The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-05-12 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS,

The Duchess of Albany, who, with her children, has
been on a visit to the Queen, left Windsor Castle on
Saturday. Princess Louise arrived at the Castle the
fame morning, and will remain on a visit.
The New York Tribune says that the Irish Volunteers,
in an address to their followers, have declared that
they believe the time has come to forsake the forum
and take up the resources of civilisation in order to
secure the self-government of Ireland.
The prize list for the Wimbledon Meeting was com-
pleted on Saturday, and shows that the total value of
the prizes in the Queen's Competition will be £2220.
An important innovation is made by the introduction
of a riding and shooting prize for military cyclists.
Another new prize is the " Wantage," to be fired at
disappearing head-and-body targets at 200 yards.
Colley, Tierk, and Miller, the three Englishmen sup-
posed to have been implicated in the robbery of jewels
mommitted at the shop of M. Lepee, 4, Boulevard de
Madelaine, have been condemned to six months' impri-
sonment for having disobeyed a decree of expulsion
from French territory. The charge of robbery was
abandoned because of insufficient evidence.

The foundations for the main buildings of the Impe-
rial Institute being now completed, the organising com-
mittee have determined to forthwith invite tenders for
the erection of the superstructure. It is expected that
the avenue which is to connect Exhibition-road with
Queen's-gate, and will be known as the Imperial
Institute-road, will be open for public use before the
close of the present season.
Mr. Firth has signified his intention of moving an
ameudment to the Local Government Bill, to the effect
that the County Council for London shall, as soon as
may be, submit to Parliament "a bill for the manage-
ment of Municipal Government and administration
within the area of the County of London." It is stated
that the Opposition will generally support Mr. Firth's
amendment. _ _

George W. White, a machinist, of Coventry, has
been committed for trial by the Birmingham magis-
trate. A man named Talbot jokingly referred to a
woman whom the prisoner knew. A companion of
Talbot's then made use of rude observations, and
prisoner rushed at him with an open knife. Talbot
interfered, and was severely stabbed by prisoner in the
side. Prosecutor remained in great danger for some
time. _ _ _

Mr. W. H. Toone, son of the late Major Toone, was
on Saturday, at the Birmingham Quarter Sessions,
indicted for obtaining money by false pretences, with
intent to defraud. By means of advertisements he pro-
cured postal orders from a number of persons applying for
situations. The defence was that this was done to decide
abet. The jury found him guilty; but the Recorder
said there was no evidence of fraud, and the defendant
was bound over to be of good behaviour.
A disturbance occurred on Sunday night at the
Oxford Music Hall, where a number of Socialist. by
their noisy interruptions prevented Sir Charles Warren
from delivering a lecture on Palestine.
Peter Kemp, the Australian oarsman, defeated
Iranian in the sculling match at Sydney on Saturday
for the championship of the world and a thousand
pounds.
William H. Burke, a surgeon, of Monk Bretton, was
on Saturday, at the Leeds Assizes, found guilty of
murdering his daughter, and was sentenced to death.
A Cabinet Council was held on Saturday at the
Foreign Office. The Ministers present were the Mar-
quis of Salisbury, the Right Hon. A. Balfour, Earl
Cadogan, the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Chancellor of
Ireland, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Viscount
Cranbrook, Viseount Cross, Lord George Hamilton,
Sir M. Hicks Beach, Lord Knutsford, the Duke of Rut-
land, the Right Hon. H. Matthews, the Right Hon.
C. T. Ritchie, the Right Hon. W. H. Smith and the
Right. Hon. E. Stanhope.
At Plymouth, on Saturday, 11 men, forming the
crew of the ship Serapis, of London to Melbourne.
were charged with disobeying the lawful commands of
Captain Tompsett, and with continued neglect of duty.
The men, finding an excuse in a slight damage done to
the vessels bow by the anchor, declared her unsea-
worthy, and refused to navigate the ship, remaining
below all day, and the captain, with the apprentices
and steward, worked the ship as best he could, finilly
running into Plymouth, as through the conduct of the
sailors there was a fear that she would share the fate
of the Lady Dufferin, which ran ashore under similar
circumstances. The men were all sentenced to six
weeks' hard labour.

A shocking occurrence took place on Saturday night
at Martin-street, Bristol. A woman named Hunt acci-
dentally overturned a petroleum lamp on the table, and
it fell on the floor between herself and her infant child
lying in a cradle. Mrs. Hunt, fearing that the flame
would reach the child, removed it from the cradle, but
in doing so her own clothes caught fire. She rushed
outside and placed the child in safety, but overcome
by the flames she fell down, and was burnt to death
before assistance arrived.
Glasgow, it is expected, will shortly be placed in a
position to claim without question the distinction of
being the second city of the United Kingdom. A Com-
mission was appointed by the Government last autumn
to inquire, with reference to future legislation, what
should be the boundaries of the borough for municipal
and police purposes. The Commissioners have just
presented their report. They recommend an extension
of the boundaries so as to include all the adjacent
populous districts, as well as portionsof the adjoining
3ounties of Lanark and Renfrew. The effect will be,
if these proposals are carried out, as it is believed they
will be, to increase the population of Glasgow by
180,000, bringing up the estimated total to 723,985.
The spring meetings of the Congregational Union of
England and Wales were opened at the City Temple in
London on Tuesday, when the Rev. Dr. Bruce
delivered his presidential address on "Congrega-
tionalism, Free, Broad, and Evangelical." Having
regard to the opinions expressed by influential persons
before the Royal Commission on Elementary Educa-
tion, the meeting protested by resolution against any
fresh legislation by which the restrictions imposed
on sectarian teaching in public elementaiy schools by
the Education Act of 1870 should be abolished.

Another and more serious outbreak of pneumonia
has occurred among the soldiers of the Bedfordshire
Regiment in Fermoy. One soldier died on Monday,
and another was discovered dead in bed on Tuesday
morning by Sergeant Harris. These deaths have
naturally caused alarm in the regiment.
A commercial convention will shortly be concluded
between Italy and Bulgaria.
The Paris Municipal Council has granted 10,000 f.
to the glassblowers on strike.
Count Kalnoky has thanked Signor Crispi for
def Ending Austria against the charge levelled against
her in the Italian Chamber of seeking new concluests
in Eastern Ettrone.

During a performance ot " Macbeth " at Ducken-
field's Theatre at Irvine, on Saturday night, a large
portion of a side of the building fell out towards
Bridgegate, bringing down the gallery with fully 200
occupants. The majority of the people escaped un-
hurt, and the injuries to the others, which consisted of
cut and bruised limbs, were not of a serious nature.
Considerable excitement prevailed, and the perform-
ance was necessarily brought to a conclusion at once.
At Aylestone Park Grounds, Leicester, on Saturday,
a mile bicycle race for £l5 a side took place between
Woodside, the American champion, and A. H. Robb,
of Leicester. Woodside got off first, and led until
half-way through the last lap, when Robb rushed
ahead. Coming down the hill Robb fell and Woodside
fembled on top of him. The American's machine was
MA bed, and Robb, finishing the distance alone, was
dee ael the winner.
rhe fishing smack Agnes, of Maryport, was cap-
sized on Sunday in Solway Firth. She had on board
two fishermen, named Kendall and Armstrong, who
were bringing the boat home from a fishing trip to
Belcary, on the Scotch side of the river, when a gale
of wind overturned the smack. Both men were
drowned.
A disastrous fire broke out on Sunday afternoon on
the premises of Messrs. Calder, Dixon, and Company,
timber merchants, at Middlesborough. All the
machinery and saw-mills were destroyed. The damage
is estimated at several thousand pounds.
The Lord Chancellor's living of Colston-Bassett, neat
Bingham, Notts, of the value'pf £270 a year, is placed
at his disposal by the death of the Rev. Joshua Brooke,
at the age of 78 years.
The Queen's Championship of the Army, the great
rifle contest of the regular forces, which has just been
introduced, is to be competed for at Aldershot in the
first week of July.
At the monthly meeting of the Royal Institution of
Great Britain, Dr. Tyndall was elected Honorary Pro-
fessor of Natural Philosophy, and Lord Rayleigh, Pro-
fessor of Natural Philosophy.
. . .

At the Surrey Sessions George Clark was sentenced
to seven years' penal servitude for robbery from a
dwelling-house. Alfred Small, an old offender, was
sentenced to a like term for petty larceny; and John
Dale was sentenced to five years' penal servitude for
having stolen a rug.
It is semi-officially announced that Count Wolken-
stein, the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador at St. Peters-
burg, will return to his post at the expiration of his
furlough, and the Pesti ilra.plo at Budapest states that
Count Emerich Szechenyi will probably be Count
Karolyi's successor in London.

Preparations are being made in Paris for the in r-
formance of 'The Passion," according to St. Matthew,
by Sebastian Bach. This musical solemnity is of a
kind little known in France.

Sir James Hannen has heard the petition for divorce
presented by Mr. Samuel Potter, a shipowner, and
granted a decree nisi. In delivering judgment he spoke
in strong terms of the evidence of the co-respondent,
Dr. C. H. Hustwick, and said that, had he not ad-
mitted writing a letter which had been produced, an
example would have been made of him as a warning to
others.

About 50 Russians and Poles, chiefly tailors, and
all of a most wretched appearance, was taken on
Tuesday before the Select Committee of the House
of Commons appointed to inquire into the emigration
of foreigners. Mr. Arnold White gave evidence,
showing the evils attending the immigration of desti-
tute foreigners, and several Russians and Jews were
afterwards called.

The cricket match between Mr. C. I. Thornton's
Eleven and the Australians, the first of the visitors'
tour, ended on Tuesday in a victory for the latter
team by six wickets.
_ _ _ _ _

Lord's Justices Fry and Lopes decided on Tuesday—
the point having arisen in the Otway divorce appeal—
that when husband and wife had each been guilty of adul-
tery the wife could not be allowed a judicial separation.
The decision of Mr. Justice Butt granting Mrs. Otway
a judicial separation was accordingly reversed.
Henry Woolf, who has been staying at the Charing-
cross Hotel in London, was again brought up at the
Guildhall on Tuesday, and committed for trial,
charged with forging and uttering a letter of credit er
order for the payment of £2OOO on the London and
W( -,trninster Bank, Lothbury, with intent to defraud.
The death-rate in London again declined last week,
and was only 17.4 per thousand. During the first five
weeks of the current quarter the rate averaged 188 per
thousand.
Between the Ist *April and the sth of May the
Exchequer receipts amounted to £8,707„839, as com-
pared with £8,928,478 in the corresponding period of the
last financial year; alai' the expenditure to £10,625,280,
as against £9,695,636. On Saturday last the Treasury
balances stood at £3,429,857, and on the same date last
year at £2,379,991.

SATURDAY, MAY 12, 1888.

BaOrnnsMleyonßaaaiylwy
, at acnomadpjaonurned
Company
at
chairman, declared the result of the voting on his
motion to proceed with the bill incorporating a working
lmuietti cnogloo f
Colonel
Smith,
Hiuthil, ad
e
agreement with the Midland Company. He said thts.
motion was declared lost-1109 proprietors,
26,035 votes, were for the motion; and 2892 proprieto
tors, representing 30,026 votes, against it.
The Thames Tunnel (Blackwall) Bill was on Mon-
day before the Examiner of Private Bills of the Flousn.
of Lords, and complied with the Standing Orders of
Parliament. represen
The steamship Baltic, which left Queenstown on
Sunday for New York, with a thousand passengers '
aboard, put back on Monday with her low pressure
valve spindle broken. She went into harbour for re-
pairs, which occupied 10 hours.
Lady Matheson proprietress of the Island of Lelvis.
having resolved to give up residence in the island,
owing to the crofter and cottar agitation and disturlr
ances, left Stornoway on Monday. A considerab e
crowd collected to witness her ladyship's departure,
but there was no demonstration, and not even a chee.r
was raised as the steamer left the harbour. Lean
,s
Castle, which is the only building of any architect
pretensions in the island, is advertised to be let, and
most of the servants, some of whom have been in Lady
Matheson's employ for 20 years, have been dismissed.
Since the crofters' agitation commenced little or no
rent has been paid to Lady Matheson. The Poorlaw
and School Board machinery is in a disorganised state!
owing to the non-payment of rates. About £lOOO of
rates are at present in arrear. The people in Locho
district are hopeful of making some money out of the
new industry of collecting grouse eggs. Many cottars
and crofters have taken to the moors, and are said to
be very successful in obtaining the eggs.
A Polish Jew, named Harris Groman, who has been
carrying on an extensive business in Cape Town as a
general merchant and pawnbroker, was arrested on
board the Union Company's steamer Spartan, on her
arrival in Plymouth Sound on Monday evening, by In-
spector Tunbridge and Sergeant Richards, of Scotland-
yard, on a charge of fraudulent bankruptcy. Grornan
failed for nearly £3OOO, and offered composition of
2s. 6d. in the X, which was refused, as the circum-
stances of the bankruptcy were suspicious. He then
decamped with a large quantity of goods. The officers
and the prisoner proceeded in the Spartan to Soutba
ampton.
The Sussex County Coroner, Mr. Hillman, held
inquest on Monday on the body of a young sempstr,
named Matilda Gandion who had fallen dead earlier in
the day during a fit of intoxication. The deceased.
who lived with an aunt named Aldridge, had been
drinking heavily for eight or ten weeks. She ran int°
the street in her nightdress, and finally fell dead in her
aunt's house. It was sworn that excessive drinking of
spirits was the cause of death, and a verdict to that
effect was returned.
Major W. E. Franklyn, Yorkshire Regiment, bag
been selected for the appointment of Deputy Assistant
Adjutant General on the Staff at .Aldershot, vice Majnr
H. S. Miles.
By the promotion of Admiral Sir B. Flornby 94
Admiral of the Fleet, the appointment of First a'5N
Aide de Camp to the Queen has been placed at the dis-
posal of the Lords of the Admiralty.
Mr. R. Yerburg, M.P. for Chester, has resigned the
appointment of Private Secretary to Mr. W. H. Smith.
Mr. Yerburgh has acted for some months as an
unpaid private secretary to the First Lord of the
Treasury.
In the Queen's Bench Division on Monday, Mr.
Baron Huddleston held that a station-master at Brent
-
ford was not guilty of libel in posting a placard stating
that a person had been convicted of travelling on the
railway without having paid his fare, and finednotwith-
standingthat the offence had not been committed. The
learnedjudge said it was true that there had been
conviction and sentence, and it was for the public
benefit that the fact should be known. Under his
direction the jury returned a verdict of "Not guilty.'
Mr. Justice North decided on Monday that the
President and Council of the Royal Academy were not
entitled to purchase works of sculpture out of the
bequest of the late Sir Francis Chantrey except '.ll
complete and finished state.
Sir James Hannen on Monday heard the petition for
divorce presented by Mr. Samuel Potter, a shipownet.
and granted a decree nisi. In delivering judgment be .
spoke in strong terms of the evidence of the co-recpon.
dent, Dr. C. H. Hustwick, and said that had he not ad-
mitted writing a letter which had been produced an
example would have been made of him as a warning to
others.
In sentencing a clerk to a month's imprisonment for
stealing money from his employer's cashbox for the
purposes of betting, Alderman Sir H. Isaacs, sitting
at the London Mansion House on Monday, dcc'ared
that betting agencies were a curse to civilisation. ; 1
A sufficient number of the United States have already
chosen delegates to the National Democratic Conven-
tion, which meets on the sth June, to make it certain
that President Cleveland will be unanimously renomi-
nated. Probably every vote will be given to him. IC°
candidate except General Grant has received this
honour in recent years.
Mr. Dillon, M.P., was on Monday presented with
the freedom of the city of Drogheda. In the course of
a speech, the hon. member said he was, like O'Connell,
prepared to take his theology from Rome, but would
take his politics from no foreign Power.
Mr. Condon, M.P., was sentenced at Mitchelstown
on Monday to 14 days' imprisonment for taking part in
an alleged unlawful assembly. The hearing of other
charges was adjourned.
At a representative meeting of chain makers belong'
ing to South Staffordshire and East Worcestershire,
held at Cradley Heath on Monday evening, it was
stated that the operatives had been called upon to
submit to reductions in wages ranging from 10 to 20 per
cent. It was decided to confer with the employers
with a view to arranging terms, which would render a
strike unnecessary,
At the sitting of the Methodist General Conference,
held on Monday in New York, it was resolved to
exclude from the present conference a number of
women elected as lay delegates and to submit the ques-
tion of their eligibility to take part in future general
conferences to the annual conferences.
The Australian conference upon the means of deali'g
with the rabbit pest has resulted in the selection of an
island where M. Pasteur's and other methods of extirpa-
tion will be thorovahly tried. The liability of other
animals and birds tuainfection by the same means will
also be tested.
A boy named Edwin Wild, aged five months—left in
a cradle, at Sheffield, by his mother—was worried by a
tame ferret, kept for killing rats. The child's cri,
attracted the mother, who found her baby severely
bitten in the forehead. He was taken to the hospital,
where he died on Monday afternoon.
At the Westminster County-court on Monday 6
labourer, named Gregory, recovered from Messrs
Beattie, builders and contractors, £2lO damages, under
the Employers' Liability Act, for personal injuries sus-
tained while in their employ. He was at work on
crane, when a rope broke, and he received such in-
juries as prevented him following his occupation.