The Workman's Advocate. — 1865-12-30 (London, England)

STRANGE AND FATAL OCCURRENCE. A sad occurrence took place on Tuesday morning at the residence of Mr. Charles Bromage, a retired tradesman, No. 5, Morpeth-road, Victoria-park. Mrs. Bromage had been almost bed-ridden for several months, arising from an internal tumour. They kept no servant, Mr. Bromage attending to the domestic affairs about the house. He left home on Saturday evening about six o'clock, and returned soon after eight o'clock, in company with two strangers. whom he invited into the front parlour and handed them some refreshments. How long they remained in the house is unknown, but it is asserted that a great noise and cries of murder were heard in the course of the night. About ten o'clock on Tuesday morning, Mr. Bromage called in one of the neighbours, who found Mrs. Bromage lying dead in the passage. She was in her night dress, with her head resting on some pillows on the stairs, and a blanket was thrown over her. Mr. Storey, surgeon, of South Hackney, was sent for, and, on examining her, was of opinion that she had died from cold and exposure. The body was much bruised, and the floor about the back kitchen and passage was covered with blood, which appears to have come from Mr. Bromage, whose head exhibits several contused and lacerated wounds. He states that they were inflicted by one of the strangers who came home with him, but this statement is doubted, as no property whatever is missed from the place. As to how his wife came down stairs he says he cannot afford the least idea. He found her lying at the bottom of the stairs, and tried several times to get her up, but owing to her great weight, for she was an exceedingly heavy woman, he could not do so. He never thought of calling in assistance, but got some pillows and placed them under her head, and put a blanket over her, and then went to bed and slept till nine o'clock, when he found her a corpse.  Baron Bramwell thinks actions for breach of promise ought not to be encouraged, believing that "if people change their minds it is better that they should do so before marriage than when it is too late." Gross Cruelty to a Bullock.—Richard John Newton, badge 1558, was charged at the Clerkenwell Police-court by Mr. W. Love, the chief officer of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, with the following cruelty to a bullock. The evidence of Young and Sell, officers of the society, was to the effect that they saw the prisoner in the Cattle Market, in charge of a drove of bullocks. He was running a probe into one of them, and knocked it about till the bullock became restive, and tried to get away from him. The prisoner, on seeing this, struck the bullock a most ,fearful blow on the head and on the hind legs. One of the blows was given with such force that the bullock limped away on three legs. There was not the least pretence for prisoner acting in the way he had. The prisoner said he was not aware that he had hurt the bullock, and he did not think he had hit it so hard as was stated. Mr. Barker said this was a gratuitous piece of cruelty, and sentenced the prisoner to pay a fine of 405., or in default to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour in the House of Correction. The prisoner was locked up in default.  Lay Orders in the Church.—A meeting of clergy and laity was recently held at the Charterhouse, under the presidency of the Archdeacon of London, for the purpose of considering the propriety of supporting a society having for its object a revival of lay orders in the Church of England. It is proposed that the society shall consist of members of the Anglican Church, and that it shall be governed by a president and council and other officers. It is urged by the promoters of the new society that the time appears to have arrived for the formal recognition by the church of lay agents as assistants to the ordained ministers, inasmuch as there are many laymen who would be willing to serve as lay deacons, to help the clergy in any way consistent with their position, provided that they were not pledged to a perpetual performance of the duties entrusted to them, or to such daily labours as are entrusted to Scripture readers. A large number of noblemen, gentlemen, men in professions and business, have offered their support to the proposed society, and several of them are willing at once to take upon themselves the duties of lay a ()icons.