Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1890-05-31 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

ACCIDENT TO A WAR BALLOON.  On Saturday night, just at the hour of closing, Major Malet, the director of the Royal Military Exhibition, received a telegram from Mr. Spencer, the aeronaut who daily ascends trom the arena of the exhibition, announcing an accident at a spot about two miles from Henley-on-Thames to the great war balloon. At the usual hour for making the ascent from the arena there was blowing so strong a wind that the aeronaut hesitated for some time to risk the ascent, as six passengers in addition to Mr. Spencer and his brother were about to incur the risks of the aerial journey. About 5 o'clock the wind, although still strong, had grown more steady, and Mr. Spencer, after consulting with his companions, decided to take the risk, and at 5.15 the balloon got away without any mishap. The balloon went rapidly to the west, and soon disappeared from the view of the spectators. In the telegram the aeronaut described briefly the dangers of the descent. On coming within sight of Henley he looked anxiously for a place favourable for the descent, and at length one which appeared suitable was found. But, unfortunately the balloon on nearing earth came into contact with a poplar tree, and there it remained for some time suspended, the car and its occupants being in the meantime terribly bumped and shaken. Eventually the whole of the eight persons reached terra firma with nothing to bewail beyond their bruises, but the car was wrecked and the balloon torn to ribbons.  DOUBLE MURDER AT NEW BRIGHTON A shocking tragedy has occurred at New Brighton, a ship's cot*, named Felix Spicer, having killed two of his children and made a ferocious attempt upon the life of his wife. Mrs. Spicer, who has been keeping her husband for the last four months, ea rrhss on business at a refreshment house in Victoria-road, New Brighton, and for the last fortnight she has been in the habit of sleeping there, leaving her husband and five children and a lodger at her residence, about 600 yards away, in Richmond-street. On Saturday Spicer wrote a pathetic letter to his wife, desiring her to return to him, but she declined. On Saturday night Spicer appeared to be in his ordinary health, and saw that the children retired to rest as usual. During the night, however, he entered the room where two of his children were sleeping, William, aged 14, and Harry, aged 4, and cut their throats from ear to ear. Armed with a large piece of wood, he then went to his wife's refreshment hone, and entering her sleeping apartment, attacked her with his knife. A terrible struggle ensued, and ultimately the woman oseaped into the street. The neighbours were aroused, and saw that Mrs. Spicer's hands and arms were streaming with blood, flowing from many wounds, and that a terrible gash had been inflicted across her face, cutting off a portion of her nose. Spicer followed his wife into the street ; but she was speedily given protection in the house of a neighbour, Mr. Bailey. The unfortunate woman had enough presence of mind to express fear as to the safety of her children, and, the police coming upon the scene, Spicer, who had run away, was pursued. He reached his house in Richmend-street before the officers. He was at once arrested. On the house being searched the bodies of the two murdered children were found quite cold. The other three, whose room bad not been entered, and the lodger had not heard any disturbance. A cry, presumably from the little boy, had been heard by the nurse, a woman about 30 years of age, but, as there was no further sound, she took no notice of it.  A shocking accident has occurred at Faversham Powder Works, to James Whitehead, mill man, aged 43 years, who is supposed to have been oiling ttie machinery while in motion. He got entangled and was out to pieces. A minute previously be was talking shout an accident on the railway the previous day, which resulted in the death et-a bargeman named William Binge.