The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1878-01-11 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

GATHERING OF DESTITUTE MEN AND WOMEN. The usual Sunday morning's service of the Gray's yard Bagged Church in a eel-de-me off James street, Oxford street, London, near to the fashionable squares of western London, was on Sunday (says the Times) varied by the gathering of upwards of a thousand outcasts of the streets to breakfast. This was the annual breakfast given to this class, and it had evidently required no advertising to bring the crowd of people together. The great majority of the outeams were evidently dirty and ragged, and had the 'Bailees air upon them observable in the idle of all classes. Very few appeared to have suffered from actual deprivation of food for long together, and Sir Robert Carden, who was present, truly observed that one might pick out those who had been in the hands of the law. With the benevolent object of endeavouring to rescue these people from idleness, drunkenness, beggary, and vice, the organisation of the Ragged Church gives this annual breakfast. Mr. F. Bevan, the banker, on Sunday presided in one of the rooms, and a devoted band of young ladies and gentlemen acted as waiters. Coffee and bread and butter were served out, and clergymen and others delivered addresses in order to induce the wanderers to abandon idle and evil wars. Hymns werechanted, and it is a remarkable fact that most of the strange congregation were able to join in these without books. Sir R. Carden said that there was no mistake about the position of those before him, and the chief difficulties they had to fight against were those raised by idleness, drunkenness, and dishonesty. His experience had shown him that these were the chief causes of persons being brought to the position in which these before him were. Doubtless some were brought down by overwhelming misfortune, but he regretted to say that his endeavours to assist adults who had been reduced had given him in some cases very discouraging results. Once he obtained a situation for a butler, who went to his new start in life in • state of intoxication. At the last annual breakfast of the Ragged Church he offered to the 800 men then present to endeavour to get work for all who would call upon him the next day. Out of the 800 only a few applied, and in ten days not one remained in the work obtained for them, although the pay was fair. He added that some cases had occurred where men who had been helped to work, even after running an idle life, had kept to it, and were now doing well. At this point a man got up and said he had a good oharacter, but could not get work. Sir Robert told the man to call next day upon him, and work should be found for him. Mr. James Pearce, Mr. Leather, and others addressed the assemblage.. A cake, • pound in weight, was given to each after breakfast, and subsequently a meat pie of the same weight. There were many of the class gathered in the streets, and coffee and food as well as service, were provided for these.  Mr. George Duncan, who represented Dundee in the House of Commons for 16 years, died on Sunday afternoon, in his 86th year. A Dublin correspondent telegraphs that Mr. Butt's medical advisers have pronounced that his attendance in Parliament next session would be most dangerous to his health. It is also said that he will not attend the House of Commons until after the Easter reeese.  ' During thick weather on Sunday evening, the &Taw steamer Oscar, belonging to the London and Edinburgh Shipping Company, ran ashore off "Whitby. Signals of distress brought the lifeboat toher assistance, and all hands, numbering twenty two persons, were rescued. The police at Brussels have arrested a young man of 17, named Etodister, on spspicion of being A principal or an inoo ,mplice in the murder of Madame Cremieux, at Neuilly, near Paris. Almost at the same time one Billows, aged 23, was detained at Antwerp on the same charge. Both are coffee-house waiters, and each had in his possession articles of jewellery and clothing which ere supposed to have belonged to the victim. The two men are believed to have arrived at Brussels together. Al,