The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-26
London Pictures
by Richard Willis
Interesting Resume of the Important
Events Of the Week.
ROYALTY AT CHRISMASTIDE
Society Across the Pond in State of Re.
1nxation-M0rbid Minds Affected by
Accounts of Murders-An Old
Opera in New Dress.

Accounts of Murders-An Old
Opera in New Dress.
Special Correspondence of The Tribune.
London, Dec. 14-The cowardly muir
derer Read, whose trial elected such
extraordinary evidence. has been hung
at last thank goodness, and we are at
last spared all the slckening details OF
Reed in JAIL" Reads letters" and
Reads this and that. The evening
papers have almost made hero of the
brute and Read" has stared us in the
face from every newspaper poster In
the city. Even today while the mis-
cradle wretch's better part is taking
knowledge of eternity, we are con-
fronted with Reads willr' But a
murder of a different nature now at
tracts attention. A woman, 1t will be
remembered, was found dead outside
an artists house in the Holland park
road, quiet and beautiful vicinity
where painters congregate. Some days
after the tragedy foreign artist came
forward and stated that he witnessed
the crime. He saw the man and woman
in violent alteration and fearing vio-
lence hid not twelve yards away when
the man pressed his knee into the
woman's stomach and struck her in
the throat; he called out and the as
sassin made off and the artist started
in pursuit, but eventually lost sight of
the man. The police lost no time and
Londoners were surprised to learn that
a young Irishman, Reginald Saunder-
son by name, had been arrested at
Armagh, in Ireland. There seems little
doubt that the unfortunate young man
committed the outrage, and it is stated
that he is not responsible for his ac-
tons His father is much respected
justice of the peace in Ireland his
mother is n daughter of the Earl of
Clonmell, and he has four brothers and
four listers. The Read case appears
10 have excited a morbid influence over
him, and on the evening in question he
carried q cherry wood walking stick,
which he left beside the woman's body
in Kensington, and which has since
been identified 1t appears that on
leaving London he borrowed some
money of an old school-fellow and made
his way to the house of his uncle, Col
onel Saunderson, the well known and
vigorous Irish Conservative M. p. The
man is evidently mad and altogether 1t
is a painful affair. The residents of
Kensington are very perturbed what
with one thing and another, for there
is a small individual believed to be a
man in womans dress and whose iden-
tity cannot be established, going about
and asking women the direction to a
certain place and then stabbing them
in the face with a small knife. One
woman has already lost an eye and an
other has an ugly cut on the cheek.
The Prince of Wales and his son, the
Duke of York, have returned to town
and received a most hearty welcome.
They are looking well, and on the even
ing of their arrival they went on Il
visit to the Queen at Windsor and
dined there An interesting feature of
their visit is the fact that within the
castle walls there were four genera
tions of the British royal family in di-
rect line to the throne. namely: Ma,
Teddy, of Wales; George, of York; and
baby Edward. This is. l believe, an
unique record, and one not at all likely
to be smashed for some time.
Most of the "big-pots' Of society will
either be away in lands afar or in their
country houses this Xmas time, in fact,
"sassiety' is yawning over the not over
Of Ia Novry Vaar
son. The absence of the Princess of
Wales has lot to do with this apathy,
and people are commencing to learn
that Princess May is a family bird, a
bird that loves her nest, /. e.-hOme.
She is not fond of publicity, but is fond
of George and her baby. This infant is
already attracting attention and pic
lures of his first carriage" have APP
peared in several papers. 1t does not
differ from most other first carriages
insomuch that 1t lis not drawn by gee
gees or white donkeys; it's just one of
those affairs that suburban pas wheel
the kids around in of Sunday whilst
ma makes the pudding, only in this
instance it is not believed that Daddy
will do any wheeling.
A strange Copyright" performance
took place on Dec 8. The name OF
the piece is the "Mahdi" and it is by
Hall Caine, the author of the "ManX
man." Mr.. Hall Caine himself and
Zangwill took parts, as did Mr.. Heine.
mann, the publisher, and a capable
dramatic critic. The first act went al
right and then Zangwill acted all the
parts for the rest of the performance
The whole affair was a regular farce
and shows up the absurd laws of dra'
matte copyright Still the one or two
listeners saw and heard enough to tel
us that we have here powerful ant
dramatic play, which should still furth
er enhance Mr., Gaines reputation.
The production of "The Contraban
dista, or the Law of the Ladrones" OF
Monday next attracts unique interes
owing TO its having appeared in alb
breviated form no less than twenty
seven years ago! 1t was at that tim
n short comic opera, in which an Eng
1lsh tourist fell in with a band o
Spanish brlgands and was compelled
by an ancient law to become chieftail
of these lawless folk and also to MARI,
his predecessors widow. Burnand ha
polished up his talkey and jokelet
and Sullivan has added considerabl,