The Warwickshire Herald. — 1888-12-27 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

THIEVES IN EVENING DRESS.  The ingenious person who was arrested a few week*, ago for having, under the name of "Torn pane, the jockey," wheedled money out of unsophisticated persons by giving them the very "straightest of tips," has been condemned to 13 months' incarceration at Poises?. The fellow is a Belgian named Caberg, and among his Parisian victims figured a medical student, a shoemaker, and several of the friends and relations of the latter. Another notorious vagabond and burglar has also been condemned to imprisonment after. having once escaped like Allmayer from the hands of justice. He is in reality named Jeannolle, but wrote himself down as the Comte de la Joncherie, Chief of the Habits- Noirs, or "burglars in eveningdress." On escaping from the Palais de Justice, Jeannolle sent an impudent letter to the Juga l'histruction telling him that when he had given him the slip he passed a night in one of the best hotels in Paris, and was bens on resuming his malpractices in the metropolis and elsewhere.  The wife of a cloth weaver named Wicks; residing at Chippenham, has given birth to three children— two sons and a daughter—and all are doing well. A plumber named Middleton, living in Richmondstreet, Leicester, made a murderous attack on his wife, and then attempted to commit suicide. It is stated that he had been for some time suspicious about his wife's conduct, and on going home the other night he attacked her with a hammer from behind, inflicting dreadful injui ies. On the police arriving he cut his throat with a clasp knife, but the wound was only superficial. Mr. Evan Spicer, Secretary of the South London Institutesscheume. ha,. received a second donation of £l,OOO fmm Sir Edward Guinness, £5OO from Mr. Howard Morley (to extend over live years), £2OO from The Rev. G. F. Wilibarne, £lO5 from Messrs. Crosse and Blackwell, £lOO from Messrs. Peak, Frean, and Co., £2,000 from Mr, Rolls (one of the largest property owners in South London), and £l,OOO from the Ecclesiastical Cominissioners, The fund amounts at present to about £241.000,,  Ws published last week a letter from Mr. EDWARD ANSELL in reference to the election of representatives to the Warwickshire County Council for Aston Manor. In the course of the communication the writer specified the terms of the compromise as suggested at the conference of the delegates, by the Chairman of the Local Board, and after regretting that the stipulations of that contemplated contract had been deemed unacceptable by the Aston Liberal Association, concluded by expressing a hope "that our Gladatonian friends might see their way to carry out what must appear a most fair and equitable arrangement, and so avoid the considerable outlay, for which no equivalent can be obtained which is not equally attained by the compromise." The dominating spirit of the epistle is manifest. Mr. E. ANSELL is desirous of saving the district the heavy expense which will be inevitable in the event of the election in the Manor being contested. But considering the line of policy pursued by the Gladstonians, to whom he so pathetically appeals, with regard to the suggested compromise and the election generally, the letter, having regard to its supplicatory and conciliatory tenour is worthy of more than a passing notice. Mr. Enwean ANSELL, who holds an important office in the Aston Conservative Association, was one of the delegates appointed by that association to attend the conference convened by the Chairman of the Local Board, at which the compromise was first suggested; and it would be as well to know if, in inditing the letter referred to above, he wrote as an official member of a political organisation of the Manor or merely as a ratepayer in the district. If in the former capacity the effusion is undignified, notwithstanding the economic desires therein expressed. We have it on the authority of Mr. Armin'. himself, that already "the other three associations (having already accepted the terms of arrangement) met in conference, and a resolution was passed and submitted to the Liberal Association, earnestly appealing to them to do all ir_ their power still to avoid the cost and turmoil of a contested election, and urging upon them the carrying out of the terms of the arrangement as suggested by the Chairman of the Local Board." Mr. Ansell also tells us that the response to that united appeal was "that they (the Liberal Association) could not do anything further in the matter, and that the compromise must fall through." The reply was emphatic enough, and in so answering, the Gladstonians assumed the whole of the responsibility of the contested elections, and left the Conservatives, Liberal Unionists and Ratepayer's Unionists no alternative, but to prepare to fight. The Gladstonians have refused the compromise; in other words they have decided to fight, and having regard to this fact it cannot be a proceeding of much dignity to make further supplication to them. Such a policy seems indicative of repidation, and a disinclination to join issue in consequence of a lack of confidence as to the ultimate result. Here we have the Giadstonians, arrayed in all the panoply of war, and actually within the lists being again entreated to withdraw from the arena, as if they were some omnipotent power to contend against which would be disastrous. They have already in the most explicit terms possible, reiterated their determination to force a contest afrall hazards, and to parley further with them would not be politic, nor consistent, with a high degree of self-respect. The Coalition party have entered into the encounter with much reluctance, not from any feeling of weakness or want of faith in their cause, but from a sense of consideration that they deemed was due to the ratepayers. They have, however, been forced to join issue, and now that they are engaged in the struggle, they will bear themselves "that the opposer may be aware." There must be no half-heartedness about the contest, and ng on any scale. The Gladstonians have decreed that it shall i be fought on paity lines, and so let t be. We need have no fear. Let it be a struggle