HOME NEWS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10119, 22 August 1900, Page 2

HOME NEWS.

FIENDISH CBtfELTX

An act of almost incredible cruelty waa proved it the Lincolnshire Assizes agninst Benjamin Baggott, of Grimsoy, tlio engines of the B mack CyprfeSß. While at sea last November, Baggott emptied a can of paraffin over the negro cook and deliberately set light to the saturated clothing. Tho wretched victim was terribly burned, and has been in the hospital for four months. B«g» gott was sentenced to nine months' hard labonf.

BARMAID GETS DAMAGES. An action for slander and assault; was brought by Lily Haisman, a barmaid, against her employer, John Taylor, a Southampton publican, in the Queto's Bench Court on July 4. Plaintiff said Taylor ,iccused her, in the presence of of another barmaid and his daughters, of robbing him of a sovereign and other sums that he had missed from his cash. His daughters searched her, and he pushed her out of her bfed-roota when insufficiently clad. The defendant denied the charges, and pleaded privilege, I but the jury gave plaintiff £40 damages.

DUKE OP AKGYLL'S TENANTS^ Ono of the Duke of Argyll's first arts as successor to Ma father has been the issue of a Gaelic manifesto' to his tenants in Tiree. Some .of the crofters there, who are probably in arrears with their rents, have apparently been, under tho impression that tho death of tho last Duke "cleaned the slate." Writing from "Inbhir-Aoraidh," in "mid-montE of the eummer f " the lJuie says this is a groat mistake. He,begs to put them in mind of the fact that he himself has ft large sum of money -to pay the Government on the occasion of his succeeding his father, as well as many other burdens. Also, he adds for many a year to come he will have no benefit whatever from the rents of his estate. -

MOUSE ENDS THE SERVICE. A mouse Was the innocent cause of bringing the evening service in a church, at Edgbaston, Birmingham, toan abrupt conclusion. The mouse ran. down the aisle and turned into one of Mia pews. The ladies occupying it screamed and caused the rest of the womenfolk to mount the seats. So iadig- , nant was the clergyman at having his exhortation thus ruddy interrupted, that he gave expression, to his dissatisfaction. The fair members of the con- . gregation refused to bo comforted, and I tho clergyman was compelled to announce that the service was at an end. The mouse, which was very frightened, escaped with its life.

A HYDE PARK BOMANCE. The story <rf a heartless farad on a too credulous young woman, was told ,sb the County of London Sessions on. July 5. Early in June, Dinah Pdttinger, a lady's maid, was casually met in Hyde Park by a well-dressed young fellow, named Arthur James Clarke, who, opening conversation, said lie was an assistant foreman to an engineering firm/ and ultimately he set about making love to her. In less than a week he had promised her marriage,' induced her to shand over to him' .flOQ.^representing her savings for several years in the Past Office Savings Bank, which he spent on horse racing. Se proved to be ■ married mtra, and had previously victimised another woman, obtaining ;G3OO from her. A sentence of tweuiy-one months' im-" prisonment was passed.

HUGE LOTTERY SWINDLE. Tho Financial Times gives the history of a lottery fraud of extraordinary audacity. A year ago subscriptions were invited in tho United States to. What was called in circulars distributed 1 through the post the "Eojal Belgian Benevolo nt Lottery." The" head-quarters i were said to be in Brussels, and the King of the Belgians and the Prince of i Wales were alleged to hftva subscribed largo sums. Another statement of thd promoters was that 800,000 francs' worth of money prizes would ho distributed. The address of a Uevr York firm was given, through whom tickets could be obtained, and it appears that no leas than 4,060,000 fiof. were remitted to thw firm from all parts of'the United Statc3 and Canada. .The whole scheme was a gigantic fraud; The Brussels and New lork police are i6w look-'* iug for the promoters.