NEWS ITEMS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1403, 19 January 1899, Page 28

NEWS ITEMS.

BY HER SISTER. ; IN CBS KIPPER LAND AGAIN. Family jars in Whitechapel are apt fro take, a practical turn, especially on Saturday night, December 2nd, when repeated "goes." of gin cold too often stimulate into dangerous activity the pugnacious instincts of the ladies. Still it is not often (says the London correspondent of the Sydney "Daily Telegraph") that rows result in worse consequences than broken heads and windows, followed by an expensive interview with " the beak" on Monday On Saturday last, December 2nd, a tragedy of a far more fatal description took place in a room in Dorset street, Spitalfields, the scene of one of the worst "Ripperi" murders. The residents were Davd Roberts, his wife, and their little boy. Kate Marshall, the wife's sister, had been staying with the family for the last three months. Roberts is a painter and decorator, and the two women made toy whips at home. The pair were always jangling, and Kate Marshall seldom achieved! complete sobriety. On Saturdays Mrs Roberts and her sister usually went out "for a glass" after receiving their earnings, and did not return until closing time. The husband knew of this custom, and last Saturday went to bed with his child at 10. About midnight the women returned. They had been " supping" gin for some hours, and brought home a quart of ale to " top up" with. Kate kindly offered her brother-in-law -a glass, and he then went to sleep. The women fell to talking. Suddenly Miss Marshall, whose methods in liquor were variable, took offence. She seized a jug, smashed; the adjacent windows, and then flew at her sister with "I'll give you what for !" A struggle ensued, in the course of which the table bearing most of the family crockery overturned, and tne combatants collapsed, ' tearing and fighting into a blend of broken china and Irish stew. These amenities disturbed Mr Roberts' repose, and, rising, he cuffed the loving sisters apart. "Then," said he, telling the story later, "for a few minutes they were quiet; but all of a sudden Kate made a rush at my wife, and said, ' That's what you mean,' at tho same time striking her a blow in the right breast. At the time I didn't notice anything in Kate's hand, but my wife called out, 'Dave, she has stabbed me !' I again jumped out of bed and seized Kate by the wrists, and then noticed a knife in her right hand. It was a worn shoemaker's knife which

she had purchased a few days previously for, the purpose of making the 1 whips, but it was very sharp. Kate cried out, 'Let me go,' and struggled desperately j but I stuck to her, and got her out on to the landing. I then kicked at the partition of Mr Amery, who Eves in the front room, and opened his door. Kate continued to struggle, and fought like a wild beast, tearing my shirt, and trying to bite mo; but I held on, and succeeded in - wrenching the knife from her, and gave arrived and took charge of Kate. During the time I was struggling my wife left our room and fell against me in tho passage, faint from Joss of blood. Then Dr Hume arrived and attended to her, My wife and her sister were in the habit of jangling about business matters, but so far as I know they have novel' como to blows. They were in tho habit of ' getting a glass' on Saturday night, though, as a matter of fact, Kato was nearly always drunk. When Kate found the eerious nature of tho case, she cried out: 'What have I done ? Let me seo her !'" A pathetic incident occurred while Roberts was telling the story. The lifctlo boy referred to kept crying, " Where's Mummy ? Is Mummy coming ?" and those present had to tell tho poor little chap that his mother- . would be'there presently. Mrs Roberts died within ten minutes of the and her sister has, of courso, been charged with the murder. According to the neighbours, Kate and her sister were good friends, and quite as fond of each other as percons bd circumstanced are expected to

IPT Jh 9 , Tlew . or the tragedy taken by vvhitechapel is peculiar. It blames Roberts and the deceased, not Miss J:.nrsnall:— "Knowin' 'ow 'asty the roro thing was arter a drop o' drink, Roberto o oughter 'are seoa there was

no knives or 'ateSvets *andy. A scratch or two and & 'andful o' 'air, well, wot is it 'ere or there. The best o' friends must bust up occasional."

A BORGIA OF BOULEVARDS.

The arrest rf Mme. Bianchini* the young, attractive, and chic spouse of the famous designer of theatrical costumes, on a of poisoning her husband with atropine, is the sort of domestic scanual particularly dear to the Parisian h< •art, and has abroad caused many b utav&rdiers temporarily j to forget "Tali ares Picquart and Drey-' fus." The Paris correspondent* filler somewhat in tli- V versions tai tho affair, but it see l ,to b« generally agreed the Bianchini* Vcfife not happy together. In the mont> of June last M. Bianchini began to -havelop symptoms of a strange maJ- .y, which pUzfchM his medical attc dants. In gGod and robust health t>n'# & Httle time before, ho grew, feeing *»Htt thin, displayed an aversion fcft lOOil, and complained of ffceuie teauiS as -.oil. Different remedies wer© tried, but in vain, and then it was gradually suspected that tho invalid was the vcfcim of slow and systematic poisoning. Even when this theory was adopted by tile doctors, the mischief wa« belteved to be accidental. Unfortunately, however, there was no improvement. On tho contrary, matters went from bad to worse, though the patient, grown weaker and weaker, could offer no suggestion. At last (according ,to the " Telegraph" correspondent), M. Gailhard and M. Carre, tho managers of the Opera and tho Opera Comique, took their friend into their own hands, removed him to the Pavilion Henri Quatre, at St. uormain, and carefully kept his family from him. Meanwhile, all sorts of hints and insinuations had leaked out, which were bitterly resented by Mme. Bianchini, who lodged with the authorities a complaint which led up to a regular investigation. The result of this inquiry has been the arrest of the lady. She was hot yet up when the magistrate (tailed, and when he announced the object of his visit, she calmly replied, " Very well, monsieur; only allow me time to dress myself." Then,'as the official seemed desirous oi keeping an eye on her, she added. "There is no need to watch me sc closely. Never fear, I have no ides of- committing suicide; that would be to do my enemies too good a turn."

Soon afterwards Mme. Bianchini emerged from her chamber in an elegant toilette, with the airy remark that her arrest would produce a sensation, but that the laugh would be on her side in the long run. This was a thoroughly Parisian episode, and the fair prisoner conducted herself with equal grace when questioned at the Palais do Justice, prior to her conveyance to the Saint Lazare Gaol. Mme. Bianchini is accused of having poisoned her husband with atropine, phials of which have been discovered at her residence, but that she ever dreamt of such a crime she stoutly denies. "It was that poor Toussaint," she says : " Toussaint is my pet dog; he was ill and 1 got the atropine for him." That atropine was really given to the animal is positively stated. It is re-assuring to know that M. Bianchini is now comEletely cured, and is able to pursue is professional avocations with his former skill and energy. His wife is a native of the Department of Calvados, the daughter of an officer of rank, and she was previously married to a M. Lebeau. She is about thirty years ol age, and altogether not absolutely pretty, is endowed with an elegant figure and charming manners, and is altogether the typo of the stylish Parisienne.

The "Standard" says that all the medicine bottles, etc., which could be found at the house of. M. Bianchini, 28 Boulevard des Italiens, were seized, and M. Jean Charcot, who had taken possession of the bottle which had contained the atropine, delivered it up to the examining magistrate. A MIDLAND MYSTERY. A somewhat peculiar advertisement has appeared in certain Midland newspapers recently. It reads thus : " £SO REWARD.—On the 13th August last year at the Charter House, Coventry, a robbery was effected of tho greater part of the jewels and trinkets of Mrs Miller, then a guest in the house. The thief and the bulk of the stolen property remain undiscovered. A reward of £SO will be paid to the person or persons who shall give such information as will enable tho owner to recover the stolen property, and obtain the conviction of the thief." The explanation of this belated advertisement it is 15 months sinco the robbery was effected---recalls, says a London correspondent, the famous Osborne case, which ranked as the cause ceiel,,< of the year 1892.

Charter liouso is tho residence of J',. Wyloy, a prominent Coventry citizen ; and. a justice of peace. Tho stolen property, which is valued at £6OO, and consisted of gold brooches, pins, loose turquoises, gold gem rings, bank notes, and cash, were taken to the house by Mr:; Miller, wifo of the clerk to tho Chelsea Guardians, who is a collector of curios iri jewellery and a numismatist, and who allowed his wife a pretty free hand with his collection for the purpose of personal adornment, and tho delectation of her friend?. On August 11 Mrs Miller arrived and oji the 13th. the robbery was oa -etcd under circumstances which point t ■ one of tho inmates of the house, guest or servant, having boon tho perpetrator. No one bar Mi" Wyley's guests. an<- ir> servants knew that Mrs Miller had the jewellery in her possession, but tho jewel case was

abstracted from a dressing-bag standings behind tho tlc©r Of her roe-nb whilst several valUab;-.; articles ftMh kh it silver flask, several rings, ftbd Other Kfeposed on tbk dressing-table were left alottC'. tininodiatoly the robbery wi?:s «is6over©d the police at Coventry communicated with fey ttelVphbn'e direct from the house, v$A men were at ones stationed ift&ng the roads in the vicinity and at all the iccal stations, with strict Injunctions to arrest any suspicious characters. Defectives w*?r'o *tlit to the house and after ar.fasft investigation came tb the that the thief or thieves did v lot " break In to steal." There were ho traces to be found in the grounds surrounding the bouse, and it was not until August 16th that one of tho gold a«d coral brooches, a coral pUi*P', and some ompty cardboard which had been tho rppvwittfvi&B 'of some of the trinkets, wSMHg found in the garden. Next day the jewel case, with its lock broken, was found in the grounds, and a few clays later one of tha guests discovered some of tho missing property in her box, much to her disgust :.nd consternation. Finds in the grounds were made latpr still-, and finally about s6I:W9 worth of the property was recovered. The bank-notes were also discovered in the hands of a local tradesman, but every effort to trace the successive holders was abortive.

Tho shock of the robbery proved toe much for Mrs Miller, an elderly lady already suffering from a serious internal disease, and, after lingering! in pain for many months, she died recently. Her husband refused,for some reason or other, to take any slops for tho recovery of his jewellery, Lut now that she has gone to the world beyond he is apparently auite as anxious as Mr Wyley to trace tne thief. But the pursuers have a cold trail to work on, after the lapse of so many days, and tho robbery is more likely to be added to the list of unpunished crimes than to afford any "startling revelations" for the Sensational press. A HORRIBLE SPECTACLE. ELDERLY COUILE BUKNT TO DEATH. A Bendigo telegram to the " Age " of December 2, records the horrible death of a husband and wife in the Victorian city. The telegram reads as follows.: Shortly before 2 a.m. to-day a fire, which was unfortunately attended with fatal results, broke out in a two-roomed cottago in Honeysuckle street south, occupied by an elderly couple named Tinkler. Mr T. C. Watts and Mr Wil"iams were attracted by Mrs Tinkler, who had escaped from the flames-, frantically calling out that her husband was inside tho burning cottage. The fire had by this time got a good hold on the dry wooden building, and although Mr Tinkler's body cmld bo seen through the flames, it was impossible to save him. The brigades were to. n on the scene, but owing to tho lo.r pressure of water they were unable to extinguish the flames until Tinkler's body was charred to such an extent that it could not, when recovered, be recognised by his nearest friends. The house was owned by the Catholic Church, and it was rented free to the old couple, who were in straitened circumstances. Airs Tinkler was severely burnt about the face and arms, and had to be removed to tho hospital for treatment. She is in a critical condition, The cause of the outbreak is not known, Mrs Tinkler, who escaped from the burning cottage this morning, in which her husband lost his life, died in the hospital this evening from the shock, consequent on severe burns to her face and arms.