Alston Herald, and East Cumberland Advertiser. — 1879-08-02 (Alston, Cumbria, England)

STROLLER.  We are by degrees departing from our usual quietude and fast earning a title of notoriety. Within a week, this town has been five times thrown into a state of excitement. This has been intensiliod , by public f,,c ling either for or again 4 the parties concerned. The first to break the sombre state of the town was the expected arrival of a very popular individual, who had absconded with a large sum of borrowed gold in his possession, and who was eventually arrested and brought back handcuffed, under a warrant charging him with having mis-approprinted what is vulgarly called a "bob." The second iudividual was apprehended and charged with "Brigham Young's" complaint. The third is the most serious charge which can be brought against a a man, viz., murder. The fourth individual is charged with' the theft of a bullock, and the fifth is an accident on the railway to a man who fell out of a carriage window, and was brought back frightfully injured to Elaltwhiitle Station, where he shortly afterwards died. Comment would be superfluous, and as such events as these are very rare in this part, let Us hive that years will roll over before a repetition of them.  Captain and Adjutant Biacis. haw, of the Ist Ad. Batt. N.R.V., visited this town on Monday afternoon last per special train, and witnessed class-firing at the range. In the evening, the 12th corps paraded in in drill order, and headed by their splendid little band, marched to their drill field and performed several movements in company drills which were very well executed. Lieut. Johnson (who by the bye during the day was examined at Newcastle verbally, and passed the captain's examinations very creditably) then put the company through the manual exercise, after which the corps was marched back to the Market Place, but before being dismissed Lieut. Johnson very ably urged the men to attend drill as often as possible unti, the general inspection is over.  " Stroller" begs to call...the attention of the gentry of Haltwhistle and neighbourhood to the fact that we have a Town Hall and no proper caretaker. Now, there are many ladies who are "novel" readers and who possibly would like to know when their books could be changed, but here rests the difficulty. During the day the Reading Room and Hall are completely at the mercy of any person who likes to take advantage of the absence o, the members. I have often seen the door. Lit open and not a soul in  the place. Could not the committee devise some plan whereby the Reading Room could be free from intruders. The " Key " question does not answer, and the only thing that can possibly cope with the evil would be to secure a proper person as caretaker and librarian, who should be responsible that all papers are regularly laid on the table, and that books are changed any time a country member brings them in. The committee cannot afford to pay for a person to look after the place as the funds will not admit of that, but I hope that the gentry of the neighbourhood will take the matter up, and appoint some one as caretaker, who shall be responsible to the Committee that the revised rules of the Institute are carried out.