The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-03-20 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS:
1 BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

A shocking accident occurred on Friday night at
Dies, whereby an ostler.. named Robertson, lost his
life. A man, named Reyner' attended market, and,
before leaving, entered the house of Robertson, in
which were the latter':i daughter and a man named
Boyce. The girl remarked to Reyner that he had
something in his pocket, whereupon he said he would
show them, and took from his pocket a revolver, which
went off, the bullet entering the forehead of Robertson,
killing him instantly.
At a fire which occurred on Saturday night at 18,
Adam and Lve-court, Oxford-street, one of the lodgers,
Mr. IN illiam Dron, was burnt to death.
There are now no fewer than 51,000 men on strike
in various parts of the United States.
_ _

Elizabetli Mouat, whose adventurous voyage in the
smack Columbine has attracted so much attention,
arrived at Lerwick on Saturday night by the steamer
St. Clair. On landing she received a warm welcome
from a large crowd which had assembled on the piers
and esplanade. She has been exactly six weeks away
from home.

Si:IL D. Wolff has received instructions from Lord
llosebery that the army of occupation in Egypt is to be
reduced by six regiments. The Government also pro-
poses that all the British troops should be withdrawn
to Assouan, and all the Egyptian troops to Wady
Haifa. _ _

In the Queen's Bench Division on Saturday, Mr.
Baird, in the employment of Messrs. Broadwood, piano
manufacturers, brought an action to recover compensas
tion from ths South London Tramways Company for
injuries sustained when alighting from one of their
cars. The principle question in the case was—Through
whose fault did the accident happen? Ultimately the
plaintiff was awarded £3O.
At the Central Criminal Court on Saturday two
foreigners named Finderstein and Truscovitch were
sentenced, the former to six months' hard labour and
the latter to five years' penal servitude, for forging a
number of bonds issued by the City of Paris for
municipal purposes.
The Lord Lieutenant has decided not to restore the
strength of the military forces in Limerick to what it
was previous to the removal of the King's Royal Rifles,
owing to the unpleasant relations which existed between
the military and civilians in the town.
On Saturday, in preparation for the forthcoming
rnanceuvres at Easter, nearly 10,000 volunteers of the
metropolis were under arms. The weather being fine
and dry the musters of the various regiments were in
all cases good. In the cases of some corps the parade
grounds of Wellington, Chelsea, and Regent's-park
Barracks were utilised for the drills, others proceeded
to the parks and more open spaces round London, and
some practised outpost duty at Wimbledon, Barnes-
common, and Putney-heath, signalling (with flag and
lamp), and ambulance work.
A tradesman and a lad were drowned at Langley,
Middlesex, on Sunday, and at Newton-le-Willows, OD
Saturday, a youth lost his life while skating.
According to a Hamburg journal, Lieutenail
Andersen, on behalf of the German East Africs.v
Society, has acquired, by treaty, the Sabaki territory,
lying between the coast and Kilima-Njaro, but tho
expedition was fired on by the soldiers of the Sultan.
About midnight on Saturday, as a train was proceeds
ing through Illinois. some men entered the car appro-
priated to the United States Express Company, withsut
being noticed, murdered the agent by beating him with
a poker, and escaped from the car while the train was
in motion, carrying with them 40 packages of jewellery
and £4OOO in cash.

Lord Aberdare unveiled on Saturday the statue of
Sir H. Hussey Vivian, Bart., M.P., which has been
erected in Castle-square, Swansea, in recognition of the
great services he has rendered, not only to his native
town of Swansea and the Principality of Wales, but
also to the whole commercial nation as the head of the
copper firm of Vivian and Sons.
At Wolverhampton, on Saturday, 'two bailiffs were
fined 20s. and costs for forcibly seizing a quantity of
bedding on which two patients were lying ill of scarlet
fever. The bailiffs were warned of the danger they
were incurring in spreading the infection, but they
persisted in taking the bedding to a public-house, and
it was there sold by auction.

A girl named Hannah Perry met with a shocking
death at a colliery near Sedgley on Saturday. A
policeman upon seeing a number of persons stealing
coal at the colliery pursued them, and the deceased,
who was near, also ran away, and, falling down an ern-
bankment, broke her neck.
'The sensation in fashionable circles in Paris is
duel with swords between Prince Am&lee de Broglie,
second son of the Duo de Broglie, and his brother-in-
law, Vicomte Tredern: The former was seriously
wounded in the right side. The cause of the dispute is
said to be a family quarrel.
Lord BULaren, in the High Court of Justiciary at
Edinburgh on Tuesday, sentenced the woman Margaret
Robertson, or Brown, to 10 years' penal servitude for
culpable homicide. This was the case in which the
prisoner, whilst apparently suffering from the effects of
drink, placed her two little grandchildren on the fire
in her son's house at Inverkeithing, causing fatal in-
juries. _ _ _

An explosion of gas occurred on Tuesday afternoon
at the house of a widow, named Barr, situated in
Coppull-lane, Wigan. All the occupants of the house
escaped, but two children were killed, and two children
and four other persons were seriously injured. A large
amount of damage was done to the house.

Lord Charles Beresford presided over a gathering of
the members and friends of the Cabdrivers' Benevolent
Association, and in the course of an interesting speech
paid a warm tribute to the honesty and good-nature of
London cabmen.
On Tuesday the remains of the late Vice-Admiral
Fellows were landed at Spithead from the Minotaur,
and were conveyed to Edinburgh for interment.
Viscount Hinton, William Wright, and George
Alcock were on Tuesday found guilty of conspiracy to
defraud, and Wright and Aleock were also convicted of
obtaining money under false pretences. The latter
was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment, Wright la
15 months', and Lord Hinton to 12 months, all with
bard labour. The jury, in tendering their verdict, said
they regretted they could not find Lord Hinton guilty
of false pretences, as they considered him as guilty as
the others, but this count of the indictment had been
withheld from their consideration by the Common
Serjeant.
Lord Harris proposes to call attention, in the House
of Peers, next week, to the penalties imposed by certain
Acs of Parliament on the cultivation of tobacco in the
United Kingdom, and to ask her Majesty's Government
if they will give facilities for experiments being under-
taken in its cultivation and preparation.
In the French Chamber on Tuesday, the Budget was
introduced by the Minister of Finance, M. Sadi Carnot.
Replying to a question, be said that no tax on Rentes
was intended, the Government being opposed to any
such impost. It is stated that the Chamber will he
asked to sanction the new loan before the Easter
recess.

At Cork on Tuesday, upon the application of the
Roman Catholic Bishop of Ross, the Rev. Charles
Davis, and Mr. Thomas F. Brady (Inspector of Irish
Fisheries), the Grand Jury unanimously granted £lOOO
towards the fund for the proposed Industrial Fishing
School at Baltimore, county Cork. This is the first
attempt in Ireland to establish a school for practical
education in fish curing and the various branches con-
nected with fishing.
At Cardiff on Tuesday, Benjamin Evans was com-
mitted for trial for the manslaughter of his child; aged
18 months. Though the prisoner had been earning 15s.
weekly, he refused to give his wife money or food, but
took home food for himself. The child was almost a
skeleton, weighing only 81b. instead of 221 b. There was
no furniture in the room, and the family slept on the
bare boards. The wife had no clothing except a thin
under garment.
Sir Edward Birkbeck. MP., presided on Tuesday at
Billingsgate Market, •at the annual meeting of the
National Bea Fisheries Protection Association, and
congratulated the members on the successful work
which had been carried on during the past year. He
hoped a Conference, to be held at the Hague, would
result in a treaty abolishing the " coopering " system.
The Earl of Chichester died on Tuesday morning at
his seat. Stanmer-park, near Lewes, in his 82nd year. He
is succeeded by his eldest son, Lord Pelham, who was
born in 1838. Lord Sherard, an Irish peer, died on
Sunday at his seat, Glatton Hall, near Stilton, Hunts,
having just entered his 83rd year. He is succeeded by
his nephew, Lieutenant Casten Sherard, R.N., eldest
son of the late Sir Simon Haughton Sherard.
The action brought by Mrs. Weldon against Messrs.
W. H. Smith and Son for selling a book containing a
libel on her character was settled on Tuesday ;n court by
the defendants paying £75. and the costs. Mrs. Weldon
had accepted from the Messrs. Routledge £lOO and
costs for publishing the libel.
Mr. Stansfeld will at once bring in a bill giving effect
to the resolution adopted by the House of Commons.
The measure will consist of a single clause, repealing
the Contagious Diseases Acts at present in force. It
is understood that the Government will give facilities
for the bill.

The Cambridge crew arrived at Putney on Tuesday,
and at once commenced vigorous practice, in view of
the University aquatic contest on the 3rd of next
month.

A prominent member of the Dublin Chamber of
Commerce has placed in the notice-book the following:
"We suggest that a general meeting of the Chamber of
Commerce be summoned for the purpose of protesting
against the conduct of his Excellency the Earl of
Aberdeen in shaking hands with Mr. Michael Davitt in
the Mansion House on Thursday, the nth of March."
The new Bishop of Ely (Lord Alwvne Compton) was
installed on Tuesday in Ely Cathedral, tlie ceremnny
being witnessed by a large congregation. About 200
surpliced clergy were present.
Mr Gladstone has consented to become patron of
this year's Welsh Eisteddfod.
_

Last week at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the
mean reading of the barometer was 30.16 in. The
mean temperature of the air was 31.9, or 8-9 below the
average in the corresponding week of the 20 years end-
ing 1868, the coldest days of the week being Sunday
and Saturday. The duration of registered bright sun-
shine in the week was 391 hours, against 444 hours at
Glynde-place, Lewes.
Negotiations are proceeding between Messrs. Roths-
child and the Egyptian Government for the conversion
of the Daira and Domain Loans into 5 per Cent.
Preference Stock, the conversion to be optional with
the holders. Mr. Edgar Vincent remains in London
to negotiate the details with the British Government,
which will obtain the assent of the Powers to the
arrangement.
Charles Rivers, a Waterloo veteran, has just died at
Belfast, in his 102nd year. He had the honour of
being orderly sergeant to the Duke of Wellington, was
present at Salamanca, Orthes, and Vittoria, took part
in the famous march over the Pyrenees, and subse-
quently fought at Waterloo and Quatre Bras. At La
Haye Sainte he was wounded both in the knee and
breast.

The Pope has fixed April 12 as the date of the next
Oonsistory at the Vatican. It is stated that on that
occasion Monseigneur Gibbons, Archbishop of Ba
more; Monseigneur Taschereau, Archbishop of Quebec;
the Papal Nuncios at Vienna, Paris and Madrid, and
Monseigneur Blasella, formerly Papal Nuncio at Lisbon,
will be created cardinals.

I ..
Arrangements have been concluded for the corarn
mencement of the Hudson Bay railway: Eighteen
thousand tons of rails have been ordered, and the work
of construction will he begun immediately. .

A committee is being formed with a view to an
appropriate celebration, in January, 1888, of the cen-
tenary of Byron.
The French Customs returns for the months of
January and February show that the value of the
imports amounted to 655,000,000 f., against 717000,000 f.
In the corresponding period of last year, and the ex.
ports to 452,000,000 f. against 390,000,000 f.
Mr. Justice North made an order on Snturday
winding-up the Masonic and General Life Absurance
Company.
A sad case of suicide was discovered on Saturday
morning at Castle Bromwich, near Birmingham. A
woman named Turner, a tailoress, aged 20, had an
interview with her sweetheart, named Bagnell, on
Wednesday evening, when he wanted to break off the
intimacy. She thereupon threatened to commit
suicide, saying she was penniless and had nowhere to
go., [She was found drowned in a pool of water, having
broken the ice and walked in. Bagnell admitted that
she was enciente.

Colonel Napier Charles Sturt died on Saturday after.
noon at the barracks, Winchester, at the age of 54. The
deceased, who was the brother of Lord Alington, and
who represented Dorchester for some years in the
House of Commons, had been in ill-health for about
eight or nine days, suffering from a severe cold, which
brought on congestion of the lungs, from the effects of
which he succumbed.

-1-07d-Wan---ta-g—e-i;s given twenty acres of land at
Blewbury, near Wallingford, for the site of the Gordon
Memorial Industrial Schools.
The Glasgow Underground Railway was opened on
Monday. Two hundred trains will be run daily. The
line starts from Queen-street and goes through Patrick
to join the Dumbartonshire Roilway.
It is reported from Valencia that this season's crop
of oranges is exceptionally good, and that the export
will be 2,000,000 boxes, containing 900,000,000 oranges.
At their meeting on Saturday, the Royal Botanic
Society discussed the weather, and it was stated that
the mean temperature of every week this year had
been below the average. It was pointed out that the
cold, by retarding the flowering season of our fruit
trees, should benefit agriculture. _ _

Mr. James Poole, ihe landscape artist, has died at
Sheffield in his 83rd year.
Mr. Thomas Hughes Q.C., has undertaken to write
the life of the late Bishop of Manchester. The materials
for the biography are abundant The work will pro-
bably be published by Messrs. Macmillan.
It is reported from Tralee that the persecution of the
Curtin family has ceased, and that they attended mass
at Ferries Chapel on Sunday, which was reopened by
permission of the bishop, without the slightest molesta-
tion.

General Boulanger has resolved on sanctioning
beards in the army. Officers and serjeants may wear
any amount of beard, provided it be not long enough
to conceal the number of their regiment on the collar.
For privates and corporals there is no such restriction.
Whiskers, however, must not be worn alone. Short
hair, especially behind, is still to be compulsory.
A rather strong earthquake shock was felt in Granada
on Sunday night, causing great panic. A violent shock
was also felt at Wiesbaden.

The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland on Saturday inspected
the metropolitan police at Dublin, and addressed the
men in highly complimentary terms. During the day
the Oormtess of Aberdeen decorated Dr. E. 0. Thompson
with the medal of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem
for imperilling his own life to save that of a child suf-
fering from diphtheria.
At the Middlesex Sessions, on Monday, James
Richard Long and Walter Tomkins were sentenced to
five years' penal servitude and 18 months' imprisonment
with hard labour respectively, for committing a bur.
glary in the neighbourhood of Bowes Park, Edmonton
on the 13th ultimo.
The Prince of Wales, accompanied by Prince Edward
of Wales, held the second Levee of the season on
behalf of the Queen at St. James's Palace, on Monday.
More than three hundred presentations were made.
The United States Marshals have informed the re-
ceivers of the Texas Pacific Railway that the entire
line is now open tor traffic.
Mrs. Weldon's action against Mr. St. John Wontner
for negligence when acting on her behalf in connection
with the prosecution of one Menier, and for conspiring
with others to prevent her from proceeding with the
prosecution which was taken up by the Treasury, ended
on Monday in a verdict for the defendant, the jury ex-
pressing the opinion that Mr. Wontner had in every way
cleared his character.

The Egyptian Government have received intelligence
of the discovery at Gab-el. Zeyd, on the shorcs of the
Red Sea, of a petroleum spring throwing a powerful jet
of oil. It is anticipated that the Egyptian Treasury will
derive a considerable revenue from this source.
Quiet among the Indians being completely aqsured,
the Government has decided to abandon the idea of
sending a flying column of troops through the North-.
Western territory in the spring.
Sir Charles Warren has sailed for Suez in the Egyp.
tian gunboat Gaffarieh, on his way to England its order
to take up his appointment as Chief Oommis-ioner of
the Metropolitan Police. General Dixon will assume
the command rendered vacant by Sir Charles Warren's
departure.
The singular spectacle of a common on fire was
presented at Greenhani, near Newbury, on Monday.
Greenham-common is several miles in extent, and
incendiary fires have been frequent. The furze was
fired in several places last week. It is stated that the
Lord of the Manor, annoyed at the frequent acts Of
incendiarism, decided to clear the common of the furze,
and instructed his men to ignite it on Monday, the
result being that a vast tract of furze was burning for
some hours, presenting a singular scene in the evening,
witnessed by great numbers of people.
Two sons of Mr. Elias Jones, of Yelverloft, Rugby,
have been found in the canal, locked in each other's
arms. They had been to liberate a sheep, and returned
by the canal, when, as they were sliding along, the ice
broke, and they were drowned.
The Countess of Aberdeen, speaking on Monday in
Dublin at a meeting of the Association for the Employ-
ment of Women, said it would be impossible for any.
body to be even a few weeks in Ireland without having
occasion to admire the skill, patience and power of
adaptation which was shown in many of Irish manu-
factures, and which, if only applied to suitable designs
and largely organised, must enable them to compete
successfully with foreign goods.
Richard Holland, landlord of the Exchange vaults,
Chester, was on Monday at the Wrexham Police-court,
fined Mb ”nd costs for selling, in IVrexham Market,
foreign fat made up to represent fresh butter. The fat
was made up in pounds, stamped with a cow, coloured
to represent fresh butter, and sold at the usual price of
fresh butter. On being analysed it was found not to
contain an atom of butter, but consisted entirely of
foreign fat.
About two o'clock on Monday morning one of the
bed-rooms at Patshull House, near Wolverhampton,
the residence of the Earl of Dartmouth, was discovered
to be on fire. Assistance was promptly rendered with a
hand engine, and the flames were extinguished before
they had made much headway. A daughter of Lord
Dartmouth was asleep in the bedroom at the time.

Forty shipwrecks were reported last week, ten of
which were steamers. Sixt• en vessels (15 British and
3ne French) went down off the United Kingdom; of
that number two were steamers. Total number of
British vessels lost was 24, including eight steamers,
six of the latter being lost off various foreign ports.
Collisions were again very numerous, numbering 18,
chiefly off British coasts, but resulted in only three
actual wrecks and in the loss of six lives. Total lives
lost for week, 55; vessels lost with all }Ands, three.
Total wrecks for present year, 354.
The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens
during the past week include a Patas monkey from
West Africa, presented by Master Eric Blind; a toque
monkey from Ceylon, presented by Mr. 0. Brown; a
blue and yellow macaw from South America, presented
by Lieutenant W. H. Duffln, King's Own Regiment ; a
serval and a white-tailed Ichneumon from West
Africa, presented by Mr. F. J. Jackson; a Canada goose
from Canada, presented by Mr. J. E. Kelsall ; a rough..
billed pelican from Mexico, a Hutchins's goose from
Arctic America, pn,^ thased.