The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-27 00:00:00

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

CROYDON AUTUMN STEEPLECHASES.
TUESDAY.
The business of the legitimate steeplechase season began
yesterday at the Croydon Autumnal Meeting, under the
direction of Mr. J. P. Verrall. Although the morning
broke with raw, cold, and cheerless weather, still as the
day wore on more cheering prospects presented them-
selves, and an enjoyable day's sport was the result, there
being little or no delay in the weighing-room, an entire
absence of objections, and no running in the dark, as is
only too often the cage when the events are so numerous
on the card. There was only one drawback to complete
success. We refer to the accident which befell Mr.Ed wards,
the rider of Endsleigh, in the Grand National Hurdle
Race. Mr. Edwards sustained severe cuts about the face,
and was otherwise bruised and shaken. It will, however,
be consoling to Mr. Edwards's friends to learn that he is
recovering as favourably as can be expected, and that he
is carefully attended by Mr. Lanchester in Croydon. Potter
also got an ugly spill; but after a brief rest he seemed not
very much the worse. There was a very good attendance,
some thousands of people paying for admission into the
grounds. The leading patrons of the so-called " illegiti-
mate" sport were present within the enclosure, which was
numerously ratronised. The' line of country run over
was the same as last year, namely, at Stroud Green, about
two miles east of Croydon and one from Norwood Junc-
tion. The land has since last year been thoroughly
drained, and the committee have profited by experience,
and considerably altered the takings off and landings at
the fences. The water jump had not been diminished at
all, but the gorse has been sloped, so that the horses can
see where they are going to land. The Grand National
Hurdle Race was the event of yesterday, and it produced
a n umerous field, amongst them being some accomplished
' timber toppers." Endsleigh, the winner of tho sen-
sational Metropolitan, sustained an injury which is
more than likely to put an end to her racing career. The
mare, not perceiving one of the obstacles, did not rise toit,
bait bungling over it came down on her head and made a
cavity capable of admitting a 71b weight. The race was
won easily by Steamboat; Moose, whose first appearance
it was in the character of a hurdle-jumper, being second.
Marie Louise, the Liverpool and Shrewsbury winner, broke
down in her off bird pastern, and limped in fourth. She
was made the favourite with her stable companion, being
backed at 2 to 1, whilst 6 to 1 was laid against the winner.
The Stewards' Plate was won by the useful Comberton ;
and he did the backers a good turn, bringing them back
their losses on the Hurdle Race. Details of the day's
sport are appended:—
A Selling Hurdle Race Stakes of 3 soya each, with 25
added ; three year olds lOst, four list 41b, five and up-
wards list 71b; winn,-rs of a hurdle race value 40 sous
51b extra; the winner to be sold for 50 sous; about one
mile and a half, over six hurdles.
Mr. Pa wley's Roving Maid, 3yrs, lOst (Potter) 1
r. W. S. Stonehevrer's Lytham, fi yrs, llst 121b(Pickett) 2
Mr. IV. G. Jarvis's Order, 3 yrs, lOst slb (W Jarvis) 3
Mr. White's Erolite, 3 yrs, lOst ............... (H. Jackson) 0
Betting-5 to 4 agst Roving Maid, sto 2 agst Lytham,
and 3to 1 agst Order. Roving Maid made the running
followed by Order, Erolite bringing up the rear. Round-
ing the bend Order drew up to Roving Maid, these two
being four lengths in advance of the other pair. After
going about a mile Lytham dropped into the rear, Roving
Maid simultaneously increasing the lead. Both Order and
Erolite refused the hurdle at the mile post, Jackson being
unseated, but Order being persevered with went on in the
rear. Jackson remounted, and went on fully a quarter of
a mile behind the leaders, of whom Roving maid was still
in the van. At the turn Lytham was beaten, and Roving
Maid won in a canter by 20 lengths, Order finishing a bad
third, .rolite walking in with the crowd. The winner
was bought in for 87 guineas; and Lytham, who ran
second, was also put up, Int, the auctioneer failing to
realise a bid of more than a "pony," this horse was also
bought in.
- -

The Grand National Hurdle Race Handicap of 15 Pow each,

•
Betting-5 to 2 agst Comberton, 4to 1 agst Vindicator,
100 to 15 agst Standard Bearer, and 8 to 1 agst Wings of
the Wind. Standard Bearer made the running, followed
by Laura, Portfire, Nabocklish, Comberton, Sinite, Vin-
dicator, Faint Heart, and Jassy, Huntsman's Daughter
bringing up the rear. After going about 300 yards Laura
took up the running, Vindicator being next, Standard
Bearer and Comberton following, clear of Jassy and
Hoiice, Huntsman's Daughter still last. No change oc-
curred until nearing the hurdles preceding the water jump
where Comberton took second place, and; after passing
the hurdle, forced the pace, Laura being at the head of the
others. They' came on in compact order •to the water
jump, which was cleared first by Vindicator, Laura being
next,tho others following in much the same orderas above.
All got safely over, with the exception of Faint Heart, who
swerved into the course, and was not prsevered with.
When the next fence had been cleared Laura came forward
and took up the running, followed closely by Comberton
and Vindicator, the next body of horses comprising
Standard Bearer, Black flock, and Sinite. At the fence
opposite the Stand Helice fell and throw Potter, who, how-
ever, escaped with a slight shaking, and walked to the
paddock with assistance. ,Five furlongs from home Laura
dropped back beaten, and this loft Comberton with tho load,
Vindicator and Helice (who went on riderless) being clear
of the others. Before reaching the straight Vindicator
was done with, and Wings of the Wind, who was baulked
by Helice, took his position on the water-jump side of the
course ; but, being beaten on the ascent, Comberton can-
tered in an ;easy winner by a length. Nabocklish came
with a rush at the finish, and obtained third place, a length
behind Wings of the Wind ; Laura was fourth, Jassy fifth,
blackrock sixth, Standard Bearer seventh, Clumber eighth,
Huntsman's Daughter ninth, Sinite tenth ; Vindicator
walked in next, while Portfire was beaten by fully half a
mile.

A Steeple Chisel Sweepstakes of 5 soya each, 2 ft, with 50
added ; four yr olds list, five list 101 b, six and aged
12st ; the winner to be sold for 200 sovs ; if entered for
100 soya allowed 71b; about two miles and a half; 13
subs.

Mr. Golby's Ace of Trumps, by King of Trumps—Free
Gift, aged, 12st (a 00) (Wheeler) 1
Mr. Turner's Red Rosa, 5 yrs, llst 3lb (.£100) (T. Barton) 2
Colonel Knox's Stiff, 6 yrs, llst 71b (£100) (W. Reeves) 3
Oldminster and Horace Walpole also ran.
Betting-5 to 4 agst Stiff, 100 to 30 each agst Ace of
Trumps and Red Rose. Horace Walpole made play, fol-
lowed by Stiff, Red Rose, and Ace of Trumps; Oldminster
for a short distance being in the rear. After going about
half a mile, Ace of Trumps, beading Red Rose, took third
place, but before rcaciiing the water jump Red Rose again
went up to Horace Walpole, Stiff simultaneously giving
way to Oldminster, and the lot came along in a compact
body to the water jump, which
,Horaco Walpole, Red Rose,
and Ace of Trumps cleared nearly abreast, Oldminster,
who followed the trio, refusing, and thereby baulking
Stiff, who was following in his track. Eventually, how-
ever, both got over the obstacle and went on in pursuit,
Oldminster refusing again at the farm-house fence, his
jockey having some difficulty to get him over. The fa-
vourite soon got on terms with his horses, and alternately
led with Horace Walpole and Rod Rose, but the last men-
tioned had a clear advantage at the flight of hurdles about
a quarter of a mile from home, and was going remarkably
well, when be came down, falling on French, who fortu-
nately, escaped material injury. This contretemps allowed
Ace of Trumps to take up the running, and he won in a
canter by three lengths; Stiff was a bad third, and the
other two did not pass the post.
The Hunters' Stakes of 5 soya each, 2 ft, with 30 added;
three year olds lOst 121 b, four 11st 71b, five and upwards
12st ; gentlemen riders who have never ridden the win-
ner of a flat race or steeple chase value 100 soya allowed
71b ; two miles on the flat ; 21 subs.
Mr. Robinson's Flare-up, by Darby the Blast—The
Mule, 5 yrs, 12st (Mr. A. Yates) 1
Mr. Loudon's Maid of the Mill (h b), 8 yrs,_lost 121 b _

.(Pearson 2
Mr. E. Brayley's Jove, 3 yrs, lOst 51b (Mr. Walshburnj 3
The following also ran : —Statesman, Vittoria, Adver-
tisement, Elsie Venner, Sumerled, and Bright Flash.
Betting-5 to 4on Maid of the Mill, sto 1 agst Adver-
tisement, and 10 to 1 each agst Flare-up and Somerled.
Statesman made the running, followed by Flare-up, Vit-
toria, Maid of the Mill, Advertisement, and Somerled, the
rear being brought up by Jove for about a quarter of a
mile, when the command was taken up by Advertisement ;
Elsie Venner, Somerled, Flare-up, and Statesman follow-
ing in the order named; Jove still being in the rear till
approaching the five-furlorg post. At this point Mr.
Brayley's horse ran into third position, his place in the
rear being taken by Bright Flash. Making the turn into
the straight, Maid of the Mill took up the running—Vit-
toria, Jove, and Flare-up going on next. Making the
straight for home, all, with the exception of the favourite
and Flare-up, were beaten. Maid of the Mill held a slight
lead to the commencement of the enclosure, where Mr,
Yates called on the outsider, and won, after a fine race
by a short head. Jove was a bad third, Somerled trotted
in fourth, Bright Flash was fifth, Advertisement sixth,
Statesman seventh, Elsie Verner eighth, and Vittoria
walked in last.

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a choice of 3,000; despatch boxes, writing cases, dressing
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bags and reticules, card cases, purses, stationery cabinets,
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cases, card baskets, pocket books, electro-gilt and elegantly
mounted articles. Bibles, Prayer-books, and Church Ser-
vices, in every type. Parkins and Gotto, 25, Oxford_
street. Thousands of the above articles, all perfectly new
and fresh, consequent upon a rapid sale.
METROPOLITAN STREETS ACT (1867) AMEND-
➢lENT.—Yesterday morning was issued the copy of a bill
for the amendment of " The Metropolitan Streets Act,
1867," by which it is enacted that the sixth section of
"The 'Metropolitan Streets Act, 1867," prohibiting the de-
posit of goods in the streets, shall not apply to cosier'
mongers, street hawkers, or itinerant traders, so long as
they carry on their business in accordance with the regula-
tions from time to time made by the Commissioner of
Police,

DunLix, Nov. 2(3.
The Fenian =cations arc still a fruitful topic of
discussion in the journals. - most of the organs
which profess nadie:ll priucip - ''• •'y are condemned
in strong term.. The Evening Post, for example,
compares the treAtmentof Ireland to that of Poland.
The Fro-males Journal compares Allen and his com-
,ii.aliteioen,s.ti,:o
1:A.(177i Ssayydsn et3.l,i
ea
Irish en .
11,t,
inlstse
be-
lieve ,ilat three of their fellow eountrynwn " w.!re
offered up ono the scaffold as a sacrifice to the spirit
of hatred and brutal revenge ;" and adds, " we, at
least, shall not persuade them to accept injustice
as one of the inevitable &crees of Providence."
The reckless perseverance with which a portion of
the press endeavours to embitter their national pre-
judices and represent the executions as a cruel and
unjustifiable tragedy may produce a crop of future
mischief. In admirable contrast with the tone of
such journals is an article in the Northern Whig,
which enforces with ability and earnestness the true
moral to be drawn from the scene of Saturday. The
Whig observes :—" A stripling of 19 and two other
Fenians have died for Kelly and Deasy, and, of
course, much Kelly and Deasy care. Stephens is in
Paris, avowing himself with suspicious ostentation
to be in great poverty, and borrowing money from
his friends to pay even the expenses of the advertise-
ments he issues for pupils as a teacher of English.
Kelly and Deasy are skulking in places best known
to themselves; evideritlfelYnt terYtiri
slightest risk. The challenge had been openly given
for this Fenian organisation if it possessed any vita-
lity worthy of acknowledgment by its enemies to
show itself. It slunk away to its fitting home,
the slums of Salford, Manchester, and Liver-
pool, and allowed the wretched dupes to die
the felon's death. It is capable of midnight
asswsination, of the most atrocious threats, and
the vilest bombast. When, however, it is re-
solutely confronted, whether it be by a dozen Irish
policemen, or openly braved, as on Saturday morn-
ing at Manchester, by all that can stir the blood, it,
like the bully and coward it is, thinks nothing of its
solemn pledges, and is only anxious to save its own
skin. Compare this conduct with that of Garibaldi
and his volunteers near Rome. And yet we have
read in Irish organs, which abuse the liberty of the
• press, and are themselves a proof that never before
did a Government tolerate so much, that Garibaldi,
for whom the whole Italian people have such a pas-
sionate veneration, is a mere filibuster, while Kelly
and Deasy are heroes! • • • • •
This is not a time for sentimentalising on the un-
timely end of these three young men. It is not a
time for disgraceful threats of vengeance, such as
we see with regret some organs that we refrain from
naming have not hesitated to circulate and make
their own in leading articles. We believe that this
Fenian spirit would nearly disappear if part of the
Catholic press in Ireland, in professing to condemn
it, would not sympathise with it, and really trade
upon it. This is, however, openly and shamelessly
done. It is no glorious task thus to encourage,
while pretending to gently rebuke, a movement
which is known to be utterly hopeless, and which
has just sent three victims to the scaffold, and is
filling our prisons with misguided and desperate
men. It is no very glorious thing for editors and
proprietors of certain newspapers to turn even Bri-
tish freedom against itself while writing against
oppression ; and to seek cunningly to graze the edge
of treason while carefully avoiding to incur its penal-
ties. The British people have no wish to maintain
any Irish abuses; even the organs who tell their
readers the contrary know their assertions to be
false."

In the provinces the news of the executions
called forth no public manifestations such as had
been apprehended. The utmost tranquillity pre-
vailed everywhere, and in a few places was there
any noticeable expression of feeling. The only
locality where anything which could be called a
demonstration was made was the city of Cork.
It was, however, peaceable. The military had been
confined to barracks in readiness to act if required,
and armed patrols of police paraded the streets on
Saturday and Sunday nights, but remarkable quiet-
ness prevailed. The shops were half closed when the
intelligence arrived. On Sunday in most of the Ro-
man Catholic churches of the city, and also in
Queenstown, and in different parts of the county of
Cork, special reference was made to the executed
Fenians in the prayers for the departed, and the
congregations, it is said, were deeply affected. At
the entrance-gates of several of the chapels were
placards with a deep mourning border, with the
words, " Of your charity pray for the repose of the
murdered patriots, Allen, O'Brien, and Larkin.
God save Ireland !" It does not appear that any at-
tempt was made from without or from within the
sacred edifices to disturb this edifying document.
On Sunday numbers of young men of the city,
chiefly of the artisan class, wore crape hatbands and
green rosettes. Some well-dressed women also dis-
played mourning rosettes, and several vessels in the
river had their flags at half-mast. In some instances
funeral precessions were formed. Biographical
sketches of Allen and O'Brien are given in the Cork
papers. W. P. Allen was born in 1848, in a village
near the town of Tipperary, and when about three
years old his parentsremoved to Bandon. His father
was a Protestant, and was keeper of the Bridewell.
He was educated in a school under the superintend-
ence of the lion. Mr. Bernard, now Bishop of Tuam,
but his mother being a Catholic he became at an
early age imbued with her religious principles, and
about four years ago, when some Roman Catholic
missionaries visited the town, he openly conformed
to their church, and since then, it is stated, he has
been a strict and exemplary Catholic. His sister,
who lives in Cork, followed his example ; but his
fonr brothers remain Protestants. He was bound
apprentice to a respectable carpenter and timber
merchant in Bandon, and afterwards was induced
by some relatives to go to Manchester, where he con-
tinued to reside until the murder of Brett. Michael
O'Brien, alias Gould, was born near Ballymacoda, in
the county of Cork, where Crawley, another Fenian,
who was shot in an encounter with the military, re-
sided. He served an apprenticeship in the drapery
establishment of Messrs. Arnott and Grant, of Cork.
He afterwards spent some time in another firm, and
ultimately emigrated to America, where he had a
number of friends, some of them in prosperous cir-
cumstances. When the civil war broke out he joined
the Northern army and served in several campaigns.
At its close he went to Liverpool and was soon after-
wards arrested on a charge of complicity with the
Fenian conspiracy. He escaped, however, on that
occasion, unfortunately for himself, and then re-
moved to Cork, where he got employment. Here his
Fenian principles became more fully developed, and
he took an active part in the treasonable organisa-
tion. On Shrove Tuesday night, when the rising
was made, he disappeared, and was not again heard
of until the rescue of Kelly and Deasy. Ile is sup-
posed to have been the fourth person in the party
with M'Clure, Kelly, and Crawley, in the collision
with the military on the 18th of September iu Kil-
clooney-wood. He looked so quiet and gentle that
he was called by the soubriquet of " Father Mike."
His friends are consoled with the assurance
that " Michael O'Btien died as he lived—a brave
Christian gentleman."

An application was made yesterday in the Court
of Queen's Bench to admit Win. J. Nagle, one of
the Fenian prisoners reserved for trial at the Sligo
Assizes, to bail, chiefly ou the ground of ill health.
Since his arrest the Summer Assizes have been held,
and two commissions. At the last commission he
was assured that he wouli be arraigned after " Ge-
neral" Warren, but ultimately the trial was post-
poned. Mr. Heron, Q.C., who applied on his be-
half, read an affidavit by Mr. Thornhill, a physician
to the prison, and Dr. Banks, stating that he was in
delicate health, and that further protracted confine-

—efforts o€4llBfiremen were therefore directed to the
preservation of the staelia-and outbuildings. The
farm is the property of Sir John Chetwode, the
owner of extensive property at Whitley, and the
house was one of those old-fashioned timbered erec-
tions which are too common in many parts of
Cheshire. It was a long, rambling edifice, and the
means of ingress and egress were of an exceedingly.
limited character. The most painful thing to relate
is that Mr. and Mrs. Cooke, with their four young
children and a nurse-girl, were entirely consumed,
so that only the partial remains of some of them
could be recovered from the tuins. On Monday an
inquest was held by Mr. W. J. R. Dunstan, the
coroner, and a respectable jury of farmers and a few
gentlemen from Middlewich. The evidence con-
sisted of that of John Roylance, the waggoner of
Mr. Cooke, Ann Davenport, his maid-servant, and
a police-constable. On the Saturday there were
nine persons sleeping in the house. Roylance said
he awoke in a fright, having been dreaming that he
was killed. On going downstairs about half-past 4
in the morning he heard a crackling noise, and on
banging the door open he saw the house on fire. He
immediately gave the alarm, and on running round
he heard screaming in his master's bedroom. He went
on horseback to Middlewich for the engine. All
that remained of the house was the chimney and
gable end and the kitchen. Ann Davenport's evi-
dence described the poSition of things on the family
going to bed. She Said that she went to bed at 11
o'clock on Saturday night last, leaving Mr. and Mrs.
Cooke in the house-place having their supper.
There was a clothes-maiden in the house-place for
airing the clothes. At nearly 1 o'clock on Sunday
morning her mistress came to her and said, " You
have not gone to sleep !" I said, " Yes, I have been
to sleep, but have wakened." She said, " There is
a clothes-maiden before the fire; you must in the
morning take the maiden and clothes away, and not
dirty them." Master had put Some wood on the
fire, and had left it a good fire. She awoke not long
before she was called by Roylaneo, and heard a
crackling, and she thought the lads had kindle 1 the
fire, as they sometimes did. When Roylance
shouted she jumped up, and ran into the master's
room for some matches and wakened him. There
was no smoke or fire there then. All the children
but Ellen were asleep. Her master and mistress
were awake. Master ran down stairs and opened
the door at the foot of the stairs. The house place
was then full of flames, whiCh flashed upstairs, and
her master fell backwards. He ran to her mistress
—she got up and el:l9.)ed hol lof him. She took up
the b tby and put it down again. Witness ran into
the room, and after some time succeeded in open-
ing the window. Her mistress got hold of her leg
just as she was going to jump out. Oilier, on the
outside, had brought a ladder, which she got partly
ou and jumped down. She asked her mistress to
jump down, but she said she could not, and went
back to the children. She never saw her mistress
or the children again. ller master put his head
through the window as if for fresh air, and then
went back. Fire-engines arrived from Middlewich.
She was naked, and ran to the chapel-house
('enables) very soon after her master had gone from
the window. The baby's name was Mary, and was
born in May. Ellen was seven years old, Sophia
was four years, and Edward two. Her master was
40 years of age, and his wife Elizabeth about 36
years old. The nurse-girl, Elizabeth Shaw, was the
daughter of Edward Shaw, a labourer, in the
Potteries ; she slept in the room witness did ; she
was part asleep; witness shook her, but could not
awaken her ; witness could not speak to her, her
breath was stopped ; she was suffocating ; she was
12 years old last June. All these seven persons
'•were suffocated and dead before the house fell in.
There was not a fire that night in the master's bed
rooin. The parents and children slept in two beds
in the same room. ilThere the remains of the mas-
ter and mistress were found upon the ground was
exactly under where their bed would be. There
was an iron guard before the fire, between the fire
and the clothes-maiden. It was a thatched house,
with a great deal of wood about it. She heard the
master say twice, "The Lord have mercy upon
us." Thomas llardern, police constable, said when
he arrived before the engines the chamber flooring
had fallen in. Eventually the whole house came
down, except the two chimneys and part of the.
milkhouse. Ile found the burnt remains of a
body, apparently of a grown-up man. By them
lay the remains of a smaller body, which he be-
lieved to have been Mrs. Cooke's remains. On mov-
ing these he found the wedding ring produced.
About a yard from them were the remains of a
child. The feathers of a pillow or bed lay under-
ucath them, and a piece of a bed-post. He found
a piece of a shin or thigh on the ground, which was
under where the girl Shaw had been sleeping. All
the remains found were burnt almost to tinder, and
so as to be impossible to be recognised except as to
sizes. The coroner then addressed the pry, re-
marking that of all the awful occurrences which
had taken place in their experience probably none
had equalled in painful interest the one constituting
the subject of the present inquiry, and he then said
there was no evidence to show how the fire origi-
nated. The jury returned the following verdict :
I hat the seven deceased persons met with their
death from suffocation from the flames and smoke
arising from the house taking fire. As to the cause
of the fire the jury have no evidence to show."

GUILD COURT. By George Mae Donald, M.A.
3 Guild Court' is a clever, interesting, and most
graceful work, revealing in an eminent ,logree those gifts
to the possesion of which Mr. Mac Donald owes his re-
putation. It is is many respects the best, end iu all re-
spects the most characteristic he has yet written. It has
a clear stream of poetry, powerful interest, exquisite work-
manship, and a strongly urged moral. Its characters aro
skilfully depicted and developed, and its plot is cleverly
evolved. When we say that it is Mr. Mac Donald's mas-
terpiece, we say that it is one of the best works of modem
fiction."—Sunday Times.
THE LIFE AND CORRESPONDENCE OF THOMAS
SLIGSBY DUNCOMBE, late M.P. for Finsbury. By his Son.
2 vols.—" These volumes contain much racy anecdote, and
some startling disclosures which will ruffle politiAans.
Buncombe was at the same time a darling of Mayfair, a
leader of fashion, a man of many pleasures, and a hard-
wo:king member of Parliament, who delighted to be called
a Tribune of the People. Few men of his time were of
greater mark amongst the notabilities of London than this
patrician radical, who was Count D'Orsay's 'Dear Tommy,'
and Finsbury's 'Honest Tom Duncombe.' Mr. Dun-
combo's singular career is ably handled by his only child.
He tells us much that the world did not know concerning
his remarkable sire."—Athemeum.