The Cotton Factory Times. — 1887-07-15 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

MUNIFICENT GIFT TO EDINBURGH.—On Saturday afternoon, in Edinburgh, Mr. Andrew Carnagie laid the foundation-stone of the Free Library, towards the cost of establishing of which be has given £50,000. Previous to the ceremony he was present at the opening of a. new Restaurant for Women, situated near Princess-street. The Library is to be built at George the Fourth Bridge and the Cow. gate. The site cost £12,000, and the building will entail an outlay of £30,000, so that a balance of about £B,OOO will remain for the provision of books. —Mr. Carnegie asked the citizens of Edinburgh to accept the library as another proof that wherever Scotland's sons may wander they never forget the laud of their birth. That was the fifth free library which he had been permitted to found, and he could wish for himself no happier lot than that he might be permitted to add infinitely to the number ere his race was run.—Mr. J. G. Blaine, in response to repeated calls for a speech, said there was no childhood in America which was not familiar with the city of Edinburgh. The children had profited by the marvellous publications of Chambers, and the people have looked back to the splendid galaxy of Scott, and Jeffery, and Sidney Smith, when literature, as the latter said, was cultivated on a little oatmeal. He trusted that when literature should have cultivated the magnificent benefaction of the day that it should rank well with those earlier times that gave to this city a repute and honour throughout the civilised and especially throughout the literary world.—(Cheers.)—At the close of the proceedings Mr. and Mrs. Carna.gie returned to the residence of the Lord Provost, and in the evening accompanied by Senators Blaine and Hale left for Dunfermline.  A DRI3NREN FATHER ROAST/NG HIS CHlLD.—Great excitement was caused in the neighbourhood of Dale-street, Blackburn, on Saturday night, by a rumour that a man had murdered his child by throwing it on the kitchen fire and roasting it to death. A large crowd assembled in front of the house of a labourer named John Kenny, living at 5, Dale-street, and assistance having been sent for, a police officer arrived. He went into the house, and though he did not find those horrible details consequent upon a murder of the character which the rumour stated had taken place, he found a little girl, aged three years, lying on the stone flags, suffering from burns on the back, arms, and legs. The man was in the house drunk, and was taken into custody. He was brought up at the Blackburn Borough Court on Monday morning, charged with being drunk, and with assaulting his daughter. Evidence having been given by the constable, prisoner stated that he was drank on Saturday, and the child fell whilst in his arms. The Chief Constable (Mr. Ward) said no person, except a still younger child, saw the prisoner throw the child on the fire. The child was badly burnt, though perhaps not seriously. Prisoner appeared to have taken the child off the fire, carried it out of the house, and put it down on the stones. Mr. Ward added that prisoner was so drunk that there was no doubt he did not know what he was doing.—Mr. Wharton asked if it was possible for the police to get any more evidence 7—The Chief Constable said not, as the only person in the house was the still younger daughter.—ln reply to the Bench, the Constable stated that as prisoner was coming up King. street, on his way to the Police Station, he said he was very sorry for what he had done.—Prisoner again expressed his sorrow, pleading that he was drunk at the time; and the Bench imposed a fine of 20s. and costs, or a month's imprisonment.