MAIL ITEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9089, 25 June 1888, Page 6

MAIL ITEMS.

FOOD FOR STOATS AND WEASELS. Thomas Benns, labourer, of Glenisterstreet, North Woolwich, was charged on May 18 with the unlawful possession of two pigeons, the property of Henry Allbons, Brigg, Lincolnshire. The magistrate elicited from the prosecutor that he exported stoats and weasels for the New Zeal a rid Government for the purpose of exterminating rabbits. He had sent out between 300 and 400 of these animals this week, with 4,000 pigeons to serve as their food during the voyage. He paid 9s 6d per dozen for the pigeons and sold them to the Government for 10s 6d. In this way he had despatched some 4,000 stoats and weasels and 50,000 pigeons, making in all a dozen cargoes. Each stoat and weasel ate 100 pigeons during the voyage. He had had some hundreds of the pigeons stolen. Benns was fined 20s.

BOULANGER FAILS AS AN AUTHOR. General Boulanger's " Invasion Allemande" is a drug in the market, says M. Blowitz of the Times. The successive penny parts are unsaleable. A military writer, M. Barth6lomy, has by his silence admitted that he is the real author, and the two publishers do not protest against the statement that they are both foreign Jews one German, the other Swiss. Yet the chief Boulangist organ declares that the General's chief office Is to break up the aristocracy of German Jews who are pillaging France."

TRAGEDY IN ABERDEEN. A tragic affair occurred in Aberdeen on May 18. A butcher named John Davidson, entered a shop armed with a revolver, with the intention, it is believed, of shooting his wife, with whom he had been living on bad terms. A joiner named M'Kenzie was in the shop, and, observing the menacing attitude of Davidson, stepped between him and his wife. Davidson raised the revolver and fired, and the bullet passed through the peak of M'Kenzie's cap and ploughed a v/ound in his forehead, though not sufficiently deep to penetrate the frontal bone. Davidson at once shot himself down. LOUISE MICHEL'S MAGNANIMITY.

Lucas, the drunken working man at Havre who fired at Louise Michel while she was lecturing there, was acquitted at the Rouen assizes. Louise Michel deposed that she considered the act a bad joke, and she asked for an acquittal. Lucas said that he had been drinking, and professed to remember nothing of the affair, but expressed contrition.

THE NEW ROAD TO THE EAST. A more rapid communication between England and the far East i< secured by the insuguration, on May 18, of the Eastern or Balkan Railway, which has been since 1882 in contemplation., The route is Paris, Vienna, Buda Pest, Belgrade, and Vranja, to Salonica. This new service, for which express trains will run once a week, with result in the Indian mails and passengers reaching Bombay in at least 20 hours less time than that occupied by the existing arrangement.

THE AMERICAN-CHINESE BILL. The American Senate amended the Chinese treaty in one particular before ratifying it. The treaty as agreed on and sent to the Senate by implication would allow Chinese now in China with certificates to re-enter the United States on these certificates. The change made by the Senate specifically denies the right of Chinese now in China and holding certificates to return on those certificates. Only those can return under the treaty as ratified who, being in thisoountry at the date of the ratification of the treaty, shall hereafter establish the facts of having family or debts due here, which under the new treaty would entitle thom to a certificate of the new form. It is understood that the Chinese Government will agree to this change, and that as soon as this agreement is made the new treaty will be proclaimed and go into effect.

BENSON'S SUICIDE. Benson, the notorious swindler, committed suicide by throwing himself from the second tier of a New York Gaol. He

struck the stone flagjnntr in » o*n.> posture, and at once fell* on his back if was however, conscious up to the tt„ i 0 died, and so determined was he kt i! 9 fought the doctor's efforts to save him ? refused to take medicine. They used hv dermic injections of morphia to el?? 0 " pain. Benson's keeper thinks that Hi» 3 did not intend to jo, nn.it inflict upon himself some injury ,' 10 breaking an arm or a leg, which f! keep him out of a Mexican prison S thinks Benson intended to i umn ' J? lost his hold on the raili„ n ft b , ut hurry and fell. He has left "diamond and money valued at about «r f . That Benson was far above the ordin run of scoundrels, both in education S natural genius, is generally conceded w was a man endowed with esopnt;„ , ability, of pleasing address and converse fluently in half-a-dozen different 1an,,,, aC r Being thus equipped, it was not difficuf; for him to ingratiate himself into the <mr,i graces of the hon ton in whatever count his deviltry might take him, and when on? he had accomplished this preliminary > was not long before he was hea-d - publicly in connection with some sw'indlin scheme that his fertile brain led him T" 3 ' indulge in. 'ra to

DEATH WHILE PLAYING DOMIXOES On May 18, Mr. George P. \y.„ / coroner for Camberwell, was notified by hi ' officer of the death of Emil Browne, re-idir I at Peckham. Ib would appear that at h'llf past ten o'clock on Thursday ni«ht th deceased joined a few friends at the Vh-it, 6 Tavern, Philip-road, Peckham, when th" party sat down at a game of dominoes. J 6 the course of the match the deceased mad his last expression by saying "Ican't go » when he suddenly fell back and died before the arrival of medical aid, The police were at once communicated with and the bodv was conveyed to the parish mortuary !