Weekly News. — 1890-08-21 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

SUICIDE THROUGH POVERTY.  Another suicide from want haii been committed in the Montmartre quarter of Parisi, which in some respects resembles that in the Rae d'Avron, which recently excited so much sympathy. Madame Vandresse, a widow, aged 33, occupied two rooms in the Rue do Toray, with her four children— three boys and a girl—the eldest of whom was 11 and the youngest three years of age. Some months ago she lost her husband, who bad been employed in a mercantile house, but had fallen into bad health, and was for some time in an asylum. Re left it before he had recovered, and died suddenly at his home, leaving his wife without any means. She found employment a.. charwoman and in wash. ing, but she had an attack of illness and was confined to bed. The family then lived by selling the articles of furniture left in the how-. A poor neighbour, wino lived by frying potatoes in the street, was the only person who came to their assistance. Application for help was made to the Public Relief, but, says a Times correspondent, there was no reply for a week. At tine end of that time the following printed letter was received, which was found open near tine bed of the deceased "The Administration of the Public Relief regrets to inform you that it cannot comply with the application for help you have made to it." On receiving this letter Mme. Vandresse sent George— her eldest child—to buy sixpenny-worth of charcoal. She took all her children into one of the two run nine and waited there till they went C.) sleep. Then she carefully chised all the aperturee of the other room and lighted the charcoal in a pan. Next morning, when the door of tbe inner room was ipenned, it was found th•t Madame Vandresse had been suffucated by the carbonic acid gas. On the mantelpiece was found thin note : "My ,hildren not wishing to accompany me, 1 hope tile l'ublic Relief will take care of them." In the meantime the children are under the care Of nn poiice coinmisaary, who will look after them until the Administration of Publics Relief has decided what is to be dune.  A deetructive;fire is reported from Pennsylvania, a large portion of the town of Austin having been consumed. The fire originated in the commercial part of the town, and spread with such rapidity that no less than 42 business houses were burned to the ground. Thu damage is estimated at hairs million dollars. Fortunately, as the conflagration brok out in the daytime,the people in the buildings had ample time to escape, and nobody was injured.  Mn. Harrison, residing at Chapel House, Rev Foot.road, Richmond, has jest attained her I.olst year. She ii. in good health, and her faeulties are unimpaired. lire husband was killed at the battle of Waterloo.  A sensational balloon descent took place in Edinburgh distriot on Thursday (-welting. Professor Cris and Lieutenant Egerton. Cameron His-blander; ascended in a balloon at ths Edinburgh Eshibition, and drifted steadily towards th• sea. To aeoid the water a descent was made Cr Portobello, in a farmyard. The balloon fall as the liouse.top, and ultimately toppled over, tts ear striking the dead wall. The aeronauts both sustained rather *scions injuries. A little girl who was watching the balloon in an Edinburgh MOGI was run oven and killed. _ . . . . _ .  According to a Beaton paper, Miss Jean ingelow, the fanitim poetry', has contrived to turn to good account the craze of Americana for autographs. She is interested ii the restoration of Old tit. Lawrence Church Everyhani, of which tier brother-nu-law is rector, and believing that those who really are anxious to possess her autograph will be willing to pay for it, elm e has made Belem! copira of her favomite poems, dating and signing each w ith her name. These she has placed with her American publialiere to be 'mild at two dollars each. Any one, collector or otherwise, who now desires an autograph is referred to them.  A CAPTAIN AND lIIS