The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-15 00:00:00

A STRANGE STORY-

A contemporary tells a rather queer story, which must
be taken, however, for what it is worth, as it really came
to nothing in the end. It is an account of "an extraordi-
nary case " of firing a revolver at a social party assembled
in a tavern at Holborn. Shortly after eleven o'clock, a
night or two hack, four or five friends were sitting in the
bar parlour of the Robin Hood Tavern, Holborn. They were
chatting over their pipes and beer, when a tall, powerful-
looking man, something over 40 years of age, well-dressed,
gentlemanly appearance, and perfectly sober entered the
room, and almost immediately invited the company to join
him in a game of draughts. The invitation was declined,
which the staanger attributed to nervousness. Some
chaff followed, and, in the midst of it, the man drew
from his breast pocket a five-barrelled revolver,
and, resting the muzzel on the table, pointed towards
the others, asked, " How would you like a taste
of that ?" He was asked in return whether he usually
played with such toys as that, and he replied, " I deal
with them in earnest sometimes, and I know how to set
them in the right direction when wanted." He was then
told that a man who would shew a weapon so unceremo-
niously would not have the moral courage to do so if it
were loaded. Perfectly cool and collected, he rose from
the table and went into the yard, and returned in
•, minute or so, flourishing a bowie-knife in his hand,
and asked those before him if they preferred that sort of
thing to the other. Having threatened to hide the knife
in the body of one of the company, he was told that they
were not at all alarmed. Up to this time those in the
room had no suspicion that the man meant any harm,
but here, for the first time, he became slightly excited,
and rapidly replacing the bowie-knife in his pocket,
drew out the revolver, and saying that he could, if he
wished, put the contents of one barrel through the centre
of the clock, fired in the direction of the four or five men.
A good deal of confusion naturally ensued, the landlord
rushed in to ascertain the cause of the report, and, favoured
by the smoke and the confusion, the stranger slipped out
of the room and gained the street. No bullet was found,
but it is believed the man went into the yard to load the ,
revolver. No pursuit was given. The favourite conjec-
tures are that the man was either a crack-brained Fenian,
or an escaped lunatic.

Mr. Antonio Brady has had an interview with th©
Right Hon. the Vice-President of the Council at the Privy
Council Office, on the subject of the East London Museum
of Science and Art.

DECEIVING A BEGGAR.—The other night a pro-
fessional beggar solicited the privilege of warming himself
at the Worksop police-office. The officers complied with
the request, and also gave him supper. In addition to
this they locked him up, and next morning took him
before a magistrate, who committed him for seven days as
a rogue and vagabond.—Sheffield Telegraph.
A BREECHES LAW.—A communication from
Mexico says :—" The Mexicans of the provinces are not
so attentive to their dress as might be, and they are fond
of walking abroad in warm weather without their trousers,
wearing only their shirt, and a pair of calzoncillas, which
are white cotton drawers of a very primitive fashion.
The Legislature of Zacatecas has taken this matter in
hand, and has enacted the following law `in the interests
of civilisation and decency:'—` Art. 1. The use of cal-
concillas externally is hereby prohibited throughout the
State. Pantaloons or closed breeches must be substituted
therefore. Art. 2. If after two months from the publica-
tion of this decree its provisions are not complied with,
ofiendeis shall pay a monthly fine of 25z. s. to be
applied for the benefit of the public Treasury.'"

THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF A LARY IN LlNER-
t•oor..—An inquest has been held at Liverpool on the
body of a widow lady named Clara .Jane Linde, who was
found dead in a claypit in a brickfield at Kensington,
Liverpool, on Saturday, It appeared from the evidence
that about ten o'clock on Saturday morning the body of
the deceased was found, with her face immersed in some
mud, and quite dead. Investigation did not shew that
she had been in any way subjected to violence of any kind,
the medical testimony establishing clearly that she had
d:ed from suffocation in the mud, a considerable portion
of which was found in her stomach. After hearing and
carefully considering the evidence, the jury returned an
open verdict to the elect that the deceased was "Found
dead."