
children, who will thus be rescued from ignorance and
a bad example. Never has such a munificent gift
been made by a rich man in his lifetime to the desti-
tute. It is an act of philanthropy worthy of all
praise.

t-Liveiool, on Saturday, John Brown, formerly a
private of the 10th Hussars, was charged with stealing
£ll3 from Seaforth Barracks on Sept. 29 last, when
the regimental strong-box was broken open and the
money stolen. The prisoner and another private, not
yet in custody, were missed and Brown traced to New
York. Whilst there ho was taken ill and returned to
England, subsequently visiting his sister in the Isle of
Wight. He was remanded.

--- -
A CYNICAL old bachelor Bald: Ideas are like beards;
nobody ever has any till he's grown up.—And how is
it with women? asked a lady; they never have any
beards at all.—Nor ideas, other, answered the
ruffianly old bachelor.
PROUD MOTHER (haughtily) : You allowed your3elf
to be won altogether too easily, Edith !—Edith: I
suppose I did. But as Albert is rather bashful, and I
am nearing 30, I thought it only proper to make it as
easy as possible for him.

-at k irnham on Monday, before a special bench of
magistrates, Henry Bowles was charged with the
murder of Hannah and Edward Bowles, on September
22, at Clamberley. Alfred Bracknell, who had worked
with the prisoner, said the prisoner told him that the
deceased, Edward Bowles, had been taking pills. The
prisoner observed that it was not two or three dal
before, but the day after the date of the death, that he
spoke to witness with respect to Edward Bowles taking
pills. Dr. William H. Twort, Camberley, repeated the
evidence he gave at the inquest. Referring to the
post-mortem examination of Mrs. Bowles, he said he
found the spine arched, the pupils ot the eyes dilated,
the heart pale, flaccid, and empty, but the valves were
healthy. The case was agr,sin adjourned