The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-06-02 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS;

Mr. R. F. F. Campbell, of Craigie, M.P. for Ayr
Burghs, died after two days' illness at Cavendish-
square, London, on Sunday morning. Mr. Campbell,
who at tly: time of his death was 57, was formerly cap-
tain of the Bth Madras Cavalry, and served on the staff
during the Indian Mutiny. He was also a magistrate
and Vice-Lieutenant of Ayrshire, and lieut.-colonel of
Ayrshire Yeomanry Cavalry. In 1869 he married Mrs.
Tennant, widow of the late Mr. Chas. P. Tennant, of
Glasgow, and by her had five children, all surviving.
Mr. Campbell entered Parliament as representative of
the Ayr Burghs as a Liberal in 1880, and since the last
election he has sat for the same constituency as a Dis-
sentient Liberal. When Mr. Campbell contested the
seat in 1886 he had a majority of 1175.
The Portsmouth Times states that rumours have
lately been current in naval circles regarding the
health of the Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal High-
ness is, it is said, suffering from blood-poisoning,
occasioned through bad water supply at Gibraltar.
The Lords Commissioners of her Majesty's Treasury
have decided that the rate of interest on Exchequer
Bills, dated 11th June, 1886, for the half-year ending
11th December, 1888, shall be at the rate of 2± per
centum per annum.
Lord Salisbury, writing to the Mayor of Birmingham
to acknowledge a resolution passed at a meeting in the
town praying the Government to appoint a Royal Com-
mission in the interests of British exhibitors at the
Paris Exhibition, says that the date of the exhibition
having been fixed so as to synchronise with the cen-
tenary of and to commemorate the French Revolution,
it does not appear to her Majesty's Government appro-
priate to join in celebrating political events in a foreign
country where differences of opinion existed regarding
them. The Government therefore decline to take part
in the exhibition. _ _ _ _

With reference to the Tartar sand grouse which has
appeared this year in Germany in larger numbers than
for 25 years past, a Berlin correspondent telegraphs
that the Presidents of the German Ornithological
Societies publish a letter requesting all sportsmen,
not only of Germany, but also of England and Scandi-
navia, where the bird has also appeared, not to kill it,
but to do all in their power to induce it to stay.
The joiners in the Tyne shipyards turned out on
Saturday because their demand for an advance of 3s.
per week had not been complied with. They are a
numerous body, and, with the helpers who are already
locked out, will swell the unemployed by thousands.
The strike is likely to continne, as the masters say they
cannot afford advances in any department. The men,
however, say that trade is brisk, and that the present
is the best time to strike. The helpers' places are
being filled by men from another part, and the masters
threaten to introduce strangers to fill the joiners'
places also.
A party of South Irish Militia, stationed at Fort
Westmoreland, Spike Island, off Queenstown' were
about to be conveyed in a Government steam launch
from Queenstown to Spike Island on Saturday. when
several of them called for cheers for Mr. Wm. O'Brien
and the Plan of Campaign, which was responded to
vigorously by the other men, and by several hundred
persons who were assembled on the Admiralty Pier.
The Militiamen subsequently groaned for Mr. Balfour,
the crowd on the pier joining with them.
Mr. Charles Hancock, J.P., son of the late Hon.
Charles Hancock, and cousin of Lord Castlemaine, of
Moydrum Castle, Athlone, was killed on Saturday by
being thrown from a side car. He was alone on the
car, and it is supposed that the animal he was driving
shied when turning a sharp curve in the road a short
distance from his residence, Creaduff, near Athlone,
precipitating him to the ground and breaking his neck
and collar bone. There were also severe injuries to
the head.
A driver named Sullivan, belonging to the Eldon
Hotel, Skibbereen was on Saturday night attacked by
a party of men whilst he was returning from Bantry,
and badly beaten. His horse and car were taken from
him, the men driving away with them. He was fcund
by a police patrol, who escorted him home. The horse
and car were found on Sunday morning by a farmer at
a spot two miles distant. The car was much
damaged.
A Bolton policeman, named Makinson, was called to
a burning dwelling-house early on Saturday morning.
Two children were in one of the bed-rooms, but
Makinson could not reach them in consequence of the
flames and smoke. As a last resource he tied a wet
cloth over his mouth, and forced a way on his hands and
knees to the burning bed on which the children lay. He
rescued them safely, but not before he had been
severely burned himself.
John Mellish, a coppersmith's labourer, was sen-
tenced to three months' imprisonment at Liverpool on
Saturday, for brutally thrashing his son, aged 13. He
drove his wife and two sons from the house, nearly
naked, and on their return attacked them with a strap,
cutting the lad's head with a buckle. The prisoner had
been in the habit of beating them, and the prosecution
was undertaken by the Children's Protection Society.
A young married man, named William Hunter,
lately cashier with Messrs. Poynter and Son, chemical
manufacturers, Greenock, was on Saturday committed
for trial on a charge of forgery and embezzling over
£2OO. The accused when apprehended was in company
with a young lady teacher, with whom he intended to
elope, and on him were found two tickets for America.
Five persons ware drowned on Saturday by a tidal
wave on the Clare Coast, near Goleen Bay, half-way
between Kilkee and Carrigaholt. ' The unfortunate
people were collecting seaweed, when the wave suddenly
overtook them, and carried them out to sea. They
were Michael Lynch, his son and daughter, and Michael
O'Dea and his son, both men being farmers. Their
bodies have not been recovered.

- -
As a Salvation Army procession was leaving the depot
at Torquay, to march to the Fort, on Sunday afternoon,
a number of roughs tried to deprive a musician of his
instrument, but some sympathisers interfered, and
enabled the band to prcceed. A series of free fights
ensued through the main streets.
The inquest on the bodies of the 15 men, which were
recovered from a pit at Workington Colliery, after
occupying five days, was brought to a close on Satur-
day afternoon, when the jury returned a verdict of
"Accidental death," and attached no blame to any of
the colliery officials.
The North German Gazette publishes an article in
which it says that the new frontier regulations against
France are not reprisals, but are the outcome of the
general policy of Germany for consolidating the re-
acquisition of Alsace and Lorraine,
An Order in Council has been issued by the Canadian
Government bringing into operation the modus tivendi
agreed to in the Fisheries Treaty with the United
States.

Between the Ist April and the 26th May the Ex-
chequer receipts amounted to £13,447,593 as compsred
with £13,654,525 in the corresponding period of the
last financial year; and the expenditure to £13.790,537
as against £12,751,161. On Saturday last the Treasury
balances stood at £4,433,354, and on the same date
last year at £4,025,720.
Mr. W. O'Brien, M.P.„'speaking in county Limerick
on Tuesday, said he thought that the great meetings of
Sunday last practically marked the end of the Papal
Rescript. Pointing out that forty thousand persons in
Ireland were now under notice of eviction, he said he
feared for those tenants who had not joined the Plan
of Campaign.
Letters from Lord Hartington and Mr. Goschen were
read at a Liberal Unionist meeting in Dublin on Tues-
day night. The former, alluding to the state of
Ireland, expressed a hope that at no distant time
Parliament may be able to direct its attention to
measures, not of a repressive character, but of per-
manent improvement.
Four persons were fined by the Westminster magis-
trate on Tuesday for causing an obstruction on the
highway at Chelsea by taking part in a religious ser-
vice.

Charles Latham was again remanded at Clerkenwell
on Tuesday on the charge of murdering Mary Newman,
with whom he had lived at Somers Town.

Constable James Cornwall was fined at the Thames
Police-court on Tuesday, with the alternative of four-
teen days' hard labour, for assaulting a woman who
desired him to take her husband into custody.
The Dunmow Guardians have, after a remarkable
controversy, appointed a chaplain for their union. The
matter was brought forward a month ago, when there
was one candidate, the Rev. F. Rowlstone, vicar of
Lindsell. The Guardians resolved not to appoint him.
On Tuesday there were four applicants. The Vicar of
Dunmow was proposed, but was objected to, as he said
he wanted to help the Board out of a dilemma, and
several members declined to be dictated to One
person was mentioned as willing to do the duty free,
but the offer was treated with laughter. The appoint-
ment at last fell to the Rev. A. Wright, of Stebbing.
The Ware magistrates were occupied for a long time
on Tuesday, in hearing summonses taken out by the
Ware Local Board of Health against " Captain"
Smith and five other members of the Salvation Army,
for causing an obstruction in one of the streets of the
town by holding on upen-u.lr 'service therein. Mr.
Richardson, who appeared for the defendants, con-
tended that, although they might have committed a
technical breach of the law, they were excused by the
good object they had in view. The magistrates, how-
ever, fined each of the defendants 55., including costs,
and said they were determined to stop these obstruc-
tions in future.

A meeting was held in Aberdeen on Tuesday evening,
under the auspices of the local Temperance Associa-
tions, to consider the licensing clauses of the Local
Government Bill. Mr. W. S. Caine, M.P., and Mr.
Esslemont, M.P., strongly denounced the compensation
scheme, and resolutions were passed unhesitatingly
condemning the creation of vested interests in licenses
and licensed property, and urging that there should be a
refusal of any monopoly beyond the one year for which
the license is granted. It was decided to petition
Parliament against the clauses.
At Dublin, on Tuesday evening, Dr. Whyte, City
Coroner, held an inquest on the body of a young
woman, who was found in the canal at Portobello-
bridge. The deceased was about 23 years of age and
of prepossessing appearance, and she was fashionably
clad. The police stated that notwithstanding many
inquiries made, there was nothing to lead to the
identification of the deceased. In the pockets of her
dress the police found two prayer-books. On the fly-
leaf of one was written "Mary Ellen Whitmore, Liver-
pool." A verdict of "Found drowned" was returned.
Henry Heathcote Hill, employed at the Derby Grand
Theatre, was on Tuesday charged with stealing a
diamond ring, value £2O, the property of Madame
Marie Roze. When at Derby recently, with the Carl
Rosa Company, Madame Marie Roze lost the ring.
On Monday a woman, alleged to have been sent by the
prisoner, offered it in pawn in Derby for 10s. The
pri6oner said he found the ring in Madame Roze's
dressing-room, and meant to return it when the com-
pany came again. Remanded.
A petition was on Tuesday filed in the Leicester Bank-
ruptcy Court on behalf of Mr. Thomas Miles, a local
solicitor, for the liquidation of his affairs. The
liabilities have not been ascertained. The failure was
brought about by distressing circumstances. The peti-
tioner, being totally blind, had a confidential clerk,
named Murden, who embezzled about £20,000, and
hanged himself in gaol while under remand.
The death-rate of London declined last week to 18.6
per 1000 annually. During the past two months the
mortality has averaged only 18.1, which is 28 below
the mean rate of the corresponding period of the pre.
vious ten years.