MISCELLANEOUS

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3787, 27 May 1885, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS

Them have been many suicides lately from Higbgate Archway, says a London paper, and of course the local authorities did nothing to make the place safe by placing a proper barrier round the parapet. Now, at last, they have been stirred into action, for we read that, after repeated representations made in the shape of riders to the Verdicts of coroners' juries to the Hornsey Local Board to hare the Archway protected,

the Board have at length decided to protect their side of the arch, “ in consequence of the danger to persons walking along the lower road being struck by falling suicides." The south side of the arch is iu Islington parish, and the Vestry have boon asked to co-operate with Hornsey authorities in protecting the structure. It is a serious question, but the idea of protecting wayfarers from being struok by “ falling suicides,” as if it rained bodies,is certainly grimly comic.

A singular occurrence took place at Millman street, Holborn, the other day. It appears that Mr Ashton, a law writer, beard a great noise in the passage, and on going to see the cause he found his owu black tom oat and two others there. Upon his attempting to drive them ont the whole three made a 'determined attack upon him, flying at him and biting him on the hands, arms, legs and neck, and, fearing for his life, he ran out into the streets, and was met by two police sergeants, who, finding him bleeding very much, and nearly exhausted conveyed him to the Royal Free Hospital, where his wounds were dreesed, after which he was removed home. On the police entering the house, they found that Mrs Ashton, the mother of the wounded man, had also to be taken to the Royal Free Hoapital. The police sergeants, on their return to the bouse, finding the cate still in possession, set to work to eject them. The oats, however, showed fight, although the constables were armed with their batons, and eventually two of them were killed and the third escaped. A remarkable scene was witnessed in Constantinople the other day. An immense crowd of infuriated women surrounded the Ministry of finance, and despite the efforts of the guards to resist their entry, forced their way into the building. An advanced party burst yelling and gesticulating into the office of the Minister, and to bis great alarm, demanded with many threats the arrears of their husband’s pay. In the meantime the crowd of infuriated wives poured into the building, and the situation of the Minister became every moment more critical. A large number of police were sammoned, and soon afterwards made an attempt to clear the premises; but their efforts ware unavailing, and they were at last forced to retire, leaving the Amazons in possession of the field. The Minister. managed, amidst the confusion, to make his escape by a back window, after having made plausible promises to the enraged women.

A. remarkable change has been wit* nosaed in tbe hotel system of London o£ late years. The old-fashioned hotels are gradually giving place to. buildings of great dimensions and novel appointments. A recent example of ibis new order of things is seen in tbe Army and Navy Hotel, in Victoria street, Westminster. This great structure is fitted with every convenience that modern science has placed at tbe disposal of tbe builder and decorator. Attached to tbe hotel are splendid Turkish and swimming baths, billiard and banquetingrooms, and a bureau for booking seats at the theatres. Each bed-room is fitted with & fire-escape, and in all the corridors are fire-hydrants supplied with water at high pressure. The electric light is laid on in every part of tbe building, including the kitchens and larders at the top of the hotel. Tbe rooms look out upon a well-wooded garden, There ere suites of rooms entirely enclosed by doors opening on to the corridors, so that families may reside there for any length of time in tbe en* joyment of every home comfort and of the strictest privacy. Henry Qeorge has been speaking to a reporter on the other side of the Atlantic. “ Dynamite,” be says, “ is damaging the Irish cause. In the Lowlands of Scotland I found much enthusiasm in advocating the principles of lands for the people. The members of the Scottish Reformation Society have increased two-fold since my visit a year ago. In England there is a decided leaning towards Land Leagneism, and more than one of the leading Radical members of Parliament are friendly to me. I anticipate that tbe next Government will be Radical, with Chamberlain at its head, and be will have large reforms to put through. Ido not think there wifi be three parties. The Conservatives will die oat, and a party will be formed of the present Conserva-tive-Liberals. In regard to the dynamite business, I was at Queenstown when the news of the London explosions reached us, and, iu common with » all right-thinking men, I desire to'aay I am utterly opposed to all such demonstrations. I consider such attempts as not only suicidal settlements of the Irish question, but simply horrible from a humanitarian standpoint. An elopement was curiously frustrated at Liverpool a short time ago. William Eskdale, although married, formed an illicit connection with a young woman named Price, and determined , to elope with her. He secured berths in a London vessel bound for New Zealand, and bad got away to London with a number of trunks. A few hours before the eouple had arranged to leave Newport, Dowson had William Eskdale arrested on a charge of stealing toots, and the case was heard before tbe Borough magistrate, when it was revealed bow the intentions of the would-be eloper had become known. It appeared that he had written to a firm in London to secure berths for New Zealand; the letter was blotted on a oew blotting pad in tbe office ; and Mr Dowson having occasion to do some writing shortly afterwards, noticed some words which aroused suspicion, and, placing tbe blotter before a looking, glass deciphered the whole letter. In this manier the elopement was indefinitely postponed.

The recent funeral of an eminent gipsy musician, as reported by the “ Pesther Lloyd," seems to hare had the importance of a national ceremony. Paul Baez, the artist in question, was not, however, a gipsy musician alone. He was also, and above all, a gipsy musician who played Hungarian popular music; and bis manner of playing it bad a marvellous effect in exciting the patriotic enthusiasm of his hearers. When the venerable flidler felt that his last moments were approaching he called around him his thirty-four children—all who survived out of a family of fifty borne to him by four successive wives —and divided his property equally among them, with the exception only of a diamond ring presented to him by the Prince of Wales, when, four years ago, be was in London with his band. This ring he bequeathed to his son Paul, who henceforth will direct the orchestra of gipsy musicians formed by Racz the elder, and presided over by him for nearly thirty years. Ten thousand persons followed the ancient violinist to the grave. The procession was headed by the band of the 44th Regiment, and closed by a body of gipsy musicians, several bun. dreds strong, representing all the gipsy bands ia Hungary, Transylvania, and the three Banats. Before giving attention exclusively to music, Paul Racz served for 20 years in a Hungarian regiment. Ho attained the rank of sergeant-major, and received several decorations, which—tied up, like his violin, in crape—were carried at the funeral by noncommissioned officers of bis old regiment,