The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-08-21 00:00:00

KILLED BY A CRICKET BALL.

On Monday, Mr. William Carter, coroner for East
Surrey, held an inquest at the Alscot Arms, Willow-
walk. Bermondsey, on the body of John Bertram
Rendle, aged 12 years, the son of a publisher's clerk,
residing at 56, Fort-road, Bermondsey, who dieo,
from the effects of a blow from a cricket ball. It
appeared from the evidence of several witnesses that
deceased with a number of his companions was playing
at cricket in Southwark Park, and in attempting to
catch the ball which had been struck, the deceased
misjudged the distance, and the ball struck him over
the left eye. On arriving home in the evening he
made no complaint of having been hurt, but on
the following morning he became sick and appeared
unwell. The nett morning the deceased appeared
very ill, complained of his head, and the vomit-
ing increased, in consequence of which his mother
took him to Dr. Marshall, who ordered him to be
taken back home and put to bed, at the same time
prescribing some mine. The doctor's instructions
were carried out, a . some of the medicine was given
to the boy, but ha died shortly before 11 o'clock the
same night. Dr. John Marshall, of 143, Grange-
road, Bermondsey, deposed that on the Thursday
previous the deceased was brought to his surgery. He
was very ill, and in a high state of fever, and almost
collapsed. He complained of a pain over his left
eye. Witness prescribed for him, but his case was
very obscure, as witness at that time was perfectly
ignorant of the blow by the cricket ball. He had
since made a post-mortem examination of the body,
and on opening the head he found evidence of me-
ningitis, or inflammation, which was the result of
some violence, such as the blow of a cricket ball as
veferred to in the evidence, and was the cause of
death. A verdict of "Accidental death" was re-
turned.

OBSERVING Little Girl: Mamma, who is that young
man on the other side of the car? Mamma: I dou't
know, dear; why? Observing Little Girl: He looks
so queer. He has three eyebrows. Mamma: How
do you make that out P Observing Little Girl; He
has one over each eye and one over his mouth.

Tlik; AIU.U.A.N- BOUNDARY.
REPORTED RECALL OF THE ENGLISH
COMMISSIONERS.

The Standard on Tnesday said: It has been
decided to recall the English Commission for the
Delimitation of the Afghan Frontier at the earliest
date possible, and notwithstanding that the two
Governments of England and Russia may not then
have come to an agreement on the points relating,' to
Kham-i-Ab and the Khoja Saleh district, referred to
them by their Commissioners.
On Wednesday the newspapers were officially sup-
plied with the following: We are authorised to state
that her Majesty's Government have not decided
upon the immediate withdraival of the Afghan
Boundary Commission. They are in communication
with the Russian Government as to the steps that
should be taken for arriving at an agreement with
regard to the small portion of the boundary in the
neighbourhood of the Oxus which has not been
already traced by the English and Russian Commis-
sioners. Until the Russian answer has been received
no decision will be taken as to the date of the with-
drawal of the British Commission; but it is intended
that it shall return to India before next winter.

The Standard on Wednesday in addition to giving
the official coutradiction published the following : A
telegram received through Renter's Agency from
Simla last night says: According to present arrange-
ments, the British members of the Afghan Boundary
Commission will return to India next month by way
of Cabul.

Our Vienna correspondent, telegraphing last night,
says: "The announcement in the Standard this
morning that the British Cabinet had decided upon
recalling the English members of the Frontier Com-
mission from Afghanistan has been telegraphed to all
the Vienna papers, and besides producing no little
excitement in political circles has had the effect of
depressing the Vienna Bourse to-day. During the first
half of last year Europe was much agitated by the
Anglo-Russian dispute in reference to Afghanistan,
and it is about a year since an arrangement was
arrived at between the London and St. Petersburg
Cabinets, which gave a pacific turn to the matter by
the mutual agreement to despatch Commissioners for
the demarcation of the Russo-Afghan boundary. It
is only a few days since information reached Vienna
from independent sources to the effect that the Ameer
was certain eventually to take up arms to defend his
possessions if Russia were again to lay hands on
Afghan territory." . .

Our Berlin correspondent telegraphs :—" The state-
ment published by the Standard that the British
Government had resolved to recall the English
members of the Afghan Delimitation Commission
produced a general sensation here to-day, and caused
a depression on the Berlin Exchange, especially in
Russian stock. Public opinion he:: e, on the whole,
inclines to the view that England could not be blamed
for losing patience with Russia on account of her
arbitrary, unprincipled, and high-handed proceedings
in Central Asia, and her repeated breaches of faith
towards England. It is not anticipated, however,
that anything in the nature of a serious quarrel will
arise between England and Russia.'
Our Paris correspondent says that the announce-
ment created some sensation, though but little sur-
prise in the diplomatic and Parliamentary world.
The Temps, the organ of the French Ministry for
Foreign Affairs, lays great stress on the importance
of Wakhan from a strategical point of view, and
points out that its frontier is only separated from the
British Indian Empire by the Hindoo Koosh. This
being the case it concludes by saying : "It is evident
that there would be peril for England if she allowed
Russia to establish her influence in that country, and
more especially as the railway to Samarcand will soon
be constructed.