Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1889-03-27 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

CONS" BY "CONNEY THE COBBLER."  All who have followed the evidence given at the Assizes in connection with the killing of Mr Kent, late of the Glo'ster Hotel, will acquiesce in the verdict that Allen was guilty of wilful murder. Premeditation is usually considered murder in the first degree, and it has been argued in Allen's favour that (as he himself declared) he never meant to kill Mr Kent. True; but there can be no doubt whatever that he went to steal Mr Kent's property, and resorted to stabbing ass means of getting out of Mr Kent's custody. He entered Mr Kent's premises in secret in order to commit the crime of theft, and he ended with the crime of murder; and that being so, lam afraid the unfortunate Zulu will get little public sympathy. There have been so many burglaries winding up with the use of the revolver, that a species of panic seems to have seized the public, and they concur with those members of Parliament who have recently introduced a Bill to flog every person convicted of bur glary. Allen being a man of colour, that I believe, has a great deal to do with the lack of sympathy shown in connection with his ease. When, however, it is remembered that the world is made up of six hundred million white people, and from nine to.ten hundred million coloured people, the European dislike of colour is despicable in itself. God gives the coloured man no choice as to the place of his birth, or the peculiar colour of his skin. In His sight, all men being equal, the coloured race must look for their reward not here, but hereafter. The poor coloured man has only one consolation—that enunciated by the Master, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they shall see God."  Scandals in Swansea are becoming the order of the day. It was recently stated that a summons had been issued against a professional gentleman on a charge of perjury. Apparently, this extreme measure was resorted to in order to force a man to do what he conscienciously believed he should not do. One thing, howeNer, is certain— the summons has been issued, and perhaps it is well for the party who issued it that a certain amount of dirty linen was not washed in public. The latest scandal I bear has reference to Divorce Court proceedings, and if the facts be as represented to me. the case will be one of the most painful that has been heard in the Divorce Court for many years. I forbear saying more at present.  Councillor Maliphan- t recently drew the attention of the Swansea Town Council to the fact that fevers were often propagated by public libraries. In confirmation of Mr Malipliant's statement, I notice that at the Winsford Local Board, Dr. Fox, the Medical Officer of Health, brought before the Board the case of a man who had borrowed a volume from a free library, in whose house there were three cases of scarlet fever.  This was, he said, the one disease of all others most capable of being spread by outside objects, such as books. The germs became lodged in detached particles, which were likely to be deposited in books furniture, or clothing. On these grounds too much care could not be exercised in the administration of the benefits of a free public library, for in the tedious process of convalescence relief might be found by the patient in the perusal of en entertaining vohune. In this case he had personally recovered the volume, and had carefully disinfected it to prevent the spread of the disease. He discovered the delinquent by inquiring at the free library if either of the families stricken with scarlet fever had borrowed books from the free library.  I am glad to notice that after much heart. aching as to the time when the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway would be open from en.l to end,the tunnel has been pierced; and it seems that the engineers nuide their calculation with so much exactitude that the two parties of workers- joined tondo, so to speak, upon regular Aines--that is, the engineers had marked out the line of junction so accurately that when the last piece of earth tad teen excavated. ti e line of continuation was as perfect as it need be. While I 11 we 4,, ery wish to see die line successful, and isldle I believe I t a it will pay a good dividend when in good working order, 1 am by nomeansw as sig nine an some of ray neigbinirs that Swiri.ca coal shipterd will maserially inteneD with the 'herculean steam coal trade that usefound an outlet in Cardiff Docks.—"SwanseaJournal.*