The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-18 00:00:00

British Home for Incurables.

The fifth annual general meeting of the governors
and members of this society was held in the London
Tavern yesterday. Mr. Charles Hood, in the
absence of Viscount Holmesdale, the chairman, pre-
sided. There was a numerous attendance, consist-
ing principally of ladies. Mr. E. Weaver, the secre-
tary, read the report, from which it appeared that,
since the British Home for Incurables was first
established, 93 patients had been elected to the
benefits of the charity. Of these 40 have been
elected inmates of the home, and 53 have been elected
to the out pension. Some few have also been ad-
mitted on payment, and there are at present residing
in the home 35 patients. Although nearly every
form of suffering existed in the institution the general
cheerfulness of the inmates and the almost universal
appearance of comfort and happiness which prevailed
were features which struck every visitor. The board
had the pleasure to announce that they had lately
received a second liberal donation from the Princess
of Wales, the patroness of the institution. The
friends of the British Home would be glad to learn
that the Marquis Townshend had presented the
magnificent sum of £l,OOO to found a perpetual
maintenance for one in-patient, in memory of his
lordship's father, the late Marquis Townshend, the
first president of the institution. This amount, as
well as a similar endowment from another kind bene-
factor mentioned in the last report, had been invested.
The account of receipts and expenditure from Ist
April, 1865, to 31st March, 1866, showed that the
annual subscriptions and donations in that period
amounted to £6,959 4s. 7d. ; that the sum of
£3,570 had been invested in approved securities ;
and that the balance in the hands of the treasurers
amounted to £438 19s. 10d. The total amount
now invested is £13,286 3s. 4d. The chairman, in
addressing the meeting, said the home was rapidly
filling up, and he believed that in two years
it would be quite full. It was therefore necessary
that they should take into consideration the advi-
sability of providing additional accommodation by
erecting a new home. For this purpose increased
support was requested from the friends of the insti-
tution, and, believing that a visit to the home would
be the best means of interesting them in the matter,
the directors had resolved to invite the subscribers
to a reunion to be held in the institution next
month. He concluded by moving the adoption of
the report, which was agreed to. Office-bearers
were elected for the ensuing year, and eight indoor
and an equal number of outdoor patients were
elected. This terminated the proceedings.

CIRCASSIAN BRIGANDAGE IN THE

DOBILITDJA.

ARNA, May 4.
A cowardly and murderous attack was recently made by
a party of Circassian settlers on one of the sub contractors
for the Varna and Rustchuk Railway. The victim, Mr.
Martin, was returning from England, via the Danube, in
company with another sub-contractor, named Fathers, and
whilst crossing the country from Rustchuk in a country
araba the party was attacked about three hours on the
Varna side of Rasgrad, and shortly after leaving the main
road, by a party of eight Circassians, who had been lying
in wait near the junction, for the purpose of pillaging any
unwary travellers who might fall into their hands. It was
about 9 p.m. on a bright moonlight night, and at about
two miles from their destination, that the men were
stopped. At that time Martin was on foot, about 100
yards in front, looking for the track. Fathers remaining
inside the araba, which was driven by a Turkish driver
from Rasgrad. At first the Cireassians kept at a respectful
distance, andcontented themselves with demanding money,
until, finding that no firearms were presented; they took
courage, and commenced plundering the araba, dragging
the contents out into the road, to which Fathers from
within offered all the resistance in his power by striking
and kicking those who came within reach.
Whilst thus engaged the robbers were disturbed by Mar-
tin, who, on hearing the row behind him, turned back,
and rushing towards the araba called loudly on them to
desist, whereupon they quitted the araba and rushed upon
him in a body, the leader firing a pistol without effect as
he approached. Martin turned to fly, but was immediately
overtaken and cut down by a blow from a sword, which
severed one ear and inflicted a frightful gash on his head.
Despite this, being a man of great muscular power, he re-
gained his feet, and was happily able to ward off with his
left arm a second blow aimed at his head ; as it was, the
elbow was cut off, and this was immediately followed up
by a sweeping blow under the arm, penetrating through
the muscles, and completely laying the chest open. Mean-
while the araba driver, taking advantage of the diversion,
turned his horses short round, and flogging them into a
gallop escaped down the hill in the direction of the nearest
village, where he and Fathers took refuge, and whence
they obtained assistance and protection in the search which
they subsequently made for Martin.
The Circassians, thus left alone with Martin—whom
they believed to be dead, and who did all in his power to
favour that belief—proceeded to cut out his pockets and
rifle him, and collect the goods strewn in the path ;
having done which they took themselves off, after their
leader had bidden one of the gang to desist from trying
to pull off their victim's lace-up boots. On their depar-
ture, fearing lest they should return, and, finding him
alive, complete their work, Martin succeeded in crawling
to a considerable distance from the spot, until, overcome
by loss of blood, he became insensible, and in this state he
was found next morning.

Information of the outrage having been communicated
by the vice consuls to the Governor-General at Rustchuk,
and the Governors of Varna and Schurnla, every effort
was at once made to discover and arrest the offenders.
The suspicions of the inhabitants of the village,
Yeni-keui, in which Martin lived, pointed to the in-
habitants of a Circassian hamlet about three miles off, whose
predatory habits had already inflicted serious losses on the
neighbourhood. On this hint the zapties acted ; and having
first interrogated the chief, and received an earnest denial
of any knowledge of the affair, proceeded to arrest him.
This had the desired effect, and so led to the arrest on the
following day of the majority of the gang, and the recovery
of the whole of the goods stolen. These ruffians are now
waiting their trial at Rustchuk, but have already confessed,
without any reservation, their guilt. It is now said that
the two men who actually inflicted the wounds are Rus-
sians. Poor Martin is now, it is hoped, out of danger. his
sufferings, however, have been very great, and his life was
long despaired of ; at the best he will be deprived of the use
of one arm for life.

The consolatory feature connected with the affair is the
prompt and energetic conduct of the local authorities, all
of whom, from the Governor-General downwards, showed
a most earnest desire to bring the offenders to justice,
whilst the neighbouring villagers displayed much sym-
pathy and good feeling.—Levant _Herald.

The Return from the Derby.

SEVERAL SERIOUS ACCIDENTS.
In the return home on Wednesday several accidents of a
very serious character took place. In the New Kent-road,
shortly after 11 o'clock, a throe-horse van, laden with per-
sons, in turning the corner, swayed and turned over with
a loud crash. It was found necessary to remove the follow-
ing to St. Thomas's Hospital :—Wm. Crocker, 24, of 107,
Stamford-street, engine-fitter, fractured ribs and a severe
injury to the scalp. Robert Baker, 51, of 14, East-street,
Walworth, coach-smith, fracture of both bones of the right
leg. Chas. Jenkins, 36, of 7, Ann's-place, Walworth, frac-
tured right leg. Frederick Unman, 32, plasterer, fractured
wrist; and Win. Simes, injured hand. All the above-men-
tioned cases were found to be very serious, and at once re-
ceived the attention of Mr. Aveling, house surgeon, and
the medical staff. Near Kennington Church a gentleman
on horseback rode down a lad, named William Sweeney,
aged seventeen years, and on his removal to St. Thomas's
Hospital it was found that his skull was fractured.
—ln Walworth-road, a collision occurred between a cab
and a horse and cart, the occupants of the latter, four in
number, being all thrown ont. They were taken to St.
Thomas's Hospital, their injuries being—to James Harris,
fracture of right leg ; Prudence Rose, fractured ribs ;
Amelia Wright, injured right arm; and Richard Griffin, a
crushed right arm. Several persons were also attended at
the hospital suffering severe injuries to tho eyes from the
effect of flour, lime, and sand thrown at them.