Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1869-12-24 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

ATTEMPTED MURDER IN A TRAIN.   A desperate attempt at murder' after the Muller fashion, has been perpetrated in a first-class carriage of the Parisi, Lyons, and Marseilles Railway, upon the person of a Dr. Constantine James, who was on his way home from Suez, where he had been present'at the opening of the Canal Arriving by steamer at Marseilles on the mornidg of Thursday week, he rested there during the day, leaving by the express train, which starts a quarter before ten at night. Mach fatigued i•om the prolonged travel he had undergone, he looked for an empty compartment, finally securing one in the last carriage. Entering and stretchiag himself out at full length, he was soon fast asleep. 'I he first stoppage is tit the station called Rognne, the junction for Kft, and there a stranger, who had taken a ticket for Minim au-Salon, the next place at which the train would call, occupying about half-an-hour in the run thither, got into the compartment occupied by Dr. Jatillfg, who was still sound as'eep. No Fenner had the train got i do motion than the unfortunate gentleman was aroused by a shower of murderous blows dealt savagely on his head with a loaded WIC For a moment he imagined a collision had taken place. but the blood pouring down his face and the continued violence soon awakened him to the real state of affairs, and the presence of his aggressor, upon whom with a frenx'ed eff irt he flung himself. 'nice ensued a fearful struggle. Despite his injuries and exhaustion from the wounds on his head, Dr. James, who is a hale and hearty man, 56 years of age, made a despe,are resistance, though each Ferond that passed made him feel how rapidly his strength was failing him. Fo tonately, as he was rat the point of giving way from sheer weakness, the whistling of the engine and the slackening of the specd tif the train in. imuted that a station was near. The would-be assassin, fintlitig himself baulked, opened the carriage door, exclaiming, " Poverty haa driven me to i•," and jumped out, disappearing in the darkness. In a few moments more :iliram-au-Salon was reached. The compartment in which the scene hail It en enacted was plashed from soul to end with iewid, while the weapon with which the attack had been made lay broken, such was the violence with which it had been used. Fortunately Mr Dr. James he had gone to sleep with a tine: hat on, which to a certain extent protected his skull and ternp!es; but at the same time the injuries he sustained were of a most serious and *burning character. The latest reparts of his condition are, that, owing to the strength and healthiness of his constitution, he is on • Lir road to recovery.  A curious threatening letter has been sent to one of the proprietors of the Thorneltlfe Collieries, South Yorkshire. It is a most, excellent sp.eimen of orthography, and the sentiments expressed ar.i in thorough keeping with those of the Broadhead school. Mr Newton is advised to "prepare to meet his God ;" and k' further total that one of the " blacks' is ready to ‘• hitcher yo all three for a pound a piece," for " tring to clam &. starve 800 or 900 to distil.' The lette. bears the Barnsley postmark. DRUNKENNESS Is AMERIC %.—An American journal has qt4te lately published the fotowing figures as to the statistics of druokenness in the State of New York. The asylum of Birghampton, founded some five years ago. near the "Empire City," for the recept" and treatment of drunkards among the well-to-do classy?, It 11 during that period had under its surveillance 8 magistrates, '29 Proteitant eleritymen, 40 merchants, 226 medics! practitioners (!), 510 gentlemen of na profession, and 1.387 ladies.