Blandford, Wimborne and Poole Telegram. — 1876-08-18 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

THE -WEEK.  Surely the counsel ein;l7)yej. in the Bravo case ought to present Mrs. Bravo with an elegant service of plate, for causing them to obtain so much highly paid work just before the commencement of the Long Vacation. The case is said to have cost a thonsanda day. And well it may. Sir Henry James had a thousand guineas on his brief, and received a hundred a day, his clerk's fee being 10 per cent. on both MUM!. Sergeant Parry and Mr. Murphy probably received fifty a day, and the fees of the other counsel are in proportion. There are, of course, other expenses, and the long continuance of the inquiry has increased them enormously. In such a testimonial as that we propose the proprietors of certain daily papers should also join, for the case has been, as the saying runs, a " small fortune "to them. Parliament has not been particularly interesting lately, and the news from the seat of war is an extraordinary mass of contradictions, so that the Bravo case has been a thing of beauty to them, and a joy for many days, if not for ever.  From the Finance Accounts, it appears that in the year ending on the 31st March last 4'2,602 19s. 11d, was remitted to the Chancellor of the Exchequer as "Conscience Money."  The verdict of the jury in the Bravo case— " Wilful Murder, but that there is not sufficient evidence to fix it upon any person or persons" —is odd and Irish-looking, but will surprise no one. The jury were shut up to one of two conclusions —murder or suicide. Suicide was practically out of the question in view of Mr. Bravo's solemn declaration that he had taken nothing but laudanum, persisted in notwithstanding the repeated warning that, if he did not confess, some innocent person would be charged with. his death. Mr. Bravo must have been poisoned by some person or persons unknown ; and it is not a comfortable reflection for society in general that a man can be poisoned, with such a clumsy poison too, and his murderers remain unknown. However, the Balham Mystery must, for the present, be. put on the shelf with other mysteries.  There is great jubilation. The Prince of Wales has actually got something left out of the money granted him to go on his Indian holiday. Friday night, in the House, the Chancellor of the Exchequer said that very full accounts of the expenses of the Prince of Wales' visit to India had been sent in, and had been carefully audited both by Sir William Anderson and himself. The manner in which they had been kept and the economy which had been shown reflected great credit on Sir Bartle Frere and Colonel Ellis. There were still some small accounts outstanding ; but there was a surplus of the Vote still unspent. There would be no occasion to ask for a further Vote ; on the contrary, there would be a surplus of some hundred pounds. This announcement was received with loud cheers from both sides.  Three pounds seventeen That is the price of a hero in these latter days, the amount subscribed for the widow and children of John Chiddy, who sacraficed his life the other day to prevent the accident to the "Flying Dutchman." Is heroism, then, so cheap / Is the supply so much greater than the demand ? Or is it that we cannot recognise heroism in a muddy vesture of fustain and in connection with anything so prosaic as a railway? John Chiddy was a quarryman on the Bristol and Exeter Railway. He saw a large block of stone on the line just before the train was due at a speed of fifty miles an hour. He removed it in time to save the train, but was himself caught in the act and killed on the spot. An appeal to the public in behalf of the family was answered by & 178. The railway company who had profited to the extent of thousands by Chiddy's bravery have done nothing for him. Lord Elcho appealed to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, but there are no funds available for such purposes. On the same day, we paid £29,101 in commumiutation of a pension granted two centuries ago to a Dutch soldier of fortune who had come to England to be killed. The nation has paid half a million in recognition of the Duke of Schonberg's services in being killed at the Battle of Boyne, and John Chiddy's family is put off with ti 17s. It is not even in accordance with the dictates of an enlightened selfishness ; and it is to be hoped that this is not the ultimate and final measure of our admiration for heroism in humble life.  It may be wondered why w egi vo this extract, but to us it appears there is a moral lesson contained in the words, "and then the old lady left them together," which it behoves every British matron to lay to heart.  Mr. Onslow is said to have received the following letter from Sydney. New South Wales :-" I know Arthur I nton well, and I say I can find him, but I must have the means. I cannot afford tolose time and money. If lam furnished with £lOO I can procure the man, and having found him, I can do anything with him lie has been under great obligations to Inc. and I know too much about him. I have no tittle to write more, the mail is just closing--I am, yours faithfully, " Witman Dattitx." Mr. William Deakin is a well-known solicitor of Sandhurst, Sydney. Now, then, is the time for the friend:: of the Dartmoor convict to make good their protestations. Surely they have got enomrli out of the public to ls.t able to spend a paltry hundred to find Arthur Orton. But will they do it? Not exactly ! Should there be such a man outside prison walls, like Othello, they would find their occupation gone.