The Dewsbury Chronicle, and West Riding Advertiser. — 1894-04-14 (Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England)

TRIM-4 IN SLAM.  A Bangkok correspondent deecribee the trial of Phra Yot, a Siamese Commissioner, for the murder of a Frenchman, V. Geosgurin. • The French are watching the prgeeedings, and have folced the Siamese to prosecute. A special Courti•bas been constituted by the Ring's dceree. Yot is not allowed by the French to be defended by his own countrymen, but his advocates are an European an Indian, neither of whom speaks Siamese fluently. ?bra Yot is tharged intit five distinct crisninef acts; (1) Wilful murder of Gresgurha ; (2) Wilful murder of from sixteen to twenty-four Annamite, , soldiers ; (3) Severely wounding a Camtedin interpreter ; (4) Robbery -of arms an& ammunition ;, (5) Arson. If he convicted on either of the first three indictments, he will be liable by Siamese law to be punished by death, mutilation, scourging with fifty strokes, imprisonment, and at the expiration of the , sentence to cut grass for the King's elephants, or by a Eno with or without degradation. A conviction on the charge of arson would also mean death; but if he is convicted of robbery, he will be fiogvecl, and then a picture of the property be is accused of having stolen will' be tatooed on his chest. A rather interesting feature of the trial is that a number of little boys are reporting the proceedings in Siamese shorthand, a system based on Pitman's, and invented by a young launch owner in Siam. Another feature which would astonish an Englishmen. The judges, counsel, prisoner, witnesses, policemen, and spectators, all sit smoking cigarettes and cigars. Tea, too, is handed round occasionally in court.  anal  Hannah Slater (76), 12, Castlereagh-street, Barnsley, died suddenly on Sunday. The deceased became unwell the pz evious Friday, but it wss. not thought neeestiary to eemi for a doctor, as she was able to go about as usual. At the Barnsley Police Court, on Wednesday, Harry Cold Well (65), property owner, Thurgo. land, was fined 20s. and costs for assaulting 'Fanny, his wife, and ordered to allow her Is. a we )Ir.  At the monthly meeting of the Barnsley Board of Guardians, on Tuesday, a letter was read from •Mr. John Tyas, the late clerk of the Board. resigning his -position as superintendent registrar, and the Board appointed Mr. W. T. Bamforth, the deputy-clerk,' as his successor. The officers of the Sheffield District attended at the Reform Sclioo ' lrooth Jump, near Barnsley, on Saturday, and opened a new branch to be known as the Reform Tent, No, 2,424. Mr. Ellis Crossley was ' appointed chief ruler, and Jr.. 11 James Ross, of 117, Chapel-square, Jump, the secretary. A public meeting was on Tuesday night held in the Temperance Hall, Barnsley. to promote the cause of Sunday closing, Mr. Foster Brady presiding.--The. Rev. C. J. Saxton moved the usual resolution in favour of Sunday closing, and said he did so on every ground of interest to the ueople.—Mr. Dalton seconded the ;notion, which was carried. At the Barnsley Police Court, on Monday, Mary Higgins. a tramp, was charged with having stolen three hymn books, value 35., from Thurgoland Church. —Superintendent Kane stated that the church at Thurgoland was always opeu. during the day for any person who wished to go in there and spend a few hours in devotion, Prisoner was passing on Friday, and entered the church. Nothing more was seen of her until she offered three hymn books, stamped "Holy Trinity Church, Thurgoland." in pawn at Mr. Turner's, pawnbroker, 16, Scotland-street, Sheffield, Joseph Woffenden, the assistant, became suspicious; Prisoner made contradictory statements, and was handed into custody,—Prisoner was sent to gaol  for fourteen days. At the Barnsley Police Court,. on Monday, Harold Fuller Watkins, a medical man, shabbily dressed, feeble. and suffering from a severe cold, was stated to have been found on Sunday afternoon, lying in Sheffield-road, insensible.—Dr. Blackburn, who had seen him, said be was suffering from narcomania, and was unfit to be at large, so he asked that be he remanded until his friends had been communicated with, A bottle of morphia had been found in his possession, He was remanded for a week, but to be handed over to his friends whenever they came for him. He had taken 80 grains of morphia per day, but bad reduced the quantity of 30 grains per day, and baid be should become a raving mania if he were suddenly deprived of it.