HOME AND FOREIGN NEWS

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4289, 23 February 1901, Page 7 (Supplement)

HOME AND FOREIGN NEWS

HOW THK FINNS GOT EVEN WITH RUSSIA. A Senator of the province of Finland appointed by the. Russian Government took op his post, there last, spring. On arrival at Helsingfors he found himself boycotted. The hotels refused him admittance, and lie could not even chimin meal- at, restaurants. In the summer he left for SI . Petersburg and the Continent for a. holidav. During Ids absence a. ponce order was issued warning the hotelkeepers to st:pplv visitors with everything needed ui;'ler a. penally of £■>. Nevertheless, on his return to Helsingfors ho was again re.htsed in many places cither food or lodging. Ho finally, however, found accommodation at flic hotel of a Airs Mexmoutan, who was afraid to refuse owing to the Tear of the fine. The Finnish "society” now started boycotting that lady’s hotel. At the, ena of three months’ residence the proprietress appealed to the authorities to allow her to get rid of her undesirable lodger, and as she could not obtain timely satisfaction. she closed the house. During the- whole period of the Senator’s residence no one visited the house or used the restaurant except a few officials acting under the Senator. The police then, made an order dissolving the ‘-'society.” Although of Finnish origin the boycotted Senator laid to find an asvluni with a Russian lamily. "Daily Express.” PU'-W.i AN OFFICER ARRESTED AS A «PV. A somewhat exciting scene was witnessed near the Galle Eaee Baltery at Colombo on November 7. A Russian officer in lull uniform, hooted and spurred, whe had arrived Gnat morning hv the Saratoff from Vladivostok, was seen loitering about with n camera, with which lie was apparently snapshotting the defences. Ho was promptly arrested as a spy, and sent under a'military escort to headquarters, whore he was taken before Colonel, the Hon. R. Noel, chief staff officer, and questioned. Tlie examination elicited very little beyond the fact that the. Russian officer did not understand English, and the English officer did not understand Russian.

The Russian’s camera was overhauledhowever, and the plates developed and examined without any incriminating results, and after a few hours’ detention the Russian officer was permitted to depart. Ho left the headquarters office whistling blithely, and leaving behind him tlie impression that lie had got the better of tho British officer after all.—“ Daily Express.”

W. T. STEAD SEVERELY REBUKED,

In the vilification of the British troops employed in the South African campaign, no man (states the London correspondent of Sydney ‘•Telegraph”! lias been more prominent than Mr W. T. Stead. Recently ho was at great pains to circulate a manifesto, purporting to be the work of a. British officer. It contained a series of the foulest calumnies against c'u,r soldiers, and many of its recipients have replied to Mr Stead in language which, if his cuticle is not that of a rhinoceros, must- have made the “good mini” feel anything but happy. Stead favoured Sir Frederick Milner, M.R., with one of his broadsheets, and asked Sir Frederick’s opinion thereon. He gave it freely, not- to only to Mr Stead, but to the press. In his letter Sir Frederick says : “My opinion is that you ought to he ashamed of yourself for circulating so vile a. slander of your fellow-countrymen. You seem to have made it your mission in life to vilify your country, and tf, slander the bravo men who have suffered and borne so much for their country. It seems to mo a pity that you do not remove yourself to France, and offer yourself to the gutter-press, whore you would undoubtedly be appreciated. As to the letter of ‘A British Officer/ I decline to believe that any British officer could so demean himself as to spread so ra-oss a calumny against his fellow-soldiers without having the courage to put his name at the end of it. If, indeed, any British officer has stooped so low, I can only say that he is a contemptible coward, and I should like to have the opportunity of telling him so to his face; but. in mv opinion, the ‘British Officer’ does not bye far from theMffices of Mr W. T. Stead. Personally I prefer to believe the testimony of Lord Roberts, Sir Redvers Buller, and other brave Generals, as to the conduct of our soldiers in South Africa. I don’t know if you have taken the trouble to read Lord Roberts’s touching farewell to Ida troops when bespeaks of the gallantry, the patient endurance, the good conduct and humanity of our bra.ro soldiers. If you have read it. and it has net made you fell ashamed of yourself, I fear nothing will.” No one ought to object to honest criticism. openly made, but Stead and bis followers are riot honest. They pass over Lord Roberts’s tribute to his troops in silence, but give the widest publicity to.vile stories against our soldiers without making the faintest attempt to inquire into the bona tides of the men who supply these abominable yams.

Consider just one little story which was circulated widely by the Steadites, namely, that of the criminal assault on Hutch women by troopers near Dundee. It was ns circumstantial as ncecTTre, but though the names of the .dishonoured women were given, no attempt was made by Stead and company to verify the yarn, nor did thev express the faintest suspicion as to its truth. On tho contrary, they put it forward as Gospel, nnd made it a peg whereon to hang sermons on the iniquity of Tommy Atkins and his officers. Other .people, ihoweirer, did take the trouble to make inquiries on the spot, and they discovered that there was not on© grain of truth in the sto-y. and the father-in-law “of cue ot the .alleged victims swore an affidavit to the effect that the woman had been in his house at the time of the supposed outrage, and that no British troops had ever been within five miles of the house. But the Stead gang continue to circulate this and similar stories as evidence of the British soldiers’ vileness. A ROMANCE OF SCANDAL. Although Countess Wcdel’s book of sensational scandal, *’Mv Relations u ith tbe Emperor William 1t.,” lias been suppressed in Germany, French and itmglish editions' will be placed upon tne market almost immediately, says a Brussels telegram to the “Daily Express. The “Petit Bleu” publishes extracts from the proof-sheets of the French coition. Such a series of liaisons with princes and monarchs and cf intrigues with statesmen as related by the Countess simply defies belief. Not the least piquant detail of tin* story is that on the evening of ner marriage with Count Wedel the Counters bolted her husband out of the house

because lie had abandoned a woman and child to marry her. The* Countess claims that it was ‘lie who inspired the German Emperor to prohibit gambling in tin- army, and G> develop a great navy. Wo are even assured that ilie famvus LMliravielf circular on peace was her i.ha. .\fier this nobody will bo -.uiprised to Learn that Countess Wetlel is the only pe.-oii in the world who know.- the reel ■jailor in the Dreyfus ease. A LEGAL ANECDOTE. The Warwickshire .Assizes some years ago wore held both at Coventry and Warwick, and only twelve, miles apart. One bright August’day at the conclusion of, tho Coventry business a closed carriage waited at the judge’s lodgings lit Coventry to convey his lordship and Ids two clerks to Warwick. It was a warm afternoon, and tho chief thought he would like to ride outside. "Coleman,’ said he to his principal clerk, ,t singular \y handsome eld gentleman, who had been with him a!! his life, '‘.you and Stephen (Coleman’s son) ride inside, and I will go on tho box. But they mustn’t know Tin the judge as we go along. You must do the judge, and mind yon do it well.” The journey progressed prosperously. On arriving at Kenilworth, halfway* to Warwick, the driver pulled up to water his horses. Tho hotel-keeper rushed out and inquired of the assumed servant on ,l3te box ‘‘if his midship inside.” would take any refreshment. "My lord;” said tho Chief Baron, calling to his representative inside, "will your lordship ho pleased to take anything here:-'” Coleman, fully prepared to carry out his instructions to “do tho judge wed.’ immediately answered, "Ah, certainly, certainly; ‘a. hotthl of champagne, my goad friend; your host, mind, your very best.” The wine was brought out with politeness; Coleman drank one! glass, his son another. ‘‘Give a glass to ni.v man on the box/’ said Coleman, “I dr.ro SUV he is thirsty, and he: will settle will: you.” Afterwards, when at Warwick', Sir Frederick commended tho manner in which his clerk had carried out ins instructions, but suggested that he had possibly a little overdone it. with regard to tho wine, and did not again ask him to act so distinguished a part. THE AVAR IN SOUTH' AFRICA. The Rev. E. J. Hardy, writing in “Oharabers’s Journal,’' says:—lf wo would appreciate the businesslike way in which the army corps was despatched to South Africa, wo should bv way or contrast think how tno French had to get. English ships to transport their troops to Madagascar, and of how even tho acute Americans muddled their expedition to Cuba. The arrangements for this last were so bad that the carairy horses had to bo left behind, ino different units were separated from them stores, horses, and baggage. Sanitary considerations were disregarded, and the army had not enough even of “embalmed beef.” No one knew where to find medical comforts, and thousands were annihilated by disease. The transports had been so ‘carelessly loaded ttiat neither tents, baggage, camp-kettles, nor extra clothing arrived at the front until some davs after the surrender ; while the heavy gnus of tho siege-train lying at the bottom of the cold, under tons of material, were never disembarked at

Many mistakes were made in the South African campaign; but at least | the way our army was transported to , tho seat of war deserves great praise. On the 20th October the first transport sailed. On tlul others troops were embarked at the rate of 3,500 per diem, and by the 17th November 48,500 men, J 32 field-pieces, 47 machine guns, 942 vehicles and 4,644 animals were sent off. Within six weeks of the day the Reser-i ves reached London the brigade of Guards was storming a position seven thousand five hundred miles distant from Chelsea Barracks. One of our foreign military critics, who animadverts adversely on several things in our army, says on this point: “The difficulties of the country, the almost impossibility of obtaining supplies, the terrors of tho climate, the water question, the thousands of horses, mules, and cattle which Jiad to bo fed without the possibility of getting a blade of grass or any pasture from tho soil—whoever can understand arid realise all this 1 will know how hard it is to carry on a war at a. distance of six thousand miles from home.” “Such a war,” said the American general Tun-, “never was waged before., since equal distances have never had to be traversed, nor have such difficulties of ground, (.lima to and supply ever had to be surmounted; the nearest approach being the Bosnian insurrection, in which the natives also turned soldiers at one moment and innocent farmers the next. The Bosnian natives were also excellent shots, and past-masters in the art of taking cover and using every natural advantage just like the Boers. The distance to Bosnia was, however, very small, while the area of tho insurrection was not to be compared with that in South Africa from the sea-base up to Matching or Pretoria. Above all, the poor Bosnians had no Creusots and no Mausers, and smokeless powder was not yet invented. TWO REMARKABLE COINCIDENCES. “I was riding on a street car in Chicago,’’ said the’ man with the prominent Adiim’s apple, “and when I came to pay my fare I discovered that I had but four pennies. Not another red cent could I rake up, and I had a down-town appointment worth 10,000 dollars to me. Would the conductor put me off ? One glance into his cold grey eyes told me that I could expect no mercy from him. I glanced over the passengers, but they were a cold and 'selfish lot. W hat was to bo done? My heart thumped heavily against my ribs, the perspiration streamed down iny face in rivulets, and I felt my knees knock together. “‘Fare, sir; fare!’ “The conductor had just uttered the words in icy tones and was looking r.:e over as the tiger does its victim, when I happened to drop my eyes to the floor, and there—and there, gentlemen, lay » cent —just the cent I wanted to make up my fare. I caught my breath and gasped, and then picked it up, and handed over my five. In a hystericky way I tried to say something to tho conductor, something funny, but he regarded me with stern mein for a few seconds, and then said as he passed on—■ “ ‘About one more cocktail would ripset your apple cart, old follow!” “I had sent my wife into the country for a month,’' said tho man with the geld tooth and the portly stomach. 'T knew she needed the pure air and the fresh eggs and milk, and I knew I needed a break in tho monotony of homo life. Yes, gentlemen, I made up my mind that while she was gone I’d go to tho club, get drunk, spreo around, have a, whooping old time. She started one morning, and that night I painted rile town red. The next night I lost 200 dollars at poker and got gloriously drunk. On the third night, just as 1 was about to start out on another nilarious bust, tho family parrot called out to me: “ ‘Beware! Beware! Don’t go! Don’t

•‘I laughed his croaking to scoru at first, but presently a queer feeling came over me. I determined to change the pi'Qgrainrna and go *.c my lodge that night, and to drink nothing stronger I han soda water, and get home by ton o'clock. I carried out my intentions, and the bells were just striking ten n~ i entered the bourse, wuh a song on my lins. and goodness m my heart. ‘••■iso it’s von. is it f’ exclaimed a voice as I turned on the electric light, and 1 wheeled to find my wife standing there with a. clnh••Yes, gentlemen, she had come heme thinking to trap me, and wave after wave of chagrin and disappointment s.vi'pt her luce us she- realised aat 1 imd actually been to my lodge, was in a sober state', and Imd get homo two hours earlier than usual. She dropped the club and shed many and hitter tears, and next day I bought that, parrot a collar of silver, on which was msenoed, ‘Hie facet solus,’ which is Latin tor ‘I nt, me on again, old bird. Heston Giobt. A POLICEMAN’S LITTLE JwKE. Even a policeman likes his little joke. Tho ether day in Birmingham a no'ioe recruit was accosted by a man y.uio &aid ho thought 1m should, like to join Am force. The recruit, very good-uacurcu-lv, told him how to go about to. rea.ise his ambition, but, after looking at him critically for a' minute, be added, confidentially, ‘‘l’m afraid von enough. \ou don’t look -ilt. .mi. - ,CI, said The man, somewhat apologetically, ‘•l’m only oft 7‘in/’ "Ah,” impued Am officer, drawing himself up to height, “it ain’t enough. But aiiynou vo,r can have a try.” Ills companion t hanked him, and wont elf. A- 011 ’ 0 v. eel. or so later what was the ofneer s surprise, on going on duty cno ouy, tninu the mail who had spoken to linn in uniform standing in tho ranks., at lie first opportunity ho spoke, saying, oil, j see thev passed you: but I di«‘J * think they would/’ He thou took the latest addition to tho force on miemde, and, in the, host spirit of comradcs.np, pub 'aim up to a few “wrinkles. Hie recruit listened attentively, ami, thanking his friend for fits kindness, departed. Turning to a little knot of his colleagues who were standing near, tne officer called their attention to-the retreating ficuro of the recruit, and told tiiemhoa a "week or so previously lie had directed him what to do about, joining. tho men all burst out laughing. 1 lie othoei naturally inquired what they wore laugning about. “Why,” was the answer •‘he's no recruit. That's feo-and-feo, and lid's been in the force ton years or more. And so he Imd. Ho had pla.vea n little joke off upon the gocd-naturai. recruit, by whom lie was unknown. A SENSATIONAL EXPERIENCE. " TRW ABDUCTION OP A MILLIONAIRE'S BON. £SOOO RANSOM PAID. At Omaha, (Nebraska), A. Cudahy, juu., the only sou of a niilliouaire, packer, has been kidnapped, iuipri.-.-oned, and ransomed within the space of 48 hours, and the criminals responsible for the deed are reported to be o;;,(>0() dollars the richer as the result. Tho lad, who is 16 years old,, loft home on an errand to a. neighbour’s house. On hi,s return, when ho was within a very short distance of his father's residence, ho was suddenly attacked by an unknown man, thrust into a waiting room and gagged, and rapidly diiven off to an old house near South Omaha, where lie was kept under close guard. A sack was thrown over his head, so that ho was unable to gain any idea of .the appearance of his captors which .might, loud 1° their identification. Nest day one of the men paid a, visit to Mr Cudahy’s homo, and left a, note which ran as follows; —“We have your son. He is safe. We will take good care of him and return him to you for a consideration of 25,000 dels. /"Wo mean business. (Signed) Jack.” To this was added the time and place for an exchange. The same ni: v '- Mr Cudahy drove five miles into the country and deposited the money at a certain point, where it was secretly received by the kidnappers, and early next morning—the second day after the capture—a cab stopped near the Cudahy mansion, and young Cudahy was thrust from it. The vehicle at once drove off at a breakneck speed. His parents, who were evidently expecting tho boy, were overjoyed at his arrival. Although Mr Cudahy refuses to make any statement for the present, the generally accepted theory is that the kidnapper succeeded in getting the £SOOO ransom, and that part of tho agreement was to the effect that Mr Cudahy should not disclose any details for a certain time in order to give them, a chance to ©scape. FOUNDERING OP A DREDGE. TWELVE LIVES, LOST. Tho Japanese dredge Santo (521 tons) recently launched by Messrs Lohnitz and Co., of Renfrew, lias been lost off Queenstown, with 12 of her crew, including the captain and chief engineer. After leaving tho Clyde, it seems, the Santo encountered bad weather. Her bunker gofc full of water on Christmas night, and next morning, the captain, fearing that the dredge would founder, ordered out the boats. Nine men got into the lifeboat and .five into a smaller one, while tho captain, mate and chief engineer remained onboard. They were then south of Ireland, and proposed making for Queenstown. Obeying later orders, the lifeboat men again got on board, but, owing to the weather, tho men in the smaller boat could not, and remained towing. By this time the dredge was approaching Daunt’s Rock Lightship, and a pilot boat cam© up. The dredge was then seen to list over suddenly and foundered, carrying down with her tho captain, chief officer, chief engineer, and eight firemen and dockhands, who were all Japanese. The five men towing in the smaller boat, and who were saved, are Tom Kay, second engineer; William Elder, third engineer- Alexander McDonald, carpenter; and two Japanese, who acted as steward and assistant steward. They had only time to cut the tow rone of the boat with a hatchet, and had a very narrow' escape from being capsized. The pilot boat soon after picked them up. SHOCKING MURDER IN ENGLAND. RESERVIST’S WIDOW BUTCHERED. A terrible tragedy is reported as having taken place at the little Norfolk village of Stokesb.v. The'cottage of a woman whose husband had gone to South Africa on active service was broken into late on Christmas Eve by a man, whose motive can only be presumed. The woman must have offered resistance, with the result that she received two frightful stabs in the abdomen, causing the intestines to protrude. Her assailant escaped, but the woman, who was found

the following morning in a deplorable condition, was ju-c able to speak. Policemen and doctors were summoned, also a magistrate to receive the unfortunate woman’s deposition. but before this could be taken she expired. Meanwhile, acting on a clue furnished by the woman before her death, a police inspector effected the arrest of a young labourer belonging to the village, who was charged with the murder of the woman. Init denied any knowledge of the crime, '['lie police, on searching a ecu.— <>d. found a. clasp knife of a large make. The accused is described as a sullen and morose individual, who has been already convicted of disembowelling a pig at a. farm at Holies!,y, an adjoining village. The deceased, who was the mother of a fluid, was about BO years of age. Tho accused is about 20 years of age.

A later message states that the name of the murdered woman was Kelly, and it transpires that her husband, who went to South Africa as a Reservist, died there lately from disease. Her child was in bod with the deceased when she was attacked. It was only II weeks old. The man arrested lived in a house oOli yards from the scene of the crime. ESTER HAZY STARVING. A PATHETIC LETTER. Madame EHerhazy, who some time ago obtained a. divorce from the notorious major, is bringing an action for alimony against her mother, the Marquise dc Nett a n court. During the hearing of the case (says the "Daily News” Paris correspondent) counsel for the plaintiff read in court the following curious letter Loin Major Estcriiazy to his divorced wife:

I have* been unable to write to my children these last few days for want of money to buy a stamp. -My physical strength is gone ; I am disheartened and penniless. 1 have taken but one meal within the last 48 hours, and that was in a workhouse. I have no money to buy clothes. I am shivering with cold, being unable, of course, to warm myself any whore except in the churches and the museums. Everybody will say that this is a. confession of guilt. You can say that I am starving. I have struggled hard, but my voice is silenced by my enemies. 1 am without food. I shall die of wAnt unless a. bullet puts an end to It. Give many kisses to my dear children. Tell them how I love them, and say that if an awful fatality lias thrown me into the abyss, that if I am dying a victim of human cowardice, I never committed the crime of which 1 am accused by miserable creatures who want to escape. I have had to pawn my wedding-ring. It was the only piece of jewellery I carried away. I kept it in spite of the divorce. I pawned it the other day, only at the last extremity. Like every lino from Esterhazy’.s pen, the above is probably a mixture of truth and falsehood. As Esterhazy said, in his famous letter to his nephew Christian, one must bamboozle everybody. A GIRL’S SAD STORY. FROM THEFT TO ATTEMPTED SUICIDE. PUBLIC COMPASSION. At Willesden Police Court, London, tire other day, a girl, wlio said she was Helen McKenzie (17), a linen worker of Perth, was charged on remand with attempting to commit suicide. A lady, who saw the girl approach the Welsh Harp Lake, Hendon, and deliberately leap into the water, rushed clown stairs, informed George Dry, who was employed in her stable, and they both rushed to the water. Dry gallantly jumped into the -water, brought the girl to the surface, and brought her out. She was restored, taken to the lady’s house, and her clothes dried. Sue told a, sad story, which she repeated afterwards to Police Sergeant Cox, to the effect that her mother" was dead, and her stepmother had given her £2, packed her off to London, and told her she did not wish to see her any more. She paid £1 16s 9d for her fare, and the balance, except some coppers, she spent in biscuits. She thought she could get a situation in London as a servant, but found she could not bo booked at a registry office as she was not provided with a written character. She wandered about and was so wretched that: she threw herself into the water. Mrs Baker, wife of Mr J. Allen Baker, L.C.C., took compassion on the girl, and was allowed to take her to her home while inquiries were made. Inspector Smith said he had received a report from the Chief-Constable of Perth, fhom which it appeared prisoner’s story was false, and she now said her name was Helen McKenzie Nicholl, and lately resided with her parents, at Kirriemuir. She also confessed to a larceny committed in Scotland, and he asked for a further - remand.' Mr Gough, the Court missionary, said he had made further inquiries, and believed her father was a shoemaker at Kirriemuir, and her mother was alive. She went to a situation pn November SO at_ the Forfar Infirmary, and on the 10th hist, took £2 from the pocket of a. - coat there. She went to Perth, stayed there two or three hours, bought some sweets, and came by train to Enston. When she - got out and wandered about the neighbourhood of Euston. she was so disappointed, having expected to find London such a pleasant place, that she asked her way to the country. She found her way t° Hendon, no doubt up the Edgeware Hoad. One brother was. at Aberdeen, and another a bank clerk at Cape Town. Her sisters were all in Scotland. This was mainly based - on information given by the girl herself. He had received over 70 letters, containing offers of situations from versons who read of the case in the papers. WITTY RETORTS OF POLITICIANS. THE HUMOUR OF WELLINGTON. We do not know that politicians are, ns a body, particularly witty ; but Mr E. J. Moyle, in the December "Chambers’s Journal,” recalls some amusing examples of . repartee on their part. The Duke of Wellington was not deficient in the art. Many will remember bis crushing reply to the Austrian Princess who, asked him how he accounted for the fact that the Viennese spoke French far better than fiie English. “Madam,” said his Grace, “if Napoleon had twice visited London with his armies as he has Vienna, we should doubtless be much more familiar with the French language.” More stinging wa.s the Duke’s retort when Louis Philippe introduced to him one of the French marshals he had defeated in the Peninsula, and who. with a lack of manners strangely foreign to his nation, turned his back on his old enemy during the presentation. The Kang apologised. “Forgive him, sire!” exclaimed the Iron Duke with a laugh. “Why, it. was 1 who taught him to do that in the Peninsula.”

. Spmetimes a political candidate has been able to use to great advantage his power of repartee. Charles Burleigh, the Abolitionist, hi the midst of an antiSlavery speech, was struck full in the face by a rotten egg. “There’s a proof”

lip stud, as lie calmly wiped his face with I Ills handerkerchief, "a proof of what I i have always maintained, that pro-.s!avery arguments are very unsound.’’ The crowd laughed heartily, _ and Burleigh v .’as allowed to speak v.'itheut further molestation. A similar incident occurred at a political meeting in the West of England, but on this occasion it was a cabbage which found its way to the platform. The orator retorted that some ef ids fie tiering supporters had declared him- to he a powerful speaker, bin he little thought that any of his hearers would ever lose their heads over him! A candidate for a rural constituency who appeared very nervous, was requester by an elector at the back of the room to >poak up. “Speak up!’’ ho retorted in a voice which filled the. building and surprised all present. "I should have thought that the ears of the gentleman who interrupted were long enough to hear me even at that distance.” This reference to the ass recalls a New Zealand story. One of the candidates, a pronounced Scotsman, at an election there had received a present of a huge thistle which at the moment happened to be lying on the table of his commit-tee-room. Someone suddenly entering at once withdrew with the remark, “I beg your pardon; 1 didn’t know you were at lunch!” -Mr Bonnet Burleigh,’the war correspondent, was in 1885 Radical candidate for the Go van Division of Lanarkshire. He was subjected to much heckling, but Its more than held his own, to the great delight of his supporters. At a meeting of the workers in the shipyard of the late Sir William Pearce, the Conservative Candidate, one of the nen, a Liberal, wanted to know why Mr Burleigh, if lie were an honest radical,, wrote for the “Daily Telegraph.” . “Just for tho same reason,” replied Burleigh, “as you, another honest Radical, work in the yard of a Conservative shipbuilder.” The heckler collapsed, amidst roars of laughter.

When the lute Lord Chief-Justice was contesting South Hackney, a constituent, in the course of.Ms canvass, asked Sir Charles what the penalty was for bigamy. ‘’'Two mothers-in-law,” retorted the famous lawyer. A candidate for an agricultural constituency, noticing one of tho electors ploughing, approached him and said, “That seems to he very light soil. .What crops do.- yon grow on it?” “Depends very much on tho kind o’ seeds wo puts in,” replied Agricola, dryly. Sometimes a telling retort comes from a crowd. At an open-air political the North of England a man cried", “Hurrah for Jackson!” to which a. bystander replied, sarcastically, “Hurrah for a .Jackass!” “All right, ray friend!” exclaimed the first speaker, “yon can hurrah.for your candidate, and I’ll do the, same for. mine.” I ALLEGED RAILWAY OUTRAGE. MAN ATTACKED IN A CARRIAGE. The “Glasgow Herald” reports that on the arrival of the 2.20 p.m. train from Lime street, Liverpool, at Acton Bridge on Friday, December 28th, a man was found lying unconscious on the-floor of a third-class compartment. The man’s clothes were saturated with blood, and his head lay in a pool of blood. He was conveyed to the Railway Hospital at Crewe, where he was attended by Dr Atkinson, the company’s chief surgeon. Two severe jagged wounds wore found in his throat, caused evidently by a knife used with great force. The man rallied during the afternoon, and gave his name as James Williamson Mather, and his address as 11 Cecil. street, off Rreston road, Liverpool, lie was a station, porter in the service of the London and NorthWestern Railway. His .statement. is that he had been secretary of a. Tontine Christmas Club, and had collected a sum' of money from members in.his- district. This jva.s about to be distributed, and he left Liverpool by me 2.20 train for Parkside to meet the treasurer in order to hand over the money. He was in a third-class compartment by himself, but just as the train was starting for Lime street a strange man jumped in. The stranger naked him for a bit of tobacco, but he replied that he had not got any. The stranger almost immediately sprang upon him and tried to rifle his pocket, Ho took a handful of silver out of one pocket, and then inserted his hand in tho other, and drew out a knife. Then there was a struggle, and, according to the victim’s evidence, the stranger, opened tho knife and plunged' the blade : twice into his throat,'afterwards knocking him down. The man became tin-, conscious, and in this condition was found when the train arrived at Acton. Bridge. He was then the only occupant of the compartment. His assailant must have jumped ■ from the train -previously.; He missed over £6 from his pocket, all in silver, although about £3 10s -was left. Had he not been discovered at, Acton Bridge and his wounds temporarily attended to he would undoubtedly, have bled to death. As it is ho' is 1 greatly weakened through loss of-blood. The knife could not bo found in the; carriage. The wounds are regarded as; I of a dangerous character, being of considerable depth. MYSTERIOUS POISONING CASK. | FATHER, AND THREE CHILDREN; DEAD. The “Central News” Tauten correspondent telegraphs that a mysterious poisoning case lias occurred at the village of Onto, near Milverton, West Somerset. A labourer named. Maunder, his' wife, and six children were taken ill, and tile father- and three children have died. Some herrings which the family had for breakfast are supposed to be the cause. At an inquest the doctors said there were appearances of phosphorus poisoning, but the inquest was adjourned pending an analysis of the contents of the internal organs of the deceased by a Loudon specialist. THE EVIL EYE. AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY. A little while ago two peasants brutally murdered an old man at Angiers because they considered he had evil eye and bewitched their cattle and made them die. The victim was a retired pork butcher named De Nechean, 72 years of age, while tho murderers are quite young men, who are apparently convinced that they were dealing fairly and judiciously with the sorcerer, who merited immediate death. They carried out their work with brutal thoroughness. Having felled tho old man with a heavy stick, thereby inflicting sufficient injuries to kill him, they stabbed him through the. heart and cut Ms throat so deeply as to almost sever the head from the body. They were determined, the.y said, to prevent his coming to life again. | The opinion of the peasantry in the [ locality was entirely on the part of the 1 young men.