The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-01-14 00:00:00

PLOT AGAINST THE CZAR.

- —A—Vienna- correspondent, telegraphing on Tuesday
night, said: The six o'clock p.m, edition of the Weiner
Allegemeine Zeitung publishes the following telegram,
dated St. Petersburg, Jan. 9 (midnight) "A plot
against the Czar's life has been detected. A large
number of arrests have been made. The conspirators
are Nihilists. Several officers are implicated."
The Berliner Tageblatt hears from Warsaw that a
plot against the Czar's life was discovered about the
end of last week. The conspirators, among whom
were several officers, are said to have been arrested.
The arrangements made for the movements of the
Court and its stay in St. Petersburg have been suddenly
changed. The Czar and the Imperial Family will,
says a correspondent in the Russian capital, come to
St. Petersburg from Gatchina, in order to hold the
customary New Year's Reception, but will return im-
mediately afterwards to Gatchina. Moreover, the
Court balls have been postponed for a fortnight.
A connection is generally drawn between these
alterations in the plans of the Court and some dis-
agreeable discoveries lately made in St. Petersburg,
with reference to which a large number of arrests
have been effected. Among the persons apprehended
are some officers who had just arrived from the
provinces.
FATAL LANDSLIP.

Another slip of earth, involving loss of life, has just
occurred upon the portion of the Mara Valley Rail-
way now in course of construation at Bridge, near
Canterbury. The body of the deceased has been
identified as that of Richard. Harris, 39 years of age,
single, and a native of Cliarlton. On Monday an
inquest was held upon his remains by the East Kent
coroner (Mr. R. M. Mercer). From the evidence of
a navvy named Wells, it appeared that a number of
landslips have recently occurred in the locality, and
props for shoring up the sides of the cutting had
been provided, but were not used. On the occasion
in question witness, the deceased, and two other
men (one named Elgar) were at the bottom of the
cutting, filling a waggon. Witness heard a .warn-
ing shout, and with the others ran towards the head-
ing. As they ran the earth .came down from the top
of the cutting, and witness was buried up to his
chest, so that he could not move. Elgar escaped the
fall, and he helped to get witness out, but he missed
the other two men altogether. Frederick Baker stated
thatmhe was foreman of the gangs working on the spot
in question. There was a fall of about nine tons of
earth not long ago, and one day last week, just before
dinner time, 12. more tons fell from the same side of
the cutting. He. ordered the men to dig out the
earth. He had no extra men at the top of the cutting
to examine the earth, but he looked about himself.
Witness saw the last slip by which deceased
was killed. He estimated that there were 50 or
60 tons of earth fell. Wells was caught up to
his neck, but Elgar • almost entirely escaped.
Deceased and the other man (Marsh) were entirely
buried. De&ased was got 'tout first, and afterwards
Marsh, who was alive and perfectly sensible. Other
evidence having been adduced, the coroner said the
contractors should be called upon to adopt additional
precautions. Since the last fatal accident, the width
of the top of the gullet had been increased from 13
to 24 feet, but something further appeared to be
needed. The jury returned a verdict of accidental
death, and added a rider demanding the adoption of
additional precautions, which, it was understood, would
be forwarded to the Board of Trade.

The Queen has been pleased to approve the appoint-
ment of Sir Alfred Comyns Lyall, K.C.B. K.C.I.E.
to the India,nCpuncil, in the room of Sir Robert Mont-
gomery, C. 5.1., K.C.8., deceased..
• The Gaekwar of Baroda—Who, by the way, is de-
scribed as being much pleased with his visit to Eng-
land—will remain about a month in Northern Italy,
and when he returns to India he will endeavour to com-
plete his restoration to health'by a sojourn in the Neil-
gherries: -.1 .