HOME AND FOREIGN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1548, 30 October 1901, Page 16

HOME AND FOREIGN.

THE BALKAN VOLCANO. The trial of members of the Macedonian Central Committee and of the President, Boris Sarafoff, for the murder of two spies in Roumania threw the whole population of Sofia into a. state of ferment.

When the jury retired to consider their verdict the police round the courts house took the greatest precautions, finding that close at hand there were more, than 200 Macedonian revolutionaries armed with sticks.

When the jury pronounced the verdict “Not Guilty,” the news was communicated through the windows to the people outside, and the great crowd, numbering from 12,000.t0 15,000, immediately raised a tremendous cheering.

After the formal delivery c,f judgment, the prisoners were set free, and teara M foff, emerging from the court, was promptly raised shoulder high and_ carried towards the church amidst cneering from 15,000 throats. Arrived there he commanded silence, and delivered a patriotic harangue. “Tj*® Macedonian question,” he declared, “is a holy question. While we were in prison its progress wag much retarded. But be patient. In a short time we will regain threefold the ground we have lost.”

At the conclusion of his speech Sarafoff betook himself to his residence, where ms intimate friends awaited him.

The acquittal of Sarafoff has had a great influence on the discussions of the Congress on the Macedonian Committees*

The 350 Macedonian Committees sent 120 delegates in all to the congress, of whom 102 were admitted. Among the. latter were 30 Socialists. For a long time General Tontschef Jias been regarded as the candidate of the Prince for the presidency of the Central Committee. But the General has met with keen opposition from the Sarafoff party. The watchword of Tontschef is “Macedonia for the Bulgarians;” the cry of Sarafoff is “Mace., donia for the Macedonians.” Sarafoff was invited to appear at the Congress and address it on the subject of the measures taken for a revolution in Macedonia. FINANCIAL W T ORRY. The Westminster coroner inquired into the circumstances attending the death of Robert Victor Shone, a well-known theatrical agent, who was found shot through the head in his office at Shaftesbury avenue. Deceased had acted as manager both at the Avenue ana St. James’s Theatres. Last year he was ap.. pointed by Mr Martin Harvey manager of the Court Theatre, but was taken suddenly ill on the night of the production of “A Cigarette Maker’s Romance,” and had to give up his post. Miss Edith Reed, deceased’s sister-in-law, said he was in debt, was very despondent, and had many, times threat., ened to take his life because of business worries.

The coroner read two letters which were found in deceased’s office. One read as follows :: —“God help me. At last my worries have turned my b r ain. How dreadful it is for me to have to leave my darling children, .but I hope the theatrical profession will look atcer them. I have always 'helped others too much for my own welfare. I have thought of this for days, but I can see no way out of my difficulty. I have racked my brain, but it is no use. May heaven forgive this act. —R. V. Shone.” Then followed a postcript: “Thanfs to all friends Who have helped me so iong. God bless them. I know my landlady will give all my things for the heip of my children.”

A second letter read as follows: •"My sister lives at Chelsea. God help me. I cannot live any longer. I have been trying hard, God knows, for months.to fix up work for myself, but I am so much in debt that I cannot see any way out of it. Everything seems so black. My nerves are absolutely shattered by worry. Oh, what a cruel, cruel world!”

Mr James Welch, an actor, stated that a few days prior to the tragedy deceased said to him, “If I don’t get something soon I shall not be responsible for my actions.” The coroner commented upon the sad nature of the case, and the jury returned „a verdict of “Suicide during tempor M ary" insanity.” SLAVE TRADE. John G. Long, Consul-General at Cairo, has sent to the State Department an interesting report on the slave trade in Abyssinia and the Soudan, which flourishes in spite of all efforts to check the traffic. Two hundred and fifty-five men with camels are employed by the Government to break up the trade in the Soudan, and last yeai 2o persons-were convicted. these convicted persons were Sheikhs or t Rashidas, one of the most dreaded tribes in the Soudan. The slave tiaJe at Jedda has been the most difficult to

stop. The principal traffic is from saua and the coast to the northward in Italian territory, Abyssinia, Hoaeida, and Yemen. Yemen is noted for the export of the eunuchs who are procured from Abyssinia. At Jedda there are 12 well-to-do slave merchants, whose names and depots are well known.* ConsulGeneral Long gives the quotations for slaves at Jedda and in Medina and Meg. cn as below. ; !

The Consul-General says that a traveller who recently crossed Abyssinia, entering by the Zeila route, and leaving by the blue Nile, reported that he had had an especially good opportunity for noting the condition of 'the slave trade in that region.

He informed Mr Long that slavery ex., isted. in that portion of the country under the control of Menelik, but in a very restricted and comparatively humane form. There are no auctions or open sales. In the country of Godjam, however, which is nominally subject to Menelik, the institution of slavery openly exists and public sales take place in the ordinary weekly markets. During last year the slave trade department granted manumission papers to 330 slaves. The following is a schedule of pre,. vailing prices of slaves in Jedda : —Male or female, 14 years old, 80 dollars ; male or female, 14 to 20, 100 to 125 dollars; male or female, 20 to 30, 150 dollars. In Medina and Mecca 50 per cent, is added to above figures. Eunuchs, each, 400 to 500 dollars.

STEAMERS IN COLLISION. While the Manx passenger steamer Ben-my-Chree was proceeding from Ramsay to Liverpool, she collided with tho Liverpool steamer West Coast, about 500 tons register, bound for London, Dover and other ports in the Channel with a general cargo. Shortly before the collision she had dropped anchor in the Crosby Channel, intending to wait for the fog to lift. The captain and crew, thirteen all told, were on deck, with one exception, keeping a sharp look-out as the sound of steamers’ foghorns were heard apparently in the vicinity. Suddenly a vessel was seen through the fog hearing right down upon the small coaster, and before her crew could do anything to change the position of their vessel the Ben-my-Chree crashed into her amidships with great force. She was cut down below the waterline, a wide gap being made in her side, into which the water rushed with a roaring noise.

The coaster began to sink at once, and her mate,, grasping the situation, called out to the captain of the Manx steamer to keep ahead. This was done, and fortunately the two vessels remained in touch sufficiently long to enable the crew of the doomed coaster to scramble up the ropes which were thrown to them.

Although the whole affair was over in a very few minutes, not a single life was lost, everybody responding promptly to the necessity of the moment.Just as the last man reached the deck of the Manx steamer the coaster heeled over and disappeared. The few passengers on the Manx steamer were below asleep at the time, and almost before they knew what had happened the whole thing was over. On being assured that their vessel was in no danger excitement quickly subsided.

The Ben-my-Chree suffered considerably at the bows, and had her anchor, which was hanging outside, driven through her plates. She reached Liver pool landing-stage making water badly. As frequently happens during a fog, the crew of the coaster state that although they distinctly heard the other steamer’s foghorn, they could not tell exactly from what direction the sound came, or how far away it was.

EMPRESS FREDERICK’S WILL. The late Empress Frederick’s will shows that her fortune consisted of her English dowry and her accumulated savings, amounting altogether to about £500,000. This includes the value of Friedrichshof Castle, Cronberg, which was built with the £150,000 which was left to her late Majesty by the Italian Duchess Gal., liera, and also £50,000 which a rich Berliner, Herr Tornow, bequeathed to her. Herr Tornow possessed a museum of farts and trades in which the Empress took much interest, encouraging him to write about it. Out of gratitude he made her Majesty his heiress. The Berlin palace is the property of the Crown. The —mpress had declined any legacies from Queen Victoria, saying that there were others who required them more than she.

Her late Majesty’s will gives £5u,000 to each of 'her children, including the Emperor William. Friedrichshof Castle goes to Princess Margaret (Frederick Charles of Hesse). _ It was not suitable for Prince Henry, since be lives too far distant from Crcnberg. Rich legacies and souvenirs have been left to the Empress’s servants and friends, among whom may be specially

mentioned Count von Seckendorff, served her Majesty as secretary for thirty years, and who, by his knowledge of the English language and literature, was most useful to her.

The Empress did not documents or papers ether than those of quite a private nature, and all other papers will be placed in the archives of the Friedrichshof library. The Emperor William has conferred on Count von Seckendorff, late secretary to the Empress Frederick, the Star of Commander of the Royal House of Ho,, henzollern.

A BOY DETECTIVE. J 4 The small hoy is not always the unsuspecting creature he sometimes ap pears. This was shown to be so by a case heard at Brentford Police Court, when John Phillips was charged with forging and uttering a cheque on tho Sheffield Banking Company, value £4 los. A little lad named Goff said that he v;as in the Butts outside the house of a Dr Jones, when a man came up and gave him an envelope in which he said there was a cheque for £4 15s. The man promised to give him something if he would take it to the house of Mr Arch er, baker, in the High street, and change £t. Witness agreed to do* this, and Mrs' Archer cashed the cheque. He (witness) was taking back the money, as he thought, to Dr Jones, when the prisoner stopped him and said he was aSlthorised by Dr Jones to take the money-,and give witness sixpence for his trouble. Witness handed over the £4 15s, and received sixpence, whereupon. the prisoner made off at full speed. Thinking there must he some thing wrong, Goff and another lad gave chase, and Phillips , led them a long way. Finally, as he passed a police station, witness and hi 3 companion divided forces. Witness continued the pursuit, while the other lad went in and told the police. At length witness caught up to prisoner, and called on him to stop. Prisonar turned round and said, “You’ve got nothing to be afraid of,” and made off again. Witness continued, however, and said, “If you don’t give me back the money I’ll give you in charge.” Prisoner then pressed the whole sum into witness’s hand, and again made tracks. By this time the policeman appeared on the scene, and Phillips was taken into cus tody. Dr Jones said that in point of fact he knew nothing of the matter. He was a customer of Archer’s. The endorsement on the cheque was not his. The Bench praised the smartness of the lad Goff, and the prisoner was committed for trial.

RECORD GAMBLING ON A LINER

When the steamer Deutschland ar. rived at New York she had lowered the westward record held by herself by six minutes, and her passengers had lowered all records for gambling on Transatlantic steamships. One hundred thousand pounds is reported to have changed hands. The gambling fever was started by a coterie of Pittsburg millionaires- The average big pull on a fashionable liner is £IOO, each man “chipping in” £lO. They multiplied everything by ten, and made up a £IOOO pool. Colonel Peacock added the pool to his 'millions, having chosen the correct figures of the day’s run—s 73 knots. After that a £IOOO pool was an everyday event, Tod Sloan, the jockey, acting as auctioneer. Tod had bad luck with the pools, but better luck with “Bridge,” winning nearly £2OO. SUICIDE. BEFORE MARRIAGE. Mr George E. liilleary, the West Ham Coroner, held an inquiry at- the Canning Town Coroner’s Court concerning the death of Alfred Waldron, aged sixty, one years, a storekeeper at the Victoria Docks, who committed suicide by swallowing spirits of salts. Caroline Prior, residing at 3, Throgmorton road, Customs House, stated that she had been engaged to the deceased for six weeks- They were to have been married in a few days, and the banns had been published. He had dinner with her, and seemed quite cheerful when he left.

Walter Bastable, Plaistow, a plumber’s mate, employed at the docks, proved finding the deceased on the ground m the docks. Deceased said he had taken spirits of salts to get himself out of trouble. . , Dr Clement Matson, house surgeon at the Seamen’s Hospital, deposed that when admitted all the deceased said wa s “Let me die.” The lower part of the chin and part of the lip was destroyed by the acid, the mouth ancl tongue al s o being much charred. Death, which en% sued the same night, was due to corrosive acid poisoning. The jury returned a verdict or ■ feui® cide whilst temporarily insane. NEW YORK SOCIETY SENSATION. Society of fashionable Islip (says the New York correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph”) has been startled by the announcement of the secret marriage of Miss Head, the 18 year-old heiress to a vast fortune, jvho became the bride of Frederick William Eodley, a young Englishman. Bodley, who has been em.

ployed as superintendent of the estate owned by the bride’s guardian, whose fortune she will inherit, is a native of Gloucestershire, and went America ten years ago, and was made superintendent of George C. Taylor’s estate, one so large as to rival that, of William K. Vanderbilt. To manage it required a man of experience and executive ability, and Mr Bodley possessed both. His employer became- impressed with the idea that he had obtained the right man for the place, and gave him entire charge. The marriage was the outcome of the association of the superintendent with the ward.

Mr Taylor is just recovering from, an apoplectic stroke. How he will take the news of his ward’s marriage is not known. His fortune is estimated to exceed fifteen million dollais. A CORNWALL TRAGEDY. ■ The news comes of a horrible tragedy in the eastern end of Cornwall, at Saltash. The information to hand is to the effect that the inhabitants were startled by hearing a report of firearms, which apparently came from a house occupied by a man named Mort.mer and his family. , As the blinds of the house were left drawn during the day and no answers could be obtained from repeated calls at the house, suspicion was aroused that a tragedy of a terrible- character had taken place. The police were communicated with, and it was decided to break into the house.

This was done about eleven o’clock the same night, when a horrible spectacle presented itself.

In the front bedroom were found the dead bodies of Mr and Mrs Mortimer and their two daughters, all shot in the head. In a back bedroom were the two sons with their heads almost blown away.

The rooms in which the bodies were found presented a terrible spectacle, blood being seen everywhere. It is thought probable that Mortimer, who was regarded a s a respectable man, both in character and means, first killed his wife and family and afterwards committed suicide.

At the inquest Mr Jackson, a solicitor practising in Devonport, stated that he had acted professionally for Mortimer since 1898, and had some knowledge of the circumstances of his family.

Mortimer admitted to him, and witness had further proof later, that Georgina Mortimer, s o called, the murdered woman, ivas really Georgina Luscombe, and that he was not married to her. They had lived together for many years. Witness had reason to believe Mortimer could not marry, having been married previously, and his wife being still alive. Mr Jackson felt certain there was no financial difficulty whatever, and he knew of nothing to provide a motive for the acts.

The coroner reviewed the evidence, and said it was evident Mortimer was what they would call a man of loose character. He was not under control a§ to his moral procedure. His religious views were such that he would think if he swept his family away that would he an end of all. He was not a ferocious man, and in choosing the method he did for destroying his family, he took care that hits victims should not be conscious of what he was doing.

The jury considered their verdict in private. Many disagreed .with the opinion of the majority, and another remained neutral, hut the other twelve signed verdicts of felo de se_ against Henry Thomas Mortimer and ‘of murder against him in the other cases. ALPINE DISASTERS. A manufacturer of Mannheim named Theodar Matter had a fall of about 50 metres on the Abendberg, near Interlaken. He died shortly afterwards. He was taking a walk by himself, and it ig believed that lie had left the path to gather some flowers for his wife and daughter, who had remained at the hotel, when his foot slipped. Another Alpine accident is believed to have happened on the south slope of Monte Rosa.

A German, : named Engelmann, left Macugnaga with two friends to ■ cross Monte Rosa from Macugnaga to Zermatt. This route is reputed to be very difficult and dangerous. The tourists have neither arrived at Zermatt nor returned to Macugnaga* and it is considered probable that they have met with a disaster. TRAIN HELD UP. A passenger train on the St. Louis and South Western Railway, which left St. Louis the other morning, was stopped by the waving of a flag four miles south of Texarkana by five men, who forced the fireman to cut off the mail and express cars. One of the robbers, who was evidently an expert engineer, ran the engine and mail and express cars about one mile, and forced the express messenger to open the car. He then blew up the safe with dynamite and secured the contents, the amount of which is unknown.

SAD SEQTJEL TO A ROMANCE. A .romantic affair of much promise in a district a few miles from Dumfries has had a .rather unexpected and prosaic ending. It appears that .a hard-working Widow in th© rural neighbourhood had become enamoured of the charms of a young ploughman, and the acquaintance* ship appeared soon to ripen into deep affection, a respectable sum of money which the industrious widow had accumulated no doubt adding to her at* tractiveness. The happy pair decided to be*joined together in wedlock, and they cam© to Dumfries for the purpose of securing a , wedding ring. A visit was first paid to a bank in town, and £IOO was drawn, which the :fair one had on deposit receipt. "With every desire to lighten the responsibilities of his bride, the swain took charge of the notes, and the ring was afterwards purchased at one of the jewellers in town. Thereafter the couple left for Glasgow, and on arriving there, engaged quarters at one of the hotels, intending to be mar. ried on the morrow. In the course of the evening, the bridegroom made an excuse to go out, leaving his bride alone. Time passed, and he neglected to return. The affair eventually was placed in the hands of the police, and it is understood that the decamping bridegroom has been arrested in Ireland with some of the in his possession. RUSSIAN RUNS AMOK. A terrible affray occurred on the Goole schooner Volant, while anchored off Yarmouth. A Russian sailor, named Hanson, attacked the master, Captain Swan, with an axe. The master called the .mate, Henry Smallburn, who was knocked down, and had his head split with the same weapon. A boy of 11, the captain’s son, was next attacked, and Hanson, after slicing the boy’s nose, jumped overboard, and has not since been seen. The injured are in the hospital. The mate’s condition is critical. A s later message says that the Russian, Hanson, has not been seen again. Inquiries have been made of all vessels in the roadstead and along the coast without result, and there is little doubt he committed suicide.

LOVER’S DARING ESCAPADE. Mr Charles Harding, an officer on board a Liverpool steamer, was committed for trial at Kingsbridge on a charge of being found upon premises with- felonious intent, the circum - stances of the case being somewhat sensational. Miss Eva Trinick, a young lady to whom he was formerly engaged, was staying at Salcombe six miles from Kingsbridge. Mr Harding left Liverpool for Kingsbridge, arriving by the last train, and having, walked to Salcombe, forced an entrance into the house in which Miss Trinick was staying.. The inmates, however, were alarm ed, and the intruder was discovered and arrested. He was carrying a - five-chambered revolver, an open knife and handcuffs, and had removed his hat, coat and shoes. A BANKRUPT’S PERSONAL EXPENSES. At the Liverpool Bankruptcy Court the public examination was resumed in re C. E. Dean, warehouse owners, Liver* pool. Mr J. F. Dean, examined by Mr Ring (Deputy Official upon an account he had prepared, admitted that the payment side was made up by guesswork. As to an item of idEIOO for tailors’ bills, the bankrupt said ihe believed that was below the actual ?amount.paid. The next item was '‘wine timate he could give. Other items were "“shooting £330,” “presents and gratui* ■ties £300.” He stated that this meant ipresents to his friends not connected rwith business. Another item was “Holiday to Llan* [tludnOj six weeks, £200.” That would ■he by yourself ?-=Yes, with a friend or two. Would you spend £IOO on each visit to London?—Yes. How many weeks did you slop ?—Not weeks, a week each time. (Laughter.) Then I find “Theatres and amusements, £100.” Is that during one year? —*Yes. And “Banqueting, £100.” What does that mean ?—-It means banquets and din® nerg to friends. AN ARGENTINE MYSTERY.

Much interest has been aroused in connection with the strange case of Major Kristuseck, who has been arrested in Buenos Ayres. The major is supposed to have gone out to Argentina in order to wind up the affairs of his deceased brother, who was a merchant in Buenos Ayres. It is alleged that when Major Kristuseck arrived there and investigated matters he found mysterious and suspicious circumstances surrounded the death of his brother. The latter had left a large fortune, amounting, it is said, to £640,000, the whole of which had been taken pussesyon of a relative who was not th© legal heir to the fortune.' Major Kristuseck was pushing for-

ward his inquiries when he was suddenly arrested and confined in prison without trialIt is affirmed that the Austrian Government will intervene on the strength of sworn evidence received from several Austrian residents at Buenos Ayres.

A FRENCH DOG STORY. A good dog story is told by the wellknown paper “Ami des Betes.” A peasant sold fourteen sheep, and he agreed with the buyer that the dog which had accompanied the Cock should form part of the purchase. Mixing up the sheep with some 130 others, the buyer left with them and the deg for his village, some distance away.

Night came on, and the dog decided to turn back. He managed unnoticed to sort out the fourteen sheep and to safely escort them back to their old quarters. Since then the sheep have been hand., ed over again, but the dog has been retained.

CHINA OF TO-DAY. Mr Byron Brenan, C.M.G., British Consu’-General at Shanghai, who lias just reached England on the conclusion ■of over thirty years’ consular work in China, has given Reuter’s Agency his views on the situation in the Far East. “From the standpoint of foreign interests the position in China "is tc*day far worse than it was before the nternational occupation. To begin with, as a result of the presence of foreign troops the Chinese are now better able than ever to play off one Power against another. Formerly there was an impres. sion that foreign interests were, at any rate to a certain extent, identical,. but recent events have shown more clearly to tlie Chinese bow divergent those interests really are, and have revealed the many jealousies existing between the foreign Powers consequent upon the. various lines of policy followed. “I should say that China has not the leagt intention of making an organised attempt to oust the foreigners for a long time to come; but while this may apply to the Government, there is a very hostile feeling among the people in many parts of North China, and a good deal of local disturbance may be expected as the result of the legacy of hate which has been left by the foreign expeditions in the country districts.”

A MURDERED DETECTIVE. Sensational evidence was given at the sAljourned inquest at Birmingham as to the mysterious death of Railway De. tective Hibbs. The three prisoners on remand charged with causing the death- William Bi 1 - lingsley, Charles Webb and Frank Pars, low —were present. Albert McCullough, Parslow’s brotherinjaw, said he beard Parslow crying and talking to his father. He said, “I have done the copper in. I have killed the copper.” His father asked who was with him, and he sard “Charley Webb.” Parslow added, “We went down to the cut on Paddy’s Bank to get coal. When we had got it an officer in plain clothes gave chase. He caught me, and tried to put the handcuffs on me, but I took them from him and threw them on the ground.

“The officer picked them up and gave chase again. He caught me just before I got to the cross-bridge. He had a staff in his hand- Webb clung to hi s arm while I took the staff from him. They loosed, and the officer came at me again. I struck at him, and he dodged. I struck at him again, and hit him on the back of the head. ~ . , “The officer then fell, and we picked him up and threw him into the cut out of the road. We got clear away. A verdict of “Wilful murder against some person or persons unknown” was returned.

SHOCKING STEAMER DISASTER. There i s fierce indignation over the shocking catastrophe on the Delaware River recently, when a passenger steamer from Philadelphia to Trenton blew up and was burned. £ It i s alleged that although built for a paoe of 15 knots an hour, -she wag racing at 21 knots to catch a rival steamer, and a rigorous Government in» vestigation is demanded. The steamship company publishes a casualty list of 12 dead, 50 injured, and 11 missing, but the deaths may safely be trebled. ! The band, says a survivor, was playj ing, and dancing had begun, when sud- ; denly a strange sound as of the tearing ! of a gigantio piece of silk was heard, i Then came an explosion., followed by i another, which tore up both decks, and ■j hurled a dozen persons into the air. ; A girl beside me had her hand torn off against the starboard propeller. The steamer spontaneously swung in shorewards, and was beached fifty yards , from the shore. It was then entirely | afire. t Scores jumped overboard, the major*, ity being scalded and wounded. One naan seized seven life-preservers, .and ’ wag jumping with them when a mounted ! policeman with a revolver stopped him. At the pistol’s point men were kept

back till th© women and children were lowered. Two tiny hands were seen protruding from the debris. On its removal a baby gild and hoy were found locked in each other’s arm's, much bruised but not badly injured.

CHTJRCHLESS BERLIN. According to statistics published by ; the ecclesiastical authorities, there are only 88,712 church sittings in Berlin, j As Berlin is a city with nearly one. 1 million and three-quarters of inhabj* I tants, the probability is that there is no other Protestant city in the world where the disproportion between popuI lation and church accommodation is so

greatThe Empress has recently done much to provide new churches in congested districts, hut the population is growing at a rate far in excess of the church® buildingOwiug to the enormous size of their ■narishes, Berlin clergymen are greatly over worked. According to statistics, some of them have to attend to the spiritual needs of over 30,000 persons. Another curious fact mentioned in the report is that 10 per cent. _ of the total baptisms registered in Berlin were those of illegitimate children, and as large numbers of illegitimate children are not baptised, it follows that the total number must be much greater than 10 per cent.

A FLYING BALLOON. The balloon in which Comte de la Vaulx will attempt to cross the Mediter. ranean will be escorted by a cruiser. The Comte has issued a notice stating that he will probably remain at a uniform altitude of about 50ft. Therefore he begs the captains of chance vessels which he may meet en route to keep out of the way a s much as possible, to avoid colliding with the floating deviators which are used to guide the balloon. He also calls attention to the danger of exploding the balloon with red-hot flying cinders. The balloon will hoist the French flag by day and a single white electric light at nigat. DROWNED IN OIL. The Palestine Beaumont well at Beaumont (Texas), which has been throwing a stream of petroleum as high, as the top of a 70ft derrick has been closed. James Smith and John Macdaniel were drowned in the oil recently. Peter Gallagher met a similar fate, and two other men were dragged out unconscious just in time to save their lives. An expert submarine diver found no difficulty in staying in the spray while encased in his diving suit, but he had to work slowly. DYNAMITE EXPLOSION. A terrible explosion of dynamite took place at Herkimer, New York State, recently. , The explosive was being used for rail, way extension, and a large quantity was stored on the spot. Thirteen men of the New York Central Railroad, comprising the entire gang, were sleeping in a car near the scene of the disaster; all of them were killed on the spot. Three locomotives were blown to atoms, and every window in the town was shattered.

STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. An oil storage tank at Point Breeze, near Philadelphia, was struck by lightning the other day and set on fire. The flames rapidly spread, until altogether six tanks were burned. Throughout the night the firemen laboured unsuccessfully to subdue the flames. Five men are known'%o have been killed. Altogether 18 storage tanks full of oil were destroyed. A dozen more are now blazing. The firemen are making trenches around the tanks with the object of diverting the burning fluid from the neighbourhood of the' docks, where seve® ral vessels are lying. The loss is estimated at a million dollars.—“ Central News.” OHIO DISASTER—FORTY LIVES LOST. The steamer City of Golconda, plying on the Ohio River, was stnick by a squall and capsized, sinking in ten feet of water. Seventeen persons, .including ten women, were drowned. The disaster occurred at supper time, when there were many passengers in the cabin, and there was no time to escape. ' The number of lives lost through the capsizing of the steamer will probably amount to forty persons. The passengers and the white men of the crew who are missing number thirty, five, and in addition to these several blacks and deck-hands are believed to have been drowned. A CLICHY WIZARD. “Yes,” said the idTard of Clichy, John Wellington Wells, with a fiendish light in his belladonnaed and “wilhng.to-paj-eye, “I can cause people

to die at a distance from my clients. It is only necessary to give the enemy one of my enchanted eggs. He will then wither away and jperish.” This wonderful individual works many other tricks, such as divination, cures by incantation, raising the dead, etc. His looms are in the -Circhy Quarter of Paris, one richly adorned with curtains and holy figures. One room is arranged as a chapel; another is equipped with skulls, crossbones, and coffins for the grislier .rites. The magician, who calls himself “Emile,” confesses to beginning life as a waiter, till a Russian count, who had confidence in his powers, set him up in his present line of -justness, where the fees range from £6O to £6OO. He declares that he learnt all his secrets from his grandmother, who was known as “the headless woman,” and could make armies and frightful phantoms appear around her. However, evidently Emile does net know how to make phantoms disappear. He has been getting large sum s from a certain lady for this very purpose. Now she has set the police on his track for olfe taining money on false pretences-

STATESMAN’S SUICIDE. M. Albert Nyssens, who was at one time Belgian Minister for Industry and Labour, committed suicide recently in a Brussels hotel by shooting himself with a revolver in the right temple. The suicide has aroused considerable emotion in Belgium, as M. Nyssens was looked upon as one of the most dig» tinguished politicians of the Right. He was the first to fill the post of Minister of Labour, and was the author of the plural electoral system. He was not re.elected at the last petty elections, and had taken up his work as a professor at the Louvain Uni vena sity. His suicide is attributed to domestic worries.