Weekly News. — 1890-08-07 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

AVENGING A NIECE'S DISHONOUR.Crime among Italians living in Paris or Leedom ie common enough, but • terrible drama which wag *nutted at Beint-Ouen, a borough lying outside the forti6cations midway between the French capital and ; Saint-Denis, is of no ordinary character. According to the full particulars now kir-wn, the actors in the , tragedy were countrymen of Signor Crisp! ; belonging to the organ-grinding fraternity, but ' employed in • large sugar refinery. For sorn• time put Espirito Delaroeo, • young man of 23, and Virginia del Greco, • countrywoman of his, aged 16, had been passionately attached to one another. They were both members of the bard-working Italian colony of Saint-Ouen, and Virginia's father end friends were very anxious that she should marry her lover, especially Ls she showed signs of becoming • mother. Espirito Dolorosa however, began to waver in hie affection., and when the girl endeavoured to make him come to the point about the marriage be either gave her eva,ove answers or adopted a procrastinating policy. Virginia told this to her father, who held • " family council " in hia house, at which were present the girl's two uncles and her younger sister. It was resolved that Espirito should marry or die, and the two uncles, after having procured substantial revolvers, went out in search of him. Delaroso was asked to meet the Del Greco. by another Italian, who was sent for him, and be accordingly did so. The meeting took place in the street outside the house in which all the actors in the drama lodged. "Are you going to marry Virginia or not?" aaid one of her uncles to the seducer, advancing towards him in • threatening manner. Deism.° retuned to answer the question, whereupon another of his self elected executioners lifted bit revolver and said, "Yes or no! Marriage or death I" The young Italian once more tried to put off hie interrogators, but hardly had be uttered • few words than the two Del Greco. fired at him simultaneously and point. blank. Befell to the ground with three bullets in his head and four in his breast. Virginia del Greco and her sister watched these bloodthirsty proceed. ings at • short distance away with complete equanimity, nor were they perturbed when the dead body of the slain men was borne past them to the police-station. Everybody connected with the tragedy was arrented and confronted with the corpse by the local commissary of police. During thin scene Virginia del Greco said that Delaroso had betrayed h•r, and that he accordingly had no right to live. The Italians at Saint•Ouen applaud the deed con, named by the Del Greene, and maintain that in their country the murder of Deluca., under the eiroum. tonnes would be considered an act of retribution.  An inquest hae been bald at St. Clement Dane's Vestry Hall, Strand, on the body of James Gilbert, 75 years of age, an engineer, who committed suicide. Deceased was found on the morning of July 19, in the street. with his throat cut, and it transpired that h. had also taken poison. An analysis of the contents of the stomach was ordered, and Dr. 0. S. Johnson, of S•vile•row, said he had extracted rather more than three grains of an oily liquid, which answered all the tests applied to nicotine from tobacco. The jury found that deceased, while temporarily insane. poisoned himself with nicotine.  A correspondent of Hardwicke' s Science Gossip relates a scene he recently witnessed between a starling and a cat. The starling had been feeding, and the cat interfered. Instead, however, of the starling flying off, it boldly faced the intruder, flying and pecking at it, and judging from the fact that the cat was glad to slink away, the starling had the best of it. boring the progress of the battle three sparrows appeared on the scene, and gave what aid they could in annoying the common enemy. Two other starlings, seemingly companions of the fighting one, watched the whole performance from a safe distance. Who is the doyen of the cricket field? By this we do not refer to those patriarchs of the willow who, Pike Lord Chariots Russell, delight in merely looking ' back, but to cricketers who can still keep up their wickets at something over three score and ten. Probably Mr. Charles Absolon, of whom a portrait and memoir appear in Cricket Chat for 1890. would not easily be matched in this regard : Mr. Absolon