The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-07-26 00:00:00


3tourtlrible (9'4scriler.

SATURDAY, JULY 26, 1878.

CURRENT TOPICS.

M.M. Erekmann-Chatrian are now writing for
" Cassell's Magazine "a serial story founded on a
quartermaster s narrative of personal adventures
during a recent campaign in iCabylia.

From a statement made by a contemporary, it
appears that the Countess of Loudoun has pur-
chased the estates of the Earl of Stamford and
Warrington adjoining those of the late Marquis
of Hastings, at Castle Doningtou, Leicestershire,
to which the Countess succeeded in 1868. The
price was £187,000; exclusive of the 300 acres of
timber, which her ladyship takes by valuation.

It will be seen from our advertising columns
that the lialesowen :Ind Hagley Floral and Horti-
cultural Exhibition, which is annually held alter-
nately at the above places, will take place on
Tuesday next, at Hagley Park. This is by far
the most important exhibition of the kind held in
this district, the numerous and valuable prizes
given away attracting a large number of competi-
tors. Added to this, the natural and artilical
beauties of the park in which it is held, which has
been rendered classic by the fact that the poet
Thomson there wroth his beautiful poem "The
Seasons," always draws together a large and
aristocratic assemblage. And whilst the eyes of
the florist and horticulturist are feasted with the
lovely contrast of colours and forms in both flowers
and foliage, the ears of the musically inclined will
be ravished with the sweet harmony of Synyer
and Gilmer's Band, acknowledged to be one of the
very best in the Midland Counties. Should the
weather prove fine, we can, therefore, confidently
predict for the exhibition an unequivocal success.

If the statements of a Mr. J. J. McAndrew, a
surgeon practising in Limehouse, London, are to
be relied upon, it is evident that the much dreaded
malady Asiatic Cholera, has made its appearance
amongst us. He is in every way qualified to give
an opinion upon the matter, as he has had consider-
able experience during the last cholera epidemic
in assisting his late brother Dr. McAndrew. He
says that he was called into attend a young man who
was suffering from choleraic symptons on Sunday
last; and that the patient died in six hours from
the commencement of the attack. The only way
of meeting this virulent disease is at once to
attend vigilantly to everything pertaining to
sanitary matters. In this case cleanliness is not
only next to Godliness, but it is absolutely the
only means we have of opposing the spread of the
disease. Pure air, pure water, cleanliness in our
dwellings, and abstinence from unwholesome fruit
will do much towards mitigating the evil. We
only hope that our readers will take precautionary
measures in time, and not wait until the enemy
has made its appearance amongst us.

A wonderf al life-saving invention was on Tues-
day last, severely tested at Devonport. Sir
William King Hall, K.C.8., Admiral.Snperinten-
dent of the Dockyard, and Mr. Alezander Moor
also of the Dockyard, are the joint inventors, and
they have discovered the means of rendering
ordinary boats unsinkable without restricting their
carrying powers. Cork is fitted to the lower part
of the thwarts and stern benches, and also between
the gunwale and the thwarts at the boat's side,
besides which a belt of cork runs outside. A
service cutter, fitted in this manner, was filled
with water, and 40 men got into her. The boat
did not show the slightest indication of founder-
ing, and when afterwards she was intentionally
capsized, she was righted in five seconds. If a
boat were to break to pieces on the rocks, each
fragment would become a life buoy. The invention
is not patented, and the inventors are prepared
to give the fullest information on the subject.

The case for the defendant has at length been
opened in the Tichborne trial, and from a state-
ment of Dr. Kenealy, in his opening speech, to
the effect that he had "hundreds of witnesses"
to call, it would seem that the termination of this
famous trial is as far off as ever. Dr. Kencaly
animadverted in very strong terms on the jocular
and farcical manner in which Mr. Hawkins had
treated the case, and said "This seat is reserved
for the Queen's Counsel, but my learned friend
has introduced to it the Queen's Jester." He
asked the jury whether in cross-examination, it
was fair to test one man's memory by the collec-
tive memories of 70 or 80 other persons with
minds differently constituted, and, as a natural
sequence, open in each case to receive widely
differring permanent impressions. The learned
counsel opened his address in slow and measured
tones, occasionally warming up into bursts of
forcible eloquence, accompanied by impressive
gestures, which bore the appearances of having
been instigated by the warmth of his own personal
feelings and the thoroughness of his belief in the
genuineness of the cause he was advocating.
Meanwhile the friends of the "Claimant" are
appealing to the public for assistance to enable
them to defray the great pecuniary expenses of
the trial, and the following has been sent to our
office by Mr. Guildford Onslow, M.P. :—" To The
Nation—An Appeal.—ln the trial now pending of
the Claimant to the Tichborne Title and Estates,
while it is a well-known fact, and admitted in
Court, that the resources of the nation are being
lavishly employed to pay the witnesses against
him, some from two hundred to six hundred
pounds each besides expenses; the Government in
proof (we presume) of their professed desire to
afford him a "fair and impartial trial," have
(regardless of the prayers of the people) again
and again refused him all aid to produce the
witnesses essential to his defence. The funds
before subscribed for this purpose, by a generous
Public being utterly exhausted by the heavy
expenses and merciless delapt to which he has
been subjected, the defendant though strong in
the conscious dignity of innocence, now stands
arraigned as a criminal, before a jury of his
countrymen, absolutely penniless, ands bankrupt.
The question is therefore forced home to us as a
Christian nation—as a Freedom loving people—
shall we, to whom in this hour of trial he has
appealed for help, turn a de...f ear to his cry
Shall we, who firmly believe in the justice of his
cause, again see him committed to prison—his
home rendered desolate,and himself and family de-
prived of their inheritance, by one of the most
cruel prosecutions that ever defaced, the annals of
justice? God forbid! From the peer to the
peasant,has sympathy or him been evoked Ahenlet
us give effect to that sympathy, by casting _into the
treasury our mitefor his vindication and support!
Let the Government see and know, that the people
are determined to have justice done; and will not
permit a fellow-countryman to be condemned sin-
heard! "Vines! thnnia Veritas." Donations may
be sent to Sir R. C. D. Tichborne, Bart, No, 2,
Poet's Corner, Westminster."

We have heard of a great many adventures with
rabid dogs ; but one that comes to us from Paris
this week far out-does everything of the kind that
has come within our experience, for its exciting
details. It reads more like the chase of the
" Wild Huntsman," of German legendary lore,
than that of a sober reality. It is a distinguished
velocipede rider, who is in the habit of performing
some remarkable feats on the Boulevard Pereire
daily, who is the hero of the story. A few days
two he appeared at the usual hour, and had
I scarcely bestridden hisbieyele, when cries of' Out
1 of the way ! kill him !" resounded through the
streets. To his astonishment the fool passengers
darted into their houses, closing their doors after
them with a crash, and the velocipedist soon
found that he was left alone on the road. On
turning round to ascertain the cause of this, what
was his dismay to behold an enormous dog, with
staring coat, inflamed eyes, and jaws bathed in
foam, ru.hing madly in his direction. The animal,
which was of the mastiff species perceiving the
bicycle and its rider, at once made after it, and a
chase of the most exciting nature was commenced.
The velocipedist whirled his machine round and
round, taking as many turns as a hare, but this
availed him little, as the horrible brute kept
closely to him, lie at length darted off et full
speed, in the hope of tiring out the animal, when
t.) the consternation of the spectators, hundreds
lif whom were now watching the affair from the
windows, the bicycle broke down, and the rider
was thrown senseless to the ground. The dog
now gathering up his strength for a final bound,
sprang towards his prostrate victim. The melo-
dramatic character of the affair was, however,
carried out to the last, for just at this supreme
moment, when every ,one was expecting a fatal
denouement to the chase, a policeman who had in
some iiip-teriotts manner succeeded in heading the
animal cut uff the dog's fore-paws with his sword,
and the hero shortly afterwards awoke to find
himself "safe and sound."

IT was originally intended when the Endowed
Schools' Scheme for the Stonrbridge Grammar
School was published, to make the Chairman of
the Commissioners an ex-officio member of the
governing body, who are to have the superin-
tendence of the school. It has, however, been