Bridport, Beaminster, and Lyme Regis Telegram and Dorset, Somerset, and Devon Advertiser. — 1878-03-15 (Bridport, Dorset, England)

FIGH I' IN A RAILWAY CARRIAGE. The Chernsford Chronicle says :—"A good deal of interest has been excited in different places in Essex by flying reports of an encounter which took place on the Great Eastern Railway on saturday last by some English soldiers and a party ui Russian. sailors. The particulars of the affair, as far as we have been able to collect them, are as under. The Russian sailors, who numbered about half a dozen, let liavwich for London at five minutes past one At Colchester, at 2.10, some English soldiers happened to get into the same compartment, which was a third class one. How many of them there were we are not able to say, but they were certainly I,ot equal in number to the Russians. One report stated that there was only a single soldier, but that, at all events, turns out to be incorrect. The "lions" and the "bears," reflecting the prevailing international jealously, were soon at loggerheads with each. other. The story credits the Russians with being the aggressors. It is alleged that I they begun to jeer the soldiers and to apply opprobrious epithets to them and their nationality, and that at length they called them " Queen's °puppies." The British hone, of course, could not endure an epithet of that sort, and so they fell upon the Russian bears and gave them a taste of their quality, first with blows from the fie, and then, on the Russians fighting foul, with blows from bottles. The confusion and noise in the compartment was dreadful, the Russian sailors crying out loudly in the terror and amazement which the vigorous onslaught of the sturdy Britishers had inspired. Some of them felt the punishment and dreaded its continuance so acutely that they were fain to get out of the carriage and ride upon the footboard, frantically shouting " murder " and " help " while other passen_ers were waving handkerchiefs, and making other signs from the windows. In this way the train neared Witham, where in the ordinary course it does not stop, but the guard of an approaching goods train presuming by these tokens that something was seriously amiss, signalled the driver to pull up, and he did so. On the station officials going to the carriage in question they found the fight was not quite ended, but they put a stop to it of course, and consigned the soldiers and sailors to separate carriages. One of the Russians was bleeding profusely from wounds in the face, and the whole party betrayed an aspect of extreme fear.  The attempt to hold a meeting in Hyde Park on Sunday aftert.oon, adverse to the Government, was frustrated by the mob, who drove Mr. Auberon Herbert and Wr. Bradlaugh out of the Park. Sticks were freely used, and serveral persons had to be taken to the hospitals. The crowd mobbed and assaulted the Duke of Teck, and on leaving the Park made a hostile demonstratian against Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone, who were met on their way to church. The Dean of Arches on Saturday directed the suspension f'r six months of the Rev. J. Edwards, incumhent of Prestbury, near Cheltenham, for rituahstic practices. In July he was directed to di-continue his illegal ceremonies ,and to give an assurance that he would not repeat them. He has taken on notice of this order, and his suspension is to take t-ffect as soon as an affidavit is filed stating that the praetices continue. Mr. Edwards is ordered to pay the ?Ist, of the proceedings, and the suspension will continue beyond the six months until obedience to the Court is promised.  "4