The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1906-10-06 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

THE PASSING WEEK.  The death took place on Saturday of his Honour Judge Francis W. Raikes, LL.D., li.C.. Judge of the Hull District County Court since 1898. Deceased spent several years in the merchant service and royal navy, in which he distinguished himself. He was called to the Bar in 1873, and wrote several works dealing with maritime law, on which he was an authority.  Manx Government statistics of the number of visitors landed at Douglas during August have been published. The number was 198,443, which is nearly 19,000 better than August last year, the previous best on record. The number of visitors for the whole of the season up to the end of August was 386,823, again establishing a record, being 38,716 ahead of last year. These improved figures include an increased number of day trippers, who are induced to travel by the larger and faster steamers, but still the figures are satisfactory, and September will show a further increase,  With reference to a statement published on Monday that Mr. Carnegie had intimated to public bodies in Scotland his intention to dispose of 55 millions of his fortune during his lifetime for the benefit of humanity, the Press Association on Monday evening received the following telegram from Mr. Carnegie: "No truth in report."  S • • IP  Profound eentation was caused on Saturday morning in South Carnarvonshire when it was announced that the Venerable Archdeacon Thomas Williams, rector of Llanystumdwy and archdeacon of Merioneth, had committed suicide by hanging himself in an outbuilding that day. A maneervant went to the building about 7.30 a.m., and found the deceased hanging from a beam there. The body was cold, which showed that the tragedy had been enacted at an early hour. A sea voyage which he took recently did him no good, and he was contemplating another voyage. He did not attend the Church Conference at Pwllheli on Thursday. He was a most scholarly preacher, both in Welsh and English, and took art active part in the education controversy. The deepest a- nipathy is felt with Mrs. Williams and the family in the sad calamity that has befallen them.  Hr. Hall-Edwards, of Birmingham, the Rontgen ray expert, has become a victim to chronic X-ray dermatitis, and he considers his Case hopeless. All that he expects is some slight relief from his suffering, and he has appealed through the isolunans of the "British Medical Journal" for advice from medical men concerning the treatment of his diseaee. He declares that he expecte_ to lose all his fingers, and possibly both his hands, before long, but until that happens he will continue hia work. _ _  • 0 • •  According to "Kemp's Mercantile Gazette," the number of commercial failures published in the United Kingdom during the quarter ending Saturday, September 29th, was 1,918. The number in the corresponding quarter of last year was 2,078, showing a decrease of 160, being a net decrease in 1906, to date, of 4013.  Mr. Frank P. Lahm has been declared the winner in the international balloon race from Paris, having travelled 440 miles, to Whitby, before descending in his balloon United States. The Italian balloon Elfe reached Hull, a distance of 370 miles, Count de Vauix and the Hon. C. S. Rolls both coming down at the north of Norfolk after travelling a little over 800 miles.  • . •  Thomas White, a steeplejack, belonging to Oldham, was killed on Tuesday alternoon by falling from the roof of the White Star building in James-street. Liverpool.  At the Railway Sers-.ants' Conference in Cardiff on Tuesday there was an animated discussion on a proposal to oompel all Parliamentary candidates to join the Labour party in the House of Commons. Mr. Bell, M.P., the general secretary, offered strenuoas opposition to this, and other members ridiculed the claims of the Independent Labour party in assuming that they were the only Labour party. Finally, the resolution was carried, but another motion moved with the object of forcing Mr. Bell to join the Labour party at once was defeated by a large majority after a heated debate. • • • •  Miss Lake, Who was Murdered on Monday evening in the forest near Essen, was employed as a companion in the family of lierr Kienast, a journalist. Before going to Essen she lived with a sister at Richmond, Surrey. She was the daughter of an Englsh officer, and was 39 years of age. As she intended to return to England on Thursday, she went to the town, in company with a lady of English descent, the wife of an officer in the emp;oyment of Messrs. Krupp, in order to put•chase some presents to bring home to her friends. Miss Lake parted with her companion in the evening at a solitary spot outside the forest, and although she had been advised by her friend not to use the path through the wood as it was growing dark, she insisted that she was not nervous, and went ,nto the Stadtwald Forest, where she was outraged and strangled. • • • •  The King gave a prise for the best ploughman on the field at a ploughing match of the Royal South Bucket Agricultural Association at Burnhani, near Slough, on Wednesday. The award, which oonsisind of five guineas in money, was won by John Baldwin, of Farnham Royal. The King's Silver Cup, value twenty guineas, for the host root crops in the district, was won by Messrs. Kinross and Lindsay.  Mr. James Cann was on Wednesday appointed Chief Constable of Bristol at a commencing salary of ..41850, with horse allowanm. air. Cann was originally a constable at Bristol. The candidates included Detective-inspector bLitkins. :f Birkenhead.  The Prune Minister will return to 10, Downing-street, about a fortnight hence, in view of the reaasembling of Parliament. Moat of the Ministers will have returned by that time, and one or more meetings of the Cabinet will be held before the Govern.. meat meets the house on the 23rd. • • •  Mr. Haldane hee consented to receive deputation of the Women's Social and Poll. tical Union on the question of woman suffrage' if time permits, on the a:504410A of the Scottish Federation meeting at POOlllO4 on the 13th bud. Failing this, the deputation will meet Mt. Haldane en hie return to London.