THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1974, 19 September 1889, Page 2

THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL.

Ahckland, September 14

' Arrived : Mariposa, from San Francisco. Passengers for New Zealand — Mrs Gill, Mr and Mrs Edwards, Mrs Berkley, Miss Millie Berkley; Miss Edith Winthrop, Mr and Mrs Pipkin, Mrs Clark, Mr and Mrs Harvey, Rsv. Father Wissell, 0.5.8., Mr Robert Droome, Mr Andrew Terry, Mr A. J. Asthrup ; eight steerage.

GENERAL SUMMARY.

San Fbanoisco, August 25.

Great destruction of property is reported from County Clare, Ireland. Floods swept hundreds of acres of farming lands, and nearly all growing crops were swept away to sea. The loss will reach an enormous sum.

The Queen is suffering from sciatica, which causes great pain and prevents sleep The Prince of Wales is also suffering much from his leg since he left Cowes. Veins which have never resumed their normal size since he had typhoid fever swell and cause great pain from time to time. Lately the swelling has been very bad, and tbe leg reached an enormous size.

Damala, husband of Sarah Bernhardt, the actress, died on August 16, from an overdose of morphine and cocaine. He had long indulged in the habit against his wife's protest.

Brunet, liquidator of the Panama Canal Company, informed the shareholders on August 1 that a financial syndicate had taken the whole amount of the lottery bonds, the terms of which he does not reveal, and that if the enterprise perishes the law of bankruptcy will enable him to distribute among the creditors 8 per cent.

An anonymous writer enclosed 10 £1000 notes in a letter to the Prince of Wales, denouncing the opposition to the Royal Grants Bill.

Germane to this it is also mentioned that the Queen has appointed a private commission to examine her household expenditure and prepare a scheme of retrenchment.

Blondin has accepted a wager of £4000 to walk on a cable stretched from the Eiffel tower to the dome of the main exhibition buildings iv less than five minutes.

The naval frauds recently discovered in Germany sent a thrill of indignation throughout the empire by the extent of their ramifications. The emperor is furious. Herr Oremir, a highly placed officer at Kiel, committed suicide after his arrest.

Stevens, the American long distance cyolist, has failed in his search for Stanley, the explorer, returning to the coast. He has neither seen nor heard anything of the object of his search.

Cardinal Lavigerie will shortly appeal in the name of the Holy Father Leo XIII to the nations of Europe to purchase from tbe infidel defilers the Holy City of Jerusalem, and as much of its surroundings as will be necessary to form small provinces, to be for ever independent and guaranteed in their integrity by the Weßtern Powers.

Two thousand estates of noblemen mortgaged to the credit of the Bank of St. Petersburg (established by Government to advance loans to tbe nobility) have been foreclosed, and on the 20th were sold by auction.

The steamship City of Paris has made the Atlantic trip in 5 days 23 hours and 44 minutes, beating her own record.

At the convention of the Ancient Order of Foresters, held at Minneapolis during the week ending August 17, it was resolved to decline independence of the parent order in England^-

The Young Ireland Parliamentary Club of San Francisco are preparing to receive John Dillon, Sir Henry Gratton Esmonde, and John Deasy, who are expected to arrive from Australia by the September steamer.

Eighteen large steamers have recently arrived at New York from England to seek business in the West India trade.

Henry Villwd's South Pole expedition is preparing to start next spring. Villard has been interested in the scheme for two years, but the principal promoter is the professor in the Ormond University.

Everything is bustling in regard to the Nicaragua Canal project. The plan of the company is to attack the isthmus from both sides at once, and inside of two years Lake Nicaragua, draining a watershed of 8000 square miles, will be thrown open to the world. In about two and a-half years more, or in 1894-95, the whole canal will be ready for business.

The situation of the world's bfeadstuffs supply is more serious than expected a fortnight ago. Russian official reports admit that the wheat crop is the worst for many years. A tornado in Hungary and North Roumania not only destroyed the grain still standing, but swept away many granaries. The Austrian Minister of Agriculture officially announced the day before the storm that the crops of Galicia and Silesia wpre a total failure, and those of Bohemia and Moravia very bad. Reports from Bombay grow worse as the season advances. The official estimates show a shortage of 15,000,000 bushels. The recent bad weather has caused much anxiety to the farmers of England, and the same climatic conditions worked havoc with the French crops. Freights from the Baltic and Black Sea ports have advanced.

A London despatch of August 17 nays that the failure of the most important European wheat crops and the continuation of unfavourable harvest weather in England have led to steps for the formation of a gigantic head trust in London. Four of tbe largest metropolitan head companies, controlling nearly 300 retail bakeries with yearly profits of nearly £100,000, are already in combination, and others are expected to follow. The consolidation will be known as " The London Bread Union." It 18 announced that by the reduction of administrative expenses and lessened competition this new monopoly will be able to lower the price of bread. The price of wheat has risen in all English provincial ports.

General summary dates from Europe to August 25.

Mr Balfour's Prison Bill passed the House of Commons on August 23, after a heated debate, by a vote of 113 to 69. Fierce attacks were made on the Secretary for Ireland by Messrs Sexton, Parnell, and Blain.

Slavin, tha Australian heavyweight, deposited, on August 12, £100 with the Sporting Life, London, with a challenge to John L. Sullivan. Slavin means to fight for £1000 and the world's championship , under the London prize ring rules.

Edison, the electrician, is being honoured in Europe. On the 13th August the Queen despatched Colonel Gonrand to Paris to present the inventor's phonograph, into which she had spoken, warmly congratulating him. King Humbert of Italy has appointed the distinguished American a Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown of Italy. < William Mackay Porter, special examiner of the Pension Bureau of Washington, is under arrest in Belfast charged with obtaining money under false pretences. Porter attempted to borrow money from the consul-general on the plea that when he arrived in London the banks were closed. Since Porter's arrest a letter has been received from his wife asking for information about him. She cays he recently became insane, and escaped two years ago. Herr Lochimmam, editor of a London journal, a weekly newspaper printed in German, shot his wife and child on August 19, and then committed suicide.

The Exhibition of Co-operative Societies has bpen opened at the Crystal Palsce, Sydeaham. The display is highly interesting, and shows marked progress in the products of the co-operative industry. A festival was given at tbe palace on August 19 in connection with the exhibition, when the attendance was enormous —the turnstile recording over 40,000.

Ross Raymond, a notorious swindler of two continents, was arrested iv London on August 20 for cashing a fictitious draft.

Tbe Earl of Dunraven has written a letter to the New York Yacht Club regretting the recent misunderstanding in regard to the America Cup challenge, and expressing a hope that a race with his yacht, tbe Volkyrie, may b8 arranged in 1890

On August 2 the American Association paid M. W. Rouet 580,650fr for Millet's picture, the 11 Angelus," bought at the Sccretan sale.

Extensive forgeries of lOOOfr notes were discovered at Toulouse on August 7. The notes had been extensively circulated. A number of persons were arrested, but a large railway contractor implicated escaped.

The action of tbe British House of Commons, says an Ottawa despatch, of voting £6"O,G0O for the establishment of a mail bcrvice between Vancouver, 8.C.. and Hongko.ig is creating a stir in political circles in Canada PoMnnnpN r-gentral Haggard say a the Government has received advice that the information in tha despa oh is correct, and that the action of the Imperial Government was the direct outcome of the action of the Canadian House of Com me us last session in agreeing to pay for a share of the subsidy £15,000. The establishment; of a line of steamers on this route is now almost an accomplished fact, and there is little doubt that it will revolutionise British trade from India. The service between Halifax, Quebec, and Hongkong will be at intervals of four weeks. The vessels will call at Yokohama and Shanghai, and the contract runs for 10 years. The Admiralty clause provides for the conveyance of troops and supplies at cost. ' The American Pacific railway will also present an alternative route for Australian mails. At present these mails when sent via America travel via New York and 'Frisco, and a specially high rate is paid for the United States transit. Under the propjised contract it will be possible to send them via Quebec, or Halifax and Vancouver, on the payment oi the ordinary coastal rates of transit to the Canadian Post Office, and possibly the mail route via the Pacific i:o Australia will be diverted from 'Frisco to Vancouver.

Despatches from Lucerne, August 21, say that a syndicate of German bankers, which has been quietly buying up certain railroad interests, proposes to pierce the Simplon. They have accepted a scheme for a tunnel at the base of the mountain with its southern mouth in Italy, and that country will contribute 15,000,000fr. There is little doubt the Swiss Government will now accept this proposal. The plan is of great importance to Germany and Italy, both commercially and strategetically. France, Switzerland, and the Simplon Valley will be thrown open to the German Government to the detriment of French commerce, and in case of war Italy and Germany would be enabled to bring troops directly to the Franco-Swiss frontier, which is almost entirely unfortified. A disastrous tornado visited Southern Hungary on July 28. For 21 miles along the Danube many houses and churches, a ferryboat at Pestb, and a circus at Izigid, all crowded with human beings, were swept away. Hundreds were drowned, and the bodies lay strewn in every direction. The path of the tornado presented an awful scene of desolation. It was nearly half a mile wide, in which the dead and dying people are embedded in wreckage. Many bodies of men, women, and children, and cattle were recovered from the Danube and in other rivers. Several fine churches were ruined.

The National Bank of Milan and the Savings Bank at Naples advanced on August 19 24,000,000 lire to two Turin banks to arrest the panic caused by the suicide of Signor Copelo, one of the leading bankers of the city last named.

Dnriog a public concert and ball in Rome on August 19 a bomb was exploded near the Austrian Embassy, and eight persons were injured.

A railroad excursion train was wrecked on the Knoxville-Cumberland Gap and Louisville railtoad, 25 miles from KnoxvilJe, Tennessee, on August 22, by which three leading citizens of Knoxville were killed and 14 badly injured. The excursionists embraced the chief business and professional men of the city.

A formidable rivalry has been started to the Standard Oil Company in Pittsburgh, Pa Large capitalists have built immense refineries at San Diego, California, where oil transported from Pittsburgh will be refined, and shipped thence to Australia, China, Japan, India, the islands, and other points in the Pacific Ocean.

Captain Charles Towers, 39 years old, a jeweller by trade, but who had been a sailor, conceived the idea of Failing across the Atlantic from Boston to Paris in a dingey 14ft long sft wide, and drawing 22in. He wanted to see tbe exposition, and sailed away from Boston on July 3. He was brought back on tbe 23rd by the schooner Martha A. Bradley, from the Grand J3anks of Newfoundland, in a most deplorable condition, blind and nearly insane,

AMERICAN SUMMARY.

The British steamer Thordisa, owned by Turnbull and Whitney, of England, while loading crude petroleum at Gibson's Point, Baltimore, on July 20, caaghfciire from a light in the engine room, and the vessel and cargo were consumed. The oil was being shipped to France ; it was valued at 15,000d0J, and the vessel at lOO.OOOdoI.

By the burning of a portion of a flat on the Seventh avenue, Eighteenth street, New York, on August Id, some 10 or 12 people lost their lives. The place was a regular death trap, and a restaurant keeper named Sudyer was arrested for setting it on fire to get the insurance.

A posse of citizens started out from Ashland, Winconsin, on August 19, in pursuit of a ruffian

who had laid an intoxicated companion across a railroad track, and in this position he was cut to pieces by a passing train. Lynching was the purpose of the pursuit.

The engagement is announced of Mis 3 Huntington, daughter of Collas P. Huntington (one of the big four railroad magnates of California), to Prince Hatzfeldt, cousin of the German Ambassador at London. It is estimated the prince's debts amount to 4,000,C00f.

King Kalakua declined to receive the Hon. W. H. Severance as U.S. Consul on his arrival at Honolulu. He considered the U.S. Government had insulted Hawaii in making the appointment, inasmuch as Mr Severance was formerly Hawaiian Consul in Frisco, and was removed for cause.

Five hundred news boys struck in New York on August 21 against increased rates by the Evening Sun and Evening World. They won their fight finally, the papers acceding to their terms.

The Rio' Grande Western train, known as " Madge," was stuck up on August 8 by train robbers. They got lOOdol from the passengers and about 20 watches, but were unable to open the express car, where the messenger lay with a magazine shotgun and two revolvers. William Bowen, from Australia, and more recently from Victoria (8.C.), committed suicide by drowning in San Francisco. He lost all his money on his trip to British Columbia, and finding himself short on his return to San Francisco, took his owd life in the manner mentioned.

The hop crop in New York is said to be almost an entire failure.

A letter from a committee representing an English syndicate, addressed to the presidents of every cotton mill on "the Fall river (Mass), proposes to form a cotton mill trust, and states that foreigners have subscribed more than enough capital to buy the entire cotton manufacturing plant of the country. They have 20,000,000d01, and the investment will probably be 30,000,000d0l or more.

A fearful hailstorm occurred in Calflax county, New Mexico, rpcentiy. Stones of immense size fell, killing 2000 out of a flock of 3000 sheep.

A FRIGHTFUL EARTHQUAKE.

Despatches from Yokohama on July 30 report a frightful earthquake iv the western part of the island of Kinsine. The town of Kumamote was entirely destroyed. Large numbers of people perished, and an enormous amount of property was destroyed. Almost in the centre of tho town a deep ravine opened and swallowed the Governor's palace and principal Imperial offices. Hardly a house was left standing. The Governor's wife and six children are missing, and , it is believed they were killed. It is impossible to say how many people lost their lives, but latest despatches from Nagakasaki put the number at 3000. Almost the whole town, which formerly contained 38,000 inhabitant?, was destroyed. Many villages in the neighbourhood with their inhabitants entirely disappeared.

THE IMPERIAL VISIT.

The German squadron escorting Emperor William sailed for England on July 31, and the Emperor, on his yacht Hohenzoiiern, passed Dover at 9 o'clock on August 1. Salutes were fired at that place in his honour. When the yacht was sighted at Portsmouth the Prince of Wales, on the Royal yacht Osborne, went to meet it, signalling hearty greetings to the Kaiser, who responded in a friendly way. The two yachts then passed through lines of ironclads and proceeded to Cowes, where the Kaiser landed atTrinity pier, and the Prince, who had preceded him in landing, extended a welcome, The party then entered carriages, and, accompanied by a military escort, were driven to Osborne, where the Queen received Emperor William on the terrace, kissing him on both cheeks. In. the naval show at the reception there were 112 warships, having on board 23,000 men. The Emperor was gazetted honorary admiral of the British navy on April 2 The Emperor had previously conferred upon Queen Victoria tbe honorary command of the First Dragoon Guards of Berlin, and upon the Duke of Cambridge the honorary colonelcy of a regiment of infantry. The document conferring the title on the Queen begins: — "Biost illustrious grandmother, — It is a special honour for me to enroll you in an army in which your sons and grandsons and other relatives , have filled honourable positions for many years." The fleet was reviewed by tbe Emperor at Portsmouth at 4 p.m. on August 5. The weather was clear, with .a high wind. A salute was fired by the combined fleets and tbe yards manned as 1 tbe Emperor approached on the Hohenzollern,and each front rank displayed the German standard. The ships were moored in three parallel lines, the centre line bpfag about two and a-half and the outer lines about one and three-quarter miles in length. The inspecting procession passed between the centre column and that moored nearest the Isle of Wight, returning to Osborne Bay. The reviewing vessels rounded the head of the centre column, and passed between it and the column lying off the mainland shore. The review was a brilliant success. On the conclusion the Emperor received the admirals on board the imperial yacht and congratulated them. Signals were also hoisted on the Hohenzollern conveying to the fleet generally the satisfaction felt by the Emperor, Prinde of Wales, and Queen on the occasion. The regimental report of the First Dragoon Guards of Berlin, of which the Queen had been made hon. colonel, was presented to her Majesty at Osborne on the 6th August. The fleet left Spithead for sea on August 6 to take part in the naval manceuvres. At a banquet on August 6 Emperor William, Prince Henry of Russia, and the Prince of Wales were present. The Prince toasted the Emperor, and said that he trusted the influence of Germany's army and the British fleet would tend towards tbe preservation of the peace of the world. The Emperor, in reply, spoke in high terms of the British fleet, which be said was the finest afloat. Germany, he added, bad a fleet equal to her wants, and if England had a fleet equal to her European wants he would regard them as a most important factor in preserving peace.

While the warships were going to sea on the afternoon of the 7th the Inflexible was constantly becoming disabled. The Grasshopper's and Devastation's donkey engines gave way, and the latter put back to Portsmouth. The steering gear of the Northumberland and Hero broke. •

There was a grand review at Aldersbot, and 30,000 picked troops were in line. The Emperor inspected them, accompanied by the Duke of Cambridge. On the Bth the Qaeen reviewed the German seamen forming the Emperor's escort, numbering 15,000 men, and commanded by the Emperor in the uniform of an admiral.

THE MAYBRICK MURDER TRIA&.

In this case, among the witnesses examined for the defence were Professor Lidey, who thought the symptoms did not denote arsenical poisoning, and Bateson, who had lired with Maybrick in America, Mariner Thompson, and a negro servant named Stan ton. They testified that Maybrick habitually used arsenic. On August 5 Professors Macnamara and Paul testified that Maybrick died from gastro enteritis. Paul is toxicologies! examiner in Victoria Uni-

versity, Liverpool, and declared that it would take months to eliminate arsenic from tha system if it were taken once or twice. A chemist testified that ladies often purchased fly papers for use as cosmetics. A hairdresser said arsenic was frequently need by ladies to improve their complexions. Mr Poo), ex-mayor o£ Liverpool, testified that in March last Mr Maybrick bad told him that he took poisonous medicines habitually. At the request of Sir Charles Russell, counsel for prisoner, the judge allowed Mrs Maybrick the unusual privilege of making a statement, which, with many emotional interruptions on her part, she proceeded to do in the following terms : — " I bought fly paper for use as cosmetics for many years, and used cosmetics containing arsenic, which Dr Griggs, of Brooklyn, New York, prescribed. I lost the prescription, and wishing to make a substitute for the formula soaked fly paper and elder flowers in lavender water, and covered it with a plate and towel to exclude the air. On tbe night of May 5, after the nurse had given deceased meat juice, I sat; by the bed. Mr Maybrick complained of being very sick and much depressed, and implored me to give him a powder which I earlier in the day declined to administer. I was terribly anxious and very unhappy. His distress unnerved me, and as he said the powder was harmless, and that I could put it in his food, I consented, and mixed it in the meat juice. Mr Maybrick then fell asleep, and appeared better. When he awoke I was not anxious to administer any more, and placed the meat juice on the washstand, where it remained till Michael Maybrick took possession of it the day before my husband's death. I fully confessed and received his forgiveness for the fearful wrong I had done him." The concluding part of Mrs Maybrick's statement caused a profound sensation. Her statement ended the evidence for the dofence. The judge, in his charge, said there were strong and distressful evidence to shovs that the prisoner had a motive for ridding herself of her husband. This could be found in her infidelity, which had rendered it necessary for her to enter into inextricable mazes of lying. He called particular attention to a phrase* "He is sick unto death" in her letter to Brierly. In view of the fact that on the day the letter was written, the doctors fully expected Maybrick to recover, this gave reason for believing fehe prisoner was desirous of getting rid of her husband se that she might live with her paramour. Tbe judge also put the question to the jury whether it was reasonable to believe that a loving wife would yield to her husband's suggestions, and put an unknown powder in his food. A verdict of " Guilty" was returned, and sentence of death pronounced. After the judge had delivered sentence, the prisoner arose and said that evidence had beea withheld which would have caused a different verdict. She declared herself not guilty. After the verdict was announced thousands of people assembled at the entrance of the court, and when Judge Stephen came out he was greeted with howls and incessant cries of "Shame." The interference of police only prevented am attack on the judge's carriage. The witnesses* in the case were also mobbed, and had to fight their way to cabs. The sentence was afterwards commuted to penal servitude for life. This action is tbe result of a conference at the Home Secretary's office at which Mr Justice Stephen, Lord Salisbury, and several eminent; physioians were present.

The facts concerning the correspondence senb to the Home Secretary, Mr Matthews, in Mrs Maybrick's case are coming out, ' There are many curious missives, some of the writers declared that they had pledged themselves nob to allow Mr Matthews to live a single day after Mrs Maybrick was hanged if he should permit; the judge's sentence to be carried out. Womea in apparently respectable positions volunteered to be hanged instead of Mrs Maybrick if thai; would satisfy the Home Secretary. A great number of the letters were addressed direct to. the Queen appealing to her to interfere.

FIRE AT SPOKANE FALLS.

The full details of the great fire which swept clean the business district of Spokane Falls on Sunday night, August 4, show that the first reports received were not exaggerated. The number of blocks burned was 30, and the estimated loss 14,000,000d01. The insurances are not more than a quarter of this sum. The fire originated at 6.15 o'clock in the evening in the roof of a lodging house on Railroad avenue* third door west of Post street. A dead calm prevailed at the time, and the spectators supposed the firemen would speedily bring the flames under control. This would have been done if proper precautions had been taken, bub the superintendent of the waterworks was oub of the city, and for some reason the men in charge failed to respond to the call for more pressure. The heat created a current of air, and in less than half an hour the entire block of frame shops were enveloped in flames, and burning shingled or other debvis filled the air, igniting several adjacent blocks at the same time. Opposite the block in which the fire originated stood the Pacific Hotel. It was soon in a blaze. A high wind prevailed from the south-west* and it was evident the business portion of the city was in danger. Major Forth ordered thai; .tbe buildings be blown up to check the spread o£ the fire. This order was speedily obeyed, and tbe explosions added to the reign of terror. A strong wind sprang up from tbe north-east, fan* ning the flames furiously, while tbe upper current continued to carry burning fragments into opposite directions. The Grand Hotel, the Winsor Hotel, the Washington block, the Eagle block, the Tull block, the Cushing buildings, the Falls City Opera House, the Hyde block, all the banks, and in fact every house on Railroad avenue north to the river, and from Lincoln, street B. to Washington street, with the exception of a few buildings in the north-east corner, were totally destroyed. Meanwhile, a sudden change in the direction of the wind carried the fire southwards across Railroad avenue and destroyed the Pacific Passenger and Freight Depot. This was a mammoth structure* and was filled with valuable merchandise* very little of which was saved. About 10 o'clock the Howard street bridge over the river fell with a great crash, and a boom of lops took fire and burned for hours on the surface of the river, and many times flying pillars of fire crossed the river, igniting the mammoth flooring mills that line its banks, but by great efforts the career of' the fire was checked on the south side of the stream. The burned district embraces 30 blocks besides depots. The only brick business houses left standing are the Crescent block and the America "Theatre. The schools, churches, college, and hospital were beyond the lines of the bnrned district, and nose were lost. Only one death has been heard of, the victim being Charles Davis, a civil engineer from Billings* M.1., who leaped from the second storey window of Arlington building, and was shockingly mangled. He died next morning in great agony. Several others -were severely injured, The second day after the great fire opened bright and clear, and the greatest activity prevailed among tradesmen ; nobody wasted any time bewailing their loss, but all set about 'repairing their shattered fortunes with great courage and determination and already every branch of business is represented in tents scattered ove,? the burned districts,