Potter's Electric News

WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING. A theft committed under most novel circumstances has been reported at the Central Police-office, Glasgow. A re- spectable young man, a Sabbath-school teacher, was pro- ceeding towards Wynd Church for the purpose of at- tending a prayer meeting, when he was accosted by a man who inquired whether he taught children on Sundays. The young man replied that he did, when he was at once told by the person who accosted him that there was a Hot of destitute children in the land' where he lived, and asked that the teacher should go with him and reason with them to attend school. Conceiving this to be an excellent opportunity for promoting a good cause, the unsuspecting youth followed his interrogator. They proceeded to a house in the neighbourhood on entering which they found a man and a woman sitting near the fire. A second man soon appeared, then a third bearing a Bible, and so on till the party numbered five men and one woman exclusive of the visitor. One of the men read a portion of the third chapter of the Gospel of St. John, making afterwards a few appropriate remarks, which again were succeeded by a touching prayer. At this stage one of the men informed the teacher that a poor woman who lived on the flat above that where they were meeting bad just been removed to the infirmary, and, as she was in very destitute circumstances, suggested that any contribution towards procuring her some luxuries other than those obtained in the infirmary would be gladly received. The young man replied that he was not in the habit of carrying much money with him, that he had only 3d., and that he was quite willing to'give that in the meantime. The announcement of want of funds did not please the religious party,' who at once cornered the unfortunate teacher, and immediately stripped him of his coat and vest, and also carried off a silver watch and a pocket-knife. As soon as the youth got out of their clutches information was given to the police, and in the course of a very short time Inspector Hardy and Sergeant Surtherland succeeded in arresting three of the suspected individuals, who gave the names of John Harrison, James Black, and James Lyall. On one of them there was found the knife of the young victim. The names given are known to be fictitious, as the pri- soners are well known to the police. I DRUMMING OUT.-The ceremony of 'drumming out' is, in future, to be dispensed with.—Army and Navy Gazette. TKIPLE BIRTH.—The wife of a private of the 1st Royals, at Chatham, named Cullum, has just given birth to three children—two boys and a girl-the whole of whom are finely formed children, and, with the mother, are doing well. The birth of the children took place at the now quarters erected at Chatham garrison for the married troops. SLANDER OX A SUPERINTENDENT OS* POLICE, -A case of slander was tried last week in Warwick, in which Mr Lund, superintendent of the Leamington Police, was the complainant; and Mr Warnsley, a stationer in the same town, was defendant. The plaintiff had been for nine years superintendent of the force; and the defendant had repeatedly made use of slanderous observations respecting him, and charged him with drunkenness. After a long trial the jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff, damages £ 75. LIVE STOCK IN SCOTLAND AND IRELAND.—The official Agricultural Returns show that, comparing the years 1856-57, the cattle in Scotland decrease in number in the ten years by 12,307—viz., from 970,742 to 952,435; in Ireland the number increased 119,861 -viz., from 3,604,406 to 3,724,267. The sheep increased in the ten years in Scotland 324,476—namely, from 5,749,864 to 6,074,340; in Ireland the sheep increased 976, 175-from 3,573,273 to 4,554,148. Pigs increased in Scotland 67,372—from 136,639 to 204,011 in Iieland 278,728- viz., from 1,086,855 to 1,365,583. STARVATION AND SUICIDE.—'An inquest was held on Saturday respecting the death of a man named Frederick George Wilson, aged 50 years. The deceased was a tanner, and having had no regular work for a long time. he tried to get a little money by carrying parcels. Ho only earned sufficient to keep him from literally starving to death. On Thursday night he went home and told his wife that he was tired of life. She went to purchase a pennyworth of bread for him. So soon as she had gone out the deceased entered his landlord's room, and taking up a loaded pistol, which he knew to be there, he shot himself in the head. His wife found him dead on her return. The jury found that he had committed suicide while in an uueound state of mind. THE MONT GENIS TUNNEL.—It appears that at the close of 1867, fjur miles and 5,435 feet of this tunnel had been completed, leaving two miles and 4,018 feet to be pierced. Tho distance pierced in 1867 was 5,040 feet. as compared with 3,416 in 1S66, 4,079 feet in 1865 3,626 feet in 1864, 2,673 feet in 1863, 2,076 feet in 1862 1,210 feet in 1861, 1,144 feet in I860, and 2,889 feet in the preceding years. The outlay made upon this remark- able and important work (which has now been more, than tell yenrs on hand) amounted at the close of 1867 to aboht £ 1,700,000. It is now hoped that the tunnel will be completed in 1871. Its length when finished will be seven miles 3,773 feet, and its total cost will be about £ 2,500,000, or something more than £ 300,000 per mile RESERVE FORCES.—The Army Estimates for the fiscal year 1868- 69 provide for 5,066 permanent staff of Militia, and 128,971 Volunteer officers and men and for 362 permanent staff of Yeomanry Cavalry and 15,823 Volun- teer officers and men. The capitation grants proposed for Volunteer corps are for 30,084 Artillery Volunteers at 30s, and 124,605 Light Horse, Engineers, and Rifle Volunteers at 20s, with a 10s grant for 90,587 extra efficients. The vote for enrolled penaionert; includes a charge of £W,OOO for their pay during training, and jE14,100 for bounty money of enrolled pensioners at iSl each. The vote for the Army Reserve force comprises items of J62,400 for pay during training, £ 11,600 for bounty at X4 each, and £ 700 for the probable number of men who will engage under the Arn:y Reserve Act of I 1867. The total vote for the reserve forces of the army ) is to be JE1,624,600 FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT TO A ',TRAPEZE;' PEnFOItMER.- The Dundee Advertiser reports a lamentable accident, which befel a gymnast—one of the Brothers Bolona at the Dundee Music-hall, on Thursday night. The brothers went through some very clever and dariug gym- nastic performances, which many of tho audience, especially females, could not behold except with fear; but for which they received, from the greater bulk of the audience, the warmest approbation. The elder and stronger of the two hung from the trapeze by the legs, I while he caught the younger by one of the hands as he was falling p!st him, and. swung him in the air. This and other equally daring feats, as we have already stated, were accomplished in safety. The next exhibition ot their agility was intended to be of a similar kind. The elder of the two swung from the trapeze by the legs, and while in this state it was evidently his intention to catch the younger by the-left ankle. By some miscalculation, however, the leg of the younger brother came some few inches short of the reacb of the elder, and he fell head- foremost into the orchestra. The sensation created amongst the audience on witnessing such a spectacle can be better imagined than described. Screams and sobs escaped from men and women, and a number of those in the front seats rushed, in a ^ate of excitement, to see whether the unfortunate performer had been kilted by his fearful fall. The other performers also hurried to ascertain what was the matter. The unfortunate man, when kicked up from amongst the feet of the band, lay in the arms of his supporters innate of unconsciousness, with the blood flowing from a wound in the skull. He alighted with hij head on the sharp edge of a footstool used by Mr Butler, the leader of the orchestra, with such force that he broke it, after having struck in his descent the neck of that gentleman's violin. The unfortunate gymnast was carried into an ante room, and messengers were instantly despatched for medical aid. Dr. Duncan arrived in the course of ten minutes after the accident occurred, and found him sitting in a chair quite conscious, but complaining of pain in his head, ribs, and back. On examination, it was found that he had sustained a large scalp wound of semicircular shape, and about three or four inches in length, on the crown ot the head, and some slight bruises on the forehead; but so far as could be seen, be did not appear to have received any very serious injury. The wound was sewed up, a"d the sufferer was removed to his lodgings itf the Nethergate. Falling a distance of upwards of 20 feet, and alighting on the crown of his head, it is a wonder he was not killed on the spot. It is supposed that he must have saved himself by his hands from receiving the full force of the fall, <

S,^arr'a?e"» and Deaths, should, be sent to lakQ to s scrlPt,propcrlyauthenticated. We cannot unrter- Sre 0r Pai)ei's for these announcements, whica incorrectly printed, or turr out 4Uthe2Gth inSf BIRTHS. 0 c' J. A. p t, nt> ilt Dale Castle, in this county, the WU 22nfi*- f*hilipps, E>q, of a dauahter. e £ erv I^stant> at Narberth the wife of A. II. 6ll» of a son, 9^u • MARRIAGES. If, Instant» at Saint Mary's Church, Tenby. fJi so G- Huntington, rector, Mr John Kees, to 0n o n(1 daughter of Mr W. Prout, Tenby. 26t instant, at Monkton Church, Pembroke, v'est «» v* Mr. Morris, curate, Capt Thomas Whitney \e i.t0r!?an, to Miss Mary Price, daughter of Mr G. '^otiktoa. DEAlflS. j ^Sa^y 2Sth, at the house of his uncle Mr H. 0!l °'f th °^e' ^averf°r^weat> Harry Pinker, eldest frPn 6 ^ate Mr Thomas Smith Qoode, aged 31. 27th instant, Kobert Christie Ward, Esq., of t'a9 i,0Usei Clifton, aged 43 years. U'1 instant. at Hakin Point, Milford, of con- Q 25 y'eaf rt^a Maryi eldest daughter 01 Capt Beynon, V;iv l^e ogfl 5j latae cv ?nst, at the residence of h*>r son. Mr T. st year'0f r^'Bt, Milford, Mrs Sarah Williams, in the the 280 8ge' GeorDlllvTtl'0, at Glan Dyfi Castle, Cardigan- Jeifreys, J.P., aged 78 years.

( iii (fiy knn,?^ BIOTEIVE is certainly the best fis> BKnJor COMSUMPTIOK, ASTHMA, ^'1(! i,at1^ Lun 'CHIT^IS, and all diseases of the ^id..y Chetu^S an<lis invaluable in cases of Debility. Streat l?ts' an^ wholesale only of Pearce & Co., h. Lt> Bristol. fcowAt,s ft AND Pii'i-s-—Cramps—Neuralgia— i,1te]KitxVere nervous affections are h ippily moderated l»^e« Resell an!l duration by the soothing and purifying ffic '^ach es' £ iixiab)eprepartions. Whether the cramp be V^io of th"5'.01' toes, it yields with equal facility to the j^ich siselfi» Vs Ointment; and the recurrence of these dis- li^sti6°resui.. prevented by a course of Holloway's Pills, a'is'eiie''6 the st0nl;l011 and bowels that pcrfcct and eas\ ti V„7e Piii„ ecl> an(l spasms avoided. The Ointment gives I'Ni Cl"dpf general relief. Enlargement of the glands, ob- S nyaW,itlve circulation are likewise soon corrected by 'V preparations, which purify and strengthen the > V'U't tone to every organ in the body. »(»% K ?'«nRfaila t0a'd "se onIy tii(i Glenfield Starch, which o ° 8iye the most complete satisfaction. The tt' y, is exclusIvely used in the Royal fine ^'er Wsje.^ty's Laundress pronounces it to Sch for'" 8tare'1 s'ie cv,?r used• Prize Medals were >P;,Plen, lts. superiority, and the manufacturers have Wt PtJvr in 8tattiig that they havs been appointed Wr^rch6-*01'9 to the Princess of Wales. The GIeti- Ss?'ets v ls S°W in packets only, by all Grocers, ^Kc» &c.

^PORDVEST MARKET, %s<?turday, February 29, 1867. Cls »0rk5fi V ,button, <!d to 3d; Lamb, OdtoOd; Veal 5d 'o «s tn ? 15 Butter, Is 2d to Is Sd Kgtfs, 18 for is i? Tin? °ti to f?« ?d Per .couple; Ducks, 3s 3d to 4s Od ditto; V sfn lb: r! 1 Turkeys, 0s CdtoOsOd each; Cheese, 3d acon Pigs, bs Od to 9s d per score; Potatoes

-u.-= d -=- «H ^IF^ENTRAITTPT- T0 A CHILD.—HEAVY SENTENCE.— « °f a ^lmiria! Court, Mrs Radclyfff:, said to be her servi^1'8 Up^" Sarah R jsse11' 'A 13' V^'8»jl°r lbs r Ceasma'd of all work. The learned l^at ,y. £ r08eoution, in opening the case to the .^8hn0ye(3 as 9pJ'rosecuj-ril was a young girl, and she an^ v»nt of all work by the prisoner and >Jsi</e"tindi,^°ffellce alleSed ao«'"S(, the former V? -V lhe Proleo^f"1 ^aS' tfaat on t!su 52lb January \i ^'aa exan'n iXt?D a,1raost brutal manner, and founHoS ?y the surgeon at the hospital h S > iu Co«red With bruises all over, SSt ,pr««enS»! r horrlb!e condition, from which 4uCc°t-dinj \°m-recovurtd- Ho was- bound to %knat« J °f tbo » 8 in8trt>ctions, the prisoner hart V uN^l. 4Rlost hrutal conduct towards u"u n ^Oed1 she bierTaS kicked and beaten with a thick .K beat h a" ^lien she cried the prisoner V 'tv 0Q if er 'Qntil she was quiet Unnn M>'1 «'"ei ,he prisoMr <«• I SS d* Was LJ!f e,r Jover her and burned her \s?1 »f » -Srossiv £ t for lhe di3fence that the HalUUtyi and ,^agRPrated* The jury returned a SerVitS,lb€ P^aer was acmenccd to five

F THE ABYSSINIAN EXPEDITION. GOTHA, FEB. 19. The following letter has been addressed by Consu Cameron to Prince Hohenlohe-Langenburg, who formeriy travelled with the consul during the visit of the Duke of Coburg to Central Africa: Magdala, Abyssinia, in Prison, Nov. 6, 1867. 'Dear Prince Hohenlohe,—You have heard of my rapid advancement in the diplomatic service, and after having been for two years attache (par les jambes) I may now regard myself as charge defers, if 20 pounds of iron may entitle me to this designation. Seriously, I have gone through wonderful events since we last saw one another, but I think you know the worst details from one source or another. England has certainly done everything to conciliate our Royal friend. We now wait quietly until the troops come to liberate ua. [ do not doubt the result, provided their movements are rapid. Neither the king nor his people ha ve ever had real dangers to contend with, and I have no doubt that only a small number of our people will be sufficient to give them an idea of our power, if they advance quickly into the heart of the country. Many of these things are in our favour —for instance, the situation of Magdala; certainly there is soma danger of our being killed by tho soldiers here in a panic; but then they have no place of refuge, since they are surrounded by enemies who would neither per- mit them to join the King nor aliow them to become rebels on our account. We calculate that, either for good or evil, matters will be decided here by the middle of January; and, after all, two months are not long to wait after four years in chains. I bear that the Abyssinian affair is much blamed in England, and, so far as I can judge, evil-minded persons either here or in Egypt have sought to cast the blame upon me. Nothing can qe more untrue. I came with the permission of King Theodore for the second time to Abyssinia, and although 1 carefully sought to abstain from all cau<e of quarrel with him, since only three months previously he had offended European opinion by ba8tinadoins the Rev Dr. Sterne, yet I was taken from a sick bed and thrown into chains for writing him a most respectful letter, in which I requested him to allow me to return to my post in accordance with my orders. 'Nevertheless, I think that, in spite of all, the truth has come out, although I myself have not written much. I Have you read the kind letter of the Duke of'Saxe Coburg, which he wrote on my account to King Theodore ? It is impossible to thank him sufficiently for it. He will be glad to hear that poor Schiller and his companions have had their wrist shackles removed. The King makes them work for him, although in leg chains. With my most respectful compliments to the Duke, the Duchess, and the Prince 01 Lsiningen.—I am, &c 'DUNCAN CAMERON,' .——- '<t.————— THE 23RD REGIMENT AND ST. DAVID'S DAY.—At five o'clock on Sunday morning, at Newport, the band of the 23rd lloyal Welsh Fusiliers welcomed in St. David's Day by marching through the town and playing 'The Men of Harlech,' and other Welsh National airs. At half-past ten the regiment marched to church, headed by the celebrated goat, whose horns were gaily decorated with gold leaf. Each man also wore the national emblem (the leet.) in his buzby. The weather was delightfully fine, aad some two or three thousand of the inhabitants assembled on the route to witness the march to church and listen to the enlivening strains of the band. THREATENED STRIKE OF COLIJEm.—The colliery proprietors of West Lancashire recently decided to reduce the wagefJ of colliers 15 per cent. On Thursday morning the workmens' delegates met at W'sran, and afterwards an open-air meeting was held in Boyswell-fields, and about 10,010 persons assembled. Mr G. Pickard presided. The following resolutions were unanimously adopted :— That the men in the various collieries of Wigan district, in public meeting assembled, are willing to submit to a drop equal to the last advance (10 per cent), and that only.' I'That all the men who are now out remain out and be supported until all the notices are expired, and it then he decided what coorse be pursued but in every case where the men are allowed to go to work, the master taking nothing off but the last advance, the men are to resume work.' 'That, considering the cause of the present dis- tress and reduction of wages is consequent on over- production of material, at the end of the notice being worked out, we agree to adopt some form of restriction in the Wigan district, .and to get all in Lancashire and elsewhere to do it.' THE OAKS COLLIERY EXPLOSION.—Daring the last few days considerable progress has been made in ascer- taining the cause of the explosion at the Oaks coliiery. The workings have been so far cleared that the men have reached the stone drift, when Mr Dickinson, Mr Wardell, and Mr Southern, Government Inspectors, were called in to view the place. It was tfjen found that the shot, as stated at tho inquest by Mr Maddison and Mr Cooper had gone through the stone drift on to the steps, goinx into the in-take air, and in noway coming in contact with the return air-course. It was generally supposed that the actual cause of the explosion was the firing of the shot, hut it would now appear that the theory of several of the engineers tlwt the shot had no connexion with the explosion is to some extent borne out. Everything was found in the same state as before the second and fol- lowing explosions. It is now expected that in the course of a very ehort time no inconsiderable number of the 'bodies will be found, but as they have been in the pit nearly 10 months, and as the air will have reached a great number of them, it is questionable whether any of them will be identified. FENIAN OUTRAGE NEAR Com:.—Another Fenian out- rage for the purpose of obtaining arms has been perpe- trated in the neighbourhood of the city of Cork. Between nine and ten o ciock on Thursday night the residence of the her Mr Lestie, of Wilinount, was attacked b^j- an armed party numbering about 25 men, who endeavoured aI, first to effect, an entrance by stratagem, and when that failed resorted to force, but without success. At the hour mentioned Mr Leslie and his servants were alarmed- by the tramp of a number of men hurriedly approaching the house, followed by aloud knocking at the front door. Mr Leslie himself went to the door and asked who the persons outside were, and was answered Police.' He asked what they wanted- A voice replied that they had with them a wounded man, whom they had brought to receive the rites of the Church, as he appeared to be dying. Suspecting a stratagem, the rev. gentleman went ¡ to one of the upper rooms, reconnoitered the nartv, and speedily satisfied himself as to their true chfjraeter". He acted with vigour and presence of mind. He directed his three servant men to arm themselves with guns, and told the female domestics to ring an alarm bell which had been erected on the roof of the house, in anticipa- tion of some such emergency us that which hsd now occurred. The police at two neighbouring stations were aware that Mr Leslie had the bell on his premises, and it had been concerted with them that its sound was to be a signal of dan-er. on hearing which they were to hasten to his relief. On bearing the bell the Fenians outsid3 knew that their stratagem had failed, and their leader had threatened that if the door were not opened he wou!d force it in. All he wanted, he said, was arms; and if I these were given to him, no one would be molested. The Rev Mr Leslie, who had armed himself with a rifle, went to one of the upper windows, declared that he would | allow no one to enter the house, and warned the in- truders that toe police were corning to his assistance. The parties then tried to force the door open hy pressing their shoulders against the panels, but as it was too strong to be forced, some of them began firing at it with revolvers, and others tried to gain admittance by the windows. The Rev Mr Leslie then fired a shot at some of the men, which drew the fire of the whole party upon the window at which he had taken his post, and several bullets flew through the glass, falling harmlessly in the room. Mr Leslie reloaded again tired at his assailants but could not from the darkness of the night see whether, his shot bad taken effect. While the fusilade was go in" on the alarm boll wa« kept loudlv clanging. The dis" charge of revolvers was kept up for some" time, until the assailants satisfied themselves that they could neither terrify the occupants of the house into a surrender nor force an entrance, and they accordingly Retreated. None of the persons in the house were injured. When'the police arrived at the spot, which they did very soon they were too late to obtain a trace of the route taken ''J12 a;fa.c' S party. Some of the constables remained in Mr Leslie's house, while others proceeded to Cork to give information of the outrage. A large force under the command of the county inspector and a resident magis- trate proceeded from Cork at twelve o'clock at ni;ht, to Wilmount, and made a close search of the neighbour- hood, but did not effect any arrest. An inspection of the exterior of the house revealed numerous traces of the attack, the door being studded with bullet marks, many of the window p-uies broken, and the shutters of the lower windows indented, while the ground outside was much beaten down, as it trampled by a large number of men. SUGAR IN BEER,—The quantity of sugar used in breweries in England increased from 9 983,340lb. in the year ending at Michaelmas, 1866, to no less than 39,317,2641b. in the year ending at Michael- mas, 1867. The increase. in Scotland was from 209,113lb. in 1866 to 35L456lb. in 1867; and in Ireland from 148,434. to I,465,296ib. CAUTION TO VOLUNTEERS.—On Saturday last, Thomas Hicks, a volunteer residing at Cheltenham, was ap- prehended on a warrant, charging him with leading the Cheltenham Rifle Corp" without, giving the pro xr nJtlCe to his commanding officer; and also with taking away his uniform. belts, and appointments. He was"appre- hended at the Sailors' Home, where he had shipped as a seaman, with the uniform in his possession, and con- veyed to Cheltenham in custody. Two MEN BUHIED ALIVR AT DUDLEY. -On Saturday morning last a fall of several tons of slack and coal took place at the Bourne-hill Colliery (Messrs Nook's), and two men, named respectively Shelly and Allen, were buried beneath the mass. Messrs Horton and Tanner, surgeons to the colliery, were at once sent for, and every effort was made during the day to rescue the unfortunate men from their perilous position. Volunteers went down to relieve the men at work almost continuously, but it was not until late in the day that the bodies were re- covered, both men being, of course, dead. The affair caused great excitement in the district. THE CASE OF BURKE, CASEY, AND SHAW. — An ap- plication was made to Mr Justice Smith, at Warwick, on behalf of Burke, to make an order on the prosecution to give the prisoner a copy of the indictment, a list of the witnesses, and a list of the jury panel. The application. was made under a statute pasged in the reign of Queen Anne., An Act passed in the reign of George I I L enacted. that to levy war against his Majesty, or to incite any person to invade the realm-the acts with which Burks stands charged—should bo deemed treason. The statute was repealed bv the Treason Felony Act, which enacts that such an offence should be felony. The statute of Ann. however, was not repealed, and no mention was made of it in the Treason Felony Act.—11 is lordship said that a similar application was once made before Chief Justice Erie, who held that it could not be granted in a case in which only a felony was charged. His lordship was of the same opinion. CURIOUS DISCOVERY OF A VALUABLE ROMAN RING. —A Yorkshire antiquary collector has organised a Mna:t. army of boys to scour the fields for flint, implements, to codect coins, and gather antiquities of any kind in tha country surrounding Malton. A company o"f these you*„g. archsa ilogists were cut last week in a cr/.tiufr, on tho- Thirsk railway, which crosses the outer trenches of the Roman ca/ivp it Malton obliquely. One or them picked, up what he took to be a corroded iump of iron. This tildi' boy's mother so'd to an antiquary in Alston, Mr Charles Hartley. On being divested of the clay, the relic proved to be a Roman ring of iron, having an engraved seal as larga as a sixpence, the enamel being of a bright red and quite perfect. The head is beautifully engraved, and behind it is the letter V., and before it the letter S. An impres- sion has been sent to the Rev. Canon GreenwelJ, who pronounces it a very good specimen of a wen-engraved seal of Roman date, and thinks the head a portrait.— Eastern •lorning News. PROGRESS OF CULTIVATION IN THE HIGHLANDS.— The facts and figures contained in the agricultural returns for 1866 and 1867, recently issued, supply some valuable information regarding the progress of cultivation in the far north, In Ross and Cromarty, for example, we find that in the short space of twelve months no less than 17,500 acres, formerly barren, have been under cultiva- tion. Thi3 ought to be some consolation to those lugu- brious patriots who are always complaining of the great devastation caused by the evictions in the nopth of Scot- land. 'Year after year,' as the Northern Ensign remarks, is thus giving the best of all proofs that these northern districts are susceptible of vast improvement; their formerly barren wastes are, through the application of capital, skill, .and industry, and the blessing of Provi- dence, being rapidly transformed into cultivated fields, the pastures are covered with increasing flocks and herds, and rapid mat 'rial improvements are being effected in all directions.' London Scotsman, WITCHCRAFT IN THK NINETEENTH CENTURY.—Maria Giles, better known as The Cunning Woman of New- bury; and VVilliam Tranter, described in the calendar as a labourer, \<*ere indicted at the Reading assizes, before Mr Justice Keating, with obtaining various sums of money from Isaac Rivers, by false pretences, on various days in January. It was a case of pretended witchcraft, The chief evidence was that of the prosecutor, who de- tailed various occasions on which he had paid viei's to the woman for the purpose of recovering a stolen watch. and described the pretended methods of watCin;iÄ(' which she had employed, and stated the various sums of money which .she and the male prisoners had demanded for that end. Altogether Rivers had paid the sum of £ 2 Cs 6d. though he admitted that the wa'ch was only worth X2 lis. Being asked by the learned judge 'when he first became, aware how great a fool he haa been,' he -;aid it was one occasion when the man and woman bad gone away with a sum of money just given, and had left him sitting in their hut more than half an hour without returning. The prisoner Giles pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment. Tranter was convicted, and sentenced to six months' imprison- ment. THE WILSON DIRECT-ACTION BHEECH LOADER.—A. further exhibition of the powers of this excellent small- arm took place at the Woolwich range on Friday, with the most satisfactory results. O.ue hundred and fifty rounds were firevi in all. Twenty rounds were fired for accuracy. Direction of Range N.N.E, fresh south-west wind blowing; A very good target, was made, showing at 500 yards a mean deviation of 1 41 feet. The rifle was; 8red, as on the previous occasion, by Private Croft, who discharged for rapidity, 2!) rounds in 45 seconds, being the most rapid firing produced at the range by any breech-loader of either large or small bore. It was evi- dent at the last trial, when the weapon was pnt, for the first time, into the serjeant's hands, that four or five seconds might have been saved in rapidity if the shooter had had any previous experience of the gun, and it ap- pears to be pretty generally the opinion that thirty shots per minute could be realized. The mechanism of the arm worked without any impediment, and the gun was raised to the shoulder for each discharge. The arm com- plete weighs about BAli), and the barrel has six rifle grooves, of one turn in 3.5 inches. The cartridge used was the latest form made at the Royal Laboratory, with 70 grains of compressed powder, and ballet of 380 grains. The recoil of the gun is very slight. The action of the breech arrangement is, as we have already described, remarkably simple, and altogether the weapon is tho most remarkable yet produced on the bolt or Prussian principle. The mechanism is self-locking and self- securing. The act of opening, which is one motion clears away the old cartridge ease, and the plus or bolt can be detached from the breech in a moment without tools. The mechanism is composed of very few pieces all of which can be produced by machinery. AIR WARD HUNT.— It. was formerly announced in the Commons on Friday evening that Mr George a? Hunt had been offered and accepted the important Ounce of Chancellor of the Exchequer. So rapid a rise of socomparanveiyyounga man, without I family influence,* i-, we believe, unprecedented. Mr Ward Hunt is but 4o years of age, snd has oniy been ten years in parliamen. The son of a Berkshire clergyman by the daughter of an Oxi..rdsh ire squire of easy means, but no political influence. Mr W ard Hunt was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, at which latter place he achieved a second class in classics in 184o, and graduated M.A. in 1351. On leavinc college he ate his terms, and was called to the bar irt 1851, going to the Oxford Circuit for a time, !'ut not practising much. In 18D2, and agiin in 1857, he unsuc- ce.isfully contested Northampton borough; and in !853 he stood for the northern division of the county, where he had property, and was elected. He has held his seat there unintermittently until now. A steady adherent of the Conservative party during bis whole career, and aa uncompromising supporter of the Disraeli tactics during the debates o i the Russell-Gladstone Reform Eil], he was on the accession of Lord Derby to power, in 1866 appointed 'to the office of financial Seretary to the Treasuty, with a salary of £ 2,000. Having supported Mr Dttraeli when out of office, he faithfully stuck to him during the whole of his shitting policy in office, and has now reaped his reward in an appoint- ment to an office which is generally given to men of greater age and more experience. Mr Hunt has some of the qualities requisite for such un hppointmcnt-a clear- headedness and a talent for figures; but there can be little doubt that his.Budgets will ba Disraelian, and he is merely for the present the delegate of his more able Chief- —Birmingham Daily Post.

W|L _j (J\^e middle of the street, and during one of Ji0I1 a'king Movements she saw them approaching the She » °?r> which is about two yards from the shop door. She R43 ln a room upstairs when they came to the door. 'hem TKbeni leave' but d!(J not ol,ser,tre snyth5ng with theip'j ey were too near the house for her to observe 8(^1 0ln88. Patrick Hayes, a police constable stationed 0erJstwy^> deposed that on the day in question he SC0Q ,°^ut7 when, about half past five the prisoner Reed W»h 8tat'nS he a j°^ f°T ■^•e as^ec^ of ..at, and was answered that he had stolen a piece Ajjout h!>d given it to mate (meaning Whitaker.) ^hit fc ^rorn place he met Ree|3) he met .carrying the piece'of check. He asked him tl?Aad il' an^. was answered 'from the shop at te top Of the street' (meaning prosecutor's). He then *8s a P"80ners into custody. The piece of check ^itak° and identified as the one he took from theiv, 6r" T-iordship having reviewed the evidence, a brief deliberation, returned a verdict of ^"ur were eack sen^ence^ to a hard Q* 6liit. "^e was indicted for feloniously stealing a Wd 0,1 s^aw^i the property of William Davies, Green B, f' Cardigan, on the 4th of January list. Mr itojj* "liams prosccuted; prisoner was undefended, iig pr r deposed that the articles now produced were ^>ro3ecutor's wife deposed that the articles She w fuCed Were her husband's. On the 4th January articles on a bush to dry at the back of her Sard A Public road passes by the house, but not by bad not sold or given them away. She ''etlkins art^es afterwards with the policeman. John big fA? nJason> on the day in question was working i^yfel'' w^en Prisoner passed, going towards h"u8e "• He. saw him turn the way to prosecutor's ^e*as -8a;,r ^im afterwards returning to Cardigan. 5 sure prisoner was the man. Joseph Price, sOller int constable stationed at Cardigan, took the pri- ^«d h Custody. He had a parcel under his arm. and !• a 1^ W^ere ^e it- 176 answered, I bought Nation for fourpence.' The jury, after a short de- *asSe returned a verdict of guilty. The prisoner The oraD0^.to 8*x months' hard labour. arged "-Vury ignored the bill against Rachcl Thomas tL*Wra7o having feloniously set on fire a rick yard ?'sl.ords'n' Dear ^ar<ligan, on the 8 th October, 1867. I'V Bot^ 8a'^ concurred in their decision. Messrs 'lied for u an<3 T. Williams, who had been re- Nonej.' "*e defencs, applied to His Lordship for session virtue Gf an Act of Parliament passed bt0u J flia Lordship remarked that the prosecution j BUe, } akout solely by the prisoner's chattering 6^6st n therefore he could not accede to their rV business of the assizes, and the a half past twelve.