The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-05-26 00:00:00


EPITOME OF NEWS

Lady Salisbury held her third reception at the town
family mansion in Arlingtonstreet on Wednesday night.
.Previously the Marquis and Marchioness received at
dinner the Prince and Princess Christian of Schleswig-
Holstein and Prince Albert Christian, the Duke and
Duchess of Westminster, Mrs. Phelps and Mr. Charles
Phelps, the Earl and Countess of Rosalyn, the Earl of
Selborne and Lady Sophia Palmer, the Countess of
Lathom and Lady Maud Wilbraham, Viscount and
Viscountess Cranborne, Mr. Chamberlain and. Miss
Chamberlain, Mr. H. Chaplin, Sir H. James, and Hon.
Mrs. Stopford, and the Equerry-in-Waiting on Prince
and Princess Christian. Lady Salisbury's party was
very largely attended.
It is stated that the Negus of Abyssinia apparently
intends undertaking operations against the Soudanese
dervishes.
In the Chancery Division, on Wednesday, Mr.
Justice Keke-tich granted an injunction restraining Mr.
Benham, a medical man, from carrying on the
"Queen's Jubilee Hospital "at No. 6, Gloucester.
terrace, South Kensington, in a specified manner,
objection having been made by persons interested in
neighbouring property. The injunction would not
operate for six months.
The exchange Telegraph Company learns that an
action of a sensational kind affecting one of the big
public schools has been set down for trial in the Queen's
Bench next sitting. The plaintiff, a young gentleman
of position, brings the action for damages for alleged
wrongful expulsion from the school under painful cir-
cumstances. Sir Charles Russell, Sir Henry James,
and Mr. Finlay have all been retained.

From a return which has been laid on the table of
the House of Commons by Mr. BPdfour, it appears that
between 1881 and 1887 there were 14 eases of increase
of sentences on appeal. The numbers were in 1881,
two; 1882, four; 1883, one; 1884, three; 1885, one ;
1886, two; 1887, one. Total, 14. Eight of these cases
took place in Tipperary.
At Hanwood, near Shrewsbury, an inquest was held
on the body of a farm labourer, named George Tipton,
who was drowned while engaged with his father-in-law,
George Edwards, washing sheep in a weir hole of the
river Rea. The deceased was drowned in the sight of
nearly a dozen persons, none of whom made any effort
to save him. Edwards was only three yards from the
deceased, but he exhibited most inhuman callousness,
and after the deceased had sunk called for another
sheep to wash. At the request of the jury, the Coroner
severely reprimanded Edwards for his inhumanity.
The licensing clauses of the Local Government Bill
were discussed by the magistrates of Westmoreland at
the adjourned Quarter Sessions. The following resolu-
tion was passed: "That, in the opinion of this Court,
it is desirable that the licensing clauses of the Local
Government Bill .should he struck out, and that the
licensing question would be better dealt. with in a
separate bill."

The Carnarvonshire coroner held an inquest on
Tuesday, at Penrygwyd, on the body of Mr. Alfred
Evans, solicitor, of Manchester and Liverpool, who
was killed on Sunday night whilst crossing Snowdon.
It appears that he was attempting to scale the great
peak by one of the most difficult and precipitous
ascents, and became enveloped in the clouds and mist.
He verged from the path on the dangerous cliff of
Clogwyngwedd, which is well-known to tourists, and
was precipitated over the ridge, a depth of nearly 300
feet, and dashed to pieces. The jury returned a ver-
dict of "Accidental death."
A sad boating fatality occurred on the River Trent,
near Nottingham, on Tuesday. A Mr. Taylor, with his
twa daughters and a gentleman nanled Large, went out
in a small sailing boat. As they were rounding a bend
of the river at Colwick, a sudden gust of wind caught
the sail and the boat capsized. Mr. Large and one of
the y Dung ladies were drowned, but the other two clung
to the boat and were saved by some persons who wit-
nessed the occurrence. _

A correspondent having asked Lord Derby whether
he was in favour of the payment of compensation to
publicans for the cancelling of their licences, has re-
ceived the following reply: "In answer to your letter,
received several days ago, I have no hesitation in saying
that I think some compensation due to a publican whose
licence is taken away without fault, or alleged fault, on
his part, but merely because the local authorities wish
to diminish the number of public-houses. It is quite
true that licences are granted for a year only, and I
apprehend that the local authorities have a legal power
to decline renewing them without cause assigned; but
as a matter of practice they never are withdrawn except
in consequence of misconduct, and it is obvious that no
man in hia senses would incur the expense of putting up
a public-house if he had reason to expect that his right
to carry on the business would be arbitrarily withdrawn
at a few months' notice. In the case of any other busi-
ness than that of a publican I can hardly imagine that
the question would have been raised."
Two cases of felony were disposed of by the magis-
trates sitting at Battle on Tuesday. In one Moses
Lawrence, a farm labourer, was sent to prison for one
month for stealing one cwt. of nitrate of silver, the
property of his master, a farmer of Ewhurst, which
had been given to him to place on the land; and
George Huntley was charged with stealing a watch,
the property of the son of the landlord of the Bell
Inn, Mountlield. The prisoner was committed for two
months.
At the Bedford Police-court, Digby Cole, profes-
sional swimmer, of Douglas, Isle of Man, and Elizabeth
Shannon, alias Beresford, domestic servant, Aldershot,
were charged with stealing a portmanteau, containing
wearing apparel, value £l3, from the London and
North-Western station, the property of Mrs. Ida Betts,
of Ballspond Farm, London. It appears the female
prisoner lived with Cole, and on arriving at Bedford
she stole the portmanteau without Cole's knowledge.
The prisoners were arrested by Detective Hayes' in
the service of the company. The female prisoner de-
claring the man knew nothing about the theft, Cole
was discharged, and Shannon was sentenced to a
month's hard labour.
Mr. W. Haughton presided over the annual moveable
delegation of the Order of Druids at Darlington. A
report presented showed that the total worth of the
society had largely increased during the year. Mr.
Luther Steele, of Sheffield, was elected Grand Master.
Mr. Healy, M.P., speaking at the fortnightly meet-
ing of the National League on Tuesday, declared that
so far as the Plan of Campaign and boycotting were
concerned, he remained, in the face- of the Papal
Rescript, a wholly unrepentant and unregenerate
sinner.
The Earl and Countess of Aberdeen opened a bazaar
at Plymouth on Tuesday in aid of the fund for pro-
moting Liberal work in the borough. Addressing the
company, Lord Aberdeen referred to the important
work in which Liberals were engaged, and acknow-
ledged the assistance which ladies were rendering them
in various ways.
Five persons were charged at the Thames Police-
ccurt on Tuesday with being concerned in dealing with
spirits, with intent to defraud her Majesty's Customs:
The spirits had been concealed in drums, in the centre
of which was a tube containing oil, so that this would be
found if a stick were put in. It was stated that they
were liable to a fine of £5200, and they were dis-
charged to be re-arrested and taken to the High Court.
The revenue received from April Ist to the 19th
instant amounts to £12,113,495, or £127,108 less than
£12,237,603 received in the corresponding period end-
ing May 21, 1887. The expenditure up to the 19th
inst. was £12,975,195, being £1,111,952 more than the I
expenditure for the similar period of 1887-8. The
balances on the 19th inst. amounted to £3,940,598, and
on May 21, 1887, to £3,484,716. -
On Tuesday a portion of the 13th Hussars, from
Leeds, and the Ist Battalion of the Leicestershire Regi-
ment, from Pontefract, arrived at Strensall to open the
camp for regulars, militia, and volunteers, which is to
continue through the summer and autumn. By the end
of the week large parties of men belonging to other
regiments quartered at Bradford, York, and Sheffield
will have arrived, the whole being placed under the com-
mand of Colonel Cox. The Leicestershire Militia join
the camp at once, and subsequently, up to the sth of
August, the camp will include in successive parties the
three militia battalions of the Derbyshire Regiment,
those of the Yorkshire, Yorkshire Light Infantry, York
and Lancaster, and King's Liverpool Regiment. The
volunteer battalions ordered to join are nine in number,
drawnirom Yorkshire, Liverpool, Staffordshire, Derby-
shire, and Shropshire.
On Tuesday, in York Minster, after two postpone-
ments owing to the non-completion of legal formalities,
the Archbishop of York consecrated the Rev. John
James Pulleine as Suffragan Bishop of Ripon, under
the title of Bishop of Penrith. The Bishops of Durham
and Ripon were the assistant prelates. The new bishop
was formerly assistant master of Marlborough College
and curate of St. Giles's-in-the-Fields, and has held
several official posts in the Ripon diocese.
An inquest was held before Mr. Coroner Tatlock on
Tuesday respecting the death of Edwin Toulton Martin,
28, of St. Domingo-vale Liverpool, who was killed on
Monday at Mostyn Station. From the evidence it
appeared that deceased tried to jump on a train while
it was in motion, and was dragged along half the length
of the platform. Deceased was afterwards brought to
the Chester Infirmary, where the left leg was amputated,
and from the shock of which he died. .A. verdict to that
effect was returned.

At the Croydon Borough Police-court on Tuesday
Thomas Calley, of 11, Cuthbert-road, was charged on
a summons with having failed to abate a nuisance at
certain premises in Handcift-road. The Town Clerk
(Mr. C. M. Elborough) appeared for the Corporation,
and called evidence to prove that defendant occupied a
yard, and allowed 20 or 30 persons to live in it in vans
and tents. The yard was in an unsanitary condition
throughout., and Mr. Philpot, medical officer of health,
said he did not believe the premises would ever be in a
sanitary state. Defendant promised to do the required
work, and the summons was thereupon adjourned.
The antique custom of "Well dressing" was duly
observed on Tuesday at Derby, when the well or spring
known as St. Alkmund's was most artistically treated.
This pretty custom, in addition to Derby, is annually
celebrated at Wirksworth, Buxton, Tissington, and a
few other places in the county. Small-pox is unfortu-
nately increasing. The latest case is that of a young
man who, after the initial signs of the disease had mani-
fested themselves, slept at workhouses at Walsall, Lich-
field, Burton, and Derby, mixed with other inmates at
oakum-picking, and on the journey from place to place
called at many private and public-houses.
A serious case of pocket-picking in which the thieves
hail from the metropolis and the visitors are also from
London was heard before the magistrates at -Hastings,
on Tuesday. The prisoners were respectably attired
women named Davis and Brown. It appears that
_ _ _ _ _

Detective Coppard saw Davis in the post office feeling
Oeople's pockets, whilst Brown kept watch at the door.
He followed them into Robertson-street and there saw
Davis working at the pocket of Mrs. Alice Rogers, wife
of a letter sorter in a London post office, who was look-
ing in at a shop window. The detective spoke to Mrs.
Rogers, and she then discovered that she had been
robbed of her purse containing some shillings in silver
and a pair of gold earrings. At the same time the
other prisoner was trying a similar trick with another
lady, Mrs. Charles Andrew Harman, of 12, Dagrnar-
road, Stroud-green, London, outside a shop a little
further on in the same street. Both prisoners were
then apprehended and the coins and articles mentioned
found in their possession. The prisoners had taken
apartments in St. Leonards for a week and occupied a
double-bedded room and a drawing-room. On the
application of the chief-constable prisoners were
remanded for a week for further inquiries to be made.
Davis complained of being ill, and asked for a bed to
lie on. She was told she could see a doctor.
A disastrous fire occurred at Pembroke Dock on
Whit-Tuesday, about one o'clock in the morning, re-
sulting in the complete destruction of a biscuit bakery
and ironmonger's shop, together with two dwelling-
houses adjoining. Had it not been for the supply of
water from her Majesty's Dockyard in all probability
the whole block would have been destroyed.
William Farley, better known aa " Wing " Farley, a
notorious character who some time since attacked the
mail cart on the Sandwich-road and assaulted the
driver, was charged at the Ramsgate Town Hall on
Tuesday with being drunk and disorderly and assault-
ing the police. There were 23 previous convictions
against him: one for severely injuring a constable by
knocking him down with an iron bar. He pleaded
guilty to both charges, and during the examination he
behaved in a most eccentric manner, muttering and
gibbering in a sort of unknown tongue. The chairman
sentenced him to 14 days' hard labour for being drunk,
and four months for assaulting the police.

At the Guildford County-court, Judge Lushington
has heard an application for the discharge of the Hon.
Archibald North, second son of Lord Nerth. The
bankrupt, who is at present a sergeant in the Royal
Dragoons, failed with liabilities amounting to nearly
£BOOO, the only asset being an annuity of £lOO. The
tradesmen's debts, amounting to £783, were met by the
father paying 10s. in the pound. The balance con-
sisted of money borrowed, at a high rate of interest, in
settlement of which Lord North had offered ss. in the
pound, but the offer had been refused. His honour, in
giving judgment, said he was sorry to see the son of a
peer,
.and one bearing an honoured name, in such a
position. The money-lenders had been much to blame,
but the debtor's conduct had been discreditable and
disgraceful, as about £2OOO was really due to the
money-lenders. Judgment was to be entered for £5OO,
and execution was not to be issued without the leave of
the Court and not until there was satisfactory evidence
• that the bankrupt had, since his bankruptcy, acquired
• property or an income available for payment of his
debts.
At the Sheffield Bankruptcy Court an application
came before the judge to sanction an arrangement for
:the payment of a composition of 28. in the pound, in
the affairs of Benjamin Jacobs, described as a financial
agent. The Official Receiver opposed the application,
and said the debtor had lost considerable sums of
money in Stock Exchange transactions. In one case,
' between November, 1885, and May, 1886, he had deal-
ings amounting to nearly £so,ooo, in which his loss
was £1245. The total of his losses on his dealings in
stocks and shares was £3227. The debtor had originally
possessed a capital of £3000; but his assets, after the
payment of preferential creditors, were nil. The Official
Receiver contended that the debtor's transactions were
*reckless, and that the arrangement for the payment of
:a composition ought not to be sanctioned. The judge
took time to consider his decision.