Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1880-03-06 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

AMUSING INGIDENT.—The prevailing fashion of placing wide-mouthed exterior pockets low down on the back of ladies' out-door paletots is one that has been frequently deprecated as facilitating robbery, and almost inviting pickpockets to exercise their dishonest calling. A rather amusing incident, of which a French journalist was an eye-witness a few mornings ago in the Rue Montmartre at Paris, and which he relates as a warning to the fair sex, is worthy of their attention. The journalist was walking down the crowded street above-mentioned towards nine o'clock in the morning; in front of him, trotting nimbly along, was a young person of the ouvriere class, who was apparently hastening to her workshop. She wore one of the paletots provided with the two wide pockets now the fashion, in one of which the journalist noticed a purse, a silk handkerchief, and a penny loaf, known under the name of croissant. He was moralising to himself upon the folly of thus exposing to view a pocket's contents, when a young man came along who, as he walked bekind the damsel, gazed curiously into the gaping receptacle ' stitched to the back of her jacket. A moment later the youth delicately introduced his finger and thumb into the pocket and withdrew the penny roll, but just as the journalist was about to aCCUE443 him of theft he took two sons from his purse and placed them in the young woman's pocket, who, wholly tan conscious that her loaf had been thus appropriated and pail for by a passer-by, continued to trip lightl3 on her way to her work. The gentleman who witnessed the occurrence forbore apprising the young woman of the exchange that had been effected, thinking the lesson might ho profitable to her for the future, as doubtless it will be.  Sir James Pergnsson, Bart., of Kilkerran, has been appointod Governor of Bombay. Spa .king at Derby last night, Mr Plimsoll denied that hia motion against carrying grain 'nose in the hulas would increase the cost of  importation. Patrick Hearns and Hugh Burns were exeontei on Tuesday morning at Liverpool for the Widnes murder. No reporters were admitted. Merwood was the executioner. The piercing the St. Gothard tunnel was successfully accomplished onSunday morning. The tunnel is about nine miles in length. The wo:k was commenced in September, 1872, and has occupied, therefore, seven years and five months. The Rev. Dr. Parker, the well-known minister of the City Temple, has resolved to offer himself as a Parliamentary candidate for the City of London. His address will be published immediately. A murder has been committed near Queenstown by a lunatic named Allen, the victim being a young woman named Colter, the daughter of a farmer. She was returning to her home on Sunday evening, and was murdered, it is supposed, on the road, where her body was found. Allen is in custody. Lord Penzance on Saturday issued a citation, at the request of the Bishop of Exeter, against the Rev. R. H. Podmore, vicar of Rochbeare, Devon, to answer to a charge of performing divine service whilst under the influence of drink. The whole of the capital for the proposed Firth Railway Bridge, which is to have a double line of rails, has now been subscribed. A serious encounter took place at Brighton on Saturday night between the police and military. About thirty men of the 16th Lancers attacked three constables because a Lancer had been apprehended for assault. A policeman was badly cut about the head, and a soldier injured. At Beverley, on Saturday, Elizabeth Butler, wife of Joseph Butler, of South Dalton, was committed for trial at the Assizes at York for the murder of her son, whom she poisoned by giving him vermin killer in jam. It is supposed that her mind was affected at the time, and it is said that her mother died in a lunatic asylum.