The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-12-18 00:00:00

A LITTLE STROKE OF BUSINESS:

The Paris correspondent of the Daily Telegraph
says :—An extraordinary case of swindling, in which
the tables were completely turned on a. provincial
money-lender, has lately occurred in Prance. It
appears that one of the tribe of rastagneres, as the
sharp-witted practitioners of the Jingle genus are
denominated, after Balza°, went to Bordeaux for the
purpose of effecting a stroke of business. He passed
himself off on some of the unsophisticated inhabitants
of that great provincial city as the Baron de Lussac,
son of the late Cora Pearl and Of a certain princely
personage, whose name it is needless to mention.
After having amused himself by a few amorous
adventures in Bordeaux, the Baron returned to Paris,
and deputed an accomplice of his, named Schaeffar,
to borrow £2OO from a M. Bouffalais, a Bor-
deaux money-lender. Bouffalais advanced half the
sum, but went with Schaeffer to Paris in order
to see the pseudo, baron, whom he found to be a
veritable reproduction of the prince who was
given out as his father. The money-lender, enchanted
to make the acqnaintance of so distinguished a person
as the Baron do Lussac, who seemed to be the very
quintessence of Parisian pschuttisme, parted with
another .ClOO. While awaiting the return of his
capital, with interest, M. Bouffalaif unburthened him-
self to a legal luminary, who opened his eyes a little.
It seems that he had lent the first instalment of the
loan to enable the false baron to pay a fine inflicted
upon him for having assaulted the police. In Paris, M.
Bouffalais learnt from his instructor in the rudiments
of law, no one is ever fined £lOO for an assault on the
police, the maximum penalty for such an offence
being £B. The money-lender had his two debtors
arrested at once, and the pair appeared before the
Correctional Tribunal. The self-dubbed baron turned
out to be a Prussian named Prinx, and he told the
judge that he had acted as a jeune premier at the
London Aquarium, his real profession being that of
a player. He was condemned to three months' im-
prisonment, and his accomplice to 18 months.

I ADMIRE that beautiful hymn, "I Would Not Live
Alway," so much, said Miss Shouter to her brother.
You seem to, was the response. I think the senti-
ment is so touching and so full of truth, she went on.
Yes, sis ; I feel just that way every time you start to
sing it, was the unfeeling reply.
Tnn HONEST NEWSBOY.— A newsboy was passing
along the Strand,wben he chanced to discover a purse
of sovereigns. He was at first inclined to conceal it,
but, repelling the unworthy suggestion, he asked a
venerable man if it was his'n. The venerable man
looked at it hurriedly, said it was, patted him on the
head, gave him half-a-crown, and said he would yet
be an editor. The venerable man then hastened away,
bct was arrested for having counterfeit coin in his
possession, while the honest newsboy played odd man
with his humble half-crown and ran it up to seven-
and sixpence. Honesty sometimes is the best
policy.
HE WANTED THUNDER RODEL—YOII see, said the
farmer to the lightning rod agent, it ain't lightning
that Pm afeared of, it's thunder. Thunder aliens
paralyzes me. I don't want no lightnin' rods. Well,
admitted the agent, I think myself that thunder is
the more dangerous of the two. What you want is
thunder rods. Have you' got thunder rods? Oh,
yes, the brass tipped are for lightning, and the
nickel tipped for thunder, but the latter costs a little
more, I guess you can put up a few of them thunder
rods, said the farmer. I don't payin' a little extry
so long as I feel safe.
ONLY A MUFF !—The following anecdote was told
wiLli great glee at a dinner by William IV., then
Duke of Clarence: I was riding in the park the other
day, on the road betweAn Teddington and Hampton
Wick, when I was overtaken by a butcher's boy on
horseback, with a tray of meat under his arm. Nice
pony that of yours, old gentleman, said he. Pretty
fair, was my reply. Mine's a good 'un, too, rejoined
he, and I'll trot you to Hampton Wick for a pot of
beer. I declined the match, and the butcher's boy,
as he stuck his single spur into the horse's side, ex•
claimed with a look cf c.ontemit, I thought you were
only a muff ! •

THE CAMPAIGN IN BURMAH,
DEFEAT OF THE INSURGENTS.
MANDALAY, Dec. 13.
Six columns will start on the 15th inst. to attack
80-Shway. Brigadier-General Low will direct the
combined movement. Sir Charles Bernard is un-
well.

MANDALAY, Dec. 13.

An engagement took place yesterday between
Colonel Gatacre's column and a body of insurgents
near Pakoka. A detachment of Bombay Lancers
charged the enemy, killing 200, and wounding many.
others. The Lancers subsequently pursued the rebels
for over a mile, and captured a quantity of arms.
Lieutenant-Colonel Heyland, Ist Bombay Lancers;
and one private were wounded.
General Lockart's Brigade has cleared the country
east of Yetnethen, and is now working in a westerly.
direction. The force under General Cox is operating
against Woontha.
General Stewart is scouring the country in the
direction of the Ruby mines. He reports that Hlaoo's
followers continue to surrender.
RANGOON, Dec. 13.

The Official Summary for the week states that the
Kymendine Prince is reported to have been wounded,
and to have fled to Yemethen.

The parties of men working on the Ningyan and
Yernethen Railroad have been undisturbed by the in-
surgents, but the Sintbewa and Tonghoo roads are
still troubled by dacoits. 80-Shway is reported to
be at Ngapee. Numerous small dacoities have oc-
curred during the week, resulting in slight losses tn
the insurgents.

MANDALAY, Dec. 14.

Colonel Aitken attacked a Dacoit village near
Syoukse. The enemy were in strong force, but were
driven out of their position after some sharp fighting.
Colonel Aitken lost three men killed and six wounded.
The loss of the Dacoits is not known.