SUICIDE.

Evening Star, Issue 8268, 14 July 1890, Page 2

SUICIDE.

WF3TPORT, Jn.y 14. A man named Kdward Hickey committed suicide by hanging at Cape Foul wind last evening. It is suspected that he was of unsound mind.

The report that a syndicate of rich Jcws has offered no Ices a sum than L 40,000 for the Vatican copy of the Hebrew Bible ia confirmed. The history of previous negotiations for the purchase of this very book is interesting. In 1512, when Pope .Julius 11, was desperately in need of funds in order to keep up the " Holy League " against Louis XII, of France, he was approached by the Jews as his successor in the chair of St. Peter is now. They offered a comparatively small sum at first, but subsequently increased the amount, tendering at the same time a blank order on one of their number in Venice to be filled up in ducats according to the weight of the Bible, as again;' •• t equal weight of pure gold. The I\j,jt got so far as to weigh the precious volume, and found that it scaled 3251b avoirdupois, or 4331b'odd troy, which at L 4 the ounce, then about the vulue of gold, represented the enormous sum of L 20.784 and a fraction. This amount in its equivalent the Jews pressed on the Pope, who, however, either because he found himself unable to part with property in which he would not seem' to have more than a life interest, or on account of the pressure brought to bear on him, declined after much hesitation to part with tiie volume. Should the present negotiations be more successful, the amount now offered will be the largest sum ever paid for a oook, whether in manuscript or in print. The nearest approach was the 250,000fr, or LIO.OOO, paid by the German Government in 1834 for the ' Missal,' formerly 1 given by Pope too X. to Henry VIII., along *■:••'': 'J parchment conferring on that sovereign tuu titiu •..■: " defender of the Faith." | Probably the longest " bee " line railway I in the world ia that from Buenos Ayre3 to the foot of the Andes. It covers 340 kilometers, or about 275 miles, and is as straight as an arrow. The highest grade is about three feet to the mile. It crosses no ravine and no stream, and therefore has no bridge. The 'Daily News' cruelly calls Mr. WilJ liam. O'Brien'a novel ' liviginary Conversations on Ireland.'