The Blandford and Wimbourne Telegram. — 1886-03-12 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

PRIESTS.—A Paris cm-respondent telegraphs that on Satmday a band of ruffians entered the asylmn for old men at Perpignan, and murdered there the chaplain of the establishment and the cure of Rivesaltes, who was at supper with him. The murderers, before coming upon the two priests, gagged the lay sister. They are supposed to be Spaniards. The key of the chaplain's safe was taken oat of his pocket, and a quantity of really money and debentures payable to bearer were stolen. He was a man of considerable fortune. A terrible outrage has been discovered at Pontypridd. A little girl, three-and-a-half years old, the daughter of a man named Rees, was sent out after dark to a publichoase, close by, for her father. She did not return, and a search being instituted the little one was found lying helpless in a gully near the place and under the hillside, where she had been taken by some ruffian, and grossly outraged. The police have no clue to the ruffian, who would stand a chance of being lynched, so intense is the indignation excited by the revolting crime. Three more deaths from famine have occurred near Newport, county Mayo, and it is reported that many persons have been stricken with famine fever, and that all seed potatoes have been consumed by the starving people. The shop-keepers are on the verge of bankruptcy, and tefuse credit not only to the peasantry, but to the priests themselves. At Achill numbers would have died of starvation, but for the relief fund raised in New York. The destitution next winter will be greatly intensified unless seed potatoes are forthcoming. An extraordinary discovery has just been made of a dead body in the haunted castle of Old Weston, Rutland. A gentleman was taking a walk, and met some gentlemen from Uppingham school. They all entered the ruined castle by a window to inspect the place, but suddenly the lads bolted from the building. The gentleman turned round, and to his horror saw a mutilated betly hanging from the lintel of a deor, on which a hat was hung. Assistance was procured, and the body which had been dead about a week, was cut down. It was identified afterwards as that of Wi iarn Church Groom, aged 70. James Hall, farmer, of Bythorn, was summoned at the Huntingdon Divisional Bench on Saturday, for an act of intimidation alleged to have been committed at the South Hants election in November towards two labourers employed on his farm. The evidence went to show that Mr. Hall was heard to say that he would discharge any of his men who went against him at that election. He is a Conservative, and two men on his farm were Liberals. A short time after the election the men had notice to leave his service. The theory of the prosecution was that they were dismissed because they voted for the Liberal candidate. The Bench held that a priht i facie, case was made out, and decided to send the case for trial. The defence was reserved, and the defendant was admitted to bail. A girl mooed Bream has had a remarkable adventure on the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway. She was travelling from Dover to Canterbury in a carriage of three compartments. At the further end were several men, one of whom climbed over the partition into the middle compartment to close the window. The girl was alarmed, and opening the door of the compartment in which she was travelling she jumped out. The train was at this time running at full speed between Kearsney and Shepherd's Well. So far, however, from meeting with serious injmy, the girl merely had one of her eyes blaelzened. She walked through Shepherd's Well tunnel, which is eopeiderably over a mile in length, being passed on the way by a goods train. On reaching Shepherd's Well station she was taken by the station-master in a cab to Dover. The girl is described as of very respectable character, but she is said to suffer from extreme nervousness.