The Dewsbury Chronicle, and West Riding Advertiser. — 1894-06-02 (Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England)

PRECOCIOUS CRIMINALS.  Two precocious .criminals—each 16 years of age—have been tried, one at Aix, the other at Paris. The former (reports a Paris correspondent) told 'a strange story. He declared that in October last a friend of his, whose body was found in the woods near Aix, and with whose murder he was charged, told him that he had had enough of life, and begged him to assist him in committing suicide. They, both smoked and drank until., half intoxicated, and then set out for the woods. The youth who is said to have contemplated suicide was blindfolded, and lay down on the grass. His friend then stabbed him four times with a knife which they had, as he asserts, purchased together. He then went home, calmly stopping at a fair on the way.- The jury acquitted him, considering him not to be responsible for his actions; but the court decided that he should be brought up in ' a House of Correction until he was of age. The other sixteen-year.ol-d criminal.. began life • by. breaking open a safe mid appropriating the -con--tents. To conceal the 'theft he then proceeded to pour petroleum over the safe and the. caw', furniture in the room and set fire to the lot. When he had spent' his ill-gotten gains he delivered himself up to the police. • Sentence of five years' hard labour. was passed on the precocious burglar and incendiary.  , At -Heywood, on Friday, Alderman Robert Wolstenholme, a well-known Lancashire cotton spinner, was found dead in bed. A telegram from San Francisco reports that Sando*, the strong man, had been matched to wrestle with a lion, the lion being muzzled, and having his claws encased in thick mittens. The show turned,ont a complete fiasco. When Sandpw entered the cage the lion crouched into a corner moaning anktrembling. The lash was vigorously applied, and the animal was stirred up with- poles," but he would not wrestle, and Sandow did what be liked with him. The spectators were disappointed, and greeted the exlaibition.with hisses.  • Tne Wine prodUction Of France last year was larger than that of any one of the last 14 years, though less than that of some years previous to 1878, and much less than that of 1875, the most prolific on record. The yield, nevertheless, was ' remarkably good, consisting; of • 1,101,55,940 gallons, nearly .80 per cent. ins excess of that of 1892. &MO of •the . wine was sold at as low a price as 110. a gallon. An Aderly man, who • occupied • a wretched apartment. in the Rile de Buci,.Paris, having died on Friday, the police made the usual search on Saturday and-discovered in the room in which he lived 300,000 f. in securities, and 200,000 f. in gold and notes. The deceased had suffered for some time-past from cancer in the stomach, but had refused to call in medical aid on the ground that he was too poor. An accident occurred on the Baltimore and Ohio Railway at.an early hour on Sunday morning between Pine-grove and -Rockwood, Pennsylvania,. The New York and-Pittsburg; express was. cravelling •at'a speed of about 60 miles an hour when the engine: dashed into a large .landslide whieh 'covered the.line,..and being imindiately, •,hroNin off the metals.; rushed down' the incline into a creek.- NOne• of the papepgem