The North Wales Times

ROBBERY AT THE RAILWAY STATION. EXTRAORDINARY CONDUCT OF JUVENILE BURGLARS! A Midnight I Meal' in a Railway Saloon. At a special Police Court on Saturday, before the Rev. Chancellor B. O. Jones (presiding) and the Mayor (Dr. J. Medwyn Hughes), five young boys were charged in custody with committing a robbery at the railway station the same morning. The accused were William Jones, twelve. Old Post Office Yard; Gabriel Roberts, ten, Crispin Yard; William Edwards, fifteen, and John Edwards, nine, both of Humphreys Yard, Llan- fwrog and William Roberts, twelve, 71, Mwrog Street,, Llanfwrog. Police Sergeant Woollam stated that the same morning, at about one o'clock, he was passing through the Ruthin station jjoods yard, and heard the sound of voices in a saloon carriage that was standing on the siding. He watched for a while, and eventually saw a boy leave the vehicle and go towards the goods shed. He ran after the lad, and, with the assistance of P.C. Bithel, he caught the other prisoners, who were in the coach. Finding a quantity of cough lozenges upon them which they could not ac- count for, he placed them under arrest, and returned to the carriage. He there found about 61bs. of tea, a number of jars of jam, and some broken bottles bearing the label of Messrs. Ellis and Son's Cymralis water. The door of the goods shed was unfastened, and several boxes had been broken open, and a cask of beer had been tampered with. The prisoners were then remanded till Mon- day in custody. On Monday, before the Rev. Chancellor B. O. Jones (presiding), Captain Cole, the Mayor (Dr. Hughes), Messrs. G. Blezard, W. T. Rouw, W. G. Rigby, and G. H. Denton, the boys were again brought up, and charged with larceny. Mr. Fenna, of Liverpool, prosecuted on be- half of the Railway Company, and the accused were undefended. The court was crowded, the extraordinary escapades of the boys having created great interest in the town and dis- I trict. Itt Opening the case, Mr. Fenna said that the charge preferred against the boys was one of charge preferred against the boys was one of larceny, and not of breaking into and entering the warehouse. The goods stolen would be enumerated by other witnesses, so that the. ? was no tte<?d for him to trouble the benph wjtL UnnefttsBsary details. He might say, however, that the articles stolen consisted of tea, various jam pots, bottles of Cymralis water, packages of lozenges, and of castor oil, valued at 25s. lOd. It was only right that he should tell the bench that a far more serious charge might have been preferred against the accused, viz., of breaking and entering the warehouse, and stealinggoods therefrom. He would not take that course, I because, if charged with breaking and entering, the court would have no right to deal with the case summarily. He was therefore dropping the most serious charge, and taking the more mer- ciful that the ease might fcs ^fe&lt with by tl-.eir worships that day. Neither him- self nor the directors or managers of the London &nd North- Western Railway would ever dream of making gaol birds of those five boys. They were too young for that, a\1d he was going to suggest later on, without for a moment at. tempting to dictate to the bench, what their punishment, ought to be The Chairman You must prove their guilt first. Mr. Fdntia said this was the reason why he intended to deter his suggestion until a 'later stage: in the case. As to their guilt, he was in no difficulty, as every one of the boys had ad- mitted the offence. It would also be proved by Sergeant Woollam and P.C. Bithel. There could be not doubt whatever about their guilt. The facts of the case were, shortly, as follows —On Friday night last, about 6.30 p.m., th^ goods warehouse was fastened, aIthough £ not so ecurely as usual, because the door was under repair at the time. It was a sliding 'door on wheels. There was a lock to one end, hub not to the other. Still it was fastened, and one would think securely fastened against boys of the strength of the accused. But there was no doubt that they got to the warehouse, and in- terfered with the packages of goods that were there, viz., packages of tea, boxes of jam, boxes of hard ware, casks of ale, boxes of sweets, and boxes of soap (laughter). There were also various other packages broken up. The boys were not seen entering the warehouse, nor breaking open the packages, but there could be no doubt that they did it with iron instruments called graps. which were to be found in the place. Having fastened the warehouse in the usual way, the officials left. About oneo clock in the morning, Sergeant Woollam, being on duty about the station, heard voices in a saloon carnage close by. He waited and watched, and one of the boys-William Jones—came out of the saloon, and went towards the warehouse. Woollam caught him, and then the other boys tried to scamper away. P.C. Bithel came to the assistance of the Sergeant, and all the boys were secured. In the police station the boys were locked up. Afterwards, the saloon and warehouse were inspected, and their depreda- tions were found. The damage to the saloon was very great indeed. It was a first class sleeping carr.age, and the seats were all over messed with jam. The long curtains were fas- tened and knotted together, and used by the boys as swings (laughter). The towels in the lavatory had been messed considerably, and the damage to the saloon could not be valued at less than 92. The offence was a very des- perate one, and he could not understand how boys so young could do such damage. They must have been there for a considerable time. Although the accused were very young, some- thing would have to be done to stop similar depredations. He did not want to labour the case in the least, and if the charge was proved to the satisfaction of the bench, he would sug- gest that the boys be birched, and that the number of strokes be varied according to their ages. He hoped the bench would take this suggestion in the spirit in which it was made. This course was adopted in other places throughout the country, and was found to assist justice materially in the case of very young offenders. David Roberts, porter at the goods yard, was the first witness called. He stated that the warehouse door had been closed at 6.15 p.m. on Friday night. It was a sliding door fastened by a lock at one end and a hook at the other. The former was locked, but not the latter, as it was under repair. The lads had pushed open this door, having previously pushed up the hook. One of the lads here shouted No, I didn't; the door was open.' Witness, proceeding, said he went into the warehouse next morning and found a firkin of beer had been tampered with, the cork. which was sealed, having been driven in and another ftork put there instead. A hamper, belonging to Messrs. Ellis and Son, was opened, and a bottle of Cymralis water was open outside the hamper. He also found a box broken open containing cough lozenges and castor oil; also one which contained tea, and boxes containing jam, which had been forced open, with the jam all about the place. The cough lozenges were scattered all over the warehouse. Sergeant Woollam said that on Saturday morntng, about one o'clock, he was walking about the goods warehouse, when he heard the sound of broken glass. He went towards the sound, and then heard voices in the saloon. He stayed there for a yhile, and two bottles were thrown out of the window. The bottles dropped into some metal, and were broken. He then saw William Jones leave the saloon, crossing the line; and going towards the warehouse. William Jones: No; the policeman caught me before I got to the warehouse (laughter). Witness, continuing, said he caught Jones, and as this lad cried, the other lads got out of carriage and ran away. P.C. Bithel and another young man that was with hhn caught them. The boys were all very wet, and had evidently been out in the rain for hours. In the pockets of Edwards and Jones he found a large quantity of cough lozenges. When asked, Jones told him that he got them in a box of rubbish outside of Mr. J. E. Jones' shop. Ed- wards said that he stole his from Mr. Hughes, the Stores. The boys, when placed together, confessed that they stole them from a tranship van at the station. Witness then described the articles and the condition of the saloon, saying that the lads had evidently wiped their feet on the towels, and messed the seats all over with jam. They had wiped their feet also on the cushions. They had knotted the blinds together, and the saloon and warehouse were in disorder. When they were locked up together, they con- fessed the offence. William Roberts said Wil- liam Jones helped me to break the box open.' Jones replied, 'Yes, but you broke one box open yourself.' Then they all began to accuse each other. William Jones here said that Gabriel Roberts first got in by pushing himself between the door and the wall. P.C. Bithel proved the arrest of the other four boys, and corroborated the evidence of the ¡ Sergeant. Thomas Williams, tailor, who was with Bithel, said he had caught two of the defend- ants, and there could be no doubt about their identity. The bench, having considered the case, or. dered William Jones to receive twelve strokes with the birch rod, William Roberts and Wil- liam Edwards, six strokes each. The charge against Gabriel Roberts and John Edwards was dismissed.

POLICE COURT. Monday.—Before the Rev. Chancellor B. O. Jones presiding, Captain Cole, the Mayor of Ruthin (Dr. J. Medwyn Hughes), Messrs. G. Blezard, G. H. Denton, J. Watkin Lumley, W. G. Rigby, and W. T. Rouw. THE LATE MR. ADAMS. The Deputy Clerk (Mr. John Roberts) read a letter from General Carey thanking the magis- trates for the resolution of sympathy passed by them on the death of their late clerk, and expressing the grateful appreciation of the family for the kind references made by the Chairman and other magistrates to the ability and tact with which the late clerk had dis- charged his duties for over 44 years. THE MILITARY BALL. Mr. Lloyd Jones, solicitor, on behalf of Mr. j E. Tegid Owen, of the Castle Hotel, applied for an occasional license from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. on February 10th, when the Military Ball would be lield iu the Town Hall- Replving to the bench, Mr. Jones said that 3 license had invariably been granted in Denbigh up to 4 a.m., and it was so in Ruthin du. -Z previous years. Ti, Chairman said he and his colleagues were of opi, *,on that 3 o'clock was quite late—or rather early enough, and that the license would be grante I up to that time. MAGISTR ATES AND THE TEMPERANCE I QUESTION. The Oliaitftifin said he had received a letter Whifek he would read for the information of his colleagues and also of the numerous audience which was present in court. 1 The letter was from the proiliotdtl§ "Di & tem- perance meeting held at the Town H&U, Ruthin, on the previous night, and contiaiiiea resolutions in favour of appealing to the magistrates of that petty sessional division to adopt every possible means to curtail the drink traffic in their midst (1) by greiaflly reducing the number of public-houses, by rob granting new licenses, or refusing to relief licenses when circumstan. ces justified siich a course; (2) by closing the back doors df public-houses for business pur- poses and (3) limiting the supply of drink to children urifler 13 years of age. The Chairman, having read the letter and resolutions, said he did not think that that wast The Chairman, having read the letter and resolutions, said he did not think that that wast the iiri)e to discuss the matter, but no doubt the representaitions so made would be borne in mind Whenever occasion arose. THE MAINTENANCE OF A MOTBBTR. Mr. W. H. Jones, relieving officer fpr the ^lahraAiadr district, applied Co the bendh, on behalf of the Ruthin Board of Guardians, for an order of the Court compelling Richard Jones, a resident of Bodfary, to contribute the sum of Is. weekly towards the maintenance of his mother. It was explained that Jones was a widower, earning 15s. a week, with no children dependent upon him. The bench granted the order, and allowed the costs of the application. DRUNK ON LICENSED PREMISES. WARRANT ISSUED. John Dolben, of Gellifor, was summoned for being drunk on licensed premises-the Boars Head, Ruthin, on January 9th. Defendant did not appear, but his wife came forward on his behalf, saying that her husband was Suffering from cold. The Chairman thought it very impertinent of the man not to come to court when summoned. His colleagues and himself were of opinion that they could not allow the process of the court to be set at naught. Therefore a warrant would be issued.

COUNTY COURT. The Bi-monthly County Court, was held at the County Hall, Ruthin, on Thursday before His Honour Sir Horatio Lloyd, and the registrar, Mr. William Lloyd.

A LLANARMON WILL CASE. An application was made to His Honour in the matter of the estate of John Jones, deceased, Llanarmon. By his will, dated the 25th of Febuary 1897, deceased be- queathed all his personal property to Wil- liam Jones, the Cottage, Erryrys, Edward Jones, Gors, Erryrys, and Louisa Jones, of Wern Fawr, Ruthin, to be divided in equal shares, and appointed the said William Jones as executor. John Jones died on the 27th of Febuary, and probate of the will was granted, the personal estate having been valued at £ 29 5s. Od. The parties lived together until disagreements arose. An action for administration was brought by William Jones, on the 29th June 1898, and an order made accordingly. In the mean- time, the landlord distrained and sold, the proceeds being paid into court. Mr. Bromley, Rhyl, now appeared on behalf of the plaintiff in the case (William Jones), and applied that these costs be paid into court (. £ 38 10s. 10d.), and that the bal- ance be distributed. Mr. G. H. Simon, Mold, on behalf of the defendants, asked that the plaintiff should render a full account of his trusteeship. After a considerable argument, His Hon- our suggested a division on the following lines (1) that the registrar's fees be taken out of the fund, (2) that the remainder be divided in three equal shares between plain- tiff and defendants, (3) that each party should pay its own costs. Mr. Simon expressed his willingness to accept the proposition on behalf of the defendants. Mr. Bromley pressed for his costs, but His Honour refused to grant this, and Mr. Bromley then accepted the terms.

DISPUTE ABOUT BARLEY. John Thomas Lloyd, of Plas Meredydd, Gyffylliog, farmer, sued Evan Jones, Ty'nyr- eithin, Denbigh, and Rhiwbebyll, Llandyrnog, farmer, for the sum of S12 6s. Od. alleged to be due for 25 hobbets of barley supplied, and ,lso for empty sacks which the defendant had refused to return. The defendant coun- terclaimed for the sum of X16, for breach of contract. Mr. A. O. Evans appeared for plaintiff, and Mr. Joseph Lloyd for defendant. In opening the case, Mr. Evans said plain- tiff met defendant at Denbigh, in March, 1898, and showed him a sample of barley which he had for sale. They could not then agree as to the price, but met again on the following Wednesday, when an agreement was come to, defendant agreeing to pay plaintiff 9s. 6d. per hobbet for the barley, the bargain being struck at the Cross Keys Hotel, Denbigh. As defendant was a stranger to him, Mr. Lloyd stipulated that the defendant personally accompany his cart to Rhewl, where plaintiff also would go with his cart, and take charge of the barley. At Rhewl the barley was to be taken from one cart to the other, and the money paid. The plaintiff kept faithfully to the arrange- ment, and went to Rhewl with two men. Defendant did not himself turn up, and the plaintiff was in some difficulty as to whether he would let the barley go or not. However, rather than taking it back a distance of five miles, he allowedidefendant's servant to take it. The defendant took the barley, and never wrote a word of complaint about it. At Ruthin fair subsequently the plaintiff asked for the money due from the defen- dant, and it was then that the latter com- plained for the first time in respect of the quality of the barley, and that it was not up to sample. Defendant also stated that there was wheat in the bottom of one sack, and plaintiff admitted that it was quite possible for a little wheat to get into one sack, as they had been threshing the day it was put in the sacks, and that a little wheat might have been in the threshing machine. Some correspondence followed, but defendant refused to pay the amount due. The plain- tiff had only one field, called Cae Sgubor, under barley in 1897. There were witnesses present when the threshing took place, and they would swear that the threshing machine was clean before threshing com- menced. There could be no question as to the genuiness of the barley supplied. Defen- dant was a considerable litigant, being often engaged in disputes of this kind in some court or other. It was very late in the day —in fact, after the case had been before the court two months ago-that defendant coun- terclaimed for damages. The plaintift was then called, and said defendant liked very much the sample of barley which he had shown him at Denbigh. They did not agree as to the price the first day, but on a subsequent day they did so, the price being 9s. 6d. per hobbet. He had never known the defendant previously, and had to inquire who he was before selling the barley to him. Some time after thebarley had been delivered, the defendant came to him, holding in his hand a sample of barley, which was full of rubbish, and also contain- ed some wheat. Witness denied that the sample shown by defendant had been sup. plied by him but admitted that there might have been & few grains pf wheat in the bot- tom of the säCká, M they were threshing On 1 the day they were filled. Defendant only complained of one sack. Witness left him, bub received a letter on the subject, and then arranged to meet defendant at Den- bigh. Defendant did nttfc turn up, and no one had seen him that day. When he did see him however, defendant told him that he had sold part of the barley the following day, aud had also exchanged a part of it with Mr. Lloyd, Plas Llangwyfan. Cross-examined The sample defendant showed me at Denbigh was full of dirt, and had never been supplied by me. It is no- thing like my barley. Ellis Jones, Penlan, said he was at Plas Meredydd when the barley was threshed. The ehgine was cleaned by the men in charge of it before the work was commenced, but there might have been a few grains of wheat,, in the barley afterwards. Cross-examined The dirty barley produced by defendant was not the barley threshed at plaintiff's farm when he was there. William Evans, Brynllan, Humphrey Davies, miller, J. Wilkinson, Caegwyn, Mrs. Lloyd (plaintiff's wife), John Edward 'Lloyd, and Griffith Davies, Llanbedr, gave evidence to prove that the barley raised and threshed by plaintiff was not of the same quality as the dirty sample shown by defendant. Mr. Joseph Lloyd, for the defence, said his client was not prepared tc., deny that the sample showed by plaintiff at Denbigh was the barley threshed at his place, but they did contend that the barley supplied to defendant was not of the same quality as that shown when the price was agreed upon. The sample shown was undoubtedly worth 9s. 6d. per hobbet, and suit- able for sowing, and subsequently for malting purposes. The arrangement between the par- ties was that the stuff should be delivered by a certain date; but on that date, defendant re- ceived a letter that it would be delivered later on. The defendant, however, had his fields prepared ready for seed; and as the plaintiff could not supply the barley on the day arran- ged, the defendant went to Mr. Lloyd, of Plas Llangwyfan, who had seen the sample shown at Denbigh by plaintiff, and borrowed 10 hobbets of barley, on the understanding that he was to repay them out of the barley to be sent by plaintiff. When the bulk arrived at defendant's place from Plas Meredydd, the defendant, un- fortunately, was away from home, and his ser- vant men at once began to sow it. The moment he found what kind of stuff it was, defendant stopped the sowing, and used no more of it. He subsequently sent a letter to plaintiff, offer- ing to pay the market value for the barley used, provided he would take back the unused sacks. The dispute between the parties was this, whether the bulk of the barley delivered to defendant was equal in quality to the sample shown. He (Mr. Lloyd) submitted that it was not. In consequence of having sown this in- ferior quality supplied by plaintiff, -defendant has sustained a serious loss, for which he coun- terclaimed the sum of £16. The defendant then gave evidence, and ad- mitted having agreed to pay 9s. 6d. per hobbet for the barley as per sample. Plaintiff did not send it on the date first agreed upon, and wit- ness had to borrow seed barley from Mr. Lloyd, Plas Llangwyfan, for the purpose of sowing. This he repaid out of the bulk which he received from plaintiff. His men servants began to sow the barley in his absence; but when he returned home, and went to the field, the men asked him what sort of seed barley he had bought. After examining it, he stopped the sowing immediately, and the remainder of the stuff was to be seen in his granary up to this very day. It was nothing like the sample shown him by plaintiff when he bought it. Cross-examined: There was a considerable quantity of wheat in the barley it also con- tained dirt and stones (laughter). He had not the reputation of being a cantankerous fellow, and had not been involved in a similar case before. John Roberts Lloyd, Plas Llangwyfan, said he saw the sample which the plaintiff showed defendant at Denbigh, and it was nothing like the quality now shown by defendant as having been taken from the bulk supplied by the plain- tiff. The defendant repaid him the ten hobbets of barley which he had lent him, and he sowed it before seeing it. It corresponded to the quality which the defendant alleged the plain- tiff had sent him. It was worthless for sowing purposes, but was worth 7s. 6d. per hobbet for grinding. Cross-examined Although he had sown the barley, he had not brought a sample of it to court. Ebenezer Lewis, a neighbour, and David Jones, servant in the employ of defendant, having given evidence, His Honour gave judgment for plaintiff on the claim, and the counterclaim. He allowed the costs incurred by plaintiff in a previous court, but refused to order costs in the counter- claim. THE POSSESSION OF A BONTUCHEL FARM. The next case was that of Mrs. Bremner, Ruthin, against John, Salusbury, Ffasiynau farm, Bontuchel. Mr. Joseph Lloyd, for the plaintiff, said Mrs. Bremner was the owner of Ffasiynau farm, of which she asked for possession. She bought the farm some time ago. The defendant in the present action was then, and even now, the tenant. There was an agreement between him and his former landlord; and the mere issue between them was, whether the said agreement was in any way departed from. They said no. They had served a notice to quit, but defendant did not leave. Mrs. Bremner was not in court, and the onus of proving that there had been no new teuancy rested with the defendant. I Mr. Evans said he objected to go to the facts that day if Mr. Lloyd intended to apply for an adjournment. The onus of proof was not upon them. The fact was, that the plaintiff was try- ing to get his client out with an insufficient notice. The agreement still held good, and the tenant was rightly in possession. After some argument, Mr. Evans objected to the agreement being put in, and the objection was sustained. The case was then adjourned, defendant's costs for the day being allowed. A LIVERPOOL « BUSINESS' MAN AND HIS FOWLS. James Garner, of Liverpool, who is also the owner of property in Llanfair, D.C., was sued by Catherine Watkins, farmer, Tanygraig, Llanfair, for the sum of 91 4s., alleged to be due for barley supplied to defendant's house- keeper. Mr. A. Lloyd Jones, solicitor, Ruthin, ap- peared for plaintiff, and stated that during de. fendant's absence in Liverpool, his house at Llanfair was kept by a servant, to whom the plaintiff hqd supplied the corn as food for the fowls. Defendant denied liability, saying that the house was tenanted be Miss Kegan, his sister- in-law, and she was the owner of the fowls. He had never authorised her to pledge his credit. His Honour said that defendant should have brought Miss Kegan as a witness, and psoposed to adjourn the case for that purpose. Defendant: I would rather pay the amount a jolly sight better than that. The Judge: Then there will be judgment for plaintiff for tee full amount, ti be paid in two monthly instalments.

COLWYN BAY. MR. HERBERT ROBERTS, M.P., ON I WELSH NONCONFORMITY AND THE GROWTH OF SACERDOTALISM. Last Wednesday night, Mr. Herbert Roberts, M.P.. presided at a lecture by the Rev. Hugh Jones, Birkenhead, on Welsh Nonconformity. The hon. member having referred to the successs of the Wesleyan 20th century fund, pointed out that few topics could be more opportune for discus- sion at that time than the subject of the lemurs, and few men in Wales were more qualified by talents or cOnvidtions to speak t upon it than the lecturer that evening. To go back to the source or the spirit of Non- conformity was very necessary for two reasons. First, because Dissent on its poli- tical and social side had already won many triumphs, and the sense of inequality was not so keenly felt as in time past, Further, the long and arduous conflicts for political rights waged by Nonconformists had per- haps tended to withdraw their attention from the ,real ground of their dissent, and given their action and aspirations a political complexion which they did not renounce in any sense, but which did not rightly express the real question at issue. They were Non conformists upon religious grounds, because) they believed that the theory of a State Church was inconsistent with the ideas and the principles of the New Testament. A great struggle lay before them as Noncon- formists in Wales in connection with their system of elementary education. Let them realise at the outset the issues at stake, that they were called upon to fight not only and not principally for political justice, -but for what they conscientiously believed to be religious truth. There were dark clouds gathering on the horizon of the State Church. It had been made plain during the past year that influences were at work within the church quietly but steadily undermining the conditions imposed upon it by the Pro testant Reformation. There had been an alarming growth of sacerdotalism in the Church, and practices were resorted to, and doctrines taught contrary to the law of the land, and in their opinion absolutely irre- concilable with the truth. And what added the most serious element to the position was that a large proportion of the elemen- tary schools of the country, in the name of religion, forsooth, were handed over to the spiritual care of clergymen holding these views, and bent upon instilling them into the minds of the children under their care. Side by side with this spectacle of the Church of England rent by internal dis- cords was the formation of the federation of the Free Churches throughout the country, a movement destined to have the most im- portant results in the near future. It was to break the growing bondage of priestcraft and in the highest interests of the nation, and not for a party or denominational triumph, that he appealed to all Noncon- formists to carry into action the principles which lay at the root of their religious belief, and upon which he was convinced the true welfare of the country depended,

CAERWYS /r, -r-J' LECTURE. On Monday night, the 16th inst, the Rev. B. Evans, (B), Rhuddlan, delivered his lecture at the Baptist Chapel upon the Baptist Denomination and their Distinctive Principles.' Owing to the severity of the weather, the at- tendance was but small. — CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOUR SOCIETY. A branch of the Young People Society of Christian Endeavour has been formed at Caerwys amongst the Nonconformists. The first meeting was held at the Schoolroom of the C.M. chapel, on Friday night last, there being a fairly good attendance. The speakers in- cluded the Rev. W. Benjamin (C.M)., Rev. Edwin Jones, (B.), who also presided and Mr. W. H. Parry, hon. sec. The meetings will be held every Friday night at the various chapels in succession.

St. Peter's, Rome, can accommodate 54,000 worshippers, and St. Paul's, London, 32,000. There is a Buddhist temple in Paris, where there are about 300 followers of that religion. The youngest person to ascend Mont Blanc was a French boy aged eleven years, who'ac- complished the feat in 1890.

RUTHIN "r"r" MILITARY FUNERAL. A military funeral took place last Tues- day, this tribute of respect being paid to the remains of the late Mr. Isaac Roberts, Llanrhyda street, a member of the Ruthin Volunteers. The deceased was only 32 years of age. YOUNG HELPERS' LEAGUE. On Thursday last, a lecture was given at the Town Hall, Ruthin, by Miss E. M. Rice, of Wrexham, entitled From death into life,' illustrated by limb-light views. The chair was occupied by His Worship the Mayor (Dr. J. M. Hughes), Rev. J. Fisher opened the meeting with prayer. At inter- vals Master Willie Roberts, gave pianoforte solos The hall was very well decorated by Miss Jones, Heathfield, and Nurse Collins. SUDDEN DEATH OF A YOUNG GIRL. On Wednesday last, at 1 p m., the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Owen Roberts, Park road, called at the Eagles shop, and complained that she was very ill, and that she could not walk no further. Mr Enoch Davies, seeing Miss Roberts looking ill, and seeing blood about her mouth, went round to her; and when he reached her, she stumbed back into his arms. Mr. Davies called for help, and medical attendance was sought; but in spite of this, she passed away a few minutes after. We understand that she had been ailing for some time past, but the cause of her death Was a ruptured blood vessel. Great sympathy is felt with the (family in their sad bereavement. TEMPERANCE MEETINGS. The series of temperance meetings were continued on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoon last. On Friday, the chair was occupied by Mr. Robert Roberts, Trefnant, and addresses were given by the Rev. John Williams, M.A. Dolgelley, and the Rev. D. Williams, Llangollen. On Saturday, the chair was taken by Mr. David Jones, Mount Pleasant; and the speakers were the Revs. R. Ernest Jones, Barmouth, and R. Lewis, Ruthin. On Sunday afternoon a children's meeting was held, Mrs. Lewis occupying the chair; and addresses were given by Mr. Edward Winter, and the Rev. E. J. Williams. Another meeting was held in the evening, presided over by Mr. L. G. Thomas, the speakers including Professor H. E. Griffith, and the Rev. Henlyn Owen. ELECTION OF SCHOOL BOARD. The nomination of candidates on the Ruthin School Board, the election of which had been fixed for February 3rd, has resulted in a gain of a seat for the Nonconformists at the expense of the Church, without a contest. The retiring members were the Rev. J. F. Reece (Churchman), the Rev. Isaac James (Baptist), Messrs. F. Dowell (C.M.), T. H. Roberts (Independent), David Jones (Churchman), T. J. Rouw (Church- man), and J. Watkin Lumley (C.M.). The latter did not seek re election, but it was understood that all the other retiring mem- bers were to be nominated. Messrs. R. Harris Jones (C M.), and T. Maysmor Gee (C.M,), came out as new candidates, and were duly nominated. Mr. David Jones, for some unaccountable reason, did not send in the necessary papers, although it was known to the electors that he sought re-election. This resulted in the five Nonconformists being returned, there being now only two Churchmen 06 the Board.