The Warwickshire Herald. — 1896-02-06 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

THE MAD MUSICIAN.  Edwin Mark Flavin, a music muter, living at West Brompton, was bmeght up in custody, cn Saturday. at the South Western Police-court, before Mr. Hopkins, to answer an adjourned summons charging him with publishing a defamatory libel on Mrs. Maynard, a lady who keeps • girls' school at Wandsworth Common. At the last hearing it was proved that the prisoner was formerly employed at the school as music master, and he had to be dismissed on account of his straere conduct. Since then he bad constantly sent a number of letters to Mrs. Maynard accusing her of retaining some ,C5O, which be declared she had received on his behalf from the parents of the girls he used to teach as a testimonial, and of conspiring with others to secure an insurance on his life. Some of the letters were extraordinary. One headed "Sabbath Day" was as follows: "Jane Shore was without morality, but not, perhaps, without principle. She did not attempt the suppressing of merit and virtue for the better eonvenience and gratificition of lust. Jane Shore lied in a ditch." Another letter said: "Neither did Jane Shore attempt the suppression of merit and virtue for the purpose of endeavouring to further a sordid and shameful investment in other pererns' 'Jives." A third letter was as follows: "Maynard Assurance ComDany.—Wilsonian brats (referring to the complainant's son-in-law's family), suburban respectability, immorality, unwarraiitable pretensions."—The defendant wu remanded in custody so that his mental condition might be inquired into, and It was now stated that the doctor at Holloway had certified him to be insane. Under these circumstances Mr. Hopkins directed him to be taken to the asylum.  At Wakefield, on Saturday, William Moore, a quarryman, of Normanton, wee charged with murdiring his wife at that place. The prisoner, who made no remark, was remanded until next Friday.  An explosion occurred on Saturday morning at Brechin Gasworks, Foifarshire, and the premises caught Sr.; two men were seriously injured. Early one morning lately a burglary was com• mitted at the Market Bar, in Pretoria, and £503 in gold, silver, and note, was stolen. Amongst the silver there was about £5O in crown pieces. Before the Alfreton magistratee, on Saturday, Samuel Rigley, shoemaker, 79, of South Normanton, was charged with the wilful murder of his wife Penelope, aged 74, on December 11th. Prisoner, It is alleged, while under the influence of drink, beat his wife with a poker and shoemaker's hammer. Deceased was covered With bruises from head to toot, and died on January DAIL Prisoner was sax* witted for trial. At Doncaster Samuel Whitfield W 63 summoned for breach ot the District Council's by-laws. Defendant, as a District Councillor, made a, special hobby of building by-laws, but, himself engaging in building operation'' submitted a plan from which he radically departed. Fined £1 and costa. John Brown, 75, residing at Plymouth, until recently employed as a commercial traveller, was found hanging to a beam in the coal house. The beam was only Mt. from the ground, and deceased had to kneel, and evidently slowly strangled himeelf. No reason is asaiened for the act.