The Cardiff Times

LOVE TRAGEDY AT PLYMOUTH. A murderous assault was made at Plymouth late on Tuesday night upon a 16-year-old girl named Hannaford. She had been to a place of amusement with a young man and on the way home was attacked by another young fellow, who had previously kept, company with her. He inflicted a terrible wound in her throat with a razor. Supported by a female friend she endeavoured to make her way towards the hospital with blood streaming from the wound, but expired before reaching the institution. Her assailant, who is stated to be a hair- dresser, out of work, gave himself up to the police.

RECTOR'S WIFE CHARGED. The Grand Jury on Tuesday at Kent Assizes returned a /true bill against Frances Geage, wife of the blind rector of Gravesend, who was charged with maliciously libelling ReV. Her- bert John Martin, Chatham. Application .was made that the case might be adjourned till the next Assizes, as defendant, who was on bail, was desfrous of entering a plea of justiScation. The prosecution opposed the application, and Mr Justice Ridley said he had read post- cards which the lady wrote, and if an ad- journment was persisted in he should have to call upon defendant to surrender and remain in custody until the case was tried. He did not think it would be fair to let her be at large. He did not know whether there would be any repetition of the libels. Mr Jenkins said there had been no repetition, and he contended that his application was a reasonable pne. His Lordship eventually decided to give de- fendant until Saturday in which to file her plea of justification. l

BETWEEN. TRAIN & PLATFORM. William Jones (53), Harry Butt. (24), and Alfred Gower (14), painters, Tredegar, were summoned at Tredegar on Tuesday for leaving a train whilst in motion at Argoed on the 23rd ult. Mr J. G. Bishop, BrynmaWr, prosecuted on behalf of the London and North-Western Railway Company, and Mr Lyndon Moore, Newport, defended. The evidence showed that the 10 a.m. train stopped d, Argoed to dis- charge passengers and then went on. After it had started the defendants opened a door, and Jones, who was lame, fell on to the platform, Alfred Gower, the lad, fell between the plat form and the train, and had it not been for the prompt action of Butt in seizing him and hold- ing him up until the train was stopped, he would in all probability hav6 been cut to pieces. The defence was that the tram was late and that the officials were in a hurry, and did not give the passengers sufficient time to alight. The guard admitted that he got out of the van and returned in less than a minute because it was raining- A witness said he told the guard that it was his duty to walk up and down the platform and not stay in the van with his head out of the window. He also told the guard that he sent the train off very smart that Oinorn- mg. The Bench dismissed the sumitLoness and allowed one gurnet costs.

STRUCK THE LANDLADY. At Tredcgar on Tuesday William Woods (34), haulier, Rhymney, was summoned for being disorderly and refusing to quit the Royal Arms, Rhymney, and also for assaulting the landlady. Mr W. H. Trump, Rhymney, prosecuted. The defendant was in the house when a servant brought a boiler of water to put on the fire. Defendant resented this and upset it. A second time the boiler was brought in and defendant threw it all over the floor, drenching some of the customers. Mrs Davies, the landlady, came in and asked him to leave; but he seized her by the arm, and pinched her, and refused to desist. She smacked him in the face, and he then struck her with considerable force with his fist. Defendant said he upset the vessel accidentally, and he was pushed by someone. A fine of 40s was imposed and costs.

WORKMEN'S TOPICS. MR JOHN BURNS AND THE UNEMPLOYED. The Mistake and the Protest. By MABON, M.P. So much has been heard of the quest ion of unemployment, so much has been done by the President of the Local Government Board and the Government itself, that we expected that now it had become a simple matter of plain sailing in carrying out the Government's pledges given by the lips of the Premier himself that if Mr Burns's blundering over the circular issued by his department to Distress Committees relating to the restriction as to granting employment to men who had received poor law relief is a. most regrettable incident. The circular referred to was objected to by all Labour men in the House of Commons, and indeed with no less determination by almost every Liberal member there as well, for it was in the answer given by the Premier to my ques- tioning him on the night of the unemployment debate that they with myself and other col- leagues found our reason for not voting against it the same night. The grounds of their objections were that not only the issuing of the circular had been some- what slow, but that the document itself, when it appeared, was not in harmony with the Premier's promise in the recent debate. It will be remembered that the Prime Minister promised without qualification that an appli- rant Tor registration by a, Distress Committee shall not be denied acceptance owing to his having been in receipt of poor relief, or to the fact that he has been so registered during the ia.st two winters. In other words, the restric- tion that had been laid down by Mr Gerald Balfour when he was President of the Local Government Board and afterwards maintained by Sir John Burns,were to be at once abolished in view of the exceptional circumstances of the present winter. The pledge was exceptionally plain, but the Local Government Board circu- lar issued three weeks afterwards placed a very narrow meaning to the Pritne Minister's words. Here is the Prime Minister's Statement. With regard to the special conditions under which this grant is •administered, we propose they should be relaxed in two important par- ticulars—first, so as to allow assistance to be given, in proper cases, to persons who have been receiving Poor-law relief during the last twelve months, who are at present excluded and in the second place-and I think this equally important—so as to lemove the dis- qualification of persons who have been assisted under the Act during the last two years. Mr Burns's Circular. The Local Government Board circular amended the regulations under the Unem- ployed* Workmen's Act of 1905, which ex- cluded applications for employment on the part of men who had received Poor-law relief. The original Regulations laid it down that in the case of each applicant the Distress Com- mifetee shall satisfy themselves I 1. That he is not and has not been during the period of twelve months immediately preceding the date of the application in receipt of relief (other than medical re- lief) at the cost of the poor rate and 2. That he has not in two* successive periods of twelve months immediately preceding the date of the application been em- ployed on work provided by the Central Unemployed Body in London or a Dis- tress, Committee elsewhere, or on work towards the provision of which such body or committee have contributed. The New Circular. The new order provides that the Distress Committees may, if they think fit, entertain an application. (a) In the case of an applicant who fails to comply with the first of tbe conditions mentioned, if the Distress ^Committee have satisfied themselves that the case is capable of more suitable treatment under the Act than under the Poor Law, and that it is in all other respects one which they may properly entertain. (b) In the case of an applicant who fails to comply with the second of the conditions, if the Distress Committee have satisfied them- Belves that his case is deserving of exceptional treatment, and is in all other respects one which they may properly entertain. The provisions, I may point out, do not re- move the existing disqualifications, but they give to the Distress Committee a discretion whereby they may waive the disqualiifcations in proper cases. But only that that Local Government Board circular went on to describe the effect of the order, and said that, as the Distress Committee was aware that thtf Act of 1905 only empowers them to assist any applicant if they are satisfied that he is honestly desirous of obtaining work, but is temporarily unable to do so from excep- tional causes over which he has no control, and consider that his case is capable of more suit- able treatment under the Act than under the Poor Law-whereas Mr Asquith said in his first speech, and reaffirmed in his second, that with regard to the special conditions under which this grant is administered," We propose that they should be relaxed in two important points—first, so as to allow assistance to be given in proper places to persons who have been receiving poor law relief during the last 12 months, who are at present excluded and, in the second place, so as to remove the dis. qualifications of persons who have been assisted under the Act during the last two years." It will be seen that this most important difference between Mr Burns' circular and Mr Asquith's speeches, whereas the former leaves the removal of the two old qualifications optional with the Distress Committee, the latter makes their removal absolute. Hence there cannot be the slightest question about the Labour Party and their numerous friends being entirely right and fully justified in calling attention to the unfortunate circular, which in effect de- prived poor persons from receiving the assistance that the House of Commons and the Government intended them to have. One is exceedingly glad to say that so far as the House of Commons was concerned the whoie unfortunate incident, the misapprehen- sion," as the Prenlier called it, was settled in about a quarter of an hour* with the announce- ment that the circular in question be withdrawn, and a new and proper one issued instead at once. As I have remarked once before, the country is fortunate in having a practical Prime Minister, who is in touch with the nation,which is increasing daily. On one day of last week he was with the financiers of the City on another it was the unemployed that received his care- ful attention and while Mr Henderson, the chairman of the Labour Party, on Thursday night pointed out the discrepancy between pledge and fulfilment; in Mr Asquith's speech and Mr Burns's circular, and while the latter sat on the bench beside him, facing the discordant music in a case which lay quite beyond defence or explanation, his leader at once accepted the Labour leader s interpretation of'his speech and undertook that a revised circular should at once be issued, and although much will be made of this affair in certain other quarters— undoubtedly the mistake was unusually com- plete—I am glad to be able to say that the error ha-s been quickly rectified.

On Saturday evening a concert was held at New Bethel Chape]. Garrant, under tae aus- pices of the Cwmamman Prize Sliver Band. Mr E, R. Fisher, manager of the Gedyceidrym Colliery, presided. During the meeting Mr Ben Jones, bandmaster, was presented by the band with a handsome marble; clock and a pair of 1 bronze vases for his services as conductor.

AN UNCLE'S APPEAL. AFFECTING POLICE COURT PLEA. At Swansea onTuesdayWm.Tbomas,a boiler scaler, who was charged with wilfplly neglect- ing his wife and children, was alleged to have spent his money in drinking and betting, with the result that although his wife was an exem- plary woman and clean in the home, there were signs of want manifest to the officials of the R.S.P.C.C. while Dr. Edwards said the children suffered from malnutrition. The wile said that her husband brought her home scarcely any money, and that on one occasion he earned 16s in two days, but only gave her Is. On the following Sunday he was at the Mumbles drinking. At the conclusion of the case an uncle of the defendant rose in the court and speaking with emotion said seven years ago the magistrates gave him (the speaker) a chance, and now he was known to the Bench as being a changed Christian man. He promised to do his best to make the prisoner an equally good man if they would give him one more chance. He was (he I said) the only friend he (the speaker) had in the world, but had been addicted to the curse of horse racing. Would the magistrates (he concluded) for God's sake give him one more chance. The magistrates asked for the defendant's record, which was a bad one, he having been dealt with for pel's is tent cruelty. The Chairman (Mr J. W. Jones ) said under the circumstances they were sorry they were unable to respond to the appeal which had been made.. The de- fendant had a creditable step-father and an excellent wife, but he was a scajmp and a dis- grace to ijianhood. Sentenced to six months' imprisonment.

FIRE SCENES, AT TON PENTRE. A fire broke out early on Tuesday morning at Phillips and Co.'s millinery and drapery es- tablishment, Ton Pentre, resulting in the bJLck portion of the premises being completely gutted and the greater portion of the stock destroyed. The adjoining shop is the Ton Pentre Post Office, kept by Mr Hohnes, a grocer. The business portion of this shop was saved by the efforts of the Pentre Fire Brigade in cutting away parts of the f oof of the adjoin- ing building and arresting the tire. At the time of the outbreak Mrs Phillips and her three children were asleep in bed, Mr Phillips being at Fishguard. Smelling smoke, Mrs Holmes, who was nursing a sick child, raised the alarm. Mrs Phillips saw her danger and rushed for the staircase, which was enveloped in smoke. For- tunately she did not remain to dress before rushing out of the house. By the time the police, under Inspector Edwards, and the fire brigade, under Captain Collier, arrived, the building was well ablazei The conflagration was got under in two hours. It is thought that the fire originated in the workroom. The post office also suffered, and a portion of it will have to be rebuilt. The damage is estimated at JE700.

NEATH ADVENTURE. I At Neath on Tuesday Margaret Jones and Mary Bevan, married sisters who are living apart from their husbands, were brought up in cus- tody charged with stealing a. silver Watch, gold chain, pair of spectacles, and £1 17s 6d in money, the property of Philip Owen, Old-road, Skewen, on November 11 tb. Prosecutor said he went to the Market Vaults with a friend and had drinka together. Prisoners and another woman were, on the premises, and all three were treated to drinks. Thev remained at the I hotel until 6 o'clock, when witness left, and on his way homo discovered that his watch and money were missing. He returned and gave information to the polioe. Cross-examined He could remember nothing of what trans- pired, as ho was drunk at the l ime. Prisoners pleaded guilty, and Jones was committed to prison for six weeks, and Beavan. for one month with hard labour.

11 THE CASTLE, HAVERFORDWEST. -Photo by Valentine.

LOST CONTRACT TRAGEDY. A verdict of "Suicide whilst temporarily in- sane was returned at an inquestatNottingham on Tuesday on Thomas Robert Jeans, aged 53, a chemist, formerly of Broad street,Pendletoa. Manchester. From the evidence it appeared that deceased came to Nottingham and stopped at the Victoria Station Hoi el, where early on Monday morniifg, whilst resting on a settee, he ordered a bottle of ginger ale, into which he seems to have poured prussic acid. He drank the mixtiire, ffom which death rapidly ensued. A letter was found on deceased in which he stated that the sudden termination of his con- tract with the SalfordCorporation for £ 1,400 a year and great depression in trade had turned his mind ancl driven him insane. He added that he was not responsible for what he had done during the last two or three weeks, and done during the last two or three weeks, and could bear the strain no longer. He could have struggled through if he1 had retained the con- j tract. j

PURITAN SOAP} FULL WEIGHT _-JL Good and true measure is 3 PURITAN SOAP Mm Good and true flSfl right through i^B| 2d., S(<3. & 6«L BOX Dflj THOMAS. 1 If I. -A-

'> lEBSSSli TRY IT.

II' Dublin Cliff Tragedy. A FATAL STRUGGLE. Last's Life Sacrificed. News reached Dublin on Tuesday of a re- markable occurrence, attended with fatal results, which took place at Howth, near Dublin, on Monday evening. A Mrs Lloyd, wife of Mr Richard Lloyd, one of the chief officials in Dublin General Post Office, accompanied by her .widowed sister. Mrs Earl, were walking along the cliff towards Howth when they were, so the earlier reports stated, accosted by two men, who demanded their money. The ladies refused, whereupon they were, it is alleged, set upon by the men in the most savage manner and thrown over the cliffs. The body of Mrs Lloyd was discovered on Tuesday morning.. Mrs Earl was found some time previously seriously injured and uncon- scious. A later message stated that Mrs Earl had re- gained consciousness, and will probably recover- From her statement as sent by the Press Association correspondent, it appeared she and her sister had tea at a cottage nea,r Bailey Light- house, and then set out to walk along the steep path known as Cli ff-road. This path overhangs the sea 200 feet below. It was growing dusk when the ladies left the cottage, and they had reached a point within a. mile of Howth, and at the highest part of the cliff, when two men, whom Mrs Earl describes as big, hulking fellows, looking like tramps, de- manded money. The terrified ladies indignantly refused, whereupon the men set upon them. Mrs Earl has no recollection of anything more, but. the condition of the pathway at the spot spoke eloquently of the nature of the struggle that took place. For several yards the ground was found to have heen fairly littered with ladies' hair, hairpins, a broken comb, a battered hat. splashes of blood, etc., while the turf bordering the pathway was in several places torn up. Mrs Earl, fortunately, did not fall over the cliff, but was found by a search party lying unconscious near its edge. It was not until early yesterday morning that the body of Mrs Lloyd was recovered. Remarkabls Development. County Coroner Friery held an inquest at night on Mrs Lloyd, and said the facts as he understood them would put a different com- plexion on the occurrence from that which might be inferred from reports current during the day. It would be made clear that there was no foundation for the statement that the ladies were attacked by anybody. Mr R. A. Lloyd, husband of the deceased, said from what he knew of Mrs Earl, his sister, who accompanied Mrs Lloyd, he came to the conclusion that, she had attempted suicide, and that his wife, in attempt- ing to prevent her throwing herself over the cliffs, was herself drawn to the edge, and fell over, thus losing her life. He based his theory on the state of Mrs Earl's mind. Some time past she lost her husband, and had frequently expressed a desire to join him. Dr. Ahern, described Mrs Lloyd's injuries, and agreed with this theory. The jury found that Mrs Lloyd was found dead at the bottom of the cliffs," and in their opinion there was no foul play. The coroner and jury expressed sympathy with Mrs Lloyd's husband and other relatives.

CASTLES AND ABBEYS I OF South Wales & Monmouth HAVERFORDWEST CASTLE. The position of the rocky eminence on the western bank of the Cleddau was well suited as a site for a iortress to protect the jnWw set- tlers in Pembrokeshire—in Normans and Flem- ings—against the attacks of the natives fronythe hills. What with Roch Castle neat the sea on the Western coast, Carew and Benton on the upper. banks of the Haven, Manorbier and Tenby further east, and Haverfordwest— the position of the foreigners in the South of ^Pembrokeshire was pretty well secured. But neither thick walls not stout hands within could overawe the Welsh, and the loss of their territory rankled in their breasts, and now again, whenever a leader appeared, this feeling burst out into fierce flames, resulting alter- nately in demolished castles and a devastated country. To Gilbert de Clare, The Powerful Lord of Striguil, and the Earl of Pembroke, the .erection of Haverfordwest Castle has been ascribed with almost universal consent. Gilbert was created Earl of Pembroke by Stephen in 1138, and it was about this date, .probably that the Castle at, Haverfordwest was erected. Gilbert's princi- pal Residence in Pembrokeshire was at the Castle of Pembroke,and he appointed therefore as his castellan at Haverfotd one of his chief fol- lowers, Richard Fitz-Tancred, to whom he also gave the Lordship of Haverfordwest. That Gilbert occasionally lived at Haverfordwest may be inferred from the story related by Giraldus Cambrensis, who visited the place in company with Archbishop Baldwin, of how a famous robber, confined in one of its towers by stratagem, got three boys—one the son of Earl de Clare, another the son of the governor of the castle—into his hands in a bolted room, and threatening them with instant destruction, obtained indemnity and liberty on condition of sparing them. Gilbert had two sons, Richard and Baldwin. The former was the famous Richard Strongbow, the conqueror of Ireland, but whether it was he or his brother who got into the robber's hands we have no means of telling. Richard Fitz-Tancred was followed by Robert his son, better known as Robert do Heolffordd. It was this Robert who f6unded and most liberally endowed the Priory of HaverfQrdwestr-at one time an extensive and important religious institution, now evidenced by ivy-clad walls and other interesting remains- Robert Fitz-Richard must have lived until 1214, for in that year King John granted the castle ot Haverfordwest to the great William Marshal, who had succeeded to the Earldom of Pembroke, the latter paying to the King a thousand marks for the livery of the castle, which, according to Dugdale, Robert Fitz-Richard held of his fee. In the famousraid which Llewellyn the Great made in South Wales in the year 1220, the Welsh prince taking advantage of the absence of William Marshal, who was then in Ireland, having been appointed by Henry III. to command the forces there, entered Pembrokeshire, and committed no little havoc, destroying several habitations, but his attempts to reducc this castle proved fruit- less, and on the return of the Earl Marshal Llewellyn retreated to North Wales. On the failure of the male issue of William Marshal, the lordship and Castle of Haverford- west devolved upon the cfcown, and various grants of it weA afterwards made to the De Braoses and De Bohuns. In the year 1399, Richard II. on his return from Ireland to put down the rebellion headed by Henry (afterwards Ii/ng of England) landed at Milford Haven. Here he was deserted by a large body of his followers, and the unfortunate King set out in the night for Conway. It is said that he stopped on his way at Haverford- 'west and conferred valuable privileges on that town, and that the last regal act of his was to confirm by a charter the grant to Robert Niger of a burgage in the town to the Priory of Haverfordwest. Fenton says he saw this Deed of Confirmation among theSlebech papers. This is highly probable, because one other document excusing certain payments by the town of Shrewsbury, was signed by the King at Haver. fordwest Castle. Three or four years later, in 1403, when Owen Glyndwr had unfurled the banner of insurrection in Wales, and had succeeded so well as to take upon himself and act in the capacity of a Sover- eign Prince, he entered into a treaty with Charles, VII. of France, who sent over a large fleet under the command of Admiral Hugue- ville to assist Glyndwr. The fleet landed at Milford, and at once took tq the field. At this time a garrison had been placed in the Castle of Haverfordwest under the command of the Earl of Arundel. The French forces appeared before Haverfordwest.but so gallantly did the Earl of Arundel defend the place that they were ob- liged to raise the siege. But though they failed in their attempt to take the castle, they burned the town and suburbs, 11 marking the course of their march with fire and sword." On the part which Pembroke Castle played in the Civil War between Charles I. and the Par- liament I intend to treat at some length when I come to write of Pembroke Castle. Still, as Haverfordwest figures conspicuously in the annals of those stormy days, the acts in which the town and castle appeared must be detailed .here. Near Haverfordwest, at Prendergasr, lived at this time Sir John Stepney, a firm ad- herent of The Royal Cause, who under the superior orders of the Earl of Carbery, the King's Lieutenant in South Wales, had soon after the outbreak oftheiCivilWar ptaced a garrison at Pembroke Castle. In the town of Pembroke, from the first of the inhabitants, through the influence of the Mayor, Mr John Poyer, better known thereafter as; Colonel Poyer, and of Colonel Rowland LaUj.harnc, son of Mr Ijohn Lau- ghame, of St. Bride's, a family held in great esteem in Pembroke, had fbr the first time declared for the Parliament; but their influ- ence were confined to the town of Pembroke. Early in 1644 the Earl of Oarbery had fairly encompassed them on every side. Tcnby, Carew, Manorbier, and Haverfordwest Castles were all strongly garrisoned for the King, and even such private houses as w%re capable of being used for such a purpose were similarly strengthened. Not only so, but the Earl of Carbery was bent on Fortifying the Mouth of Milford Haven, and so preventing aid from the sea for those at Pembroke. For that purpose, he had got some ships to come over from Bristol and had se- cured the superintending services of Captain Richard Steele, a great talker, who pretended much to be an engineer." Just then, matters looked dark enough for the garrison at Pem- broke, but steps were taken to inform the Par- liamentary Lord Admiral, then with the fleet in the Downe, of the distress they were in. The Bristol ships, sent for by Lord Carbery, how. ever, surprised and captured the little ship which had been sent out by Colonel Poyer to acquaint the Lord Admiral, and bad it not been for the providential appearance at Milford of two of the Parliament ships, under the com- mand of Colonel Swanley as Admiral, and Captain Smith as vice-Admiral, the ring of iron wrought by the Earl of Carbery would have proved the ruin of the little Parliamentary gar- rison at Pembroke. The timely appearance of these ships, however, changed the whole aspect of affairs. Instead of setting about to fortify the Haven, Captain Steele's energies were amply occupied in Securing the Bristol Ships from being captured. They sought shelter in a little creak called Pill. For their protection, a fort was speedily constructed there by Sir Harry Vaughan, a brother of Lord Carbery. The arrival of the Parliament ships so far sti- mulated Laugharne that he lost no time in at- tacking Stackpoole and Treffloyne, two houses in which garrisons had been placed. The assaults were successful, both places being taken, but with trifling loss. The fort at the Pill was the real object of attack. I must leave the account of this until I come to Pembroke. After an attack which lasted two days, the Royalists hung out a flag of truce, and deli- vered up possession of the fort on quarter of life only. The news of the loss of this invin- cible fort was soon at Haverford, where the great commanders, something amazed, called a council and therein, as appeared by the event, resolved nothing but a full purpose on the approach of the enemy to run away." A most amusing account of the evacuation of Haver- fordwest is -thus given in one of the quaint newspapers of the period When the enemy was routed (at Pricks- Pill), some of their soldiers fled to Haverfords west, and informed the commander there, Sir John Stepney, of the loss of the fort, and that all their commanders and soldiers therein were taken prisoners. At which news it is reported Sir Henry Vaughan, with the rest of the commanders, began To Rage and Swear like Madmen, and as a bear robbed of Iterwhelptirun up and down the street crying, Beat up our drums; gather our horse and foot together, for we will cut this night and be revenged on the Round- headed Parliament dog.' And having with this bravado drawn their forces into a body being about 450, Sir John Stepney, the go- vernor of that town, like a prudent overseer, went into the Churchyard to see if he could discern our forces approaching toward Haverfordwest. About half a mile from the town he discovered a herd of young black bullocks coming towards him. rhese horned beasts so amazed the inight that being afraid of his own shadow, his Worship ran to the forces and swore God's wounds the round head dogs were coming, at which report they marched out of the town, and calling to mind the valiant example of Lieutenant-General Carbery (referring to his quelling Pembroke- shire afterthe surrender of Treffloyne) they wheeled hbout and ran away. The boys of the town, seeing them running, fell on their rear and took from them 60 musket". This disorder at the rear made those jn front believe that the Roundheads were at their heels in- deed; and the fear thereof metamorphose dall her cousin Taffies into Mercuries, and with winged speed every man fled for his life. Some nungayay their arms, and those that had charge of the powder threw it into the river and in this manner was the town of Haver- fordwest surrendered, verifying that saying of the Kingly Prophet David, The wicked fleeth when no man pursueth." When the enemy fled they left behind them in Haver- ford 100 red coats, which were never worn, a quantity of victuals, and ten pieces of ordnance, all which argued they wanted nething but a good cause to maintain. Soom afterwards, Pembrokeshire was Cleared of the RoyBljgts, and even Carmarthen was gotten by the Pembrokeshire men." Lord Carbery had proved but an indifferent Lieutenant-General, and was replaced a few months after by Prince Rupert, who appointed Col. Charles Gerard to the command in South Wales. Gerard was a very able soldier, and pushing his way west- ward from Monmouthshire, where he landed from Bristol early in June, 1644, he soon turned the tables upon the Pembrokeshire men, cleared Carmarthen of them,and advanced into Pembrokeshire. Haverfordwest soon fell into his hands,and there were left to the Parliament i men only Tenby and Pembroke in the whole of South Wales. Prince Rupert, having later suffered some reverses in the North, sent in September to Gerard requiring his presence at Bristol. He at once quitted Pembrokeshire, leaving a1; Haverfordwest and other places small garrisons. No I sooner, however, had he left the country than jLaugharne took the field once more, and regained much of what he bad lost. Haverfordwest was once more in his hands. In the meantime, Gerard had gone to North Wales from Bristol. He was, however soon sent back, for matters m South Wales re: quired his attention. Advancing with expedi- tious marches through Cardigansire, and carry- ing everything befor<* him. he did not stop until he appeared before Haverfordwest, which the Parliamentarians evacuated on his ap- proach. This was in the spring of 1645. In thtt following July", Gerard had once more to leave Pembrokeshire to attend upon the King at Cardiff, after the disaster at Naseby had shat- tered the Royal cause. He left Haverfordwest strongly garrisoned under the tomiftand of Major-Generals Stradling and Egerton. On the 1st. August Laugharne Drew Out frem Tenby and Pembroke, and appeared before Haverfordwest. The Royalist came out to give him battle. The fight took place on Colby JVIoor, resulting in the utter rout of the Royalists, of whom 150 were slain and 700 made prisoners. Haverfordwest fell into Laugharne's hands the next day, and remained so until the leaders of the Parliament cause in Pembrokeshire turned traitors in 164A. Cromwell himself came down to suppress them, and though it proved a tough job, his mission was thoroughly carried out. In the great General's opinion, it waS not advisahle to allow a fortress like Haverfordwest to continue capable of being used by ill -affected persons. The mandate went forth for its demolition Cromwell adding to the Commissioners' order in his own hand—" If a speedy course be not taken to fulfil the commands of this warrant, I shall be necessitated to consider of settling a garrison." The threat was effectual. The ori- ginal letters of the Lord Protector are now in the possession of the Haverfordwest Corpora- tion. Of the great Norman fortress nothing now re- mains but the keep,which for many years served as a County gaol. On the removal of the prison- ers to Carmarthen, t.h^County took over the Castle on condition that it was to be main- tained as an ancient monument. It is now used as a police station and lock-up, and is kept in an excellent state of preservation by the County Council, who recently expended a large sum in repairing it. It has been suggested that the Castle would make a very suitable buiiding for a library and museum, but although propo- sals have been put forward with this view, nothing of a definite natur^ has yet been de- cided. f

THE SWANSEA TRAGEDY. I On Tuesday the funeral of Wallace Bridger, otherwise Walter Wallace, who after attempt. ing to murder his wife last Thursday at Swan. sea committed suicide by cutting his throat, took place at, Danygraig. It was a parish fuiieral, and no one was present except a Union official and the unde)taker. The coffin bore the inscription VV allace Bridger, died November 12th, 19CC, aged 45. In blessed hope waiting for Jesus Christ. The Be v. W. Davies, curate of St. Mary's, officiated. There were no relatives present. A claim on behalf of the deceaseds widow, who has been left penniless, has been made to his effects. Captain Colquhoun has. however, ascertained that the Guardians have also put in a claim for the article found on the body, and have taken charge of the contents of the pockets, including a. silver watch and the sum of 9s 6d, with the object of meeting the expenses of the interment-£117s 6d.

Should be Set at Liberty. WESTON MAN'S IMPRISONMENT. Before Mr Justice Bigham and Mr Justice Walton, on Tuesday, sitting as a Divisional Court, Mr Fox Davies applied for a writ of habeas corpus to be addressed to the Governor of Shepton Mallet Prison to bring up John Morris Williams. Counsel read an affidavit by the Governor of the prison that the goods and chattels of John Morris Williams, of Offord Villa, Severn-road, Weston-super-Mare, black- smith, not being of the value of Z50 he had been committed to the prison until further order. Williams' affidavit was next read, and in this lie stated that forGO years he and his fami)y had been accustomed to se-l on the sands of Weston-super-Mare from a stall. In June, 1907, at, Weston Petty Sessions, lie was charged with having unlawfully erected a covered van without permission of the District Council, con- trary to their bye-laws. Williams was tined £ 5 and a continuing penalty of zE2 for each two lull days the erection continued. Williams was allowed to prosecute an appeal as a pauper. The appeal was dismissed with such costs as could be obtained against a pauper. Levy was made upon his goods, the warrant being returned marked Another owner." The fine and coats, amounting to upwards of £\3, were paid by his son to prevent his going to prison. On November 2nd he was arrested for the costs and taken to Sheptou Mallet Prison, where he still remained. Mr Fox Davies said the chief point was what, if any, costs were re- coverable against a person appealing in forma pauperis. it was an-Anged that Master MacNamara,the taxing mabter, should go through the bill of costs and report to the judges, Mr Justice Bigham remarking the chief point was whether there had been a miscarriage of justice After the adjournment Master MacNamara communicated with the judges. It was after- wards explained that it was not intimated to the master that the applicant was proceeding in forma pauperis. Therefore, said Mr Justice Bigham, the taxation was wrong, and he con- sidered the man should be set at liberty. Mr McMorran, for the District Council, said the Court had no power to discharge the man from custody. It was very different to a case of contempt of court. Mr Rowlatt, for the Treasury, expressed a similar opinion. Both counsel agreed that if the opinion of the Court were represented to the Commis- sioners of the Treasury they would act upon it. Mr Justice Bigham: Very well. Without prejudice to anybody my opinion is this man should not be longer detained in custody. Mr Fox Davies asked for costs, but the Court declined to make an order.

EXPERIMENTAL EXPLOSIONS. Paris, Tuesday.—Some extremely interesting tests are being carried out in a specially- orgauised experimental station at Lievin, near Lens, with a view to deter- mining exactly the conditions under which explosions occur in mines, and thus obtaining data for the necessary preventive measures. The Hamm and Courrieres disasters were yesterday as nearly as possihle recon- stituted, and the phenomena of the explosions produced were carefully noted. M. Barthon, Minister of Public Works, deputies representing mining constituencies, and experts sent by numerous collierics witnessed the experiments, from which impor- tant results in the direction of safeguarding the lives of miners are expected Reuter.

HIGHWAY ROBBERY. The Penarth police on Monday received in- formation that Mr Herbert W iggins, son of Mr David Wiggins, Paget-place, Penarth, was .attacked by two men on Sunday night and robbed of two shillings. Wiggins's story is that ne was returning from Barry, and when near his home he was accosted by two men. They demanded money, and anticipating an attack hes knocked down one of the men. The other, however, rushed at him from behind and felled him to the ground, where, Wiggins says, he was violently kicked. The two men then rifled his pockets. Wiggins was found in a state of collapse on the garden path leading to his home, and shortly afterwards Dr. Musgrove was called in, and found that Wiggins was suffering from a severe nervous shock. He was delirious until Monday morning, and until th.en not able to give any account of what happened. The Penarth police are making inquiries.

^^mm,^ TURKISH REFORM LEADER. Ahmed Riia Bey, leader of the Young Turk- ish party, who had been visiting London on a special political mission, has given his views oil the Turkish situation to an interviewer. We start on a clean page," he said. We shall give equality to all, and more tbftn equality, for we shall infringe none of the <Md privileges of the Christian Churches. We bear no grudges, we remember no wrongs. Prom Europe," he Allmed Riza Bey. went on. we ask only one thing—a respite, a trial for five years. Let us be freed from high politics and racial intrigues only for five years, and then you shall judge our future and our capabilities. For four years the Parliament now being elected will sit. By the results of our ntxt general elec- tion we are prepared to be judged. Meanwhile, we are grateful to PJpgland, to France, and also -to Russia. In England we know that we have precious sympathies.

BARON IN, DIVORCE COURT. In the Divorce Court on Tuesday (before the President) a motion was made in the case of; Baroness Bagot v. Baron Bagot. This was a aruito, in which in July last year a decree of restitution of conjugal rights was granted to the Right Hon. Lilian Marje, Baroness Bagot, against her husband, the Right Hon. William, Baron Bagot. Counsel appearing for Lady Bagot explained that the-motion had been before his Lordship to confirm a report of the registrar regarding the periodical payments to the Baroness. His Lordship confirmed the report. The matter stood over on a question of security. The partieshJad agreed to the security, and a deed had been executed. His Lordship gave sanction to the arrangement, and allowed the petitioner costs of the petition respecting periodical payments.

_L 0. JUDGE FIRED AT. Leipzig, Monday. -A sensational finish to a. German will case was witnessed in the Imperial High Court here to-day, when an unsuccessful plaintiff flrew a revolver and aimed at a Judge. He missed the Judge, but rounded a lawyer engaged in the case.—Reuter) Leipzig, I#ater.—The lawyer's name is Waenner. He was severely injured. The man continued tiring shot after shot. and Herr Strassburg, clerk of the court, was killed by a bullet in the ahdomen.-Reuter.

--r- ROYAL VISIT TO THE RHONDDA. Mr Tom Davies, secretary of the Rhondda Cymmrodorion and chief superintendent to the Rhondda Fawr Corps St. John Ambulance Brigade, has itist received another letter from the private secretary to her Royal Highness, Princess-; Louise (Duchess of Argyll), eldest sister of his Majesty King Edward, with re- ference to a visit to the Rhondda. to present the Genera' Sir Charles Warren trophy, prizes.. and certificate to successful squads, giving I June next year as the probable month in which her Royal Highness will visit the Rhondda.

—- t PRESENTATION AT ABERYSTWYTH. On Monday e\ euing the Rev. Gwilym Smith, B.A., curate of Holy Trinity Church, Aberyst- wyth, was presented with a silver pocket com- munion set, a pair of bronzes and clock, by the parishoners on the occasion of his forthcoming marriage with Miss Paull, of Llanbadarn-road, Aberystwyth, the daughter of Captain and Mrs Paull Miss Paull was given a solid silver entree dish.

WELSH GLEANINGS. News and Views in Lighter Vein. Mr R. O. Roberts, the prospective CojTserva. e candidate for Anglesey, ha-3 been elected president, of the Hardvvickc Society, a position never before held by a Welshman. The late Mr Enoch James took a great in- terest in the election of (lie Hon. Ivor Guest when he was the candidate fur Cardiff, anD it jyas he who suggested, that some of the Dow lais workirten should be brought to the election meetings to refute certain unfounded'rumours that were being circulated as to the relations between masters and men at Dowlais. The Welsh bards of the present day may possibly dissent from Professor Kuno Meyer's view tha^the fourteenth century was the golden age of Welsh poetry. Jftfty bards flourished at tha.t time, and amobg them was uatydd ap Gwilym, the greatest of all Celtic poets. In addition to the Welsh churches men- tioned in the Welsh Gossip on Friday that use the individual communion cup, a corres- pondent points out that Gwernllwvn Welsh Congregational Church, Dowlais, have had it in use for two or three years past. For two succeeding Sundays people going tft worship at Swansea have observed on the rail- ingsof St. James's Church a big placard an- nouncicg a forthcoming Tory meeting. Is this to bei-egarded as another proof of the con- tention that the Church of England in Wales is the Cnurch of a party and not the Church of the people ? There are strong objections in Welsh Non- conformist circles to the performance of reli- gious dramas in character in places of worship. A o such difficulties, however, have been met TPith at T^>ernacie, Llanelly, where for many years dramas written by the pastor, Rev. R. wylfa Roberts, and set to music bv the pre- centor and organist, Mr C. Meudwy Davies. have been performed. Both gentlemen are engaged upon similar work again this vear, and this will be produced on Christmas night,. Mr Lloyd George, in his characteristic happy vem, referred in his speech at Criccieth on Saturday to his educational honours. He observed that he felt himself getting very learned, what with degrees and opening of schools. The other day he was made a doctor in Oxford. Aftei wards it struck his country-' men that he ought to be a doctor in the Welsh University a" well. The only degree licking- row was the D.D., and he supposed he must go to America tor that. Welsh poetry made in Germany! Professor Kuno Meyer, speaking of Dafydd ap Gwilym, says thai, the study of his work has been most mexphcably negMcted by Welshmen, and there did not exist a complete and critical edition of his works. A Berlin philologist, however, says the Professor, is about to publish an examina- tion. of Dafydd s poetry, with a consideratioa ot his place in the contemporary literature of into°German SOm° ^ranslat'OD^ of his poems The Druid states that one of the most L,F";ar- SOn?t among American people in the repertoire of Madame Hughes-Thomas' Welsh Ladies Cnoir is The Cuckoo Song." And yet the cuckoo is not known in America. One admirer of the tuneful melody admitted that he had only heard cuùoo clocks previously. American-W elshmen are reminded by it of h old country r associations, and it often produces among them violent paroxysms of home-sickness. Probably the novelty of the notes of the British summer songster catches the ears of American people more readily famjilar sounds. Whatever mav be the caute. The Cuckoo Song "has evidently come to stay on the Western side of the Atlantic Ocean. ..j;¡" Thc Solicitor-General, speaking at the Welsh Disestablishment meeting held in London lasii I w-eek, raid that the plares in Walae wbm I the Church had been mostly successful were peaces where there was not a penny of tithe available. A correspondent savs that the parish of Llanbadarn Fa.wr is a rem ark Able instance of this kind. For centuries the parish diurch, situated a mile from Aberystwyth, was the only one between the sea and Llangurig distance of 25 miles—with the exception of Ysbytty Cynfyn Chapelt-ease. It is under- stood that the tithes, owjned by the Chichester family, are worth about £2,000 a year, a sum of £20 a year being payable to the vicar. There are now endowed churches at Aber- ystwyth (St. Michael's, 8t. Mary's, and Holy Trinity), Capel Bangor (with a Mission Church at Gogman), Elerch, Llangorwen, and fen- rhyncoch. A church has also been built and endowed at Devil's Bridge, and another, not endowed, has been erected at LIantrisant. The onslaught of kindness from American Welshmen is more than anyone can believe," so writes, to a member of our staff, one of the members of Madame Hughes-Thomas's Choir now touring in the States. The writer adds: They crowd upon us in the train at way- side stations, accompany us from one con- > cert to another, a distance of 30 and even 50 miles apart. At Berlin, Wis., we came across a large number of hogia (quarrymen) from Trevor, Penmaenmawr, Bethesda, and Port Dinorwic, They literajly swooped upon us, rushed off our luggage to our hotel, and lost half of it on the way in their excitement. At the concert in the opera house they shouted 'Cvmru am byth until they were hoarse. Ne*t morning they all struck work at the quarries and followed the choir to Oshkosh, a four hours' ride, and smothered us with pears, « oranges, Californian grapes, etc. At one station they bought a large can (five gallons) of fresh milk from a farmer and distributed its contents in cups, in taproojn fashion. When we shall re- turn I do not know. It would be easy to stay here until April. Americans, Germans, and Dutch vie with each other to give urfa warm welcome." Mabon, M.P., had one of the hardest, day'a^ work of his life yesterday in piloting the pro- ceedingpofthc miners' conference at Cardiff. I am 66 years of age, boys," he declared. and get tired sooner than I used to," but he showed no signs of weariness yester- day afternoon even after he had been in the chair for five hours. Miners' conferences in South Wales have improved out of all recogni- tion since the old days when amid beer and tobacco smoke the business of the coalfield was transacted in the longroom of an Aberdare public-house, but even now when two or three hundred miners' delegates gather together it needs all the wit, strength, resource and bon- bomie of a Mabon to secure respect for tho chair and to get progress reported. There's a new spirit abroad in the coalfield, as was shown on two or three occasions yesterday when the delegates emphatically voted down the recom- mendations of their own Executive Council. The preconceived impressions of Cardiff, writes Mr W. E. Curtis in tbe Chicago Record Herald," are very far from accurate. People generally suppose it to be a sooty and ugly coal toyn, with a thick atmosphere and proces- sions of .grim miners passing through tho streets between the shafts and their slate, thatched cottages. On the contrary, it is one > of the prettiest cities in the kingdom, with wide, clean streets, lined with shade trees and rows of comfortable villas, with flower gardens, shrubbery and clinging vines, which at this time of the year arc ablaze with colour. Al- though Cardiff handles nftore coal than any other place in the world, a stranger might live* here for a year without suspecting such a thing from appearances. There isivt a mine within nine miles of the place, and the coal is carried "directly from the shafts in railway trains to the docks, which lie some distance below the residenc e portion of the city." Bute- street is described as "a long street that is inhabited by people of every clime on earth, chiefly sailor folk, who have been stranded here at the end of voyages, .or are keeping boarding-houses and shops for the patronage of their fellow-countrymen who come here b^ the sea From New Loud on .^Wisconsin, Mr Edward Thomas, J.P., Cardiff, writes to The Dniid • (Scranton) The genesis of popular gongs is ;,J largely unwritten, ahd it would prove an inter- esting field of literature for a, sympathetic writer. The stirring patriotic solo, ■ Cyrnnz Fydd.' wlWh forms part of the programmes of t he Royal Welsh Ladies' Choir, was composed under exceptional circumstances- The Cardiff Welsh National Society, Cymmrodorion Caer« dydd,'had as one of its earlier presidents J Major E. Rowland Jones, then American 13 Consnl at that city. At a weekly meeting of the society he expressed a desirts to have a song which could be considered as the society's rallying time. Dr. Joseph Parry, the eminent musician, was one of the audience at the time, and his genius was inspired by the president's suggestion. He consulted the poet, Wateyn Wvn, who caught, the doctor's enthusiasm; and .'it—the next weekly meeting of the society Dr. Fairy sat at the pianoforte arid sang, • Cymio Py<?d' to his own accompaniment. Its excellence was endorsed with acclamation by the audience. It remains 11 favouritc or thf: first rank to this day, and lias becomte an international possession."

mmmmmmmmmrn V Mr Richard H. Guy. son 'of ex-QouncOlor" R. tiuy, of Peiiarth.has passed the final exami. nation of the Incorporated Law Society. Mr Guy was articled to Mr J. W. Moms, solicitor, Cardiff, clerk to the Barry and Penarth justices. and in his colU giate aud legal Courses has been signally sucuastul.