The Atherstone, Nuneaton, and Warwickshire Times. — 1889-01-05 (Atherstone, Warwickshire, England)

THE-BYE.  I HEAR that the Hughes - Cragg action will certainly be tried at the next Bitting of the County Court, and that some interesting revelations may be expected. The Vigilance Association evidently mean fight, for I am told that there London legal advisers have been in Leamington daring the past week gathering material for the defence. The amount of damage claimed for the alleged slander is £lOO, and the case has been remitted from the High Court with the oonsent of both parties. As the action is tub judice I can say nothing about the merits of it, but I am told to prepare myself for some spioy reading.  GEoson nen°mow, the Aston wife murderer, who is now occupying the condemned cell at Warwick, and whose execution is fixed for Tues. day next, is, I am told, a Warwick man, or at any rate lived in the town for a considerable tithe. I hear that Nicholson admits this, and says he worked in the town as a baker, so it is possible some of my readers may know something of him. No effort has been made to obtain any reprieve, but I greatly question whether it would have met With any success if made. The wretched man seems to be quite alone in the world, and has been visited only by his stepeon (a son of the murdered woman) since he was condemned.  HAVY just come across an old friend in a new garment. In my school days—a good many years ago—the value of a proper knowledge of punctuation was impressed upon us by means of an example of the ludicrous effect of misplaced commas -in 4 sentence about Imperial Cesar. The sentence began something like this: "Cesar entered on his head, his helmet on his feet, his sandals in his eyes, an angry glare in his right hand," and so on. The sad oonsequenoes of bad punctuation are now set forth as follows, according to an extract quoted as from a South German contemporary: "After him came Lord Salisbury on his head, a white hat on his feet, large but well-blacked boots on his brow, a dark cloud in his hand, the unavoidable walking-stiok in his eyes, a threatening look in gloomy silence." Old schoolboys will only smile at this modernised version of a classic illustration, and they won't be very ready to believe the innocent statement that it has just been published in Germany. Here is another example of the same kind: "Every lady in this land Has ten fingers on each hand, Five and ten toes on her feet— This is true without deoeit." The proper placing of the commas will elucidate the puzzle. _ IFies.ens bao-smasv iiisia-banearod aassaiotiess. but the appearance of a visiting policeman armed with a thick stick, and with a companion at hie side, very naturally has only one interpretation to the inhabitants of the town where Her Majesty's, prison is situated. A friend of mine on business in the county town the other day met a member of the Coventry force whom he knew well, and both being homeward bound, the walk through Warwick was made together. Never had my friend been the centre of so much attraction, and for some time could not understand the reason why tradesmen peeped through their shop windows, why gossips on the pavement turned round to cast another glance, or why dames at their doorways looked pityingly upon him. So far as he knew there was nothing in his appearaneeds cause any notice whatever, and the conduot of the people was quits inexplicable. At last a sympathetic old lady was heard to say, "What a pity; he looks a respectable young man, too, don't he?" and then the situation began to dawn upon my friend. The police officers from Coventry are never seen in Warwiok except when escorting a prisoner either to or from the gaol, and the good people bad come to the only conclusion possible with them —that my friend was a prisoner. The fun was intensified by the fact that the officer in blue, no doubt from pure force of habit, walked very Aloes to his elbow, and insisted on waiting at several shop doors while he entered to transact his business.  . .