Papurau Newydd Cymru
Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru
12 erthygl ar y dudalen hon
our bonbon dTorrcsponbent.
our bonbon dTorrcsponbent. [We deem it right to state that we do not at all times identify ourselves with our Correspondent's opinions.] Her Majesty's birthday, was, as usual, marked by a number of promotions and appointments, several of these, in the Order of St. Michael and St. George, being announced on the morning of that day. It is worth noting that the various orders of knighthood each bears a characteristic description. For instance there are the most noble Order of the Garter, the most honourable Order of the Bath, the most distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, and the most exalted order of the Star of India. The first of these has but one class the others have three-Knights C-ross, K.iighta Commander, and Companions. 1 e Garter is the most coveted of all the honorary distinction which are in the bestowal of the Crowa and with the exception of the late Viscount Palmerston, no nobleman below the rank of an earl has ever worn it. The honour was con- ferred upon Lord Palmerston, when he was Prime Minister, at the express request of her Majesty. With that single exception the Garter has been worn only by members of the three highest orders in the peerage, viz., dukes, marquises, and earls. The number of knights is strictly limited to twenty-five, and at present they are pretty equally divided between the foremost noblemen of both political parties. Last year two Garters happened to fell in through the deaths of the Marquis of Ailesbury and Earl Russell, and opportunely enough just in time to be bestowed upon Lords Beaconafield and Salisbury on their return from Berlin as the British Plenipotentiaries at the Congress there. Of all the distinctions which a nobleman desires, there is none which he prizes so highly as that of K.G. There is one point in connection with the celebration of the Queen's birthday which is worth a passing notice. That is the mature age attained by the sovereigns of the House of Hanover Queen Victoria, who is now turned sixty, is the youngest of the whole of them, and let us hope that there are many years of life before her yet: George I. was 67 when he died George II. was 77; George III. was 82; George IV, was 68; and William IV. was 72. It will be only eight years more-just the distance of time that sepa- rates 1871 from the present day-when we hope to celebrate the Jubilee of Her Majesty's accession. If an attempt is made to fix the mind upon some pro- minent event which happened eight years ago, it is easy enough to do it, and to see how really little time stands between us now and the commemoration of the Jubilee of our Sovereign's ascending the throne. It was on the 24th of May, 1871, that the mob of Paris, being hard pressed by the army of Versailles, and seeing the utter impossibility of escape from the beleaguered capital, set fire to the public buildings of the city. On the 23th Marshal MacMahon was master of the place, after great slaughter and immense destruction of property; and mob rule was extinguished. It does not seem so long since we were reading of the terrible doings in Paris at that time; yet it is only a period of similar length which now divides us from the fiftieth year of her Majesty's reign. On the 20th of June, 1887, the boom of a hundred guns will be heard from the Park and the Tower, proclaiming the fact that for the second time within a little over three- quarters of a century, the Sovereign of England has witnessed a Jubilee. The last occasion was in 1810, and many now living can well remember it. When the Empress of Germany returned to Berlin, she left more than one distinguished visitor behind her in London. The Crown Prince of Denmark has been here for some time, staying with his sister the Princess of Wales the Crown Prince of Sweden and Norway has also been one of our guests; the Count and Countess of Flanders have likewise been seeing something of the British capital. And it is well worth seeing just now, without a doubt. After a long struggle and a continuance of un genial north easterly winds for half a year, the soft south wind has at length prevailed. As its balmy breath has passed over park and square, and open space, the trees, leafless so long, have ceased to swing their bare gaunt arms in the bitter blasts of winter, and are now clothed in the richest of foliage in all those varied shades of greenery which lend sach a delightful charm to the hues of spring. It seems as though a change, like that sup- posed to be produced in the magic land of fairies by the waving of a wand had passed over the surface of hill and dale. For a few weeks the vegetation, fresh and vigorous, will be seen in all its beauty the leaves, strong and firm upon the well-clothed branches of the trees, will wave gaily in the gentle zephyrs of the summer time, being neither nipped by the wind's un- kindly blast, nor parched by the sun's more direct rays, The hymn from which this sentiment is taken goes on to declare that "their momentary glories last-their short-lived beauties die away." Not just yet, how- ever, for we are all glad to know that several weeks now stand between us and the time when the withered leaves, no longer able to cling to the boughs, will have been scattered upon the ground. Marvellous progress has been made with the open- ing of the Thames Bridges during the past few years. It is not so very long ago that a free roadway over the great Metropolitan river was the exception and a toll- bar the rule. Of course, in places where there were such vast streams of traffic as London Bridge, Black. friars, and Westminster, toll-bars were impossible but between each of these structures there was one if not more toll bridges. Southwark Bridge, between those of London and Biackfriars, was long a silent highway in the midst of a great people because of its toll; whilst between Blackfriars and Westminster there were the toll-barred structures of Waterloo and Charing Cross. Southwark Bridge was liberated some years ago by the City Corporation; and then the work was begun far up the stream by the Metro- politan Board, which threw open the bridges at Staines, Barnes, and Kew. There, for some time they were compelled to Btop; for the bridges lower down the river and spanning the stream in the heart of London, were more costly to deal with. There was a long arbitration over Waterloo Bridge, which was thrown open in October last. On Saturday a grand step was made in this work of improvement. The Prince of Wales, who was accompanied by the Princess and by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, declared free to the public for ever five bridges-Albert, Battersea, Chelsea, Lambeth, and Vauxhall, These, as their names will readily indicate to those who have the most elementary knowledge of London geographically, connect the northern aad southern banks of the stream where there are densely-crowded populations on both sides of it, and it does seem extraordinary that tollbars should have so long interfered with the free communi- cation of millions of people. Turnpikes and tollbars are the relics of a past sge; th. former, so far as London is co cerned, disappeared half a generation ago and the important ceremony in which the Prince of Wales took such a leading part last Saturday enable; the peop!e to make a clean sweep of the latter. While the inhabitants of a great portion of the capital have thus been restricted in their movement across the river owing to the operation of tol bars, those below London Bridge have been entirely w ith- out the means of getting over to the opposite side except by resorting to the Tower Subway or to ferry boats. This seems all the more wonderful when it is remembered that in the eastern section of the metro- polis there is a population of at least a million abso- lutely without bridge accommodation. This is equal to the united peoples of both Liverpool and Glasgow and it is certainly difficult to imagine the great Lanca shire seaport without the means of going to the other side of the Mersey, or the great commercial city upon the Clyde with nothing but the most primitive agencies for communicating with the hives of teeming industry on both banks of the river. If it is asked why the great metropolis should be eo bridgeless where the conveniences of a million people are concerned, the reply is that a structure anywhere in that quarter of the town, on account of the great width of the river, would be enormously costly; and that it would materially interfere with the navigation. Shipping of every description, and traversing every sea, constantly move up and down the rapid tide of the Thames; and many a mast in that extensive forest in the docks would be likely to come into un. pleasant collision with any bridge thrown across the river. Still the Board of Works have determined to make an effort, and a Bill is now before Parlia- ment for the construction of a high level bridge between Tooley-street and the Tower. A struc- ture of this kind is of no use unless it can be approached; and the clearing away of property on both sides will raise the total cost to about fifteen hundred thousand pounds. This is about the most complete instance of the expensive character of improve- ments in London which has yet presented itself. The Northumberland avenue cost seven hundred thousand pounds, including the price paid to the Duke of that title for his town house, If you walk from one end of the avenue to the other you may have the satisfaction of reflecting that every yard over which you have passed is of the value of £2,000. Should the High Level Bridge over the river be sanctioned by the legis- lature, it will cost more than double as much as Northumberland avenue. School-children are taught that the horse is a noble animal and when they grow up and go out into the world they seem to take this idea with them, for the horse is undoubtedly a favourite with old as well as young. One of England's great national holidays-the Derby—is founded upon horse-racing but we need not go so far as Epsom Downs, although they are only 20 miles from the capital, to be assured of the interest which attaches to anything in which this useful quadtuped takes a prominent position. The Wednesday meets of the Coaching Club and the Four-in-hand are the means of gathering immense assemblages together in Hyde Park, the roans and the greys, the browns and the bays all coming in for a share of admiration from the respective critics of the teams. The Coaching Club was the first this season to lead off but the weather was unfavourable, the programme having been spoiled by drenching rain. It was not so with the Four-in-Hand. The sun at length, after many anight of frost and many a day of tempest, shone out with summer splendour; and amongst the vast throng which the weather and the horses had brought together, were the Empress of Germany, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Crown Prince of Denmark, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Teck, and other members of the Royal family. After the meet the distinguished visitors drove off to the Summer exhibition of the Royal Botanis Society in Regent's Park, and later on the Prince and Princess of Wales paid a visit to the Empress Eugenie at Chislehurst. The Whitsuntide holidays eomo this year at a time when, after such a prolonged spell of winter, those who seek recreation and amusement should be able to depend upon something like genial and settled weather. The days will not be far from their longest and brightest; London is full of attractions to those who would like to enjoy an excursion to the metropolis; while the country is just now in all its glory, and inviting the jaded dweller in the town to spend a few hours away from the bustle and the smoke, out among the fields, amid the greenwood and the gorse, where the leafy arches of the woods echo to the songs of innumerable birds that have found a home in the luxuriant foliage of forest trees. It is no matter for surprise that amongst an enormous popula- tion like that of London the Bank Holidays of Easter, Whitsuntide, and August are eagerly anticipated on account of the facilities which are then afforded by rail- way companies for a run into some rural retreat in the Home Counties, or to the Bea-side, Mr. Richard Swiveller was accustomed to set great store by a sniff of the briny;" and to the smoke-dried townsman nothing seems to be so invigorating as a bath of sea- air upon the shores of the English Channel, or upon those coasts open to the more braeing breezes of the German Ocean. London is too far from the sea to get any of its atmosphere impregnated with that health- giving saline which the great waters send in upon the land; hence the appreciation by its people of the sea when they are enabled to get near it. There, how- ever, is the Thames to remind them of the restless, ever-heaving northern ocean to which it is perpetually seeking to hasten; It is a mistake to call the sea, as is too commonly done, a watery waste and an aqueous wilderness. It is, on the contrary, the world's fountain of life and health, without which the grass would perish from the mountains, the forests would crumble upon the hills; and although we may have lived far distant from its shore, may never have gazed upon its majesty, or listened to its eternal diapason, we can never forget that we are surrounded by its liberal stores, and that the wealth of the world is represented upon its rolling waters.
[No title]
The Sheffield Telegraph is informed that the American Missionary Association has decided to acgept the proposition of Mr. ArtMngton, of Leeds, accompanied with 16,000do!s, to occupy a district In Central Africa which lies south of Abyssinia and north of the Victoria Nyanza. It Is accessible by the Nile, and steamers can be used on the Nile and its tributaries so as to facilitate communication with different tribes. Tbe American Missionary Association Is now making an appeal for 35,000dols. more to start the mis- sion. About ten missionaries will be required:
THE EUSTON.SQUARE MYSTERY.
THE EUSTON.SQUARE MYSTERY. On Monday, at the Bow-street Police-court, London, Hannah Dobbs, a stout, well-dressed woman of about 30, was brought up by habeas corpus, in the custody of the chief warder of Tothill's-fields Prison, and charged before Mr. Vaughan with the wilful murder of Miss Matilda Hacker, otherwise Uisb, at 4, Euston-square, on or about Sunday, October 14, 1877. Mr. Poland, instructed by Mr. Pollard, of the Treasury, conducted the prosecution. The prisoner was undefended. Mr. Jones, from the office of Freston and Co., solicitors, stated that he attended to watch the case for Mr. Bastendorff, the occupant of the house in which the deceased lady was lodging at the time of the alleged murder.—We take the following report of the case from The Timet of Tuesday Mr. Poland said he was instructed by the Solicitor to the Treasury in this case to prosecute the prisoner at the bar, Hannah Dohbs, for the wilful murder of Matilda Hacker, an elderly maiden lady. in or about October, 1877, and he would briefly present to the Court an outline of the charge which he believed he should be able to establish by evidence hereafter. The deceased lady was a native of Canterbury, about 64 years of age, and she was undoubtedly a person of eccentric habits, for she was accustomed to reside in different lodgings and to assume different names. It would be unnecessary, however, to describe the history of the unfortunate lady previous to her occupation of apartments at 4, Euslou-square, in the house ot Mr. Bas- tendorff, where the resided for about three weeks, In the name of Miss Uish. This was in the autumn of 1877, and she rented the front room of the second floor. The prisoner at that time was a servant in the house, and Mrs Bastendorff, her mistress, would say that in the August of that year the prisoner wentaway for a month's holiday. She came back to her situation about the beginning of October, although her mistress was unable to fix the exact date either of her depar- ture or ret urn but it was certain that Miss Utsh, or Hacker, was lodging there at the time, because the prisoner brought downstairs to her mistress a Z5 note in payment of the rent due from the lady, who paid 12s per week for her room. The bill, he believed, amounted to £ 116s., and Mrs. Baste udorff re- eelpted the account, which had beensentuptoher previously, and gave the prisoner the change to deliver to Miss UlalJ, after deducting a sum of 2s. which was charged for a lamp- glass alleged to have been broken by the lodger. It was only from a statement; made to her at the time by the prisoner that Mrs. Bastendorff became aware of the fact that the de- ceased lady contemplated leaving her apartments, and it was not till some time after the latter were vacated that Mrs. Bastendorff went upstairs to see the rooms. She then noticed the broken lamp-glass and she observed a large stain upon the carpet, which had the appearance of something having been washed out. She remembered saying to the prisoner on that occasion that If she had known of this before Miss Ulah left the house she would certainly have charged her for the damage done to the carpet. She did not remember the prisoner making any reply lo this remark. It would appear that Mrs. Bastendorff did not seethe lady when she left the house, andnever saw or heard of her afterwards. She never suspected that anything wrong had happened to her, and the prisoner continued In her service up to about September last. After the lady had left the prisoner showed her mistress a dream-book (a book professing to describe the purport of dreams and omens), which she said the old lady had left behind, and which she gave the children to play with. The prisoner alec gave them an old cash-box, which her mistress noticed was broken open—the prisoner remarking at the time that It belonged to her, but that having lost the key, she had been compelled to force it open. Now, it would be proved beyond all doubt that Miss Hacker had been often seen with this book of dreams in her possession, and he believed the cash-box would also be identified as formerly the property of the deceased lady. Of course, there is nothing In these circum- stances to cause misgiving in the mind of Mrs. Bastendorff, and it was not until the 9th of the present month that any- thing occurred to excite suspicion. It then happened that one of her lodgers desired to have the use of a coal-cellar, and arrangements were made to clear out the one in question for the lodger's accommodation. It was then that the body of a human being was found imbedded in the rubbish, and he believed he should be able to prove that this was the body of the unfortunate Miss Hacker. There was a rope round the neck of the deceased, and In the lace shawl which had been worn by her a small brooch, since Identified as her property, bad been found. A buckle was also found In the cellar, but he was unable to say what Importance might be attached to this discovery. With respect to the brooch most material evi- dence would be forthcoming, for Miss Hacker had been seen wearing it on the 6th of October, 1877, about a week or so prior to the supposed date of the murder. It so happened that Miss Hacker had a business appointment on the 6th with her solicitor, Mr. Wade, who had known her for many years, and who well remembered seeing the brooch at that Interview, as she was then wearing it. Mr. Wade, of course, had to knowledge of the fact that the lady was then passing as Miss Utsh in Euston-square. He had always known her and transacted business with her in her own name of Matilda Hacker. Another most remarkable circumstance was that on the 10th of this same month of October, 1877, Miss Hacker had written to a Mr. Cozens, a friend of hers at Canterbury, relative to her property, and this gentleman forwarded a letter to her at her request, to M. B., Post-office, 227, Oxford-street." In this letter was enclosed a cheque for £ 5 14s. 3d., which could Dever have reached her, because both the letter and its enclosure was returned to Mr. Cozens some time after through the Dead-letter office, on the ground that It had never been called for by the person to whose initials it had been presumably addressed. Here there was a most remarkable chain of evidence, showing that the deceased lady was seen on the 5th of October, and had written a letter on the 10th, the reply to which, dated a few days afterwards, had never been called for. It would be for the Court to consider what inference was to be drawn from these facts, when the evidence of them was brought under its consideration. He believed that the buckle found in the cellar would be identifled as the property of Miss Hacker, and it would transpire that the lady was in the habit of wearing an eye-glass, which had been since discovered, and would be identified in due course. This eye-glass had been found among some clothes In a box which the prisoner had left behind at her lodgings in George street, Euston- road, where she was In debt at the time of her departure. Another matter to which he might refer was the fact that a gold watch, with chain and locket, Identified as having belonged to Miss Hacker, were actually pawned in March, 1878, by the prisoner in the name of a little child, named Rosina Bastendorff, the daughter of her mistress, the pri- soner at the same time beisg known personally to the pawnbroker, who remembered the circumstance perfectly well and would Identify the prisoner. A basket trunk, left by Miss Hacker at the lodgings and afterwards given by prisoner to her master's brother, would also be identified also a tray, belonging to it and fitting the Interior of the basket, which was in the possession ot the police, having been found in a loft of the house In Euston- square. It was not possible to say with certainty when this murder was committed, but all the facts would tend to show that the crime was perpetrated on a Sunday, when the house was often empty. It was quite within the power and means of the prisoner, under these circum- stances, to have taken the life of Miss Hacker, although it was a matter of conjecture whether the rope or other mode of violence was employed. Dr. Bond, who had ex. amined the carpet, would state his opinion that it was blood-stained. She might have been murdered and then dragged down the stairs of that empty house by means of the rope found round the neck of the deceased. N o one but the prisoner was In the habit of going to the coal cellar where the body was found, and it was almost impossible for her to have gone there repeatedly, as she did, without knowing that the body was there. When the discovery was recently made the police went to the prisoner, then in prison, and asked her some questions about the matter, with the view of ascertaining If she could throw any light on the mystery, and It was worthy of notice that in the course of her conversations with the officers she said that she remembered an old lady named Hacker living there. Now, up to that time the name of this lady had not been breathed by anyone, and the lady herself was only known at Euston, square by the name of Uish. How she came to know the lady by this name would be a matter of conjecture; but as the front pages of the "Book of Dreams" were missing, it was highly probable that the bdy's real name had been written there. The learned counsel then referred to the statements made by the lady residing at No. 5 in the square, who heard a terrible scream in the next house one Sunday in October, 1877, and who fainted with terror at the time and this lady had identified a photograph of Miss Hacker as that of the elderly and eccentric person whom she had seen entering the house No. 4 about that time. He would not, how- ever, detain the Court by further remarks. He bad not pretended to describe all the incidents of this important inquiry, which would come before the Court, and which it would be his duty to investigate, whether telltng in favour of the accused or otherwise and although he feared that the case would occupy a long time, he knew that the most anxious pains would be taken to arrive at the truth of the matter by all who were concerned in the investiga- tion. In answer to Mr. Vaughan, Mr. Polard said the probable date of the murder was Sunday, October 14, although he might not be able to give conclusive evidence on that point. Mrs. Bastendorff, the late mistress of the prisoner, was then called into the box and sworn. She deposed as follows :—I am the wife of Sieverln Bastendorff, of 4, Euston-square. My husband Is by trade a bamboo-worker. I have four children, the eldest of whom is seven years and Is named Christina. The youngest is named Rosina. We went to live In the house in March, 1870. We occupied the whole of the house In the first place till we let lodgings. I know the prisoner Hannah Bobbs. She was a general servant. She came first to live with us in the summer of 1876. She stayed until August or September last year. She went away for a month. She had several holidays. She left the first year she was there. She attended to the lodgers entirely. I remember having a lodger named Miss Uisn. She occupied the second-floor front room, I did not see her when she took the lodgings. I saw her on two occasions when she went to church on Sundays. The prisoner then borrowed my Church Service for the lady. The rent of the room was 12s. a week. I have not the least Idea of the date when the lady came to our lodgings. (Rent book shown to witness ) This is my writing. I entered there the name of Miss Uish. Only by this book I am able to say she stopped three weeks. The rent Is £1 16)., or 12s. a week. There Is no date. Before that I see the entry of another ledger, Mr. Finlay. He stayed at my house many times. He stayed at this time three weeks. Before that there is Mr. Lefler. The last date is July 25, and the date before that July 6 Mr. Lefler's goes from June 23 to July 25. The next date after Miss Uish is November. The name to that date is Miss Wlllouehby. Mr. Finlay did not occupy the same room as Miss Uish. Mr. Lefler occupied the whole of the floor, including Miss Uish's room. Miss Willoughby had the first floor and the second-floor front room. Though I cannot fix the date, Miss Uish must have occupied her room between July 25 and November 21. Mr. Leflbr was an American. He went home to New York. He was connected with a bank. I do not know what Mr. Finlay was. He saw an Englishman, but I believe he belonged to New York. I never saw Miss Uish's luggage. I did not know whether she had any. I should say Miss Uish was about 6ff. 41n. in height. She wore her hair in curls it was very light; I always thought it was gray. I could not tell her age at all. I never spoke to her. I never saw her face. The prisoner spoke of her as "Miss Utab," or the old lady." Whilst Miss Utshwas living with us we had no other lodger but Mr. Rigenbacb, if we had another lodger at that time. He bad the first floor, with his own furniture. I don't think I had any other servant than the prisoner then. If I had one at the time Miss Uish was there, it would be a girl named Ellen but my impression is. I had no nurse girl then. Ellen went to live at Kensington. I don't know her surname, or where she came from. I never waited on the lodgers. My husband s work-room Is on the dining-room floor-the ground floor. There is a passage to the cellar, so that you don't go through the kitchen to it. Hannah used to go to the cellars for coals. I have been into the cellars there are two of them. Oue cellar Is for coke and my husband's bamboos; the other was for coals. I remember prisoner speaking to me about Miss Uish leaving. As near as I can tell, it was between eleven and twelve in the day. I don't remember the day of the week. Prisoner brought the bill, which I had made out, when prisoner told me Miss Uish was going away. Prisoner brought me a JM note. I took the £1 10s. out of it. I don't know how the change was got. I receipted the bill myself. Prisoner brought me the pen and ink. She left me and took the receipted bill. I did not see Miss Uish then. I did net see her leave the house, or any one. or any boxes. I dou't remember anything about her going. I did not go up to her room that day. About a day or two after I went up in the merging, as I was going upstairs. I could not say when it was, but It was a few days afterwards. Either Hannah went In with me or she was in the room. Before the bill was paid prisoner gave me 2s. for a lamp-glass which had been broken In this front room on the second floor. As a rule, she paid for her own break- ages. When I went into the room I saw a large stain on the carpet dawn by the side of the bed. It appeared to be a large stain because it had been scrubbed out. The carpet was a felt carpet with a great deal of green in it. The washing took the colour out. I remember perfectly saying Hannah, you are a dreadful girl to treat these things so I would rather be without lodgers than have my things destrojed so." I don't think she made xny remark. I was very much annoyed and went out; of the room. There were no boxes in the room, only my own furniture. I said to pri- soner that if I had seen Miss Uish before she went I should have made her pay for the carpet. 1 don't think she made any reply to it. By Mr. Vaughan: The stain was about a yard in size. It was not there, I am sure, when Miss Ulsh took the room. Examination continued After this I remember the pri- soner bringil-g down to me a dream book, which she bald Miss Uish had left (" The Imperial Royal Dream Book and Fortune Teller," produced). That Is the Book. Sbe said, Mlsp Uish has left her dream book." I said to her, "Oh, I should think she'll come back for it." Pri- soner said nothing. I had not, I think, heard of It before. After that it was always In the kitchen. Sometimes we took It upstairs, and on May 19 I gave it up to Inspector Hagan. When it was first brought down to me it was In a better condition than it to now. One of my little girls has had it to play with, and she is very destructive. I do not remember the prisoner leaving a few days after the bill was receipted. She went at Christmas for a holiday, as she said, to Bideford, Devonshire. I had not noticed anything In her possession when she left for her holiday. I always thought her relations were well-to-do. She said her uncle had left her some money. She said the watch and chain I saw in her possession were her uncle's. I could not re- member when she wore the watch and chain, and I could not say whether it was before or after the bill of Miss Uish was receipted. By the Court I had heard for some time that she ex- pected her uncle would leave her some money. I do not know whether it was before I understood she went to Bide- ford. Examination continued I saw a basket trunk In the coal-cellar. I could not form any idea of when I first saw. it. (A trunk was produced ) I do not remember seeing that; it might be the same, but it looks different. That one does not belong to me. I am not able to say whether thst is the one I saw in the coal-cellar or not. I thought it was a wine case. The one I saw in the cellar looked higher. The cellars are light cellars. The trunk was similar to that. I never used one or had one of my own like that. I do not know whether I saw it in the cellar after Miss Uish's bill was paid I believe the prisoner was in my service when I saw it there. I did not spenk to her aoout it. It was brought into the scullery and filled with empty boxes. I think prisoner had left my service then. It was brought into the scullery at Chris.mas, 1878. I never knew what became of it till the inspector made Inquiries. We then found it had been taken away. I believe my husband's brother had it. Mr. Rigenbach made some complaints before the prisoner left about some things he had lost. When she left she said she was going to 67, George-street, Euston-square. When she left I went upstairs to the top of the house and found the trap-door shut, which was usually open. It was shut and bolted. I remember Inspector Hagan going up and bringing down the tray, which fits that basket. (Tray produced.) That is the tray. After prisoner had left I was some little time without a servant. I afterwards had a servant, Louisa Barber. Shortly after she came she brought me two or three towels and a pair of gentleman's drawers. They were Mr. Rigenbach's. Louisa Barber said she found them In the coal cellar. Sarah Carpenter was with me four or five months. She brought me one day a bunch of keys which she had found In the coal cellar. They were not my keys. The same servant showed me a bone some time before this. I looked at it and said that it belonged to the wild boar which my husband shot about Christmas, 1877. I thought it was one of the bones of the animal. This was thrown into the dustbin. The police have found the bone since. Oa the 9th of May I let my apartments and .the lodgers wanted a coal cellar to themselves. I set a boy to clean it out for the lodgers. Some other people assisted him-two or three boys. On this day one of the boys said, when he went into the cellar, There Is some- thing here," and during the time he was there the coal- man arrived. I told him not to put down the coals for a few minutes. A person in the cellar said he was afraid to move something, It stank so. I then saw a human body, appar- ently, and went up to tell my husband. I had not been In the cellar for three months before this. I have seen the eyeglass now produced. It was shown to me by Inspector Hagan, but I could not recognize It. The prisoner used to have a similar glass, and I remember her once, last summer, comparing the "sight" of the glass with my brother's eye- glass. The prisoner never told me where Miss Uish came from or where she went to and I cannot say it she ever had any letters delivered to her at the house. The evidence was then read over to the witness by Mr. Douglas, and signed. The witness was recalled, and, in answer to the Court, said that Miss Utsh generally wore a blue silk dress. She did not notice her shawl or style of hat. The prisoner's wages were JB14 a year. The prisoner was asked, In the usual form, if she desired to ask the witness any questions. The prisoner said,—I know nothing of it. I have no ques* tions to ask the witness but I may have some to put to Mr. Bastendorff, who made me some presents. Mr. Vaughan intimated that for the convenience of the Court the inquiry might now be adjourned, and he suggested that the adjourned hearing should not be fixed for a Monday. It was stated that Tuesday, June 3, the day proposed by Mr. Poland, was the day fixed for the adjourned inquest. It was eventually decided to remand the prisoner till Wednesday, June 4. Mr. Poland said that practically no Injury would be done to the prisoner by so long a remand, as she had yet nearly two months of her term of imprisonment to serve. The prisoner was then taken back to Tothill-fields Prison.
WRECK OF A BRITISH STEAMER.
WRECK OF A BRITISH STEAMER. A telegram from Lloyd's agent at Calcutta, timed ten a.m. Monday, states that the Ava, British India Steam Navigation Company's steamer, from Calcutta for Madras, Colombo, and London, and the Brenhilda, inward bound, from Algoa Bay for Calcutta, have been in collision seventy miles from the Sandheads. The Ava sank. Sixty-six of the crew and four pas. sengers were drowned. The Brenhilda put into Calcutta damaged. The Ava is an iron three-masted screw, constructed with five bulkheads; gross tonnage, 2,600; Glasgow built, and classed 100 A L The Brenhilda is an iron ship of nearly 1,400 gross tons, classed 100 A 1, built at Glasgow, and owned in Greenock.
littstcdaitcous$itlel%eit«.
littstcdaitcous$itlel%eit«. HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL. DREDGING IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA.— At the recent annual meeting of the United States National Academy Professor Agassiz presented an interesting report on dredging operations carried on in the Caribbean Sea during the past year. He had, he said, verified a theory held by him for some time regarding the neces- sity and utility of deep-sea dredging-that almost all the fauna found at the greatest depths by the Chal- lenger expedition are also to be found at a depth of not more than 2,500 fathoms. The work of the Chal- lenger had been confined to dredging at great depths, and occupied about two and a half years, while he on a small steamer of 350 tons had been able in a few months to make a collection ef deep sea fauna second only to that of the Challenger expedition, and approach- ing near to it in completeness and variety. Professor Agassiz also discussed the question of a sunken con- tinent, once occupying a great share of the area of the present Caribbean Sea, and connecting the West India islands with the coast of Central and South America. He further offered some novel views re- garding the flow of the Gulf stream and its causes. AN UNPROFITABLE CUSTOMER.—Ostler (to Bicyclist). Don't your 'es want a bait, sir, nor a rundown, nor nothing?—Judy. ENCLOSURE OF COMMONS,—A provisional order has been made for the enclosure of Stainmore Common, in the parish of Brough Westmoreland, and Matterdale- common, in the parish of Greystoke, Cumberland, certain portion of the land in each case being appro- pnated by the Land Enclosure Commissioners as recreation grounds, fields, gardens, &c., and other mat- ters pertaining to the rights of the lordship and owners of allotments. A Bill has been prepared to give parliamentary confirmation to these orders. A FAMILY MAN.—The Sigourney (Iowa) New. says —A few weeks ago we made mention about the 25th K i ^a^er Elijah M'Clenahan. Since that time the old gentleman has been in to see us and shake hands over the joyful event. We learnt that 15 of his chil- dren were boys and 10 of them girls, and at this time a u- C^ren are living, and 10 of them at home, u ln good health. Two pairs of twins were born, three boys and one girl. He has 50 grand- children and four great-grandchildren. He thought at first of calling the last child Enough, but he has since changed his mind, for he thinks, perhaps, the Government will need some more soldiers before many years." AUSTRALIAN RICE.-For the first time, something like a mercantile qantity of rice has been harvested here (says the Brisbane Courier). The rice was grown on the grounds of the Board of Inquiry, at New Farm, near Brisbane, and includes fully 20 varieties. It was grown on both flooded and dry soil, and has done well on both, the crops as a whole being satisfactory, the ears heMY, and standing upon healthy stiff straw from 2ft. to 5ft. in height. There is considerable difference in the straw of the different varieties, and no doubt selection would do much towards securing sorts suit- able for the different districts of the colony. In appearance the rice at maturity looks something like particularly well-grown wheat. In Java the average is about 6001b. clean merchantable rice per acre. At the price usual in Queensland, one half the weight, or 3001b., would pay handsomely. A NOTE FOR THE CLERK OF THE WEATHER.-It is doubtless extremely polite of Uncle Sam to telegraph in advance the "storm centres" he sends us. But Britannia doesn't want any storm sent her.-Fun. DISASTERS AT SEA.—There were thirteen British and foreign wrecks reported during the past week, making a total of 693 for the present year, or an in- crease of 91 as compared with the corresponding period of last year. The approximate value of property lost was B250,000, including British £ioo.OOO. Zucu PRISONERS.—A Correspondent writing to the Daily News from Fort Tenedos, April 14, says On Sunday morning I went to see the prisoners, who are fifteen in number; they are living in three tents on the side of the river close to the water's edge. They are fearfully wounded, but bear their pain with perfect indifference. I counted six bullet holes in one man who tried to explain something about them. Another one had been shot just above the left eye, the bullet coming out at the back of the left ear and tearing off the flesh in two places down his back, this one was also quite able and willing to talk. Only two of them are slightly wounded, and these are chained together to prevent thsir escape. Originally there were 16, but yesterday Dr. Chine amputated the leg of one of them, mortification having set in, but he has not survived the operation. One of the Zulus, who witnessed this amputation said, What is the use of fighting the English, when they can kill a man and bring him to life again,' alluding to the effect of the chloroform." AN INTERESTING ADDITION. — The Zoological Society's collection in the Regent's-park, London, has just received an interesting addition in the shape of a young male of the Patagonian sea-lion, For several years one of the great attractions of these gardens has been the two female sea. lions, so well known for their agility in capturing fish and for their extraordinary evolutions in the water. A male sea-lion has long been a desideratum, as this animal thrives well in captivity and has already hred in the Brighton Aquarium. For supplying this want the society are indebted to the exertions of Mr. Frederick E. Cobb, colonial manager of the Falkland Islands Company, at Stanley, Falkland Islands. After several previous unsuccessful attempts, Mr. Cobb succeeded in bringing safely to Liverpool, on his return home last week, a fine male example of this species, about two years old. The animal was quickly and safely transferred to the Seal Pond in the Society's gardens, where it is already on good terms with its companions of the opposite sex, with whom and the two cormorants kept in the same basin he shares the daily allowance of fish. THE LONDON ENGINEERS' STRIKE.—According to the fourteenth balance-sheet, issued on Saturday, the strike committee of engineers received the largest amount yet obtained since the strike commenced, viz., JE510, and they had, after the expenditure, a balance ia hand of £157. Last Saturday relief pay was given to the above 400 society men, and for 560 of their childi en, and to above 270 non-society men, and 340 of their children; the total expenditure In relief pay between society and non.aociety men being about £570, which shows a further reduction aa compared with the previous week, MINERALS IN SALVADOB.—The Republic of Salvador possesses large deposits of valuable minerals, many of which are believed to be of remarkable richness and extent, particularly those in the neighbourhood of Tobanco and Lomalarya, and others at the opposite extremity of the country. In the Cabanos region silver deposits are met with close to the surface of the ground. As yet these sources of wealth have been almost unworked, and, with a view to their systematic development, Dr. Xaldivar, the President of the Republic, haa engaged the services of a skilled minera- logist from the United States, who is to examine and report on the mineral deposits in the country. THE FORCE OF EXAMPLE.—Jones (newly-married, to his bachelor friends Brown and Robinson): "No, it's not youth, nor beauty, nor wealth, nor rank, that a sensible man should look for in a wife. It's common sense, united to experience of life; and stedfastness of purpose{ combined with a deep, though by no means unpractical sense of the fleeting nature of human existence on this- Re-enter Mrs. Jones, sud. denly I'm sorry to disturb you, my love, but it's getting late, and you have an early appointment in town to-morrow with the consulting physician of the -ahem I-of that Life Insura/nce Company, you know." [Taking the hint, Brown and Robinson de- part, each framing a desperate resolve that he will throw himself away on the first good-looking young heiress of title he happens to meet,] -Punch. COLOUR BLINDNESS AMONG NEGRoEs.-Dr. Swan M. Burnett, of Washington, has recently made some examinations for the purpose of ascertaining whether the negro in the United States is affected with colour- blindness to the same degree as the white race. He has examined 3,050 coloured children, from 6 to 18 years of age, in the public schools of the district of Columbia, of whom 1,359 were males and 1,691 females. Of these 22 boys were colour-blind (or 1'6 per cent.), and two girls (or 0'11 per cent.). The percentage of colour blindness among the whites in an aggregate of about 40,000 examinations is 3 per cent. for males and 0.26 for females. The negro appears, therefore, to be less liable to this defect than the white race. The exa- minations were made in strict accordance with the plan proposed by Professor Holmgren, of Upsaia, Sweden, and used so extensively in making similar examinations in Europe.-Nature. UNBXPACTED HELP.—An ancient saw, relating to the results of referring to a personage supposed at the time to be distant, was illustrated at the Rolls on Tuesday last. The learned Master of the Rolls, in the course of a case relating to infringement of a design, had just been remarking that no decision of the English Courts was reported on the point before him, while there appeared to be numerous decisions of the American judges directly bearing upon it. Hereupon a gentleman came into court, sent up his card, and was requested to take a seat on the bench. After shaking hands with the visitor, the Master of the Rolls announced that he was Mr. Justice Treat, an Ameri- can judge, and at once proceeded to avail himself of the legal knowledge of the assessor so opportunely and unexpectedly provided. -Solicitors' Journal. PARLIAMENTARY EXPENSES.—An Act of Parliament of the year 1847 makes provisons for the taxation" of the costs charged by Parliamentary agents, solicitors, &c., in repect of private Bills in the House of Commons. Mr. Raikes has charge of a Bill which proposes to extend the provisions of this Act to the charges of Parliamentary agents, solicitors, and others in respect of obtaining, promoting, or opposing any provisional order or provisional certificate, or any Bill for confirming the same. The Bill further includes within its scope the charges in respect of the promotion of any Bill by public trustees or commissioners, or by any municipal or other public authority, and also in respect of the opposition to any public and general Bill. MR. GLADSTONE AND THE WORK OF THE CHURCH. -In answer to a letter from a Roman Catholic lay- man respecting his speech at the meeting of the Home Missions of the Church of England, Mr. Gladstone has sent the following courteous reply Sir.-I am much obliged by your communication of the 22nd. I hope that on consideration you will not feel surprise or pain at my belief that the Church of England has an im- portant office to discharge, and not one wholly limited within her own borders. I had not, however, in view an office of proselytism, but a something which seems to me higher, and which was assigned to the English Church by no less an authority within your communion than Count Joseph de Mastaip—I am, Sir, your faithful servant, W. E. GLADSTONE." A FORTIORI. Philistine Father: "Why the dickens don't you paint something like Frith's Derby Day'—something everybody can understand, and somebody buy ? "—Young Genius Everybody under- stand, indeed! Art is for the few, father, and the higher the art, of course the fewer the few. The highest art of all is for one. That art is mine. That one is-myself I "—Fend Mamma There speaks my own brave boy! "-Punch. THE TRADE or BRAZIL.—The gross value of the imports into Brazil in 1878 amounted to £8,947,960, or an increase of over £200,000 on the previous year. On the other hand, the exports amounted to a value of only £9,233,600, or a decrease of J3870,000 as compared with the exports in 1877. Coffee was the principal item in the list of exports, the total quantity exported being 2,980,000 bags, of an average weight of 1201b. each, the value of which was estimated at £8.701,950. The growth of the production of coffee in Brazil has been very rapid, as may be judged from the fact that in 1830 the quantity exported did not exceed 392,000 bags. The export of gold amounted in 1878 to £213,600. The revenue of the empire for the current year is estimated to amount to 101,000,000 piastres, and the expenditure is estimated at 121,000,000 piastres—a deficit of 20 million piastres. WEEKLY REVIEW OF THE CORN TBADE.—BelVt Weekly Messenger says :—" The past week has been more favourable to agriculture than many of its pre- decessors. The agricultural prospect being now of a more satisfactory character, the trade has assumed a quiet appearance, but there has been no material change in prices, though the tendency has, perhaps, been more favourable to the buyers. According to calculations based upon the official returns, the sales of home-grown produce in the United Kingdom since harvest have amounted to 8,130,000 qrs. but the average price realised has not exceeded 40s. 5d. The money value has amounted, therefore, to £ 16,463,250."
EPITOME OF NEWS.
EPITOME OF NEWS. BRITISH AND FOREIGN. Cremation in Paris is being seriously considered by the Munclpal Council, and It is proposed to establish an experimental apparatus at Pfere-la-Chaise. The Manchester Guardian says:—"It has we are informed, been decided not to grant any orders In future for the admission of reporters to execatlons. The order which as to Lancashire reaches us officially, is no doubt of general application." An anxious inquirer wants to know whether a Jack Tar at the Derby may be described as an Epsom salt ?— Judy. A great eruption of Mount Etna took place on Sunday evening. South African telegrams to the Daily News one day last week are stated to have cost jE425 for wiring from St. Vincent.- Court Journal. The Queen has appointed to the vicarage of St. Michael and All Angels, Coventry, vacant by the promotion of Canon Baynes to the rectory of Toppsrfleld, Essex, a former curate of that gentleman, the Rev. James Butter, of Balliol College, Oxford, vicar of St, Thomas, Bethnal-green, who two years ago exchanged the quiet rectory of Coin- Wake, Essex, for the arduous parish in Bethnal-green which he now holds. -The Times. The 33rd birthday of Princess Christian falling on Sunday, was celebrated at Windsor on Monday with Royal honours, salutes being fired from the Long Walk, and Fort Belvidere and the Adelaide frigate, Virginia Water. The strike in the building trade at Barnsley has been settled, the masons and bricklayers agreeing to accept 7Jd. per hour and work 50 hours per week during summer, the winter period to be regulated by the Leeds hours. The labourers also agreed to accept 5Jd. per hour, and work the same hours as the masons. The rate of payment In all cases is to be by the hour Instead of the day, as hitherto. A Presbyterian clergyman — the Rev. James Shannon, of Naas, county Kildare-has met with a melan- choly death white travelling from Holyhead to Dublin. He had been attending the marriage of a stepson In Wales, and was returning by steamer, when he was seized with sea sick- ness. Daring the voyage he fell asleep, and on at riving at Dublin was found to be dead, the Jury at the inquest attri- buting death to exhaustion caused by sea sickness. The Duke of Bedford has given a half-year's rent due at Lady Day last, to the farmers and those renting small holdings on his Devon, Cornwall and Dorset estates, in con- sequence of the depression in agriculture. Frederick'Douglas, speaking before a large mixed audience at Baltimore, has declared the Negro exodus to Kansas from the South to be a mistake. Owing to the low prices of grain and cattle, Lord Breadalbane has reduced the rents of a number of farmers on his estates by 20 per cent. An extraordinary case of a really serious accident seemingly unattended by any serious effects Is reported from Cheveley, near Newmarket, where on Thursday in last week, a lad named Poulter was run over by a traction engine, which passed over both thighs. He was attended by a surgeon, who had him placed on a mattress and con- veyed home, but owing to the swelling the medical man was unable to ascertain whether any bones were broken. On Sunday the lad preferred to go to his own bed, which he did without any help. This is the more remarkable as the engine weighed about three tons. Although everything seems very backward, remarks the Chamber of Agriculture Journal, vegetation is now pro- ceeding more rapidly. What we want are southern breezes, accompanied by more genial heat, with frequent growing showers. The grass fields are very much greener than they were a fortnight since, and there is, of course, less scarcity of grass, but up to the present many farmers have been com- pelled to feed their flocks and herds partly on hay or trough food. The award in the Kidderminster carpet trade dis- pute has just been made. The matter at Issue was the price to be paid for weaving tapestry carpets on the Moxon looms in Kidderminster, and it would have led to a strike but for the determination to refer the question to arbitra- tion. Mr. Hughes, Q.C., the arbitrator, has now decided that the price for weaving the above-named goods shall re- main at lid. per yard, and that there shall be no extra per- centage, such as the weavers demand, paid. An American Society for the Prosecution of Archaeo- logical Reeearcb, Is being formed in Boston, U.S., the Americans being anxious to enter the field of discovery with other nations. The society proposes to explore any spot of easy acoess, and make valuable contributions to the various museums. The Poet Longfellow has been presented with a curious pen by an admirer. The pen Itself is made from the iron fetters of the famous Prisoner of Chillon, Bonivard, and is placed in a massive gold socket, set with three of the rarest gems known to the mineralogist—the white phenakits of Siberia, the yellow zircon of Ceylon, and the red tourma- line of Maine. The holder is a piece of live oak from the old frigate Constitution. The Rev. Edward Irons, whilst bathing at South- sea on Saturday was drowned-an engineer student, named West, who made a gallant attempt at rescue, narrowly escaping a similar fate, and was conveyed to the hospital in an insensible and exhausted condition. The silver medal offered by the Cobden Club for proficiency in political economy in the University of Calcutta has been won by Kali Saukar Sukul, a native student. The yearly meeting of the Society of Friends was hsld on Monday, at Devon shire-house, Blshoppgate-street, London, and there was a very large number of representa- tives present from the various branches of the society in Great Britain and Ireland, as well as from one or two of co- ordinate meetings in America. The statistical returns of members show that there has been an increase both of mem- bers and adherents during the year, the Increase in the num- ber of members being about 170, and the death rate being a very low one. A teries of reports from branches of the body show that the Increase has been almost entirely in the large towns, and that in many of the rural districts there Is a oontlnued decrease, At the Lambeth Baths, London, Captain the first prize ln the six days' swimming match eluded on Saturday night. He had swum a dist»J .^0 miles, or a little over 12 miles a day. Fearne naa 62} miles, and Beckwith 42J. ■ 4 The Duke of Argyll sailed from Liverp0^, |j Saturday morning for New York, en route to Canada i f Canard steamer Soythia. His Grace was accomp*^ jpt Lord Walter Campbell and Ladies Elizabeth »° Campbell. & Admiral Saisset, of the French navy, Saturday, In his eightieth year. During the siege manded the forts east of Paris, and acquitted well that at one time there was an idea of his supe ((t General Trochu. He also exerted himself In trying I a compromise on the eve ol the Commune outbreak, f procured the release of General Chanzy. He sa» National Assefflfiy as a Moderate Republican. Two of the sous of Prince Jerome Napoleon ( Plog), Victor and Louis, aged respectively 15 and*, 'jJ enter the Military School of St. Cyr next year. T" d> child of the Prince, a daughter, lives with her motne" ives separately from her husband. I The death is announced, in his seventy-seventh^))! of Mr. James Grant, the well-known author and Jooryjl Having been brought up as a printer, he started in 1 Elgin Courier, and subsequently a local annual and" magazine, his contributions to which received commendation of Sir Walter Scott. He then Ter0-.utj London, and joined the staff of the Morning ^ron^gJfJ alterwards of the Morning Advertiser, of which P Etf became editor ln 1850, and held that position for years. Of his numerous books, the majority of on religious subjects, the latest and best known '•History of the Newspaper Press." The Neufch&tel Great Council has resolvedly one voice, to adhere to the abolition of capital punW^ in that Canton, decreed in 1864. A A young man, named Hamlet, aged 17, yi^ teacher at the St. Barnabas School in Oxford, In the upper river beyond Godstow on Saturday. fellow went out for a walk by himself towards King_^i and when half-way between there and Godstow, to bathe. Some gentlemen, seeing his clothes gave an alarm, and the body was discovered In n*nv, j«r water, the legs being contracted in such a manner aI to no doubt he had been seized with cramp. t Skegness, on the Lincolnshire coast, hafl splendid supply of pure water. Two tube-wells hav J driven to the lower portion of the upper greensan%^ yield from 8,000 to 4,000 gallons of excellent water The average price of corn last week was 41s- quarter. It was 25 per cent, dearer last year, ana than 50 per cent. dearer In 1877. ft Five persons have contributed 136,000 dollars endowment of the Baptist Theological Seminary at New York. The Methodist Episcopal Church Beems to j made great progreslin America since the antl-slavew ip Since 1865, 200,000 coloured members have loin*^ Church, 1,000 churches have been built, over 3,0w 'jjw coloured men and women are ln the aid schools, and «*> yf used to be slave territory nearly 200,000 members ha" Balned.AI The Prince and Princess of Wales on 3*^5 opened, as free from toll for ever, five bridgesai Thames, which the Board of Works have redeemed recent Act of Parliament at a cost exceeding half a I sterling Their .Royal Highnesses were accomp- their sons and by the Princess's brother; and the DO* jj Duchess of Edinburgh alio took part in the day's oew1" rf Along the entire route from Lambeth Bridge to old f sea Bridge thousands of people had assembled, who g#T Royal party a hearty greeting. y On the occasion of her Majesty completing sixtieth year, it has been remarked that it Is an age. has been exceeded by eleven only of the sovere'EjJjt England, dating from the Norman conquest—namelfi j# I., who lived to the age of 67 years; Henry III., W&sj 66 years; Edward I., who lived to be 67 years old: III., 65 years; Queen Elizabeth, who reached 691, James II., 68 years; George I., 67 years; George J years; George III., 82 years; George IV., 68 year*')/ William IV., who lived 72 years. Her Majesty reigned 42 years on the 20th of June next, a Per*0gpfr has not been exceeded by more than four of our *1 sovereigns—namely, Henry III., who reigned 56 f Edward III., who reigned 50 years; Queen ElJzab8"" reigned 46 years; and George III., 60 years. <j The screw steamships Mastiff and Walrus o tons each, are being fitted out as yachts, havlijeJfj chartered from Mr. John Burns—the former by the V v/ Hamilton lor a two months' cruise to Iceland and Sea, and the latter by Lady Burdett-Coutts for three f sailing in the Mediterranean.—The Times. øb!1 Lieutenant Durnford, torpedo officer of the S ji of Torpedoes, at Portsmouth, has been direoted byJ*aj mlralty to carry out a plan he has suggested for the of the masts of the Vanguard by blowing them ou* ff ship. The operations are to be undertaken during week in June, weather permitting. The Lancet has reason to believe that the Vigjf Cross will be conferred upon Surgeon Major Reyn01 his gallant oonduct at Rorke's Drift. jA The Astronomer Royal announces that a new planet of the twelfth magnitude was discovered Palisa, at Pola, on May 21st. ( A fire broke out on Thursday night, In last a farmhouse at MUuchenweiler, canton Berne, wh"> Inmates were asleep ln their beds. The tenant, (J named Jacob Fayer, succeeded with great difflculty^> suing the whole of his family except two little bojS'ji respectively eleven and twelve years, and in an eu j) rescue them also he lost his life without saving their*. y old man of eighty, who was lodging In the house, burnt to death. A letter from Professor Nordenskjold, afte*V veiling six thousand miles, has reached the Russian Go*. General at Irkutsk, and brought the gratifying lct«u,^J that the Swedish explorer and his crew, on board tD*y are well, and are frozen up at a spot ln the Arctic "ft*, little west of the East Cape, which is ln Behring's Str»» a At Brussels, the other evening, towards midnift^ fire broke out ln a three-storied house ln tbe Rue de la ln which 28 persons were sleeping. Four women and J) children were in great danger, their means of egress cut off, but the firemen and neighbours, at conslderani rescued them, and have had their gallantry ackDo" by the King, jL The cold from which Cardinal Newman is su» J is stated to be assuming the charaoter of pneumonia^ though no dangerous symptoms havo yet appeared, parture from Rome for England may have to be P°* v until he is better able to bear tbe fatigue of the journey During a storm at sea recently a French ves^j^ capsized and four of her crew drowned. The r two, including the master, were afterwards rescued v' barque Martine Maria and landed at Marsala. f The Turkish inhabitants of the Kars district ported to be all emigrating, most of them going (I Erzeroum. The whole country is in a most lamentabi0 dition. From all parts of France there are complaints 0 weather. The harvest is said to be a full month late> circumstance Is more serious than usual, because the slve deficiency of last harvest has rendered necessarf (fj ceptionally large Import of corn, and the prospect pjT that this import will have to be continued a month than onght to be the case. ufi Mr. William Lloyd Garrison, the well-known v cate of slave emancipation, died on Sunday ln New On Saturday afternoon, during the usual exhib' M of the diving-bell at the Polytechnic, London, a link 0 y gear above gave way, and the bell fell v«ith great force bottom. Two or three persons were ln the bell at the and they were Imprisoned beneath the bell, and In "fjjjf of suffocation. The officials promptly turned off the and broke the glass windows in the belL J# The Cologne Gazette states that the villa of weller, near Dueren, has turned out to be a perfect Roman ruins. Photographs of all the finds are being The coins found extend Into the fourth century. A of articles. Including a lock, spear-heads, jugs and P1' V and a serving dish, have been collected from amon#^ broken tiles and other rubbish which encumber the t° tions. Mf, A Parliamentary return just issued show* th are on the roll of the Established Church of Scotland male and 297,375 female communicants. The tofftl P" tion was, according to the census of 1871, 8,860,018. Vesuvius is again active, slight eruptions b* recently been noted.. 11 Mr. Mundella, Cardinal Manning, and Chambers were present on Monday evening at a held in Exeter Hall In support of Sir W. Lawson V. option resolution. Mr, Mundella, who presided, greater evil could befall humanity than the allowing trade ln drink. Local option he tegarded as the ro»* jjsJ tion of the question. A motion ln favour of the local1r resolution was moved by Cardinal Manning and carr>*u jjr was also another calling upon the electors to use fluence at tbe next election in favour of Sir W. L»™ motion. Jii A letter in the Cape Timet says :—" Captain aotJØttÍ! son of Lord Gough, was killed by his own bravery. tfjj lying 111 with dysentery at Ghlnghllova, but would g* (Pj and, jumping out of his ambulance to join his men "'6 r pursuit, aggravated the disease, to which he suceun»'^| K Stanger. A good Irish girl—blessing on her honest h was making wreaths of immortelles for the graves of Mason, Thirkell, and Gough." Aft On Sunday morning, at the Metropolitan Tabe'D?V Mr. Spurgeon delivered an address, taking as Acts of the Apostles, 10th chapter, 42nd verse "J*" fpr commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testsfj it is He which has ordained of God to be the judge of 4, ¥ and dead." There existed, he said, a moral well as judge of all the earth. The world was not 1 some would fain believe, unobserved by God and not permitted to do what seemed right in his own e)refM] r. out a law and a government over him. God permit^jjcl? authority to His Son who ruleth and relgneth over the* race of man, taking an aceount of all their action's making notes of everything, ln order to sum up j,' when the day of reckoning arrived- There was a rule, a government, a secret police over the humaB^JjH' That race was not left to anarchy—there was a rale* 4j[)> Lord of all. Man must admit that as a result of this go tP1 mentthere must be a judgment—a grand assize, cases of mankind shall be tried, and justice go forth ►* phant over transgressions and iniquity. jm The Americans have H. M, S. Pinafore on tbe One of the stories in proof Is that the edltor-ln-chle* dally paper called bis subs and reporters together, "I wish you would not use the Pinafore phrase, '»Zgtfy ever,' ln the paper hereafter. It occurred twenty as many articles ln yesterday's edition. Never use it "What! never?" was the unanimous question. hardly ever was the editorial rejoinder. Apropos of permitting the country papers to greater facilities in parliamentary reporting, the public have but a small notion of what it costs a paper to provide a parliamentary report. Roughly spe* without taking Into consideration messengers, telW^' and so forth, The Times spends at least £ 3,600 dur> j,<j» Session of twenty-eight weeks. Country journals necessarily incur the same expenditure, but they want at least two special wires to work the thing and these would cost them from £ 800 to £ 1,000 to star* —Court Journal. jJjI Loud speaking telephones are to be used, approaching meeting of the West of Scotland Rifle tion, for the purpose of signalling between the firing and the targets. Archery is a very rage in the West. I' ffV upon the people suddenly, but it afflicts everybody- time, they say, do women appear to so good an advant^rf when shooting with the bow. Archery shows to tn«' best effeot the charm and grace of the figure. Chlc»8"b, IP hold a tournament in August. There are archery Crawfordsvllle, Indiana; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Ko" Indiana • St. Louts, Cincinnati, Springfield, Havana Lafayette. Illinois. Indeed, there is hardly a Westeir^ lage or hamlet without its merry bowmen, and bOtr tOO. a ifP Mr. Ritchie has been elected chairman of tbfl Committee of the House of Commons appointed to into the effect produced upon the home and colonial Industries of this country by the system of taxation, j0t^, backs, and bounties on the exportation of sugar now W v In various foreign countries, and to report what any, It Is desirable to take in order to obtain redressr evils that may be found to exist. The assemble for the purpose of taking evidence on Thi»*^ June 12. In London, on Saturday morning, a fatal befel Adjutant-Major Abdullah Eflendl, the Military of the Turkish Embassy. Riding to the parade In St- park, a little before ten o'clock, and while he was still the boundaries of Hyde-park, the gallant officer was » k from his horse —which it is supposed was frightened clanking of the sabre—and, falling heavily upon hi* was at once rendered lBsensible. The accident too*. near the statue of Achilles, tbe horse shying and then lug one of the park railings. On being taken to St. Hospital the unfortunate gentleman was found to be rfSJ lng from fracture of the bate of the skull and serious u* ,eir^ injuries. He lingered on unconscious till half-past o'clock on tbe same night, and then expired, apparentjX^rf K out pain. The news of his death was at once telegr^ji^ Constantinople. The deceased, who was well known ifK officers In the British army, and especially at A.ldersB7}j r a young and very promising soldier, and his loM tA** mourned by a very large circle of acquaintances and
EXECUTION AT TAUNTON.
EXECUTION AT TAUNTON. Catherine Churchill, who was convicted at the recent Somerset Assizes for the wilful murder of her husband, Samuel Churchill, at Knowle St. Giles, on March 4, was executed at Taunton Prison on Monday morning, in the presence of the sheriff and prison officials. Marwood was the executioner. No reporters were admitted, and all information was refused. Several hundred persons assembled outside the prison, and punctually at eight o'clock the black flag was hoisted over the gateway. An inquest was subsequently held on the body.
MASONIC STATISTICS.
MASONIC STATISTICS. The Seue Freia Presse of Vienna, which is supposed to have access to exceptional sources of information on Masonic subjects, gives the following statistics of the recognized lodges :— In Germany, 342; Switzerland, 33; Hungary, 44; Roumania, 11; Servia, 1; Ireland, 330 Gibraltar, 5; Malta, 4 Sweden and Norway, 18 France, 287; Spain, 300; Portugal, 22; Italy, 110 Greece, 11; Turkey, 26; Egypt, 28 various parts of Africa, 25; South African colonies, 61; Aden, 1; India, 118; among the islands of the Indian seas, 16 China, 13 Japan, 5; Australia, 226 the Australian Islands, 4; New Zealand, 84; the United States of North America, 9,894; Canada, 535; Cuba, 30; Hayti, 32; Mexico, 13; Brazil 256; in the other South American States, 179-altogether about 1,500 lodges. The num- ber of Freemasons on December 31, 1878, exceeded five millions. It will be noticed that there are some very important omissions in the enumeration of the Viennese paper. Great Britain, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, and Russia have been quite passed over,
A GALAXY OF PRINCELY ANCESTORS.
A GALAXY OF PRINCELY ANCESTORS. The young Princess of Saxe- Meiningen, who was born on May 12 at the Villa. Carlotta, near Sans-Bouci, is singularly well provided with living ancestors, having no fewer than two great-grandfathers and four great-grand- mothers still in life. The great-grandfathers are the German Emperor William, now in his 83rd year, and Duke Bernard, in his 79th year. The great-grand mothers are-the German Empress Augusta, now in her 68th year; her Majesty the Queen, who has just completed her 60th year; Princess Mary Anne of the Netherlands (mother of the late Princess Charlotte of Prussia, whose son, the hereditary Prince of Saxe- Meiningen, is the father of the infant princess), who completed her 69th year a few days ago; and the Duchess Mary of Saxe-Meiningen, the direct paternal great-grandmother of the infant. Besides, both her grandfathers (the Crown Prince of Germany, now in his 48th year, and the reigning Duke of Saxe- Meiningen, in his 54th year) are living, but only one grandmother, the Imperial Princess of Germany, mother of the young mothei. -The Times.
THE EDISON TELEPHONE.
THE EDISON TELEPHONE. A very Interesting and instructive lecture on the Edison telephone has been delivered In London before the Society of Arts by Mr. Conrad W. Cooke, Professor Tyndall, F.R.S., bekg in the chair. In dealing with his subject, which he pursued at considerable length, the author traced the rise and progress of the telephone, noticing its development at various siages of its existence by its different practical exponents. The first successful transmission of articu- late speech to distance by means of electricity was effected by Professor Graham Bell in 1876, as an. nounced by Sir William Thomson at the meeting of the British Association in that year. Prior to that, however, Reis, Varley, La Cour, and Elisha Gray had succeeded in transmitting musical notes electrically as a practicable and useful mode of signal- ling. The details of these developments were described by Mr. Cooke, after which he referred to the thread telephone, and then described the present Bell telephone. Mr. Edison's carbon telephone was next brought under not ice, and its principles explained. A reference to the crown telephone of Mr. G. M. Phelps led up to the latest development of Mr. Edison —namely, his loud-speaking telephone, which consists, first, of a small chalk cylinder, specially prepared and mounted on a horizontal axis, and revolved beneath a metallic strip which is pressed upon the chalk, the latter being kept damp. At the point whare the strip resti upon the cylinder is a small plate of platinum, and the opposite end of the strip is attached to the centre of a diaphragm of mica, fixed to the framing of the instrument by its circumference, By connecting the strip to the zinc element of a voltaic battery, and the chalk cylinder to the copper pole, and rotating the cylinder at a uniform speed away from the diaphragm when no current is passing, the friction between the moistened surface of the chalk and the platinum strip draws the centre of the diaphragm inwards. The moment, however, an electric cur. rent passes between the strip and the cylinder, electro, chemical decomposition takes place, the friction is reduced, and the diaphragm flies back. If a variable or undulatory current of elec- tricity be transmitted through the instrument, the diaphragm will be kept in continual motion by the constantly varying friction existing between the chalk and the platinum. By this means all the complex sonorous undulations propagated by human articula- tion imitantly produce their corresponding variations of frictional resistance, and the diaphragm repro- duces, in a loud voice, the words which are being uttered into the telephone at the distant station, The working of this telephone was admirably illus- trated by means of the only instrument at present in this country, which is Mr. Edison's rough experi. mental apparatus. Songs sung through it from a distant room in the same building, tunes played on the cornet, and also whistled, were reproduced with force and fidelity in the Lecture-hall, to the gratification of a crowded audience. At the conclusion of the lecture, Professor Tyndall. complimentary speech, proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Cooke for hw interesting lecture, which was heartily accorded by those present.
RELICS OF A BYGONE AGE.
RELICS OF A BYGONE AGE. Of all the incidents connected with the opening of the bridges toll free to the public on Saturday last the most interesting was the parade of two hundred old pensioners in front of Chelsea Hospital. These in their three cornered hata and their long coats, seemed like a relic of a byegone age by the side of the regiments of trim volunteers. Many a long year had elapsed since any of these men stood ranged in line for the inspection of a general of the British army, and the Prince, on looking down the long line, no doubt thought of the last gathering of veterans which he inspected, the remains of that gallant band who held the defence of Lucknow against a host of foes. In the gathering of Saturday were men, too, who had fought in that desperate strife when a few thousand British troops held an Empire against a large army. Others had S&ined their pensions in the battlefields the Crimea, while the wars of China and New Zealand have both their representatives ia the grand old hospital. Many and various were the medals that hung upon the breasts of the aged warriors, and the Princess, as she looked at them, and at their quiet home standing far back down the green avenue, must have felt that she had caught a glimpse of English life hitherto unknown to her. The Prince of Wales is ever ready to do a kind action, and now that his attention has been called to the subject, perhaps one day he and the Princess will gladden the hearts of the old soldiers by a visit to the hospital, a walk through its quiet wards, and an inspection of the trophies of British valour which hang from the roofs cf the chapel and dining- hsdl.^Fvenirr-ff Standard,
A WONDERFUL DISCOVERY.
A WONDERFUL DISCOVERY. The Times of Monday gives the following from the Brisbane Courier of January 11 "We gladly give publicity to a discovery that pro- mises to revolutionise all previous theories of meat exportation. If the narrator of the following extra- ordinary facts is not too sanguine as to the success of the marvellous experiments he informs us he has witnessed, the squatter who to-day is puzzling over the future prospect for his surplus stock has opportunites before him that may be termed golden. All the most startling discoveries of the age at the first hint have been received with incredulity, which their after suc- cess has turned to the discredit of the early sceptics, so that in matters of science it would appear unsafe, no doubt, to look upon any result as beyond the limits of the possible. For this reason we venture no opinion on the following process, an account of which we give in the writer's own words Many of your readers who know Sydney Harbour will remember the long inlet opposite the Heads known as Middle Harbour, which, in a succession of land-locked reaches, stretches away like a chain of lakes for over 20 miles. On one of these reaches, made more than ordinarily picturesque by the bold headslands that drop almost sheer into the water, stand on about an acre of grassy flat, fringed by white beach ou which the clear waters of the harbour lap, two low brick buildings. Here in perfect seclusion and with a careful avoidance of publicity is being conducted an experiment the success of which, now established be- yond any doubt, must have a wider effect upon the future prosperity of Australia than any project ever contemplated. The gentlemen engaged in this enterprise are Signor Rotura, whose researches into the botany and natural history of South America have rendered his name eminent, and Mr. James Grant, a pupil of the late Mr. Nicolle, so long associated with Mr. Thomas Mort in his freezing process. Next to the late Mr. Nicolle, Mr. James Grant can claim pre- eminence of knowledge in the science of generating cold, and his freezing chamber at Woolhara has long been known as the seat of valuable experiments originated in Mr. Nicolle's lifetime. It appears that five months ago Signor Rotura called upon Mr. Grant to invoke his assistance in a scheme for the transmission of live stock to Europe. Signor Rotura averred that he had discovered a South American vegetable poison, allied to the well. known woolara, that had the power of perfectly sus- pending animation, and that the trance thus produced continued till the application of another vegetable essence caused the blood to resume its circulation and the heart its functions. So perfect, moreover, was this suspension of life that Signor Rotura had found in a warm climate decomposition set in at the extremities after a week of this living death, and he imagined if the body in this inert state were reduced to a tempera- ture sufficiently low to arrest decomposition, the trance might be kept up for months, possibly for years. He frankly owned he had never tried this preserving of the tissues by cold, and could not confidently speak as to its effect upon the after restoration of the animals operated on. Before he left Mr. Grant he had turned that gentleman's doubts into wondering curiosity by experimenting on his dog. He injected two drops of his liquid mixed with a little glycerine into a small puncture made in the dog's ear, and in three or four minutes the animal was perfectly rigid, the four legs stretched backward, eyes wide open, pupils very much dilated, and exhibiting symptoms very similar to those of death by strychnine, except that there had been no previous struggle or pain. Begging his owner to have no apprehension for the life of his favourite animal, Signor Rotura lifted the dog carefully, and placed him on a shelf in a cupboard, where he begged he might be left until the following day, when he promised to call at ten o'clock and revive the apparently dead brute. Mr. Grant continually, during that day and night, visited the cupboard, and so perfectly was life suspended in his favourite-no motion of the pulse or heart giving any indication of the possibility of revival, the frame being perfectly rigid-that he confesses he felt all the sharpest reproaches of remorse at having sacrificed a faithful friend to a doubtful and dangerous experiment. The temperature of the body, too, in the first four hours gradually lowered to 25 degrees Fahrenheit below ordinary blood temperature, which increased his fears as to the result, and by morning the body was as cold as in actual death. At ten o'clock next morn. ing, according to promise, Signor Rotura presented himself, and, laughing at Mr. Grant's fears, requested a tub of warm water to be brought. He tested this with the thermometer at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and in this laid the dog's head under. To Mr. Grant's objections Signor Rotura assured him that. as anima- tion must remain entirely suspended till the adminis- tration of the antidote, no water could be drawn into the lungs, and that the immersion of the body was simply to bring it again to blood heat. After ten minutes of this bath the body was taken out and another liquid injected in a puncture made in the neck. Mr. Grant tells me that the revival of Turk was the most startling thing he ever witnessed and having since seen the experiment made upon a sheep I can fully confirm his statement. The dog first showed the return of life in the eye, and after five and a half minutes he drew a long breath, and the rigidity left his limbs. In a few minutes more he commenced gently wagging his tail, and then slowly got up, stretched himself, and trotted off as though nothing had happened. From that moment Mr. Grant became aware of the extraordinary issues opened by his visitor's discovery, and promised him all the assistance in his power. They next determined to try freezing the body, and the two first experiments were discouraging. A dog, not Turk, his master declining to experiment any further on his favourite, was put in the freezing-chamber at Mr. Grant's works for four days, after being previously suspended' by Signor Rotura and although the animal revived so far as to draw a long breath, the vital energies appeared too exhausttd for a complete rally, and the animal died. The next two animals, a dog and a cat, died in like manner. In the meantime Dr. Barker had been taken into their counsels, and at histuggestion respiration was encouraged, as in the case of persons drownei, by artificial compression and expansion of the lun.s. Dr. Barker was of opi ion that, as the heart in every case commenced to beat, it was a want of vital force to set the lungs in roper motion that caused death. The result showed his surmises to be entirely correct. A number of animals, whose lives have been sealed up in this artificial eath, have been kept in the freezing-chamber from one to five weeks, and it is found that, though the shock to the system from this freezing is very great, it is not increased by duration of time. Messrs. Grant and Rotura then determined upon the erection of the works juat finished at Middle Harbour, an enterprising capitalist, Mr. Christopher Newton, of Pitt-street, finding the necessary funds. Arrived at the works in Middle Harbour, I was taken into the building that contains Mr Grant's apparatus for generating cold, which has already been, in Mr. Nicolle's time, too often and fully described to require any further notice from me. Attached to this is the freezing-chamber, a small, dark room about 8ft. by 10ft. Here were fourteen sheep; four lambs, and three pigs, stacked on their sides in a heap, alive,' which Mr. Grant told me had been in their present position for nineteen days, and were to remain there f r another three months. Selecting one of the lambs Sign r Rotura put it on his shoulder and carried it outside into the other building, where a number of shallow cemented tanks were in the floor, having hot and cold water taps to each tank] with a thermometer hanging alongside. One of these tanks was quickly filled, and its tempera- ture tested by the Signor, I meantime examining with the greatest curiosity and wonder the nine. teen days' dead' lamb. The days of miracles truly seem to have come back to us, and many of those stories discarded as absurdities seem to me less im- probable than this fact, witnessed by myself. There was the lamb, to all appearances dead, and as hard almost as a stone, the only difference perceptible to me between his condition and actual death being the ab-ence of dull glassiness about the eye, which still retained its brilliant transparency. Indeed, this brilliancy of the eye, which is heightened by the enlargement of the pupil, is very striking, and lends a rather weird appearance to the bodies. The lamb was gently dropped into the warm bath, and was allowed to remain in it about 23 minutes, its head being raised above the water twice for the introduction of the thermometer into ita mouth, and then it was taken out and placed on its side on the floor, Signor Rotura quickly dividing the wool on its neck and inserting the sharp point of a small silver syringe under the skin and injecting the anti- dote. This was a pale green liquid, and, as I believe, a decoction from the root of the (istracharlis, found in South America. The lamb was then turned on its back, Signor Rotura standing across it, gently compressing its ribs with his knees and hands, in such a manner as to imitate their natural depression and expansion during breathing. In ten minutes the animal was struggling to free itself, and when released skipped out through the door, and went gambolling and bleating over the little garden in front. Nothing has ever impressed me so entirely with a sense of the marvellous. One is almost tempted to ask, in the presence of such a discovery, whether death itself may not ultimately be baffled by scientific investigation. "I You will see at once the benefits claimed by the discoverers of this process. Cargoes of live sheep can thus be sent to England by large steamers, and although a freezing atmosphere will still be an essen- tial, a temporary breakdown necessitating a stoppage of eight or ten days in the production of cold would be of no consequence. When the sheep are landed in England, any that fail entirely to rally will be per- fectly good meat, whereas the others can be turned on to pastures er driven to market. Of course the same results can be achieved with bullocks, but their greater weight makes them more difficult to handle with safety, and the carcass is rendered brittle by freezing, making them the more liable to injury. It sounded odd to hear Mr. Grant and Signor Rotura laying stress upon the danger of breakage on the voyage. Signor Rotura tells me that, though he has never attempted his experiment on a human being, he has no doubt at all as to its perfect safety. The next felon under capital sentence he has requested Sir Henry Parkes to be allowed to operate on. He proposes placing him in the freezing chamber for one month, and declares that he has no fear of a fatal result. As to whether this temporary suspension would effect the longevity of the subject, he can give no positive infor- mation, but believes its duration might be pro- longed for years. I was anxious to know, if a period of, say, five years of this inertness were submitted to, whether it would be so much cut out of one's life, or if it would be simply five years of unconscious existence tacked on to one's sentient life. Signor Rotura could give no positive answer, but he believes, as no change takes place, or can take place while in this frozen trance-no consumption, destruction, or reparation of tissue being possible-it would be so many unvalued and profitless years added to a lifetime. Signor Rotura proceeds to South America at once for a large supply of the two necessaries for the safe conduct of his process, and both these substances at present remain a secret.