The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1888-10-27 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

OAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING.  ?Ong ARE SAYING that we are now in tbe middle of the election fray. Mr. shsw held a meeting on Tuesday even- , tug and delivered a characteristically i trenchant speech, n which he aired his well-known views on municipal matters. Then last evening both Mr. Baildon and btr. Saunders publicly addressed the burgesses of Grange and Cleveland wards respectively, each gentleman making a very favourable impression. It ts not expected that Mr. Hope will mount the rostrum, but if he does he way be sure of a large and appreciative audience. That Alderman Smith flouted the Ratepayers' Association at Mr. Shaw's meeting. He objected to the quasi agreement which the Conservative Ward Committee had entered into with that body, on the ground that the Conservative Association was strong enough to put up its man in any ward and to carry lam This may be true, though it pal strike many persons as being mere bounce, but the remark will probably lose Mr. Shaw a considerable number of votes, for Liberals and Independents object to any one snapping his fingers in their faces unnecessarily. What will the Alderman's feelings be if Mr. Thomas Shaw does not head the poll, after all, and what will then be thought of his ill-timed vaunt? People are saying that Mr. Bandon is pursuing a diametrically opposite course to that recommended by Alderman Smith. Though a Conservative, he openly declares that he does not wish to be regarded as the candidate of the Conservative Association, but as a candidate of the Ratepayers' Association, who has come forward on strictly nonparty lines and in the belief that the muddling of imperial politics with municipal politics has worked great mischief. This is a good move on the part of Mr. Bandon, and will serve him well on the day of polling. That in Grange Ward Mr. J. Perrin and Mr. W. Dohie, the Conservatives, are opposed by Mr. A. Saundets, who comes forward under the aegis of the Liberal Association. Mr. McMahon was also nominated in the interest of the Liberal party, and he would have polled well bad he not withdrawn from the contest at the eleventh hour, for some unexplained reason. It is a pity that he did not stand te his guns, and if he and his supporters did not really mean business it is unfortunate that be allowed himself to be nominated. Mr. Robert Milne also threw up the sponge on Tuesday, whereby he disappointed those of his admirers who feel that be would make an able and energetic member of the Town Council. That either Mr. Perrin or Mr. Dobie will go to the wall, if the Liberals and Independents do their duty and enthusiastically rally to the support of Mt. Saunders, as they ought to. There was a time, perhaps, when Mr. Saunders was unsound on the Irish question, but he is a first-class all-round Liberal,. of a 'angularly open mind, and he possesses considerable knowledge of local matters, having closely studied them of laic. Last year be was president of the Ratepayers' Association, which will, no doubt, do all that it can to ensure his  return. That Messrs. Perrin and Dobie are evidently in high favour with the ladies, a fact which will, no doubt, console them in their hour of adversity. Two of their nomination papers have been signed only by members of the so-called weaker sex, and it has been remarked that the handwriting on these papers is much superior to that on any others. Who will venture to assert that the ladies have no heart or capacity for politics after this? That as the Birkenhead Yews ventured to prophesy would be the case, the Conservatives have not dared to offer any opposition to the re-election of Mr. Kirby in Clifton Ward. It would be difficult to imagine a more ignominious termination to months and years of bluster. The perfervid orators of the Tranmere Conservative Club stand in a very humiliating position, and they must not expect sane persons to believe in their tall talk any more. That the sessions were held on Monday and Tuesday, and a number of important cases were decided. The charge against Mr. Longden, the Grange. road butcher, evidently excited great interest, for the court was crowded all the time it was being enquired into. The evidence was of a remarkably con Meting character, and the jury returned a verdict of "Not guilty." Another ease was that of two boys named Bevan and Miller, charged with robbing the till of a shop in Oxton. Both were -found guilty. Bevan, who attempted to commit suicide in the police cells the day after his arrest, was deemed to be the instigator of the whole affaii, and, as he had had every chance of reforming, the Recorder dealt heavily with him, sending him to prison for two months and for four months for an old offence, the punishment attached to which he might have avoided had he behaved himself. Miller was sentenced to a month's imprisonment. That another remarkable case was that of a man named Anthony Kehoe, who was charged with breaking plate-glass windows in the Commercial Hotel and doing damage to the amount of £lO. It was in this case that. the famous" silent strikers" were brought into play. Kehoe had prepared an elaborate defence, which, as the Recorder said, showed that he had abilities which, if turned to a proper purpose. might have ensured him a good position in life. His career, however, seems to have been that of a gaol bird, for amongst his sentences was one for twelve months', another for nine months', and another for ten years' penal servitude. As he had commenced his career in this respect with five years in a reformatory, and was now only 43 years of age, the Recorder seemed to think that another twelve months' imprisonment, if it did :him no good, would keep him out of harm's way. That anotherlbutcher bad a narrow escape at the Sessions. John Davies, employed by Mr. Heathcock, junr., was charged with unlawfully woutding a boy named Ruffier. It appeared from the evidence that the boy was peeping through the slaughter house door, when Davies pushed a knife through and cut the lad over the eye. Had not the jury, in bringing in a verdict of guilty, recommended the prisoner to mercy, on account of provocation received, he would have beeni sent to prison for nine or twelve months; as it is, he will