NEWS BY TIE MAIL.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1094, 22 October 1869, Page 3

NEWS BY TIE MAIL.

(From the "European Mail" for August.) *HE CONVICTION FOE MUBDEBING A HITSBAND. - Fanny Franoes, Maud Oliver was conviotedatth&;Worcester Assizes on July 21 for the wilful murder of her husband, Joseph Oliver, at Dudley. The Clerk of Arraigns asked the prisoner if she had any season to urge why sentence of death should not be passed upon her. Prisoner : —I am not guilty, by my great God ! May I be allowed to explain the reason why that letter (a communication that had been used in the course of the trial as evidence against the prisoner) was sent to him ? If I may be permitted to state for myself the reason, my lord and gentlemen, as my great God witnesses for me, if I speak an untruth, Oh, God! (here the prisoner clasped her hands solemnly, and cast her eyes upwards) take my breath from me, and let me die before my enemies. The prisoner then made an incoherent statement, which, so far as could be gathered from her imperfectly articulated expressions, and from the confusion which prevailed in court, was to the effect that Burgess had been put into the County Court, at Wolverhampton, for somemone^ ; that he had received some money from his mistress unknown to his master, who had latterly found it out, and was going to send him to gaol ; that to raise £2 to save him from being sent to gaol prisoner had pawned a black silk dress, and raised £1 upon it, and so made up the money, which she gave to him ; and Mrs. Whitehouse could testify to the truth of this statement. Burgess had sent to her husband to say that there was' to be an exhibition to be opened at Wolverhampton, and if they were going over he would go with them ; but' she had written to him as well as she could to say that her husband was dead. The prisoner continued : — But as for administering poison to my husband (here she raised her voice, and again clasped her hands), great God, answer for me. Thou knowest I am innocent, Heavenly Father, of the charge they have brought against me. And why dost Thou leave me in this terrible hour of need ? After the prisoner had said much more to the same purport, His Lordship pronounced sentence of death upon her in the usual form. The j prisoner then, with an air of triumphant j boldness, repeated the verse of the hymn commencing— Though in the path of death I stand. — The Clerk of Arraigns then asked the prisoner whether she had anything to urge in stay of execution. Prisoner : I should like if you would call Mrs. Whitehouse. The pnsoner was then removed from the dock, and before descending the steps j leading from it, she turned round,, and, waving her hand, said, " Farewell to you all, my dear friends." The following letter has been written by the condemned woman, to her father and mother :— "Worcester Prison, July 24. " My dear Fathor and Mother and dear Brother— l received your letter, and am sorry to hear that my poor dear mother was worse ; but I hope she is better. My dear mother, lam better ; thank God for it, for God gave me grace to bear my trouble. Dear mother, though lam condemned to die, I fear it not ; for God knows that I am innocent, and he will raise my soul in heaven. "Dear mother, do not. fret for me, for I was only lent to you, and now my Heavenly Father wants me. "Tho' dark my path, and sad my lot, Let me be still, and murmur not, Or breathe the prayer divinely taught. "Dear mother, I hope that we shall meet in heaven, where no trouble comes. Dear mother, they are all so kind to me. Oh ! I love Him more and more, for I love Him more than you all in heart. May God bless you all, and pray to God to nelp you. Though I shall never see your dear face again, dear mother, in this world, but I hope I shall in heaven, for I am going to die for that, dear mother, I am innocent of. Yes, dear parents, I am innocent. God knows I am, and I wish some one would take it up, and hear what I have got to say. Then they would know that I was innocent. My trial is an unjust one. My dear father and sister has written to the Governor, and she will come with you, and I should like to see i zny dear brother, and tell him about his Heavenly Father. I should like to see Mr. Parry. As soon as you can, come to see me, your poor innocent child, for God knows my time is short in this world. My God, my Father, whilst I stray, Far from my home, in life's rough way, Oh, teach me from my heart to say, Thy will be done. Tho 1 dark my path and sad my lot, Let me be still, and murmur not," Oh ! may ths|Lord be with you all, dear mother. I have plenty of nice food, and they are all so kind to me and the Lord. Come on Monday if you can, my dear friends ; pray for your innocent child. My dear brother, be strong, and pray to God to make you so, and a child of God, for your poor sister's sake. We may never meet again in this world, but I hope we shall in heaven. Good bye, my dear brother, and my dear father. Good bye, my dear mother — good bye. I wish I could see your dear face once. Good bye, my dear mother, for ever ! From your poor ■ innocent child, Fanny Oliver. Come to see me."' A memorial was drawn up and influent tially signed, praying for a respite of the sentence, and we have authority for stating that the sentence of death passed upon the prisoner has been commuted to one of penal servitude for life, on the recommendation of Baron Pigott, who tried the prisoner. THE FASHIONS. Under date Paris, July 22, we are told that the mode, so far as aught approaching novelty in the way of robes is concerned, seems to have arrived at a positive deadlock. "Paniers" are still "de riguer," and a few more flounces and bows have been added to the jupes, and this is about all.', The late eighteenth century costumes have been utterly used up, and there are indications of our modistes going back some few years earlier for what is styled their " creations " — to those loose flowing garments in which Watteau robed, not his shepherdesses, of whom one is heartily tired, but his " grandes dames " who take part in his fe"tes champfitres and assemblies galantes. One little novelty of the hour, due, of course to the heat of the weather, is the low, square cut, or heart or crescent-shaped sleeveless bodice for toilettes de promenade, which, worn with a black lace or net chemisette with long tight-fitting sleeves, naturally shows off a graceful arm and well-shaped bust to perfection. Almost all women who do not admit themselves to be no longer young appear in hats, both on the Boulevards and in the Bois. The novelty in this way that is just now coming into vogue is a tall Spanish shaped hat, tapering towards the crown, and with a moderately wide arched brim, turned up slightly at the sides. It is to M. Sardou's drama of "Patrie" thatKwe- are indebted for the introduction of this stylish headgear, with its large black or coloured velvet rosette secured iii the centre by a jet ornament or jewelled buckle, and its swooping

ostrich plume and occasional bouquet of roses reposing on the gauze scarf veil which, after encircling the hat, and being entwined in and out the chignon, is allowed to float languidly behind. These hats are usually in straw bound with velvet, or in velvet of particular shades. I A rather pretty light blue one, with rosette and feather of the same tint, has a plain white gauze twisted round it, and falling behind almost level with the ceinture of the robe. Others of these Spanish hats are of black straw, bound and trimmed with cerise, or of brown straw, trimmed with feather and rosette of a pale gold colour. Flowers are still the favourite ornament of the coiffure. More hair than ever appears to be worn in frisettes, ringlets, plaits, bandeaux, and Alexandra curls, of which latter as many as four are frequently to be seen, falling over more or less rounded shoulders of alabaster, or some j ruddier tint. Shoes with the customary high heels, and with large rosettes of brilliant oolored ribbon, with or without ornamental buckles, are very generally worn. Bottines a barrettes — that is, half boots, open wide from the instep upwards, the intervening space being traversed by bars arranged either zigzag or crosswise fashion, so as to show the delicately tinted silk stockings beneath — promise, however, to be the mode at the bains de mer this coming season. Bottines, too, of fine check, with narrow scarlet binding, and closed with white buttons, are largely in favour for light costumes. Parasols, which are invariably of the most delicate tints, are frequently either flounced or fringed at the edges, and lined inside with rose color, in which latter case they are usually bordered with a binding of the same shade. White silk parasols, covered with black lace, and which are suitable to any style of toilette, contend, however, for pre-eminence.