The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1884-05-31 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

NEWS.  BRITISH AND FOREIGN.  Two men are in custody at Ardraghan, county Ga-1 way, for an extraordinary assault on a young woman in the service of a Protestant clergyman, for having changed her religion and become a Protestant. They waylaid her and severely assaulted her. They then cut off her hair and all the buttons off her dress. The" Standard" says that when the Franchise Bill as presented to the House has passed through Committee', Mr. Gladstone will move a new clause fixing the date at which the bill shall come into operation. This will, we understand, leave ample margin for passing the Redistribution Bill next Session.  At Manchester -(1---Diend;;;,—Joseph James Donald was remanded on a charge of attempting to murder his mother and sister and attempting to commit suicide. On Sunday night the Prisoner went home drunk and caused a disturbance, in the course of which he produced a razor and cut the throats of his mother and sister, and subsequently attempted to take his own life in a similar manner.  The extensive match factory of Messrs. Patterson and Co., Macaulay-street, Belfast, was completely destroyed by fire on Monday. Four hundred persons are thus thrown out of employment. Grouse prospects in North Yorkshire are said to be exceedingly favourable and judging from present appearances the season will be above an average one. The total number of beasts entered for consumption at the Metropolitan Cattle Market for the week ending Saturday last was 2070 head; the corresponding period of 1883, 2820 ; 1882, 3530; 1881, 2960; 1880, 3790; 1879, 3780; 1878, 3960; 1877, 1520; 1876, 4630; and 1875, 4480. Major Cowell, of the Hants Artillery Militia, was found on Monday morning with his back broken, lying outside Fort Grange, five miles from Portsmouth. Major Cowell had been dining with the county magistrates on Sunday night, and left for the fort at ten o'clock. He tried to get to his quarters by a short cut, and ascended a steep slope with the object of getting in at the billiard-room window, but slipped and fell to the bottom of the slope, where he lay all night helpless and unable to make himself heard.  The Indian Government transport Clive arrived at Portsmouth on Sunday evening after a very quick passage, being two days before her anticipated arrival. She brings time-expired men, invalids, and drafts numbering altogether 900 souls. The vicinity of Bagdad is inundated by floods from the River Tigris. The town itself was saved by the exertions of the troops. Fears are entertained of the outbreak of an epidemic when the water dries up. The latest weather and crop reports are fairly good in most parts of India. Rain has fallen in most of the tea districts, and its manufacture is proceeding favourably. Indigo prospects have also improved, but only an ordinary out-turn is expected. Sir Saul Samuel, K.0.M.G., Agent-General for New South Wales, has been informed by telegram of the arrival in Sydney of the steamer Texan, which sailed from Plymouth with emigrants in April last. Mr. William Davenport, solicitor, of Ely - place, London, committed suicide on Sunday afternoon at his residence, The Limes, East Moulsey, by hanging himself with a pockethandkerehief to one of the bedroom doors. He was 'about 66 years of age, and his brain had been affected some months past. At Dudley two women, Hannah Stevenson, alias Black Hannah, and Elizabeth Chater, met at Parley End to fight for £1 a side and to settle a quarrel. There were hundreds of people to see the fight, but while preliminaries were being arranged in the ring Stevenson struck Chater in the face, and the fight was given against her. Some disturbance ensued, but the police appeared and suppressed it. A respite has been received from the Home Office for the prisoner Margaret Ryder, who was convicted of the murder of her skid by drowning it at Uxbridge. The Empress of Mina has issued a decree ordering the Viceroy and Governor of Yunnan to start public companies, with a view to open all the mines in Yunnan to nrocure gold, silver, copper. fr,e. A shocking carriage accident occurred on Tuesday morning at Sheffield. Mr. Alfred Dearden, an estate agent, was being driven from his residence into the town, when the phaeton came into collision with a cab, and the horse bolted. The coachman jumped off, with the intention of stopping the horse, but failed. Mr. Dearden then jumped off, and fell heavily upon his head. He was taken up in an unconscious condition, and died soon afterwards.  The "London Gazette" states that the Queen has been pleased to confer the Decoration of the Royal Red Cross upon the undermentioned ladies under the provisions of her Majesty's Warrant dated 23rd April, 1883, viz.: Mrs. Margaret Maistre, Mrs. Anne Fox, Mrs. M. J. W. Armfield, and Mrs. Gildea. Major G. A. Elliott, attached to the 19th Regiment, stationed at Curragh Camp, and belonging to the Army Pay Department, who was a passenger on board the steamer Violet, from Dublin for Holyhead on Monday night, threw himself overboard when about halfway across the Channel. With as little delay as possible a boat was lowered from the steamer and he was picked up insensible, but he died before he could be brought to Holyhead. A man named Joseph Nixon, employed as a platelayer, met with a terrible death on Monday night on the Trent Valley Rgilway, near Bulkington. It seems that the deceased, while upon the line, heard a train approaching. He stepped on to the other line of rails, and was immediately knocked down by a train coming in the opposite direction. According to a Parliamentary paper just issued there were in Ireland during the past year 21,490 marriages, 118,224 births, aid 0.6,388, deaths.. During the same period 108,724 persons eiaigrated. A decrease of 86,888 thus appears to have taken place in the population. The estimated population in the middle of the year was 5,015,328. The Wirral (Cheshire) Farmers' Club have issued a circular, to be posted in all the townships, offering 3d. per dozen for young or old sparrows or their eggs, till the end of September. On Monday evening as the North-Eastern express due at West Hartlepool at seven minutes past five was running near Billingham at a high speed the driver observed n woman and a boy about twelve cross the line directly in front of his engine. The boy escaped, but the woman was run over and killed instantly They were the wife and son of a labourer at brickyard.nan adjoining On by Tuesday a notification from the Home Office was Tues received the governor of her Majesty's prison, Kirkdale, thaf tbillet'Black, condemned to death at the recent assizes for the murder of Mary Jane Macnamara by throwing a lighted lamp at her should be respited until a further signification oi her Majesty's pleasure.  - The six hundredth anniversary of the legendary incident of the " Ratcatcher of Hamelin" is to be celebrated in an elaborate manner by the inhabitants of the little Hanoverian town cul the 28tli and =la of June.