The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-05-08 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

There are at present 740 old soldiers in Franca
have served under the First Napoleon, and tea
whom receives a life annuity of 250 francs. It is 6
that this venerable battalion loses annually o
average 185 of its members, and it may thus
pected that within the next four years the last veteran
will take his departure from this life.
An inquest was held on Saturday evening on the
body of Miss Florence Alliston, of St. Filieu's House,
Eastbourne, who was burnt to death whilst using a
spirit lamp. A verdict of "Accidental death" was re-
turned. Several jurymen objected to inquests being
held in cases of accident, and maintained that a medical
certificate as to the cause of death should be sufficient.
The coroner replied that the law compelled inquests in
cases of fatal accident.
An extraordinary affair occurred at Ssuth Shields on
Saturday, involving the sudden and unexpected termis
tation of the tramcar service. During the night the
whole of the tramcars and horses were removed from
the town, causing inconvenience and disappointment to
numbers of persons. This action is attributed to the
fact that the Tramcar Company is indebted to the South
shields Corporation for the rental of lines.
James Walker, who at Nottingham on Saturday night
week killed his son, two years and eleven months old,
by cuttisig his throat with a razor, and afterwards
attempted to commit suicide' was on Saturday taken
before the borough magistrates and committed for
trial on the capital charge. At the funeral of the
Child the mother, to whose misconduct Walker attn.'
buted his crime, was made the subject cf a hostile
demonstration on the part of the crowd, and was with
difficulty protected by the police from violence .
Sir Edmond Elton, of Clevedon Court, SomerseNaire,
was seriously injured on Saturday. When riding
through Long Ashton, with his son, on a tandem
tricycle, he was met by a restive horse attached to a
trap. In making room for the vehicle to pass the large
wheel of the machine struck the kerb stone, throwing
Sir Edmond and his son into the road. The elder
gentleman fell upon his head, and suitained a bad
wound. A doctor passing at the time having dressed
it, Sir Edmund was conveyed to his residence
The annual sales of oak timber, the property of the
Ecclesiastical Commissioners, Earl Cowper, and other
landed proprietors in Kent, have been held during the
past week, and have been attended by most disappoint-
ing results. Owing to the agricultural and general
depression there was a very restricted demand, and
absolutely none for the large trees. The net result of
the sales shows a decline of 30 per cent, on the prices
realised last year.
On Saturday evening Sir F. Leighton, President of
the Royal Academy of Art, presided at the annual
dinner, at which were present the Prince of Wales, the
Duke of Cambridge, the Lord Chancellor, the Marquis
of Ripon, the Earl of Rosebery, and other Ministers,
the Marquis of Salisbury, the Marquis of Bute, and
many other noblemen, as well as representatives of
other countries, and a largo number of artists.
The ravages of the sea on the Kentish coast between
Reculvers and Ramsgate are becoming more serious.
Nearly the whole of the wall protecting the estate of
the late Sir Moses Montefiore has disappeared, part of
the wall of Kingscote Castle has been carried away, and
more than one footpath and carriage road has been
stopped by rapid encroachments.
The old colours (known as the
_Crimean Colours) of
the 50th Queen's Own Regiment were with becoming
ceremony, on Saturday, deposited in All Saints' Church,
Maidstone, the town in which are the head-quarters of
the Regimental District. A large company of officers
attended, including representatives of the Regular,
Militia, and Volunteer battalions which now comprise
the Royal West Kent Regiment, of which the old 50th
is the first battalion. The church was filled in every
part. The colours, carried by Majors Brock and Wyne
yard, were received by the Rev. E. F. Dyke' the vicar of
Maidstone, and, after an imposing service, deposited in
their final resting place against a pillar on the north
side of the aisle, and facing those of the old 97th
Regiment (2nd Battalion, Royal West Kent).
Two brothers named Houlihan who had been en-
gaged in Moonlighting in the neighbourhood of Ennis,
were captured by the police on Saturday. Late on
Friday night they attacked the house of a farmer named
Rogers, at Lies, near Cahir, and fired shots into it.
Two police-officers on patrol pursued them, but lost
sight of them for a time. Early in the morning the
men were arrested. One of them had his face black,
ened, and the other was wiping the black from his face.
The prisoners were later in the day examined by
magistrates, and committed for trial at Clare Assizes,
bail being refused.
The Lord Lieutenant and the Countess of Aberdeen
were present on Saturday evening at the distribution
of prizes to the male pupils of the Model Farm at Gies-
nevin. The Countess of Aberdeen presented the
prizes, and the Lord Lieutenant, addressing the pupils
subsequently, said he was glad to see that they were
not deterred from agricultural pursuits by the period
of depression and transition through which they were
now passing. They had had such periods before, but
they had passed away, and this would pass away too.,

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