The Northern Guardian. — 1896-02-28 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

NOTTINGHAM TRAGEDY.  A LESSON FROM MIDDLETON.  IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT.  IN view of the pending election of a new School Board for West Hartlepool the ratepayers of the borough may be invited to note the full significance of what took place at last night's meeting of the Hartlepool School Board. A scheme was before the Board for the erection and maintenance of schools at Middleton, by the carrying out of which the ratepayers would be relieved of a considerable financial burden ; and although the members recorded their approval of it by a majority of 5 to 3, this result was only arrivedat in the face of a most determined and relentless opposition. The story, told briefly, is this: The Hartlepool School Board occupy a Church school at Middleton, the lease of which expires this year; and the trustees have, through the Rev. W. F. Cosgrave, expressed a desire to take back the school' into their own hands, to rebuild it in accordance with the requirements of the Education Department, and work it as a Voluntary school, to dispense with School pence, and to afford the most ample facilities for the separate religious education of the children of Nonconformist parents. Nothing could surely be more fair or more liberal than this. The project would save the pockets of the ratepayers a capital sum of not less than £2,000, and an annual charge of about £l5O, and, moreover, it carries the support of two-thirds of the inhabitants of Middleton. But the interests of the ratepayers, and the wishes of the majority of the people mostly directly affected, appear to be altogether a secondary consideration with those who pride themselves upon their superiority to "sectarian prejudice," and these latter threaten to carry their opposition over the heads of the Board to the Education Department itself. It is not likely that they will succeed in this endeavour, but the threatened action is in itself an evidence of the intolerant spirit and bitter temper animating the opponents of Voluntary schools. In spite of all their professions of liberality and breadth of view, they want to keep the control of . elementary education in their own bands, andl so long as they can get their own way it matters little about over-riding the feelings of I others. For the people of West Hartlepool the lesson is obvious. In the coatest which is now proceeding the same elements are I present, and are working in the same direction and with the same cod in view. They I are seeking to keep out a "priestly rule ' which exists only in the imagination, but they would not shrink from putting us under another yoke which would be very real. Mat,chless Cleanser has swept away a and galling. worries of Washing Day,'—Acht  A Manchester correspDndent telegraphs that an important development has occurred in connection with the burglary and murder which occurred at Arnold, near Nottingham, on the 14th inst. It wilt be remembered that a strange man, supposed to be a tramp, called at the house of Mr Powley, mark gardener, and told Mrs Powley a false story as to her husband having met with an accident., which induced her to leave. On returning a ghastly sight met her. Mrs Kaye, their elderly guest, was l3lng on the floor with terrible injuries to her head, evidently inflicted with a poker, and the unfortn, nate woman died three days later. Seven pounds and some jewellery had been stolen. A description of the person who called at the house was circulated, and on Monday a man giving the name- of Thomas Wilkinson was committed for trial at Manchester Police Court for breaking into a golf club pavilion. His appearance answered the description of the " wanted " man, and yesterday Mrs Powley arrived in Manchester, and identified him as the tramp who came to her house with, the concocted tale of her husband's accident.