The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-05 00:00:00

A VORACIOUS MAN-EATER.

OF CASUALS.

"7LECTION PETITIONS.

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There arc fifty-two petitions standing for trial, and of
these fifteen have had the days fixed. Mr. Justice
Wiles will take New Windsor, Guildford, Lich-
Reid, Westbury, and Tamworth ; Mr. Baron Martin
will preside at Norwich, Warrington, Bradford, Chelten-
ham, and Westminster ; and Mr. Justice Blackburn takes
lewdley, Stockport, Wallingford, Stalybridge, and
Hartlepool.

THE AILTP.DER AT NORWICH. —A correspondent
at Norwich, referring to the statement of William
Sheward at the Lambeth-street Police-office on Saturday,
says it is believed that the self-accusation of murder is
well-founded, Human remains were found in the River
Yare and in the neighbourhood of Norwich in June 18:.51.
Persevering inquiries were made at the time by the local
police, and the remains were collected, but the circum-
tances have always remained a mystery until the present

AN AMERICAN PRIZE FIGHT.-WASHINGTON,
DEC. 23. —Abe Hicken, of Philadelphia, and Pete 11PGuire,
of Peekskill, N.Y., two well-known roughs, had a prize
fight for 1,000 dollars a side in the vicinity of Stump's-
wood, on the line of the railroad, near Perryville, this
morning. After five rounds, Hicken broke 111`Guire's jaw
and gained the fight. A large crowd of sporting men and
roughs from Philadelphia and New York, with the prin-
cipals, were on board a special train, which passed through
this city early this morning, and remained on the ground
until the affair was over.

THE BISHOP OF SALISBURY.—This prelate's
health, although occasionally exhibiting signs of improve-
ment, still continues in a very unsatisfactory state. His
lordship has not hitherto been wholly confined to his resi-
dence, but his been able to take carriage exercise, his
medical adviser considering it essential to his restoration
that he should be out as much as possible. With the view
of having the benefit of the advice of an eminent London
physician, it is arranged that he shall spend a short time
in town, so as to be under his immediate observation and

care.

THE CONVICT MARTIN BROWN.—Martin Brown?
aged 22, who was convicted at the Lewes Assizes last
week, before Mr. Baron Channell, of the murder of David
Baldey, on Newmarket-hill, Kingston, on the 9th of
October, will be executed on the morning of Monday, the
18th instant, at eight o'clock. Brown has been, and still
is, very reserved, and does not refer to the awful crime for
which he has been condemned. He is quiet and well-
behaved, and is daily visited by the gaol chaplain, the
*Rev. Mr. Duke. He has not yet made any confession of
his guilt.

ACCIDENT ON TILE }BRIGHTON RAILWAY.-011
Sunday an accident happened on the line recently opened
in connection with the London and South Coast Railway,
near Streatham Junction. An ordinary passenger train
was approaching the junction at the usual pace, when
the engine and tenders left the rails, and the passengers
were consequently much shaken and frightened, but, for-
tunately, none were seriously injured. On being released
from the carriages they found their way to the station at
Streatham-co►nmon, while due precautions were at once
taken to stop the approach of other trains. After
the accident Mr. Richardson, the locomotive superin-
tendent, arrived, and a large body of men, with the aid of
" jacks" and other appliances, succeeded in getting the
engine back upon the rails, when it was sent to Battersea
and examined, nothing being found to account for the
accident. It was supposed that the recent heavy rains had
loosened the sleepers, and that this had been the cause of
the accident.

BRIBERY AND THE BALLOT. NOW that the
Ballot has become one of the foremost public questions
in England, in consequence of the bribery and intimidation
practised at the late general election, the following extract
from the letter of the New South Wales correspondent
of a Scotch contemporary will be read with interest :
" Six months ago there was a general election, and in one
constituency alone there have been three elections since.
In the second contest a former defeated candidate got in,
and the one who was left out petitioned against his
election on the ground of wholesale bribery, and was suc-
cessful in proving bribery, but be could not disprove
the statement that his own election was above
suspicion, so one seat was declared vacant.
I believe this is the first instance of bribery being proved
in connection with the ballot, but there is rio disguising
the fact. Electors were brought long distances, both by
special steamers and also by the railway and stage-coaches,
to vote at an election for a district in which they did not
reside. Of course the part'e; who brought them had to
trust to them that they would vote for the man who pro-
vided the money, and whether they voted for him or not
is merely a matter of conjecture, and will remain such, as
there is no suspicion that the ballot-box was tampered
with; but still this chews what maybe done even with the
1 la.l "

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The following extract-from a letter from an engineer
at Chintagoonta, about sixtj miles beyond Cuddapah on
the road to Nundyal. merits the attention of Shikarr'es :
" We are much annoyed by a man-eater, about eleven
miles off under the hills, and the effect has been to raise
the price of bamboos, charcoal, and wood. I happened
to be yesterday in the village where it com-
mitted its last depredation. I found a force
100 strong, composed if the young men of the adjoining
villages—they assemble every morning at about 9 a.m.,
and march with tom-toms ahead and astern, armed with
spears and matchlocks into the jungle near the village,
carrying food to men who are posted in trees near each
place where any one has been killed. As may be expected,
since they took these precautions they have seen nothing
of him, as he has quietly gone to anutner village. They
told me that the tiger has killed more than two hundred
people ; a great many close to the village. "--Madras
Dec. 2.

INTENDED REFORM FOR THE RELIEF

The Poor-law Board have in contemplation on the Intro-
duction of certain reforms in the present system of relieving
casuals, and have solicited by circular an expression of opi-
nion from the various boards of guardians upon the pro-
posed alterations. It is intended to make uniform the
dietary and amount of task-work in all the unions in the
country, and the board have submitted for the considera-
tion of the local guardians a not too liberal scale of diet
and a fair average task. The board insist upon the enforce-
ment of the bath, recommend the system of separate sleep-
ing cells, and make various suggestions for the curtail-
ment of the comforts of casuals. It is intimated that the
Board only await the replies from the several unions before
embodying their views, subject to such modifications as
may arise from the guardians' suggestions, in a general
order.

On Monday morning Mr. Baron Martin resumed his
sitting in chambers, Rolls-garden, Chancery-lane, to hear
special pleas on election petitions. The first taken was
Tamworth, Mr. Tinley Smith (for Sir Henry Lytton
Bulwer) asking for names of the agents—alleged to have
been guilty of corrupt practices—to be given before the
three days laid down in the rules, as the district was a
wide one.—Mr. Henry James, for the petitioner, opposed
the application.—His lordship said the order of
Mr. Justice Willes must be confirmed, viz., to
give 'particulars three days' before the trial.—
Mr. Chitty (on behalf of .Sir Robert Peel, the
other member far Tamworth) then asked for the
nature of the corrupt practices to he specified by the
petitioners before the usual time given. His lordship
thought Mr. Justice Willes had been too liberal in
granting time for particulars. [Here Mr. Justice
Willes jokingly desired his lordship to be cautious.]
Nlr. Baron Martin (resuming) said he had given
very great consideration to the Act ; and he
cJuld not conceive what might not be included under the
thin
term " corrupt practices ;" it might mean almost any He should confirm the order of Mr. Justice
Willes.
In the case of South Hants an application was
made for an extension of the six days allowed
to the respondents for getting particulars, on the
ground that the district embraced a very wide
area.—His lordship, in refusing the application, said
be did so because he thought it might be used to defeat
the ends of justice. It would he giving time to those
already alleged to have been guilty of bribing to spirit
away the very persons who had previously accepted
bribes.

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