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

EPITOME OF NEW%

On Saturday, at a granite quarry belonging to Mr.
Emerson, near Newry, a man named Bennett, aged 60
years, met with a shocking accident. A charge of gun-
powder prematurely exploded, blowing off both his
hands from the wrists, and frightfully disfiguring his
face. Bennett was removed to the hospital, where he
now lies in a critical state.
On Saturday Dennis Wearthy, a money-lender, of
Bantry, was fined the maximum penalty, at Skibbereen,
for evicting a tenant named Brien, at Goleen, without
serving due notice on the relieving officer of the Schull
Union. Owing to the eviction, Brien's mother, a very
old woman, was obliged to remain by the roadside all
night.
On Saturday Thomas Taylor, music-hall singer, was
fined n and costs at Manchester for assaulting Peter
Ratcliffe, joiner. The assault was committed outside
the hptel near the Folly Music Hall. A cripple named
Farre 11 had interfered when his aunt, Miss Nellie
Farrell, the well-known singer, was driving off with
defLndant. A disturbance ensued, he was knocked
down, and the complainant was felled with a stick and
kicked.

A most determined suicide occurred at Slough, near
Presteign, on Friday night of last week. A retired
schoolmaster, named Edward Montfort Symns, placed
a revolver to his head, and, discharging it, the bullet
passed through his head and struck the wall. An in-
quest on the body of the deceased was held on Satur-
day evening, when 'the jury returned a verdict of
"Suicide whilst labouring under temporary insanity."
On Saturday, William Rampling, 41, late manager of
the Wimborne Gasworks, was charged at Wimborno
with embezzling money belonging to the company. The
defalcations were discovered over a month ago, and the
prisoner absconded, but was apprehended in London
on Wednesday. He pleaded guilty, and, electing to be
dealt with summarily, was sentenced to six months'
imprisonment with hard labour.
On Saturday, eight evicted tenants, under the Court
of Chancery, on Captain Lloyd's property, at Cappa-
more, refused to pay rent to Mr. Verschoyle, acting for
Mr. Townsend French, receiver, unless consent were
given to reinstate the evicted tenant Ryan. They were
offered 25 per cent. reduction, but as Mr. Verschoyle
refused their other demand, the tenants left in a body,
having adopted the "plan of campaign."
On Saturday evening there was issued to the police a
notice that upon all State occasions those inspectors and
constables who were employed upon such duty should
wear the Jubilee medal given to the Metropolitan Police
last year. On Monday the policemen controlling the
assemblage of sightseers at the levee at St. James's
Palace wore the medal, and that was the first occasion
on which the police have been allowed to wear medals in
London.

On Saturday, at Chesterfield, the Treasury pro-
secuted Messrs. Mason and Son tobacco manufacturers,
of the Spital Mills, for contravening the recently
passed requirements of the law limiting the moisture of
manufactured tobacco to 35 per cent. Out of twelve
special samples taken on March 10 it was stated that
five were excessive. The Somerset House analysis was
admitted by the defendants to be correct, and a penalty
of SI and costs were inflicted.
An inquest was held at Dublin on Saturday afternoon
on the body of Miss Margaret Moxwell, of Seapoint-
terrace, who died from injuries received on Thursday
of last week. Evidence was given that the lady's
actions had been peculiar lately, and about twelve
minutes after her servant left her on Thursday the
house was on fire, and had to be broken into. The
clothes of the deceased smelt strongly of paraffin oil,
and an oil can was found on the landing up stairs. The
coroner expressed the belief that a suicide had been
rommitted, but the jury could not decide whether the
clothes took fire accidentally or otherwise.
On Saturday, at Worcester, Mary Eleanor Powell,
36, widow, and Ellen Humphreys, 20, servant, were
remanded till Friday on the charge of murdering Henry
Powell, publican, who was husband of the first-named
prisoner, and it was stated that a man undergoing a
term of imprisonment will be similarily charged in con-
nection with the same case as soon as an order has been
obtained to bring him up from prison. It was alleged
that Mrs. Powell insured deceased's life for £2OO in
December last, and in January he was taken ill. He
died on April 3, and medical evidence pointed to the
fact that death was due to narcotic poisoning.

During the first month of the current linanchl
year, the Exchequer receipts amounted to £7,510,814,
as compared with £7,831,068 in the corresponding
period of last year; and the expenditure to £9,186,756,
as against £8,858,615. On Saturday last the Treasury
balances stood at £4,321,356, and on the same date last
year at £3,619,130.
A Grand Council of the Primrose League was held at
the Westminster Town Hall on Tuesday. The report
stated that the League had recently made great pro-
gress in numbers. An address of congratulation to the
Prince and Princess of Wales on their silver wedding
was moved by the Duchess of Marlborough, seconded
by the Marchioness of Salisbury, and adopted. The
League also approved the Irish policy of the Govern-
ment.

The provisions of the Local Government Bill were
on Tuesday discussed in detail by the Council of the
Central and Associated Chambers of Agriculiure.
Resolutions were adopted in favour of leaving the
control of the police in the hands of Quarter Sessions,
of omitting the licensing clauses from the bill, and
against any further exemptions from the wheel tax.
Sir George Trevelyan attended on Tuesday evening,
at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, the annnal meeting of
the Liberation Society, and strongly advocated the Dis-
establishment of the English Church in Wales.
The students of the General Theological Seminary,
New York, have sent to the Archbishop of Canterbury,
through Dean Hoffmann and Mr. W. S. Barrows, the
sum of £3OO, of which £l6O is for the relief of the suf-
ferers by famine in Kurdistan; £4O for the support of
eight village schools for one year, and £lOO for printing
the ancient liturgical literature. The interest taken by
the College in the Assyrian Mission is largely due to Mr.
Mcesan, a student from Chaldma.

The 'London Gazette states that the Queen has been
pleased to give orders for the following appointment to
the Most Honourable Order of the Blth : To be an
Ordinary Member of the Military Division of the Third
Class, or Companions of the said Most Honourable
Order, viz.: Honorary Major-General William Knox
Leet, V.C., on the Retired List. The cumn has also
been pleased to direct that this distinction shall take
effect from Ist July, 1887.
The Earl and Countess of Carnarvon have returned
from their voyage to Australia. Lord and Lady Car-
narvon are both in excellent health.

Mr. Charles Sturge, a well-known member of the
Society of Friends, died at Bewdley on Tuesday, in his
88th year.
The statue of Sir Bartle Frere was placed in position
in the gardens of the Victoria Embankment on Tuesday.
It stands not far from the statue of General Outram.
The day upon which the Prince of Wales will unveil
the statue has not yet been fixed.
Sir William Dunbar, the Comptroller General of her
Majesty's Exchequer and Auditor General of Public
Accounts, has, owing to failing health, resigned his
office, after presiding over the Exchequer and Audit
Department for 23 years.
At the Central Criminal Court on Tuesday, Charles
Alfred Burleigh Hart, a clergyman of the Church of
England, was sentenced to penal servitude for life for
a felony of which he was convicted on Saturday.
Francis George Widdows, minister of a chapel at South
Hackney, was found guilty of a conspiracy with Hart,
and was sentenced to 10 years' penal servitude.
Sir Henry Fletcher, M.P., visited Lewes on Tuesday,
and inspected the ground in the immediate neighbour-
hood which has been proposed for the holding of the
annual meeting of the National Rifle Association, in
place of Wimbledon. file ground is situated close to
the railway, and there is an ample supply of excellent
water. Ground for rages varying in length from 200
to 2000 yards is available, no public roads intervening.
The site is backed by rising ground in exactly the
required position, while there are hundreds ,of acres of
elevated ground in the rear adapted for the site of a
camp, and close by which stands the recently abandoned
depot of the Sussex Artillery Militia.
Great excitement was caused in the township of
Church, near Accrington, on Tuesday night, by the
arrest of the Secretary to the Church Conservative Club
for permitting the advertising and drawing for the
lottery about which there has recently been some ques-
tioning in Parliament. After receiving instructions
from the Home Secretary, Police-sergeant Campbell
and a dozen constables searched the Secretary's house
and the Conservative Club simultaneously, and arrested
the secretary, Mr. Arthur Thorp, in the club. The
police seized all papers they could find relating to the
lottery.- Mr. Thorp was removed to the police-station,
but' was subsequently admitted to bail.
An action by Mr. Bradlaugh, M.P., against Messrs.
Colston and Co., printers, Edinburgh, for £5OOO
damages for libel, came before Lord Kinnear ;i1 the
Sessions CoUrt, Edinburgh, on Tuesday. Th, plai itiff
complained of statements made in a life of himself.
published under the name of Charles R. Mackay, which
name he suspected to be fictitious. The plaintiff
wished to recover communications passing between
parties, including the printer and contributors. The
defenders pleaded that the application was premature,
and on that ground the motion was refused.

The new water supply for Wakefield, which has been
secured r.t an estimated cost of £350,000, was formally
turned on by the Mayor, Mr. Alderman Lee, on Tues-
day. The water displaces the previous supply from the
polluted River Calder, and is procured from a river near
Ripponden. It will furnish what is believed to be
one of the best supplies in the country both for domestic
and manufacturing purposes.
Mr. John Fitzgibbon, president of the Castlerea
Branch of the National League, was on Tuesday sen-
tenced to a month's hard labour in Castlebar Gaol for a
speech at Clonfad on March 25, in which he incited the
people not to deal with the police. Mr. Fitzgibbon his
been active in promoting the Plan of Compaign. The
trial took place before Messrs. Beckett and Brady,
resident magistrates.
An inquest was held at Bath on Tuesday night on
the body of a gardener, named John Bryant, who,
while walking in his sleep, fell downstairs, and was
fatally injured. He was found insensible at the foot of
the.stairs, with only his shirt on, and with a pillow
under his arm.

The body of William Stephen aged 24, son of a
thipbuilder in Dundee, who mysteriously disappeared
tix weeks ago, and was supposed to have gone to
America was found in the River Tay on Tuesday.
One hunsred pounds had been offered as a Fewax4!

.

"Boulanger le Petit" is the latest title which some
of the General's enemies apply to him.
A correspondent in Belgrade states that a band of
Montenegrins has invaded a small portion of Servian
territory.
Mr. Dalgleish, the well-known Eastern traveller,
while on his way to Yarkand, was shot by a Pathan,
near a Chinese mountain pass.
From Tangier it is announced that the Sultan of
Morocco still hesitates to submit to arbitration the
matters in dispute with the United States.
Mrs. Samuel Montagu, the wife of the membet for
the Whitechapel Division of the Tower Hamlets, on
Monday declared open for the use of the public the slip
of gardens that circles the moat of the Tower of
London. General Lord Chelmsford, Lieutenant of the
Tower, handed over to Sir William Vincent, vice-
chairman of the Metropolitan Public Gardens Associa-
tion' the key of the grounds, as well as a copy of the
regulations as settled by the authorities and sanctioned
by the Queen. On the conclusion of the ceremonial a
cordial vote of thanks was awarded to Mrs. Montagu,
and to others who had been instrumental in bringing the
scheme to a successful issue.
In a Divisional Court of Queen's Bench, on Monday,
the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Compan y asked
that the judgment of the Court might be ente red for
the company, in the case tried at Leeds, in which a
Mrs. Wharton obtained a verdict for £9O as compensa-
tion for personal injuries. It appeared thatthe plain-
tiff fell from one of the company's carriages whilst
alighting, and evidence was given at the trial that the
top step of the carriage was two feet from the plat-
form, and that the top step projected beyond the second
step. This was argued to be negligence on the part of
the company, and the jury gave the verdict for the
plaintiff. The judge, however, declined to give judg-
ment. The Court now held that it was the duty of a
passenger to "look before he leaped," and that the
plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence. Judg-
ment was, therefore, entered for the defendants.
The Yankees are still to the fore. They have just
launched at Philadelphia a "dynamite cruiser," which
is to surpass in destructive effect anything yet
attempted in the shape of moveable torpedoes. Her
armament includes three guns, built side by side into
the ship, from which will be projected, by means of
compressed air, shells containing each 2001 b. of dyna-
mite. The guns project above the deck at an angle,
and their fire is a plunging one, the vessel being moved
in order to aim the guns.
The number of suicides and attempts at self-destruc-
tion in Birmingham has been quite abnormal lately.
Within a few days two girls have committed suicide by
poisoning because of unrequited love, an aged publican
has hung himself to escape from pain, and on Saturday
a cattle dealer cut his throat in desperation at his
poverty; while a servant girl took vermin killer because
she had been accused of dishonesty, and a man whose
name is unknown took a quantity of poison while seated
in one of the public free libraries. The two last are
alive.
On Sunday night the large china and earthenware
works of Messrs. Fielding, at Stoke-on-Trent, were
partially destroyed by fire. The manufactory, known
as the Railway Works, is in close vicinity to Stoke
Railway-station, and sparks from the fire flew over
passing trains. A number of hands have been thrown
out of employment.
A Reuter's telegram from Sofia states that Mr.
Shipley, the British Vice-Consul, who only lately
arrived there, has received instructions to leave for
Monaster, being replaced at Sofia by the British Vice-
Consul at Adrianople.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has issued instruc-
tions to clergymen that in future marriages must be
only solemnised at the church of the district nearest
the residence of the contracting parties, and not at the
parish church, unless the latter happens to be also the
district church.
Police-constable Samuel Parish, 215 Y, died at the
Royal Free Hospital, London, at an early hour on
Monday morning. The constable was stationed at the
Caledonian-road Police Station, and on Sunday night
he attempted to jump from a tramcar just opposite the
station whilst it was in motion. He fell, and sustained
concussion of the brain. He was removed to the
hospital in an insensible condition, and never rallied.
A Limerick telegram states that 12 men of the
Derbyshire Regiment broke out of barracks on Sunday
night, and, after a fight with the civilians, were
brought back by armed police. Two civilians were
arrested.
A public meeting on behalf of the Bishop of London's
Fund was held on Monday afternoon the Bishop of
London presiding. He stated that the income of the
year had been but £16,000, or little more than two-
thirds of the sum received in the preceding year. The
Duke of Westminster moved, and the Bishop of Bed-
ford seconded, a resolution, which was adopted, de--
claring that a sustained effort was required to supply
clergy and lay agents, as well as churches and mission
buildings for the new inhabitants of the continually in-
creasing metropolis.
The Bishop et London presided at the annual meet-
ing of the National Temperance League. The report
stated that the educational work continued to be car-
ried on steadily, and the work in the army and navy was
still attended with most encouraging results. The
Bishop of Sodor and Man, in the course of a speech,
stated that there were now 25,000 pledged abstainers in
the British army.
A meeting of the West Southwark Conservative
Association was held on Monday night, when the
selection by the Executive of Mr. W. F. Drew, of
Upper Norwood, as Conservative candidate at the
next election was unanimously approved by the Asso-
ciation.
The Conservative Committee of the Eastern Division
of Cambridgeshire have selected Mr. H. A. Giffard,
Q.C., as a candidate for the division. He will shortly
meet the electors at Newmarket, the headquarters of
the division.
Mr. F. J. F. Kirby, solicitor, and until recently a
member of the Town Council, was arrested at Leicester
on Monday evening on a charge of fraud, the allegation
being that he obtained money by false pretences in con-
nection with some banking transactions. A meeting of
Mr. Kirby's creditors, he being bankrupt, was held on
Monday afternoon, when the Official Receiver produced
a statement of affairs which showed total liabilities
£89,000; the unsecured liabilities amount to £41,000,
and there is a deficiency of £36,000. The Official Re-
ceiver said £36,000 had disappeared, and large sums
had been lost in connection with transactions at Widnes,
Runcorn, and Farnborough, and he believed the debtor
and his former partner, a solicitor, named Woodcock,
who has since been struck off the rolls, were insolvent
ten years ago. The solicitor for the debtor made no
offer, and Mr. Wykes was appointed trustee, with a
Committee of Inspection.
The Leicester Cremation Society have forwarded to
Mr. Ritchie, President of the Local Government
Board, a strong appeal for the insertion_of a clause in
the Local Government Bill to enable local authorities
to provide crematories as well as cemeteries. It is
proposed to establish a crematory at Leicester for the
Central Midland districts, including Nottingham,
Derby, and Northampton.
Samuel Shaw, a dwarf, was charged at Sandbach,
Cheshire' with attempting to murder Mary Goodier, at
Holine's Chapel, and also with attempting to commit
suicide. The evidence showed that the prosecutrix
and the prisoner had been keeping company for 15
years. In July last she wished to terminate the engage-
ment. She had some money left her, and the prisoner
had no work. The prisoner refused to break off the
engagement, and, in a letter, said, "Revenge is
sweet." He went to her place of service on the 29th
of February, and asked the prosecutrix if she still
wished to cut him. She said that she did. The pri-
soner pulled a revolver from his pocket, and shot her in
the side and ann. He then discharged another barrel
in his own mouth. For a time he lay in a precarious
condition. The prisoner questioned the prosecutrix
as to whether she told him to discontinue his visits, and
she said she wrote to him to that effect. He was com-
mitted for trial.

A number of trawl-fishing skippers were prosecuted
at Grimsby on Monday by the Board of Trade,
under the provisions of the International Fisheries
Convention, for damaging the lines and buoys of the
Belgian schooner Succes, Captain Michaux, on the 16th
June last, on the Dogger Bank. The evidence showed
that defendants put out in boats from an English fleet
of smacks, cut the lines, cast the buoys adrift, arid
hoisted a buoy flag at the mast-head in derision. The
defence was that it was believed these lines were drift
lines, and that there was no penalty for picking them
up. As soon as it was found there was fish attached,
the lines were cast back. Eight defendants were fined
£lO each, and an order was made that Captain Michaux
should be recouped out of these fines.
A cottage home, in connection with the Brixton
Independent Church, was opened at Herne Bay on
Monday, when the Rev. Dr. Stevenson and a number
of friends visited the place. The home is named the
Baldwin Brown Cottage Home, in memory of the late
pastor of the church. It has been furnished at the
cost of numerous friends, and sufficient funds have beep
secured to meet all demands for the first year, while an
anonymous donor has promised £5O per annum for three
years. The object is to give the sick poor of Lambeth
who come under the cognisance of the district visitors
of the Brixton Church an opportunity of rest and
change.
" Major " Roberts, of the Salvation Army, was, at
the Torquay Police-court on Monday, fined £5 for
taking part in a procession, accompanied by instru-
mental music, on Sunday. Four other members of the
army were severally fined £2, and another £1 for a
similar offence, and the chairman of magistrates
strongly denounced the conduct of the defendants, who,
he said, merely created excitement to get money for
" General " Booth. Defendants said they would go tc
prison rather than pay the fines, and the magistrates
ordered the issue of distress warrants.
An inquest was held at Ramsgate, on Monday, con
cep-ling the death of Thomas Frederick Pertwee, ac-
countant, residing at Leytonstone, Essex, who was
found on Sunday in a senseless condition near South-
wood House, Ramsgate. It appeared from the evi-
dence of the brothers of the deceased and an attendant
that he was insane. He had escaped from a boarding-
house and purchased two bottles of brandy, which were
almost consumed. He died a few hours after being
found. No traces of poison were discovered.
A strange affair is reported as having occurred at
Abercanaid, near Merthyr Tydvil. A married woman,
named Jane Gibbs, was on Monday found drowned in
the canal immediately opposite her own house, the door
of which was locked. On an entrance being forced, the
dead woman's husband was found lying on the flocir,
apparently intoxicated. At first he affected unconcern,
but when he saw his wife's body he flew to Merthyr,
where he was arrested in a public-house, and is detained
in custody.
Henry Phillips, secretary of the Atlas Building
Society, was at Bristol, on Monday, charged on remand
with embezzlement and obtaining money by false
pretences, amounting to about £3OOO. The society,
whose liabilities were stated to be £26,000, with assets
about £7OOO, is being wound up under an order of the
County-court judge, and the present prosecution is the
result of investigations by the official liquidator. The'
case is expected to last some days.
Mr. E. C. Horrell, a student at the Yorkshire Col-
lege, was at Leeds, on Monday, committed to goal for
two months, for stealing books from the reference ,
department of the Leeds Free Library, and also from a '
fellow student. The books which were stolen from the
library had the leaves which bore the library stamp cut
out. Prisoner, who is 18 years of age. ii *l;e sou of op
Wesleyan minister; .