GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9367, 25 November 1893, Page 2 (Supplement)

GENERAL NEWS.

AUDACIOUS CONSPIRACY BY GAOL WARDERS. Two warders of the Baraseb Gaol, near Calcutta, have been convicted of a conspiracy which has probably no parallel in the history of criminal prisons. They conceived the idea of establishing a profitable partnership with certain burglars under their charge. To this end they selected one night three convicts, took them to the warders' quarters, exchanged their gaol apparel for every-day clothing, and told them to go forth and break into the houses in the locality. The plunder was to be brought " hoaie" in the morning for equal distribution among the parties concerned, and the convicts were then to resume their peaceful daily work. Fortunately for the interests of society, the burglars bjcamo discontented with their share of the spoils, and were overheard discussing their grievances by another warder, who gave information to the prison authorities. The warders with whom this audaciously - ingenious scheme originated have been sentenced to two years' rigorous imprisonment; bub on appeal their case is stated to hare been committed to the criminal sessions, to be dealt with by a jury. THIRTY ORPHAN BRIDES. At the far end of Naples lies the little church of Santa Maria Annunziata, which once a year, on the " Day of Our Lady," wakes up into a brief life and excitement. In a silent row before the high altar kneel thirty girls, all in black garments, with folded hands, and eyes fixed on the picture of the Madonna before them. These are orphans from the neighbouring foundling asylum; and once a year all those who have reached tho age of eighteen are brought here to the church, and may be chosen in marriage by any honest man whose papers are in order and whose character is good. At the door leading to the sacristy leans a grey-headed priest, the head of the asylum. By-and-by a young man makes his way from the back of the church and hands him a little packet of papers. These the priest reads carefully; and, being evidently satisfied, he gives back the papers and leads the candidate toward the row of girls. All their eyes" are fixed more steadfastlythan ever on the altar, all their hands are clasped tighter together, their faces turn a shade paler, their hearts beats quicker, as the young man walks slowly along the row. At last he stops. His choice is made. He stretches out his hand with a little smile. The girl rises, casts a long look— thanks, half entreaty—at the picture of the Madonna, puts "her hand into that of the stranger, and together they disI appear into the sacristy. A TOUCHING NARRATIVE. To die in a strange country, where one has no relatives or personal friends to do the last offices tenderly and reverently for the dead, strikes the shuddering imagination as a peculiarly hard fate. Some kindly, simple people in Norway have softened the terrors of such a tragedy for the family and townspeople of a citizen of Sheffield, who has been drowned ab Flekkefjord. Mr. Isaac Beck had gone out one morning in a small boat alone ; an hour or two later cries were heard from the water. The boat was empty, and Mr. Beck was drowned before a helping hand could reach him. The sympathies of the people mi Flekkefjord for the distant friends of the stranger who had thus died at their doors ware deeply moved. The tenderest care was taken of the remains. Brief telegraphic instructions from the relatives were liberally interpreted, and the body sent home with such evidences of reverent and ! sympathetic treatment as greatly soothed , the sorrow of the family. The decorated i coffin was draped with the Union Jack and I the Norwegian flag. Heather and ivy ; wreaths and fresh Sowers were effectively > disposed about it. Silken sashes bore , Scriptural texts and touching legends of ) farewell, one of them being contributed in i the name of all the inhabitants of Flekkefjord. Mr. Beck was a traveller for a large 1 cutlery firm in Sheffield, but had not > been to Norway more than three or four i times, and all the time he had ever spent in Flekkefjord had not exceeded three . weeks. [ MURDER OF AN ENGLISHMAN IN INDIA. ' Intelligence has just reached Plymouth ' ot the cold-blooded murder of Mr. E. C. 2 Elliot, who was the executive engineer of 3 the Bareilly-Rampore Moradabad Railway, 8 and who was shot by an Eurasian engineer ' called Hawkins, employed on the same 3 works. Hawkins had been brought up 1 from the Madras Presidency to work as an s assistant under Mr. Elliot at Rampore, and r from the first he showed great obstinacy of 6 temper, allowing no opportunity to pass J of obstructing and 'annoying his superior ™ officer. In the end Mr. Elliot felt com--6 pelled to report Hawkins to the chief authority, and the man was dismissed. On 8 the morning following the dismissal Mr. n Elliot met Hawkins, and the two walked " on for some little distance, when Hawkins, " falling back a few yards, drew a revolver ' and fired two shots at Mr. Elliot, who then " fell, and then the miscreant gave him a fc parting shot. One of the bullets passed through the heart, causing instant death. The murderer was found seated in a hut, armed with a revolver and a gun, with , which weapons he threatened to shoot anyr - one approaching him ; but notwithstanding his threats, when called on to surrender he ie gave himself up, at the same time handing , g over the weapons. The magistrate at Mora'f, dabad has since committed the accused for e trial. Both Mr. Elliot and his wife were ie held in mush esteem in the district. y THE LATEST ASCENT OF ARARAT.

Mr. H. F. B. Lynch telegraphs to the Royal Geographical Society that he has succeeded in ascending to the summit of Ararat. He and his party (his cousin, Captain Lynch, and the Swiss guide, Tangwalder) are travelling in Armenia. The telegram is sent from Erivan, and states that on the ISth September they encamped under the summit at the snowline, and ascended on the 19th, reaching the summit, after seven and a-half hours' climb. Some successful mountain photographs were taken. Although the mountain has been ascended several times (as the Times remarks), no doubt Mr. Lynch will have something new and interesting to communicate as to his ascent, as well as on the other geographical work which he has been able to accomplish during his pre* sent expedition. PANIC IN A MEXICAN CHURCH.

A telegram from Mexico announces thab a fatal panic occurred one Sunday recently in the parish church at Parangaientero, in the State of Michaocan. While a religious festival was proceeding in the building a rocket let off outside fell upon the roof and set fire to it. As soon as the congregation perceived the flames they made a wild rush to the doors, and all the exits soon became completely blocked. Ten persons were crushed to death, and many others sustained severe injuries. THE EMPEROR'S HORSE.

The favourite horse of the Chinese Emperor Tsi having died through negligence on the part of the master of the horse, the Emperor, in his rage, would have run that functionary through with his sword. The Mandarin Yent-Se, however, parried the blow, saying, "Sire, this man is not yet convicted of the crime for which he deserves to die." " Well, then, tell him what it is." "Listen, you scoundrel," said the minister. " First, you have allowed a horse to perish which the Emperor had entrusted to your safe keeping. Moreover, it is owing to you that our sovereign became so exasperated that he was on"the point of killing you with his own hand. Lastly, it is your fault that he was about to disgrace himself in the eyes of everybody by killing a man for a horse." "Let him go," interrupted the Emperor, who understood the lesson, "I pardon him." ASTOUNDING IGNORANCE IN STAFFORDSHIRE. At an inquest held at Bilston on the body of an aged paralysed woman, who was burnb to death while left alone in her house, it was stated that when the neighbours discovered her enveloped in flames and in front of the fire, they made no effort to move her or extinguish the fire, as they thought they had no right to do so until policemen arrived. The coroner severely condemned such nonsensical views; and instanced another case of ignorance, where the life of a man, who hanged himself, might have been saved if he had been cub down when first observed. A verdict 01 ** Accidental death" was returned.