General Summary.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4750, 21 July 1883, Page 3

General Summary.

THE " THOUGHT BEADEB."

THE QUEEN' 3 MBNTAL CONDITION.

A FRIGHTFUL CALAMITY. Mr Labouohere recently challenged Irving Bishop, the " Thought-reader," to tell the number of a bank noto known only to the challenger and to Mr Frith, M.P. The latter had hold of the note. Mr Labouohere put up £1000 against £100, tho winner to devote the money to charities. Bishop guessed the number of the note at once and olaimed the money. With the money he won at Asoot race§ the Prinoe of Wales paid off several of his old debts. He is, in consequence, quite popular just now. A despatch from New York of June 16, says a private letter to a gentleman in that city from an offioer attached to the household of the Prince of Wales, gives aome interesting faots in relation to the oondition of the Queer. Thoy corroborate the statement already made of her morbid condition. She appears to be in constant dread of the receipt of bad news, and insists on daily despatches as to the health of the Orown Princess of Prussia and her family. Apprehensions are exoited that the Queen's present condition may result in insanity, like that of George 111. A despatch from London of June 17 says:— "Her Majesty's health continues to cause grave anxiety. Since she has been at Balmoral she has done little but make excursions to John Brown's grave. She haß put all the servants in deep mourning, and spends most of her time in a state of the deepest depression. The loss of her faithful servant has been a far moro serious blow to her than was supposed to be possible. A strenuous effort haß been made to get her to go abroad, as her general health is beginning to be affected." The Loudon Truth of June 20 says :— " Queen Viotoria for two months has beon in a state of mild melancholy, whioh in course of time, if not relieved, will probably become very difficult to treat. Her condition has naturally caused great anxiety, because of the tendencies of her family. Her Majesty and the Princess Beatrice will in the autumn go to the vioinity of Florence, in Italy, where they will remain two months. " The racing at Stockbridgo began on June 21. The Cup, valued at 300 soys, was won by P. Lorillard's Iroquois, nominated by the Prince of Wales. The Prince congratulated Mr Lorillard on his success. Cannon, the jockoy, purohased Mr Lorillard's Saohera. -he rest of tho horses roturn to America, where Iroquois will go to the stud. Sporting society, says a late London despatch of June 27, has been greatly scandalised ever since Mr Peek won the Grand Asoot. It is said Mr Peck felt so sorry to learn that the Prince of Wales had lost heavily by betting against the winner, that he (ried to make amends for bis own good luck and oompensato His Boyal Highness for his heavy losses by presenting the Princo with the very valuable oup as a gift. To make matters worse, it was alleged that the Prince of Waleß accepted the cup, and had it sent home. The Btory became the talk of the town, and it became a necessity for the Prince's friends to make an explanation. The facts came out on the day tbat tho dispatoh was sent, and it has been stated that although His Boyal Highness does at present possess the oup won by another man, ho did not obtain it as a gift, but paid £600 for it in hard cash. This explanation has mado matters much worse, and there is some talk of having both Mr Peck and the Princo disciplined according to turf ethics for dealing in prizes. A recent letter from Mace (June 18) in London says that Blade had for his first Ksglish trial a stiff Bet-to with a boxer named Molloy, but the Sew Zsalander had the best of it from beginning to end. Mace and Slade sparred in several Yorkshire towns, and at Sheffield drew a great throng. During Derby week they packed some of the largost halls in London, blade had lost 201bs weight. They have seen the principal span-era, and adds Mace : "I am nearly thunderstruok at Buoh exhibitions. There is not one here I oould not do in a trot myself, and at my age too." Charles Mitchell, an English champion pugilist, will shortly arrive in California, and issuos a challenge in advanoe to any man in the State to stand up againßt him four rounds, for 500 dollars. Intelligence of a frightful calamity at placo of amusement called Dervio, on tho shore of Lake Como reaohed London on Juno 25. A performance was in progress at a puppet show. The structure took fire and was entirely destroyed. Forty-seven lost tbeir lives and twelve were injured. Ihe show was held in a large hall over a tavern, and there were ninety perssns in the place. A Bengal light was used to represent a fire, and sparks from this set fire to a quantity of straw and firewood in an adjacent room. On perceiving the flames the showman shouted " Fire," but the spectators thought the fire was merely a realistio detail of the show and remained seated. The ory of " fire" was Boon raisod outßide the hall, and the audience thinking an affray had arisen in the streets, barred with a heavy table the door loading from the hall. Ihey did not discover their mißtako till the flames burst into the room. After the fire was extinguished 47 corpses were found. Included among the bodioß woro those of the showman and his wife. A large number of the loßt aro women and children, lhe wounded were hurt by leaping through tho window. A child flung out of a window by its mother fell on a pile of Btraw, and it was the only one of the Bpeotatorß pre- . Bent ia the hall not hurt. The floods in Sileßia on June 20 and 23 were I attended by waterspouts. A .large part of

the town of __irohb_rg was submerged, and 1 the houses of an adjacent villsgo flooded.