The Dewsbury Chronicle, and West Riding Advertiser. — 1873-05-31 (Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England)

PATRIARCHAL MURDERER.—The Court of Assizes of the Puy-de-DOme has just tried a man named GeraudDumontel, for murder. The crime in itself presented no particular circumstances, having been prompted by motives of jealousy from disappointed pecuniary interests, and was only remarkable from the age of the accused, who was 74, and a farmer in a comfortable position. Antoine Geraud-Durnontel had for 30 years lived in common with a brother named Francois, a bachelor like himself. They occupied a house at the village of Cheix with a young man of 36, named Madebene, who took an active part in the management of their farm, and was commonly believed to be an illegitimate son of Francois, the elder brother, although this last had never acknowledged the paternity. Francois died in April, 1872, and on his will being opened he was found to have left a large portion of his fortune to Madebene. Antoine had expected to be sole heir, and from that moment he manifested great hatred towards the younger man, although they continued to reside together. Frequent quarrels took place between them, and the accused, on several occasions, threatened to take the life of the other. On the 12th March last Madebenewas found dead in the house, shot through the head, and with a pistol lying near him. Geraud-Damontel endeavoured to persuade all who would listen to him that the death was the result of a suicide, but various circumstances showed that a murder had been committed, and by the accused, who eventually confessed his guilt. He was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment.  SHEEP IN RUSSlA.—Except in the cold and marshy northern districts, Russia is well adapted for sheep. The total number in that country (excluding Poland) is reckoned to be 44,170,000, of which 11,655,000 are of the fine-woolled (merino) breed; the rest of ordinary kinds. The most remarkable native breed is that of the Romanow sheep, peculiar to the Government of 3 arislaw, which is celebrated for its glossy dark grey fleece—used only for furs—and for its great prolificness. It is said, however, like the black Bokhara sheep, to lose the above qualities when removed from its native district. There has been an increase in the number of sheep reared in Russia, notably of the merinos ; but the rapid development of this branch of farming has been considerably checked by the competition of the Australian and South America wools. The yearly wool production of Russia has been calculated roughly to be from 108,900,0001 b. to 126,000,0001 b., of which about two-thirds are worked up in the country. Such, however, is the imitative nature of the Russisn, that when once a fair start is given to any particular industry, a great expansion may at any moment take place. As an example of the prodigious rapidity with which an employment spreads when once taken up by the natives, it may be mentioned that in 1820, in a village of Riazan, a few families began to make fishing nets; 20 years later the entire district was devoted to the occupation, and it would have been easy to buy in it, at any time, 200,000 roubles worth of such nets. Again, in a village of Kaluga, an individual took to rearing canaries; in a few years 12,000 canaries were annually sold from the district. Land and War.  "LADY —'s CAurtiAGE."—Another social grievance. People in good society will give dances, which are prolonged far into the morning. The guests must have carriages, and when Paterfamilias with his work to begin while his family sleep off fatigue (say in six hours' time), can induce his ladies to leave the gay and festive scene and halls of dazzling light, the carriage must be called UP. But John Thomas is not on the watch at the door; he is "drinking and gambling." Where he gets the drink we i do not know, as all public-houses are shut, but such ▪ s the depravity of that menial that he has perhaps secreted a bottle of vulgarity under the seat of hi▪ s mistress's own carriage, and has a pack of cards in his pocket. Anyhow he has to be bawled for by one of the raucous voices that seem made to irritate us, the voice of one of one of the bellowing nu.isances that hang about all places of amusement. Up and down the street goeth the fellow, proclaiming Mrs. P. Familias's name to the echoes, and wakening a score of sleepers, who sit up in darkness and wrath: and devote him, and her who sent him, and those who invited her, and whomsoever invented music and parties to the Infert, the gods of the Nether World. One of the sufferers keeps his rage warm enough to write a very good letter on the subject, and to send it i to the Times: But what s to be done? Dances must be given if girls are to be married, and with the dance must come all the rest—evil menial, bawling fiend. broken slumbers, angry neighbour. We can offer the. latter no consolation, unles his nature, which is probably kindly enough when he is up and dressed suggest to him that perhaps the yell of that blatant brute means that a delightful young lady is ready to leave a house where she , has made and secured a conquest. Let the awakened • think of this, wish her happiness, and turn on his pillow till tinotbor lived ooune up,-Ijr