Varieties.

Auckland Examiner, Volume IV, Issue 274, 20 June 1860, Page 3

Varieties.

Extraordinary Suicide.—Mr. Wakley held a lengthened inquiry at the town residence of Mr. Ash, 27, Upper Gloucester-placc, Regent’s-park, as to the cause of the extraordinary death of Captain Benjamin Twisleton Ash, aged 27, and belonging to the 10th Madras 'Native Infantry.—Lieutenant Ash, of the Bth Bombay Native Infantry, and brother to the deceased, in his evidence stated that on Friday afternoon he knocked at his brother’s bedroom door, and, receiving no answer, he got upon the leads and burst open the window, and found his brother lying on the floor covered with blood. Deceased had not long returned from India, and was soon going back again. He was of most temperate habits. Witness here produced a razor, covered with blood, found by his side upon the floor, and a table knife taken from underneath the bed, which was believed to have been there secreted by the deceased. — Mr. 11. Guy, surgeon, deposed that he was calledin by the deceased gentleman’s brother and proceeded immediately to the deceased’s room; where he found him lying on his back on the floor, so completely covered with blood all over his body that he looked as if painted with red ochre; both arms were extended, perfectly rigid. There was a large pool of coagulated blood a short distance from his head. On his body was a pair of elastic drawers, such as were generally worn by Indian officers, and a nightshirt, both sleeves of which were tucked high up. On his left arm there was a frightful wound, apparently inflicted by the razor produced, which was lying near him The veins of the arms were completely severed, and the body thereby must have been almost entirely emptied of blood, which was the cause of death. He bad known the family for years, and considered it an extraordinary suicide, inasmuch as the deceased was looked upon in the army and by Lis friends as one of the most fortunate

young officers in tho British service, as-he had only just been gazetted a Captain, having but for a short period held the rank of lieutenant, and was on the point of returning to India to hold an appointment worth £1,200 peranum. It was also stated that a brother was killed in the Cawnpore massacre.—Other witnesses having been examined, the room was then cleared of strangers, and, after sonic deliberation, a verdict was found of Suicide under a fit of temporary insanity.—Weekly Despatch. A Secret worth Knowing.—An old traveller in the colonies fpr the last five years assures us that the following two simple ingredients have been infallible in effecting an easy cure of sore, bad eyes —a complaint but too general in this part of the world :—foz.. saltpetre dissolved in | pint of the best white wine vinegar. Mode of application—ln the morning, when the eyelids, are gummy* wipe them with a piece of clean white rag, about the size of your little finger, after you have soaked it in the liquid, having first shook it well up. This will cleanseyow eyelids in an instant; then let a drop fall in each eye, if both are affected. Do not drink wine* spirits* or malt liquor. Keep the bottle well corked. Do not smoke, and take a simple aperient; and if you have the misfortune to have your eyes full of inflammation and bad humours before the first application, in three weeks, at the farthest, you will have cause gratefully to rejoice having heard- of this paragraph in the Illvwarra Mercury,. Test gf Flour. —-Mr.. C. Goodey, of Paddington Mill, bassent the following hints as to the best Method of observing the quality of flour. He says : First look at its colour, if it white with a slight yellowish or straw-coloured tint it is a good sign ; if it is very white with a bluish cast, or with black specs in it, the flour is not good. Examine its adhesiveness;, wet and knead a little of it between the fingers. If it works dry and elastic it is good if it works soft and sticky it is poor. Flour made from, an inferior quality of wheat is likely to be sticky. Throw a handfull of dry flour against a dry smooth pepcndicular surface, if it adhere in. a lump the flour has life in it; if it falls like powder it is bad. Squeeze some of the flour in your hand, if it retains t e shape given by pressure that is. a good sign.— [Armidale Express ] If a rich old gentleman has a thought of marrying, let him consider well beforehand what it is he stands in need of—a wife, an heiress, or a nurse.

Literary Difficulties. —The Editor of the “Boston Buster” says he cannot write a leader this week, because his child’s cutting his teeth, his wife's run away, he ? s got corns and the toothache, all his ink has been knocked over, and the cholera is next door on one side, and a meeting of howling Quakers on the other ! I should think not. Hegh ! hegh! hegh ! funny fellows these Americans must be.