MISCELLANEOUS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3583, 25 March 1886, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS.

If tliero be ono class of criminals whose avocations inspire more loathing and disgust than another it is, certainly, bodysnatchers, or resurrectionists— men who violate graves and rol> the dead. It is satisfactory (writes the Xondon Standard), therefore, to learn that tho police of Paris have succeeded m capturing a gang of resurrectionists — or rather a portion of the gang — which have been doseerating graves m tho St. Oven Cemetery. It was noticed m this surburban necropolis that grave 3 wcro frequently disturbed, tliufc collins wero broken open, tho bodies tbey contained being plundered of whatever articles of jewellery had been buried with them, as well as of the garments or shrowds they wero wrapped m; the leaden linings of coffins being also carried off by these wretched invadera of tho burial place. Consequently a strict watch was set by the authorities, which has led to tho arrest of three- culprits, who were captured precisely at tho moment they had disinterred tho body of a women committed to the earth a matter of twelve hours previously. Tin men, on being seai'ehed, wero found to have m their possession revolvers, chisels, and other implements required m the horrible business they wero engaged m. They obstinately declined to namo their accomplices, but it is known they belong to a gang of body Bnatchers and receivers who buy the booty brought from the cemeteries ; and hopes are entertained that, beforo long, tho police will lay handa upon the remainder of the miscreants. Tho remarkably aeeurato imitation o£ the engraving for a Bank of England noto for £10, which formed the subject of a trial at the Central Criminal Court, London, on tho 14th January, may ( sflya tho 3lorning Chronicle) be classed among the most curious forgeries of modern times. Towards tho close of the last century nn engraver pro-

duced bank note 3 purporting to have been issued from the institution m Threadneedlo street, and ao perfectly did the forged notes resemblo genuine ones that the bank clerks could detect no difference. The extraordinary feature m yesterday's caao was that the clever imitator is an undoubted lunatic. It was Btated m the course of the evidenco referring to the chargo that about Bis weeks ago Thomas John Green showed to a friend a pen and ink sketch of a Bank of England note for a thousand pounds, and that this sketch, ao closely resembled a real note that it was almost impossible to discover the differonco. Green, who has three times been an inmate of asylums for lunatics, seems to havo been encouraged by his success to engTavo a plato representing a ten pound note ; and ho was, no doubt, so proud o£ his achievement, being by trade an engraver, that ho was again incautious enough to show the result of his labors to a friend. Whether this demented creature really contemplated any fraud may be doubted. His great skill had enabled him to produce the plate, but he had yet to find the means of obtaining papor which would successfully pass tho most cursory examination. That difficulty was completely surmounted m tho case o£ the forger to whom we laat alluded, but it cannot so easily be overcome m these days. The jury convicted Green of the charge brought against him, but held that his menta' condition absolved him from responsibility m the matter. Consequent upon this desciaion, he will be kept m an asylum " during Hei Majesty's pleasure." Variouß tales are told of the strength of the late Clarence Whistler, tho wrestler. From Turf, Field and Farm wo givo tho following : — When Clarence Whistler, who recently died m Australia, was alive, some of his feats of strength amazed even men of muscle, but now that he is dead the stories about hie phenomenal doing 3 with 10-inch iron bara appear ridiculous. Here are a few relics from a Munchauaen contemporary ; — One day he dumbfounded a lot of associates by standing astride an iron bar weighing 1350 ib, and then, picking it up, walked 30 feet before dropping it. Whistler was regarded as one of the strongest of all wrestlers, having once gone through the manual of arms with a. bar ol iron Bft long, weighing 1451 b. By forming n bridge, head on ono chair and heels or another, Whistler could hold 20001 b on his breast. Tho bill which awaita passage m the United States Congress for the suppression of polygamy is of tho moat stringent character. It provides that all marriages m the territories Bhall be certified m writing by the minister and contracting parties, compele tho testimony of the husband or wife of the accused m prosecutions for polygamy, prescribes punishment for adultery m Utah, and abolishes tho present limitation of prosecution for adultery to tho complaint oi husband and wife. It also abolishes female suffrage, takes away the general jurisdiction of the Utah Probate Courts, and annuls the territorial law about the capacity of illegitimate children to inherit property. The Bill further attacks tho Mormon Church by giving the President of the United State* authority to appoint trustees to take charge of its temporal affairs, annuls tho Mormon emigration fund, prohibiting tbo re-establish-ment of any Buch corporation for importing Mormons, all funds being forfeited for the benefit of a school fund m Utah. The Electrical Times learns from American sources that Mr. Henry Clay is about to introduce a gigantic system of electro-pneu-matic transit, which he declares will revolutionise tho present system of mail carriage and the transmission of intelligence by telephono. The scheuie is ono of vast proportions and elaborate detail, and is founded on a new plan of transmission by pnucmatic tubes controlled and governed by electrical appliances. Mr. Clay last year obtained letters patent on the invention m Europe and m his own country, and is now taking 6teps, m connection with George W. Bratton, towards organising a stock company to cover the United States and several companies m Europe. The system differs materially from the present pnuematic tube Bystems m this pirticular, that whereas at present several tubes are required to run from one central point to these radiating from it, by the new arrangement of electrical devices and switches the carriers are sent from tho main tube leading from the central point to the various branches with a great saving of expense m tubing. One lino of tube will sullice for all stations, jii3t as do the water mains. Messrs Clay nnd Bratton are confident that by thi3 invention they will get even with tho Bell Telephone Company, with whom they had such a great lawsuit last winter, since by this new system messages can bo transmitted with so much greater speed, secrecy, and general satisfaction. Tho project of connecting the waters of the Baltic, tho Elbe and the German Ocean lias beon under the consideration of the Prussian Government sinco 1865. The scheme of a ship canal was formerly opposed by Count von Moltke, on the ground that it would be better to invest the immense amount of money required by such an enterprise m building up the Imperial Navy. Now that this work has been completed, and a powerful fleet of ironclads etands ready to plough the waters of the new canal as soon as it can be opened, tho Field Marshal of the Empire has changed his views, and declared himself m favour of tho work. At a recent meeting of the Bundesrath a Bill for its construction was unanimously approved. It is held by the advocates of the canal that tho defence of tho German coast must always remain a divided task so long as no waterway connects tho Baltic with tho German Ocean and German war vessels are forced to pnss from one sea to the other by a route which exposes them to tho danger of falling into the enemy's hands. Tho estimated cost of the work is put at 156,000,000 marks, or about £7,800,000. It will be strongly fortified, and besides its military value, will be of much importance to commerce. "Beacon," writes: — "It will bo a matter of interest to racing people throughout tho colony to know that tho Dunedin Cup was this year carried off by a horse that was not entitled to it. Nelson won tho race simply through the jockeyship of Brown m bringing him np on the outsido of Necklace, and jamming her against tho fenco, when ho found that otherwiso he must loso the race. This is no mero romance, but a solid fact. The stewards, who from their station could 1 ace right down the straight, saw Brown, bo several of .them inform mo, twice bear Necklace against the fence, and they wore simply astounded that no protest was lodged against Nelson. When Necklace can- c back her jockey's left boot was D' »-{_ ! nibbled off his foot, and ho told he-. .-i 7 Chaafe that he wished to eate". '"' U./ri Chaafe, I understand, agrp ed ' ta J °T e \[ must be done, but Mr. M^ J^Ld "? adopt that course M-.. Marshall might, by pubhshing an autUo Vitativo acoount fe of '^ aftuir, set at rest w i mt ha 3 f ormed a common topic of conversation during tho last few days." " You Don't Know Their Value "—"They cured me of biUiousness and kidney complamt as recommended. I had a half bottle left, which I used for my two little girls, who the doctors and neighbours said could not be cured. I am confident I should have lost both of them one night if I had not had the American Co.'s Hop Bitters m my house to use. That is why I say you do not know half the value of American Hop Bitters, and do not recommend them highly enough " See [Adtt.] j b ' Highway Eobbery Almost, to sell tho poisonous, drunken, purging stuff as medicine to honest men, innocent women, and harmless children to weaken and destroy their systems and health, when pure harmless Hop Bitters can be hud that cures always and continually at a trilling coat. Ask druggists or physicians, Hciul [Adtt.]