SCOTLAND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11398, 15 April 1899, Page 6

SCOTLAND

(FrtOM.Ol/B Ofl'.V CoBKKSrONDRMT.) EDINBURGH, March 2. ! ' POLITICAL.

The election cif a member of Parliament for the North-Western Division of Lanarkshire in the room of the late Mr J. G. Holliurii, took place mi February 21, mid resulted in the return of Dr 0. M. Douglas, the Liberal candidate, by « majority of 359 votes over. Mr Graeme Whitelaw, Unionist. The Liberals not only retained the .seat, but increased their majority by 262 voter-:. ThVis ascribed to Dr Douglas adopting Monm Hide, and so securing many Irish votes. There was. a total poll ol 11.191, or. 83 per cent, of the names upon the. electoral roll. A .SOUDAN HERO. Major-general Sir Archibald Hunter, 1v.U.i1., of . .Soudan fame, was presented with, a sword of honour in the ' County Hall, Ayr, ,on February 7. The'sword is of 18-carat gold, excepting the' blade, and cost £250. It was subscribed for by inhabitants of Ayrshire, of which county Sir Archibald is a native. In the'absence, through illness, of the Karl of Eglintou, Lord-lieutenant of the county, the presentation was.made by the Deputy. Lord-lieutenant, Mr 11. A. Oswald, of Aucheneruive. Mr E-. A.. Pollok, convener of the county, who spoke on behalf of the people-of Ayrshire, scored a point by addressing General Hunter's mother, who was present in a reserved scat, and congratulating her upon possessing a son so illustrious.' Since then, on account of the reappearance,of the Khalifa at the head of a large force, General Hunter has been suddenly recalled to his post. General Jiacdonald, the commander of the Soudanese Bih;ade, who had reached Cairo on his way Home, has also been recalled on the same account, so that the Highland "welcome which was being,prepared for him at Inverness has had to be postponed indefinitely.

AN EDINBURGH TRAGEDY

This city was greatly shocked on February 18 %'hearing that a very tragical affair had.taken place in one of the hotels in Princes street, On the morning of the 16th a young man of fine appearance engaged a room in.the hotel for himself and las'wife, whom, he said, ho expected later in the day. About 7 p.m. he came in with a young lady, like himself very good-look-ing. Soon after "breakfast on the 17th they went out, but returned in tivo hours and \f»jut to their room. As they did not appear, again, and repeated knockings were unheeded, the' door' was forced about 7 p.m., and-both persons were found lying on the bed .with their throats cut, and quite dead. From letters found on the man's body, ;it was learned that his name was Charles J. Stevenson, son of a foreman carpenter at. Peterhead, and traveller for a firm of wholesale jewellers in London. The young woman "was his fiancee, to whom he was .'soon to have been married. Her name was Annie Florence, and she lived at Peterhead with her mother,' who is the widow of a blacksmith. In a letter which Stevenson,'wrote to his father he said his betrothed had agreed to share his fate, but that the1 true ' secret of their death would never be known in his world. Stevenson's employers gave him a ' very high character, and said they, were so pleased with him that they were about to increase his pay. There seems that there is a taint of insanity in his family. The girl's remains were taken to Peterhead for interment, and Stevenson was buried in Piershill Cemetery, Edinburgh. In Peterhead, where both parties were well known, the greatest sympathy is felt for their families. ..,'...', ALARMING RAILWAY- COLLISION. A railway accident which, almost by a miracle, escaped' being attended by consequences of the most disastrous description, tookJplace-on'-10th February at Pollokshaws, just within the southern.boundary of . Glasgow. The- line at that point is worked jointly by the Caledonian and Gliiseow and South-Western Companies. A Caledonian goods .train was being shunted Odt; of a siding on- to the main line, it ,was run into by a. Glasgow and Southwestern express from Kilmarnock, which wai running at"the time at a speed of 50 miles an'lipur. Two of the goods trucks were pitched; clean off the line over a bridge into the road: below, ' carrying away the parapet of the bridge with them, and three other trucks were' also smashed to pieces. The brakesman, of .the goods train was thrown!' over /the ' bridge,' and was buried under the debris; , but when he was extricated he was .found to be scarcely hurt, and was able to climb up tlie embankment and go home.' The engine and.'. several carriages bi the express were derailed, and the peimanent .way was torn up for 150 yds, the engine finally burying itself in the ehrth' tip to ' the axles. The driver and fireman stuck to.their posts, and were unhurt. Although the carriages were much damaged, only a few of the occupants were hurt, °and these but slightly. Among them was a team of- football players from Glasgow, who occupied a .saloon in front of the) train. One of them had his right leg cut and his head bruised, ,but the rest were quite uninjured. Everyone was amazed that no lives were lost. . It is supposed th^it the accident was 'caused by some mistake in connection with the signals, but the question will be determined by an official inquiry. ' LOUD ELGIN'S WELCOME HOME. Tho Earl and Countess of Elgin received a right royal welcome at Dunfermline on February 14, on their return from their five gears' viceregal reign in India. The provost and magistrates met them at the lower station, where a procession was foimed- and.drove through the town, the streets of which were profusely decorated, and were thronged by thousands of people, who cheered with great enthusiasm. .A banquet ;ollpwed at the Council Chamber, when the. provost read and presented an illuminated, address ,to Lord Elgin, who made a suitable reply. Accompanied by an escort of ,the Fife Light Horse, the Earl and Countess then drove to their seat at Broomhall, where they were welcomed by their tenantry and a large gathering of people from Charleston, Limekilns, and Crossford. Brief speeches followed, and later in the evening there was a display of fireworks from the . Gellat Rock. , Lord Elgin is much liked as a kindly, sensible, and unpretentious man. THE XETHYBRIDGB TRAGEDY. j Allan Macealhnn,' the poacher, who shot a constable'named King, near Abernetlvy, Speysido, on December 20, was tried on a | charge of murder at Inverness on February I 14. .' After a trial which lasted eight hours, the jury found the prisonei guilty of culp: able' homicide, and of threatening to shoot. another constable. The judge (Lord Tray|ne;-),' after. remarking that the jury had taken a humane and merciful view of the case, sentenced IMaccallum to 15 years' penal servitude. It■'. is- stated that four of the jury were in favour of a verdict of .murder.' Maec.Mhiih'is 'now confined in the great convict prison .at Peterhead, where 'the convicts,'are' employed in the work ol 'constructing a national harbour of refuge.

CRUSADE'AGAINST CON-

SUMPTION.

For some time past the question of dealing more'effectively with this fell disease has been attracting' jrreat. attention in Edinburgh, and the municipal authorities have been taking preliminary steps towards grappling with it in earnest.. This is not to be wondered at.'-seeing ' that in the severe climate of.Edinburgh consumption causes many deaths-every year, and also throws many people upon the rates. According to ' Bailie.' Pollard, the convener of the' Health Committee of the Town Council, consumption causes 500 deaths of adults annually in this city, and it is believed that this number might be reduced to 300, or even 250. by taking the proper measures. According to figures obtained by the Parish Council, which has appointed a committee to investigate the subject. 40 per cent, of the deaths m Edinburgh from phthisis occur among persons who live in houses