LATEST CABLES. BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXVIV, Issue 4412, 16 January 1897, Page 3

LATEST CABLES. BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Massacre of an English Expedition. , LONDON, Jaouiry 12.

Reports received from B;»nuytoii, ou the Niger Coast protectorate, announce that tb<warriors of P«R.*n, King of Bargu, umssacred an expedition sect out- for pe»uefnl purpose. The party included Consul Phillips, Major U<>pl»nd C«wford, Vice-consul Can'a'n A. M. Bo'srngon (oonimnndaot of the Niger Coast protectorate force), nod several metnbera of consular staff, civilians, sd<l Native curriers. A telegram to the British Government from the British Commissioners in tbe Niger Coast protectorate merely reports that tbe members of the expedition have been eiptnred, but adds th»t fefcrs are entertained that they have been murdered. . January 13. Furlbrr particulars received from Bonny show 'hat. Consul Phillip*'* oiuedi'ion was undertaken with ihe object of lemoving obstacle-* to trade. The party consisted of nine uuarmed Britishers and 250 Native carriers. The members of tbe expedition were enticed into the forest for the purpose of holding a parley with tbe Natives, when an attack was made. So far as is known only seven camera esoiped. Th* Rovsl Niger Co. 'a expedition, comprising 500 Houssns from the Gold Coast, 30 officers, 6 M^xim guns, and 91)0 N*tivo carriers, together with an effective fleet of light draught steamers, which can roadily he converted into gnnboats, st- rtcd'-from Akas«a, tbe headquarters of the Niger Co. on the 6th instant. Owing to Ibo extremely unhealthy nature of tbe climate, a number of rnrdical men accompany the expedition. Tb<> object is to punish Abubokari the powerful King of Nupe State iv tbe Cen'ral Soudan. Tbe force is under tbe command of Mb jor A. J. Arnold, and his officers have been selected from various British regiments. Mr R. D. Moore, Vie -consul of the Niger protectorate, »t pie^ent on a vist to London, returns to tbe Ni^er district; immedi tely. A number o f olHjtrs sail on S iturday to replace those killed. Poisoning Case. Yokohama, January 11. Tbe trial of Mrs Oarew f»r the murder of her husband, Mr W. H. R. Cirew, took a most aensatioual turn yesterday. Tbe case as against Mis Cirew bore a leserablunc*? to tbe f jmouf May brick c*sr. Mr (Jirew. who was for many yems secretary of tbe Yokohama United Oluh, b»«l been unwell for some time prior to O itober 22. On I but day Dr Wbeder had bim removed to tbe hospital, suspeotiug it was a case of slow poisoning, but the patient died the same afleruooD. At the iuquest Mrs Carew stated that her husband had rTeen in ibe habit of. taking arsenic. Misa J>cobs, a governess employed in Cirew's family, testitie>l that she ordered syrup of lead ami arsenic at Mr Ourew's request, tbe cbeinisb asking her at the time why tbe family purchased ao much dea -ly poison. Mrs Carew admitted she had beeu indiscreet in not taking a raedual man into her coi - tidence with regard to her husband's habit, arid she was subsequently arrested on suspicion of causing hU deatb. Intense excitement was caused iv court when Miss Jacobs confessed tlut she had murdered Mr Carew, und bad also wiitten a uumber of mysterious letters which bad be<>n found, and wiiich sought to show that dcceaied coiamiUod au'eide o^iog to the appearance of a strange woman at Kobe with whom be bad fotnieily had relations. Soudan. Cairo,' J-nuary 13. Tbe Kilif* is assembling 300,000 troops at Omdurman, prior to the anhal of the Euglisb force at Berber. Eastern Question. Constantinople, January 13. A party of disbanded Tuikish soldiers are .*•. king the Macedonia!) villages aud cummitt,ing brutal outrages on the inhabitants. Russian Cabinet. St. Peteksbukg, Jjuuary 12. Count Muraviotf, M.iuis er ot Justice, succeeds the iate Priuco Lobaaov us Rostovskiy (Minister ot Foieign Atf-aiis). The Budget for 1897 devotes 129,000,001) roubles (nearly thitteuu millions sterling) to railway construction. Bubonic Plague. Calcutta, January 11. Seventy-five per cent, of the cotton mill* at Bombay have atopyeJ ou accouut of the plague. * There are grave fern that tbe flight of 35,000 Natives, coupled with famine an t poverty, will induce the appearance of the bubonic plague iv otber oermes. LONDON, January 12. Lord Rothschild 'hua uuumuuted £1,000 to tbe Indian famine leluf fuud. International Arbitration. Washington, January 12. Tbe general treaty for urburation between Great Britain and tto Uui ed St ites, whioli was recently drawn up between Sir Juhaii Panncefote, the British Ambassador vi Washington, and Mr Kichard Olney, Uniteu States Secretary of State, wasfoimally signed yesterday. President Cleveland, in a letter to tb< Senate, recommends the adoption of the treaty, aa it represents concessions by each country, and is a long step in the right direction, as n embodies tbe practical working of a plan oi arbitration. He admits that some of tin features are merely ot a tentative chuiauiei, but looks forward to a further advance, ano points out that the tre.ty bas made war be tween America aud Eaglaud a very remote possibility. Cuban Revolt. Tbe Duke De Leiuao, Spanish Minister ol Foreign A.ffttra, has inioruied Mr Olney, Secretary of State, that Spain ■ must ue tin sole judge of what reforms are necessary in her colonies.