The Brecon Reporter and South Wales General Advertiser

EPITOME &F HWS. i --+-- A MILITARY escort with Fenian prisoners from the Court House were pelted with stones on Saturday the Court House were pelted with stones on Saturday evening in North King-street, Dublin, by the mob. Two Scots Greys were struck. VOLUNTEER REVIEW.—Lord Ailesbury, the lord lieutenant of the county of Wilts, has consented to the proposed review of volunteers on Wednesday, the _ay, 29th May, being held at Salisbury. A NEW LIFEBOAT is about to be placed on the Brooke station at the back of the Isle of Wight, a dangerous part of the coast. Brooke was the tei-ii- porary residence of Garibaldi when he landed in Eug- j land. THE FENIAN CONvic-rs.- We (the Morning Post) have reason to believe that her Majesty's Govern- ment have arrived at the determination not to carry out the sentence of the law on the convicts Burke and Doran. THE GREAT SINGER GARCIA has lost a young married daughter, Madame Crepet, at the early age of 25. She was niece of Mali bran and of Viardot, and inherited a large share of the musical talent of her family. BEES have swarmed in manyparts of the South of England before the approach of May. The cuckoo was heard in the New Forest during April. The bloom on the fruit trees generally throughout England is look- ing very promising. CHESTER RACES.—The celebrated annual meet- ing on the Rhoodee took place on the 1st inst. with more than usual celat, as the weather was fine and the sport good. The principal feature was the Chester Cup, which was won by Beeswing, Endsleigh being second, and Lecturer third. PLAGUE OF CATERPILLARS.—Bordeaux is at the present moment suffering from a plague of cater- pillars, which penetrate even into the houses and apart- ments. What is singular is, that the country-districts around the city were never so free from these insects as at this moment. RELEASE OF TOOHER.—-On Saturday Ferry, the governor of the Reading House of Correc- tion, in which Toomer has been confined since his trial, received a letter from the Home Office ordering his release, her Majesty having granted him a free pardon, Toomer left the prison m the course of the morning. VIRGINIA WATER.—The well-known Chinese Fishing Temple at Virginia Water having become de- cayed, it will, it is understood, not be repaired, but will be replaced by another building designed like a Swiss chalet, which, from its being more spacious, will give in- creased accommodation when required by the Royal family. It is to be completed by the autumn. MR. JOHN HANNAH, who has been for 81 years keeper of the Rock Lighthouse, at the entrance to the Mersey, and must, therefore, have had many opportuni- ties of judging, says,that the body of a drowned woman always rises with the face upward, and floats on the back. The body of a man rises with the back upward, and floats with the face downward. SUICIDE OF A SURGEON.—An inquest has been held at Newcastle, on the body of George Young Hood, 52 years of age, surgeon, Westgate-street, who was found dead in his bed on Thursday night last. The jury returned a verdict to the effect 11 That the deceased died from hydrocyanic acid, administered by his own hand, being at the time in an unsound state of mind." DATII OF 8m W. S. TEOMAS.- The death was announced on Tuesday morning of Sir William Sidnev Thomas, "Rnronet of Tl-io Granee, Great Malvern. Tne deceased,- wno was the titih bayo- net, was bora in 1807, and succeeded bis father in 1850. In early life lie entered the Royal Navy, became commander in 1842, and captain in 1866. THE BIKSIINCHAM MURDER.—The coroner's inquiry into the cause of the death of Mr. John Pryse, traveller to the firm of Messrs. "Pryse and Redn;an, gun- makers. of Birmingham, who was shot by the cashier, James Scott, has been resumed and concluded. The jury returned a verdict of Wilful Murder, and the prisoner was committed for trial. PARIS ANTI-SLAVERY CONFERENCE. The united committees of the British and Foreign Anti- Slavery Society, the Spanish Abolitionist Society (La Sociedad Abolicionista Espaiiola), and the Comite Frangais d'Emancipation have agreed to postpone the holding of the International Anti-Slavery Conference in Paris until the 26th of August next. The period originally fixed was the third week in June. ROBBING A HORSE OF HIS FEED.—At the Manchester Police-court, on Thursday, a man named William Billinge was sent to gaol for two months for stealing an armful of hay that had been placed in a manger as a feed for a horse. The owner of the horse had noticed that the poor animal had not been up to his work of late. The thief had a horse of his own in an adjoining stable, and stole the hay to feed it with. A BALLOON TRIP.—The good people of Dublin were thrown into a state cf painful uncertainty for some days as to the fate of a balloon and its occupant, a pyrotechnist named Hodsman. The ascent was made on Easter Monday from the Exhibition Palace Gardens, and the balloon was borne by a strong breeze in a north- easterly direction towards the Channel. No intelligence being received of his descent, it was feared that he had fallen into the sea and lost his life. It turns out, how- ever, that he was borne across the Channel and safely deposited near Appleby, in the county of Westmoreland, after a trip of nearly seven hours. THE EX-KING OF HANOVER.—A communica- tion from Hanover says William I., King of Prussia thought fit to seize on the private property of "our sovereign after having deprived him of his crown. His horses, dogs, &c., have all been taken from him. lviiig George's physicians recently advised him v.o take riding exercise. The horses which he had always used were expressly trained for him- as a blind man, and belonged to him personally, but are in possession of his cousin William of 'Prussia. A request was made to the latter to return them, but he refused." ROBBERY AND RECOVERY.—A tradesman and his wife left their house in Dublin on Thursday to attend a suburban horse-race, and on their return at night they found that a deal box, in which all the money they possessed was usually kept, had been broken open, and £ 240 in gold abstracted. On the information of the servant girl, Mary Muilins, two men, named Murphy and Farreli, were arrested; and subsequently, "from information received." the police went to a house in Pembroke road, in the front garden of which, buried close to one of the shrubs, the police found .£235 of the stolen money. LIABILITY OF S H ARENOLDRF,S.—IT has just been decided by the chief-clerk in the Roll Chambers, that the,Earl of Shrewsbury was a shareholder in the National Savings Bank for the following reasons :-The Earl was patron of the Districts Savings Bank. He wished to assist the depositors in that bank, who were likely to lose, to the extent of £ 2,000, and paid £500 of the amount. The district institution became con- nected with the National Savings Bank, and shares .in that corporation were accordingly allotted to his lordship, whose name, as one of the shareholders is now placed on foe list. A Si LE of pictures, sketches, water-colour oraw- ingi, &(- by Ingres, took place on Saturday at the Hotel Di-otot, Paris. A sketch of the Death of Leonardo da "Vinci" fetched 2,500fr. a small copy of "Strato- nice, 3,400fr. another, 4,200fr. a drawing of "Philip 'V. 4,380fr. a small copy 0f the Tu Marcellts eris," 5,700fr. cai Odalisque," in mono- chrome, 5,750fr. a copy in small of Saint-Sym- phoriell," 2,600fr.; The Virgin with the Holy Wafer," I7,100fr. a small copy of the "Age of Gold," 27,000fr.; and another "Odalisque," a completed picture, 44,t00fr. Seven others, making in all 17, z, realised smaller prices, the total amount of the -je being 145,730f; ACTION FORA MODEL.—AN action was brought in the Rotherham County Court on Saturday to resover f taotel (MO), for an' ornamental .flower "trad 1* e DlaMtiff, Mr. C. H. WMtaker, of Bir- ™ x said 'that he forwarded the model, as per oidei the defendants, Messrs. G. and S. W. Chambers, ironfounders,'&c., of Rotherham Some days after its arrival the defendants objected to the price, which was £52 3d., and the plaintiff agreed to take it back, and it in a damaged and broken condition, and that casting's had been taken from it. The defence was that the model had not been sent in in good time, and that it was not according to order. His Honour, while expressing himself disposed to give a verdict for the plaintiff, postponed his decision in order that he might have time to read the correspondence between the parties. GUILDFORD SHEEP AND HORSE FAIP.This fair was held on Saturday, and brought together a large number of flock-masters. The hurdles on the hill were well filled with sheep, and high prices were demanded. A clearance was made at the following prices :South- down and half-bred store wethers for turning into pas- ture, 45s. to 50s. a head large wethers, in- high condi- tion, 53s. to 60s. well-bred wether tegs, 34s. to 42s. and ewe ditto, for stock, 33s. to 45s. per ditto South- down couples (ewe and lamb), 50s. to 55s. and fat lambs, 32s. to 3Ds.; young tups, of good breed, two to four guineas each. In the horse fair there was a good business, and best descriptions of horses found i buyers-at good figures. IMPORTATION OF SCOTCH SHEEP TO IRELAND. -At the meeting of the Privy Council on Friday, at the Council Chamber, Dublin Castle, there was an order 1 passed admitting Scotch sheep into Ireland on certain j conditions, among which are a declaration from the con- I signer in Scotland that they have not been exposed to jilie infection of disease; a certificate that previous to debarkation in Ireland they have been examined by an inspector appointed for that purpose by the Lord Lieu- tenant, and that they have been disinfected by being dipped in a solution of carbonic acid, made, according to the formula, of two ounces of the carbonic acid of commerce to every gallon of water. The captains and owners of vessels carrying sheep to Ireland contrary to the council order is held responsible, and subject to incur a, penalty of zC20 and should the number of sheep shipped in contravention to the council order exceed four, a penalty of X5 per head for each animal so ille- gally taken on board in Scotland or elsewhere. A DESPERATE STRUGGLE. On Saturday evening a determined attack was made by a young man of American appearance on two constables in Grafton- street with a revolver. When arrested for disorderly conduct he pulled out a loaded revolver of seven chambers, and several times attempted to shoot, Police-constable 64 B closed with him, and endeavoured to take the revolver, but the crowd broke in and rescued the man, who made towards Clarendon-street, but fell on his way, and a dagger dropped from his hand. Seeing a person running with a revolver, Police-con- stable 89 B, in Clarendon-street, followed, and came up with him. A desperate struggle ensued, and the police- man was nearly overpowered, but at length he took the revolver, after it had been several times pointed at him. Seeing the man getting the better of him, the constable struck him with the end of the revolver and broke his nose. The .fellow struggled for a long time after, and .nearly got away from the two constables, until addi- tional force .came up, and then lie fainted and was taken to the hospital. Thirty-eight rounds of ball cartridge were found upon him. He refused his name or address. TRYING TO TRICK THE GOVERNMENT. Win. Thomas Kitchener was summoned before the presiding magistrate at the London Mansion-house on Saturday, at the instance of the Commissioners of Customs, with attempting to defraud them by a false representation, with a view to obtain a public appoint- ,+ tbe 8th of February, the defendant obtained a wnterssmp in uie ~L— ■■ that appointment, candidates must not be younger than 25, and not older than 40 years. The defendant had to ) till up certain forms as to his age and other qualifications. In filling these up he stated he was born in August, 1828, and that his age on his last birthday was 38. The | papers so filled up were afterwards sent to the Civil Service Commissioners, but upon inquiry it was found that he was born in 1821, and therefore was seven years older than he actually stated himself to be. The de- fendant threw himself on the merciful consideration of the court, explaining that lie had lost his parents when very young, and had been since estranged from his family, and that he was therefore somewhat in ignorance as to his real age. The Lord Mayor said the law fixed the penalty for such an offence at X100, and not less than £ 25. He had, therefore, no option but to fine him e25, with the iltei-native of six months' imprisonment, leaving him, if he chose, to memorialise the Commissioners of Customs with a view to the mitigation of the penalty. TORTURING A Horsr, --Henry Huiit, coal merchant and landlord of the Four Swans, Waltham- cross, and James Griggs, his foreman, were charged, at the Thames-street Police-court, on Saturday, with cruelly torturing a horse and working it in an unfit condition. On Wednesday last a young man named Wiltshire was fined for driving the horse while in so bad a condition. He said he had taken the animal out at the direction of Griggs The horse was brought to the court, and appeared to be in a most lamentable state of disease, and was suffering much pain. It had since been slaughtered. The magistrate now fined Griggs zC5, and 4s. costs. 3fr. Hunt said he kept 40 or 50 horses, and had not seen the animal in question for six weeks. He left the management to his foreman. Mr. Partridge said a mail who kept so many horses should either look after them himself or pay a foreman who was capable of doing it for him. YOUTHFUL ADVENTURERS IN TORONTO.—A mania for running away from their parents seems to have lately seized a portion of our male population, between the ages of 10 and 15 years. A few days ago three boys, about the ages named, deserted from home, and took up lodgings in a tenantless lumberman's shanty on the Don, where they subsisted on nothing for three days. Meanwhile their parents were in a sad plight, and all sorts of surmises crowded their minds. The boys presented themselves at their homes, well cured of their love of adventure by a three days' fast. On Tuesday two young lads, both aged about 13 years, left home to avoid a whipping for mitching from school, and have not been heard of since. They will probably return agreeably well satisfied that the parental roof is the best, and a slight practical proof of fatherly authority on their return will, no doubt, assist in ex- tracting the romance out of such fun.—Toronto Globe. THE STRIKE OF PARIS TAILORS.—The dis- pute between the master tailors and their men may now be considered as almost at an end. Two letters have been communicated to the Paris journals for insertion. The first from a number of workmen, and which has already received the adhesion of 1,500 names, invites r t(i their comrades to resume their individual liberty, adding that a part of their demands having been acceded to, they had better be satisfied with the concession obtained, as they would gain nothing by the ruin of the trade on which they depend for their living. The second is from the committee of employers, declaring that the increase of 10 per cent. in the wages has been accepted by a large number of the men, who have agreed to resume work on such terms, and that the strike being thus de facto at an end, the masters in general are invited to reopen their workshops. A CLERGYMAN AND HIS PARISHIONERS.—-It will be remembered that Brother Ignatius" was intro- duced to. the eastern counties some 'four years since by the Rev. G. Drury, rector of Claydon, Suffolk—a gentle- man who has made his parish and himself notorious by his ritualistic tendencies. For the last four years a very disorderly state of things has prevailed at Claydon. A few weeks since the Needham Market magistrates sent two lads ta prison for misbehaving themselves by drink- ing beer out of a bottle, and being guilty of other unseemly conduct while in the church and upon the return of these lads to their homes a number of other boys were ready to receive them, and the party pro- ceeded to the rectory with sticks and staves, and com- ni^n-ed making, hideous noises. A night or two since, tlis church doors having been inadvertently left open, a .:pany. of vdl<sger3'proceeded ,to ransackisiie church. A .h -«r, ;;>QClt fqu-r "feet high, two flower vases, and four wax candles were taken from the altar. The candles I were broken up, and the cross was smashed and carried in fragments about the village. A criminal prosecution ivill, it is stated, be the upshot of these lawless pro- ceedings. CAPTURED IN BED.-The Liverpool police paid a visit to the Talbot Hotel, Great Charlotte-street, in that town the other day, and took into custody two men, who were in bed, and were staying at the house as commercial travellers under the names of Cole and Waterhouse. In their possession the police found 14.1 gold and silver watches—which from the obliteration of names and dates there is little room to doubt had been stolen—about £39 in money, and a quantity of foreign stamps. A SOLDIER DRUMMED OCT.—A private of the 74th Highlanders, stationed in Limerick Garrison, named Daniel Macreedy, a native of Glasgow, was drummed out of the regiment on Friday morning, pur- suant to order of a district court martial, which found him guilty of repeated desertions and, selling his kit. He was handed over to the civil power and taken in charge by constable King,. and removed to the county gaol, there to undergo a term of 12 months' imprison- ment. i DEATH OF ONE OF THE GALLANT U SIX HUNDRED."—The death of Fiennes Cornwallis, late Major in the 4th Light Dragoons, second son of Mr. Charles Wvkeham. Martin, M.P., and Lady Jemima Wykeham Martin, daughter of the fifth Earl of Corn- wallis, took place at Chacombe Priory, Northampton shire, on the 23rd of April, in his 35th year. The deceased served with the army in the Crimea, and was one of the gallant six hundred who rode into the valley of death" at Balaklava and at Inkermann he was for some time under a heavy fire. He became aide- de-camp to Lord George Paget, and remained in the Crimea until the last of the light cavalry were embarked. His death was occasioned by a fall whilst hunting. SUICIDE OF A MEDICAL GENTLEMAN.—On Saturday an inquest was held in High-street, Poplar, on the body of Mr. Messeena, aged 75 years. Deceased was last seen alive on Monday night, by his brother, and he was then in a very distressed state of mind, con- sequent on a supposed disadvantageous disposal of his practice. His mind was affected by softening of the brain, and his family had been 'advised to keep razors, &c., out of his way. On Tuesday he was found lying on the floor, and a razor lying near him. His throat was cut from left to right, and he was quite dead. The jury returned a verdict of Suicide while in a state of Temporary Insanity. CHAPEL ROYAL, -The Rev. Professor Plumtre resumed his work as Boyle lecturer on the afternoon of Sunday, the 5th inst., at three p.m. In the course of last year, recently published under the title of "Christ and Christendom," Mr. Pluiiiptre ex- amined the questions that have been recently raised as to the Gospel History and their bearing upon men's hopes and plans for a closer union amongst all who call themselves Christians. In the lectures of the present year, the subject may be briefly summed under the title of "Christianity and other Creeds," he proposes entering on a survey of the more prominent forms of I faith in the religious history of mankind, with the view of tracing in them the outlines of a Divine plan of education working even through the human ignorance and error that seem to threaten its defeat. A STRIKE OF FEMALE AGRICULTURAL LA- BOURERS.—The dissatisfaction as to the rate of wages appears to, have spread from Buckinghamshire to the adjoining county of Oxfordshire. In the latter county the initiative has been taken by the females, many of whom go out into the fields to work. In the present case the standard price has been 6d. per diem for picking couch" from the ground. The fact that one farmer— q tbrpp. "miles from Bicester—was, living women cd. per day, and the welcome uews that "Dire farmers in that and the neighbouring villages had raised the wages of their weekly men Is. per week, induced the "gentler" sex to demand an advance of 2d. per day for their services—they arguing that "if the men's I wages were raised Is. per they could not see why the women's should not also be raised Is. and they appear to have carried their point. A WHITE BEAR AT LARGE.—For several days a bear, supposed to have escaped from the I menagerie of Messrs. Stevens, which was exhibiting in Nottingham, at Easter, has been seen roaming in the fields about two miles from that town. It was first observed by some men who were milking cows, and they pursued -it, but it got out of the way. The same evening it was seen on the other side of the Trent, having evidently swum the river, a distance of about 100, yards. A young man, named Cockayne, wljo was ploughing in the neighbourhood of West.Bridgeford, suddenly came upon the brute, and the ploughman becoming alarmed, hastily beat a retreat. Cockayne gave information to the county police, several of whom pursued the beast, but lost all trace of it when they arrived at Bridgeford Cover, in consequence of the darkness. A DOMESTIC ROMANCE.—An inquest wa.s held at Sheffield on Tuesday, on the body of Samuel Platts, ,v whose death took place under the following singular cir- cumstances. About 17 years ago he deserted his wife and family, and went to America. A few years after- wards his wife was told that he had died, and as no tidings were received from him it was supposed that this statement was true. Nothing more was heard of him till last Thursday, when he came to Sheffield from America., and made himself known to his wife, who was still living, and to his two children. Since his return he seems to have suffered a good deal of remorse for having left his wife and family, and he frequently told his wife that the day for amendment was passed. The night after his return home he was taken ill, and gradually got worse till the following morning, when he died. The result of a post-mortem examination showed that lie had died from taking a large quantity of powdered ojtium. The jury returned a verdict that the deceased died-Trom poison administered by himself whilst in a statof un- sound mind. SCENE AT A CEMETERY.—Several acleien applied to the magistrate at the Lambeth Police-court on Saturday for advice under the following circumstances —On Sunday last a Catholic funeral took place at the -On Sunday last a Catholic funeral took place at the cemetery at Forest-hill, and, as usual on such occasions, a crowd accompanied the corpse, and made so much dis- turbance that it was impossible to keep order. They took possession of a grave which had been dug for a child, which was much too small and shallow for a grQwn person. The autho- rities interfered, but were set at defiance. The party with the coffin of the child arrived, but the Irish re- fused to give up the grave, and the consequence was that another grave had to be opened. The magistrate said it was a most disgraceful affair, and every effort should be made to put a stop to such riots. The ceme- tery authorities had power to proceed against any per- sons for disturbing an interment, the penalty being £5 for each offence. The best course would be to punish the offenders by getting the parties connected with the child's grave to bring a charge against them.—-The ap- plicants said that these scenes were of frequent occur- rence. DEPOSITORS IN SAVINGS BANKS.—The total number of depositors in the trustee savings banks of the United Kingdom amounted on the 20th of November, 1866, to 1,376,890, whose aggregate deposits were £ 33,840,096. The depositors were classified as follows :—With balances not exceeding £ 1, 258,492 above £ 1, and not exceeding £ 5, 269,2S9 with balances above C,5, and not exceeding £10, 168,211 with balances above 9.10, and not exceeding zCI5, 117,542 with balances above £ 15, and not exceeding £ 20, 74,675 with balances above £20, and not ex- ceeCting.930, 126,365 with balances above X30, and not exceeding 140, 96,291 with balances above £ 40, and not exceeding £ 50, 53,630 with balances above £50, and not exceeding zC75, 88,058 with balances above zCi5, and not exceeding £ 100, 44,116; with balances above £100, and not exceeding X12,5, 30,725 with balances above £ 125, and- not exceeding E150, 17,944 with balances above J6150, and not ex- I ceeding £ 200, 29,355; and with e_Tceedii?g f Y,200, 2,1-97. THE Fenian prisoner who escaped from the. j inail train near Tamworth has been captured at Ather- stone. He says he watched his opportunity, dropped he carriage window down, and, placing his knee and hands on the sill, with a cat-like spring shot through the window; he alighted on his feet, and then had a few rolls and got up, beyond the shaking and a slight scratch on the right side of his forehead, nothing the worse for his adventure. The train at the time was travelling 50 miles an hour COST OF THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT.—- The estimate for expenses connected with both Houses of Parliament for the current year amounts to £ 55,137. Of this suni zC12,198 is required for the completion of the clock tower and for works in New Palace-yard. The supply of gas and oil costs zC5,200, and of fuel £ 1,704. The pay of police attached to the building amounts to £ 1,700, and X116 is annually expended for winding and regulating the great clock. EASTER DUES AT PrESTON.-During the.past few years Preston has earned considerable notoriety through the strife kept up by certain classes in reference to Easter dues, one. side contending fiercely for their payment, and the other as stoutly resisting them on the ground that they were an unjust impost, and ought not to be forced from any one holding conscientious objec- tions. Not very long ago 40 or 50 persons were sum- moned before the magistrates at the instance of the Rev. Canon Parr, vicar of Preston, for non-payment of the dues, and a case relative to the question of local jurisdic- tion -was afterwards taken to one of the superior courts, and was decided in favour of the anti-dues party. Dur- ing the past few days the vicar has been receiving-not enforcing, as heretofore-Easter dues, and on Saturday a notice was made public in these words :—" Easter dues will be received from persons who may wish to pay them at the parish church every morning and evening during next week, from ten a.m. to one p.m., and from six p.m. to nine p.m." AN OMNIBUS PROBLEM, The Manchester General Omnibus Company are engaged in solving a very knotty problem, How to save £8,000 a jear ? They have been recently prosecuting guards for not pay- ing over the receipts from passengers. The prosecu- tions have not been very satisfactory, but they have brought about confessions and declarations from employes who have shared in the plunder which have fairly startled them. For instance, a driver has confessed that for years past the guards have handed him over 4s. per day as his share of the embezzled fares. A man on the Guards and Drivers' Club sick list having had his allowance stopped has written to make a similar confession of past participation in rascality. The manager estimates that £ 8,000 a year has thus failed to reach the hands of the company. At a recent meet- ing the company divided 10 per cent., but the dividend would have been multiplied manifold but for this system of black-mail. Mr. Heyworth, the manager, has invented a simple but ingenious method of giving tickets torn from an endless roll inserted in a revolving case with progressive numbers, which may do much to check such frauds, if it does not entirely cure the evil.