The Aberdare Times

_? •• THERE'S something behind this," said the man aa was kicked dfjwr' the front steps. WHY is an amiable and charming girl like one letter deep thought-mother on its wa.y towards you- '■ther bearing a torch—and another singing psalms ? because the is A musing, B-comine, D-Hghting, chanting, 8 ° .I.?" urvt:S, vo go from this man's home to where r-cti6 boy lived is hardly a minute's walk-it certainly is not three- and on inquiring of his wife this morn- ing I found it was 25 minutes to eleven before he got home. The defendant has charge of a house th" stable for which is at the back of Bellevue, and from that stable to the one where the prisoner works is not more than 150 yards. I went to the stable myself this morning with Sergeant Frank, and the first thing that struck me was that three parts of the stable floor near the top was all wet, as if it had been swilled, and under the tap was a can containing clean water. We struck a few matches, and with the light of these we searched the place, but did not find any- thing at that time. After taking this man into cus- tody I directed two other officers to go and make a search, which was done, and in one part of the stable they found a sheet of harden. Upon examination of the sheet we were struck hy certain marks which i lr. Kimrnington, the borough analyst, thought pos- sibly might indicate the presence of blood. When f hiSvSneet was placed before the prisoner he denied all knowledge of it, but afterwards he said he had a shDet of packing something similar given him by his nr stress for a horse cover. As the result of a further search in the house a very formidable knife was found. There were two wounds upon the body, and the knife is about the dimension of the wounds. When the weapon was shown to Barrett he denied all knowledge of it at first, but afterwards corrected the statement, saying that his wife had bought a knife somewhere or other of a similar description. It the murder, but the police are very reticent. On Mon- day the police found in the Bellevue stables, the scene of the discovery, a hammer, and as some blunt instrument was evidently used in severing the joints it is supposed that this hammer may have served the purpose. The prisoner Barrett treats the case with great indifference. He is reported to have been heard singing in his cell, and he laughs and converses freely with the police on the matter. There prevails a general belief, in which the parents of the lad share, that Barrett could not have committed so foul a murder. It is now satisfactorily ascertained that the deceased was stabbed twice in the left breast, and Dr. Lodge states that these stabs were sufficient to kill an elephant, and were the immediate cause of death. The legs, it is believed, were chopped off for convenience. The jacket, waist- coat, and coat being removed before the stabbing was done. A knife was evidently used in the stab- bing, and this must have been blunt and broad. The greatest sympathy with the parents of the murdered lad is expressed on every hand. The lad was a general favourite. 11, was a regular attendant at the Kirkgate Wesleyan Sunday School, and had many friends there. Indeed, public reference was, on Sunday, made at the chapel to the poor lad's death. On the other hand, the prisoner Barrett also seems to have been a quiet and inoffensive man. For about nine months previous to March last he was employed as a farm labourer by Mr. Wolfendale at Cross Hills. Mr. Wolfendale gives him a most excellent character, and states that be was not addicted to drink and

jCiiNULAND TO THFTRONT. An Austrian newspaper, in drawing comparisons between British cotton manufacturers and those m other countries, says that in 1887 the number of spindles in England was 42,740,000 in the rest of Europe, 23,180,000: in America, 13,500,000; in India, 2,420,000 total, 81,840,000. The quantity of cotton consumed in England was 1,514,521,0001b. weight; in the rest of Europe, 1,409,119,0001b. m America, 944,758,0001b.; in India, 300,000,0001b. Thus Eng- land has more than half the spindles in t[}e and uses more than half the cotton worked by them, while English spinning is unrivalled in the excellence of its production and in the cheapness of its price.

WHAT is the difference between an apt quotation and a shut up lancet ?-One is a case in point, a.nù the other is a rliriz in case. SHE glided into the office and quietly approached the editor's desk, I have written a poem she began. Well exclaimed the editor, with a look and tone intended to annihilate, but she wouidn t annihilate, and resumed: I have written a poem on My l a' her's Barn,' and "Oh," interruptpd the editor, with extraordinary suavity, you don't know how relieved I feel. A poem written on your father's barn, eh ? i was afraid it was written ou paper, and t_iat) ou wanted me to publish it. If I should ever happen to drive past your toners barn, I'll stop and read the poem. Good afternoon, miss." de pigeon, pale pink, either in plain surah or broca- telle, and just within the edge of the lining, and on the inside of the collar-I forgot to add that such coats generally have a collar standing up around the back of the throat-are sometimes sewn several rows of metallic braid, or else the under side is faced with a broad band of velvet of the same colour as the lining. Persons desirous of freshening up the lining of last year's mantle or cloak -to patch which would be ruination—may bear this in mind. Since fancy linings are admissible the back breadths of old light silk dresses will often provide the requisite amount of material, and not only for this purpose but likewise for the lining of tr ..inF. TRAIN skirts promise to be as exceptional this year as they were last; that is to say, they will be reserved for special occasions and for toilettes of the hand- somest description, and will never be worn by un- married girls, who make up for this prohibition in the length and splendour of their bridal gowns. The train of a wedding dress may vie in this respect with a manteau de coeur, and strict injunctions are often laid on pa,pa not to allow his emotion to run away with him as he walks up thp church with his blushing daughter on his arm. She. intent in showing off her trailing robes to the beat advantage, is in no hurry to reach the altar, you may be sure. It would be hard upon a woman if, as soon as she were married, she were henceforth forced to carry weight in the shape of an extra half-dozen yards of material, and fashion is treating her well by reviving the skirt that sweeps the ground merely a few inches. Possibly more riinaer and ordinary evening dresses will be made thus than with trains. This style is particularly suit- able to Directoire and Empire gowns; if llie ^tter bave a long train, it must; be separate from the skirt, As THE ABUNDANCE or LAMHS is usually in propor- I tion to that of food at the critical time in autumn when ewes and rams are put together, a good crop may be expected in 1880. An example of prolific habit is reported from IIminister, Somerset, where a Dorset, horned ewe has just produced five lambs, four of which were born alive and still survive. This breed is generally recognised as one of great fecun- dity but, so far as the production of twins is con- cerned, we observed last year that the horned Dorsets were behind several other breeds. The returns from several flocks in Dorsetshire showed that the per- c<n<ageof lambs to ewes was considerably less last spring than in the case of Shropshire and .Juflolk sheep. We attribute this, however, solely to the scatcity of food in the Dorset districts durmg the previous autumn. Food is, in fact, quite as important a factor in the production of twins as breed. It is maintained by some breeders that the ewes should be actually advancing in condition when they are courted. A skilful ilock-master has remarked that if \,is ewes are lean from previous hard keep, they KtiU twin well provided they are well fed and ad- vancing at the time of receiving the ram. On the contrary, if they have been lusty, they will twin badly unless tluir condition is maintained by high feeding at the time referred to. CHRISTMAS is not celebrated in Mexico with a tree, but with a pinata. The latter is a large earthen vessel, gaily decorated and filled with toothsomo dainties or candies, hung from the ceiling in the middle of the room. The children are blindfolded and armed with sticks to break the jug, and When it is shattered they throw off their masks and scramole for the scattered goodies. Ptésents are'then distri- buted, and dancing follows. large, and quotations were barely maintfCmCfl, except for rhoie'e nuality of each description. The following were the prices "inferior beef, 2s Od to 2s 8d: middling ditto, 3» to 3s Id prime ditto, 3s 8d to 4s Od Scotch ditto, 4s Od to 4s 4d; American, Liverpool killed, 3s lOd to 3s 1 Id ditto killed, hindquarters, 3s Od to 3s SI1 ditto killed, forequarters, Is 8d to 2s; English veal, 4s Id to 5s; Dutch ditto, 3s 4d to 5s; inferior mutton, 2s 8d to 3s 8d; middling ditto, 4s Od to 4s F d primp ditto, r II Od to 5s 4d Scotch ditto, 5s 4d to fix M • KPW Zealand ditto, 2s 6d to 28 8d; large pork. 3s to 3s 4d and small ditto, 3s 8d to 4s 4d per 81b. hv the carcase. FISH. Fair supply and demand. Prices Whole- sale Salmon. 3s fid per lb. h"U, 8s to 8s per stone; lurbot, 8s to 10s per stone; soles, 100s per box plaice, Ks to 20s per box wbiting, 6s per box; fresh had- docks, (is to 8s per box; live eels, 18s to 20s per draft; dead eels, 12s per draft; mackerel, 8s per score red mullets. 10s per dozen cod. 15s per box smelts, 2s per basket; lobsters. 20* to 30s per• scorecrabs, i tn 1 "is Der pad:oysters, 3s to 14s per 100 bloaters, t to Bs oer box; kippers, 3s to 4s per box smoked haddocks 2s to 6s per dozen. Retail Salmon, 2s 6d fn Ssner lb. soles, Is to Is 3d per lb. turbot, lOd per lh brill, 8d per lb.; cod, 4d to 6d per lb.; live eels, Is id to Is 3d per dead eels, 8d per lb. plaice, 5d per lb. fresh haddocks, 2d to 3d per lb. whiting. 2d to 4d each; mackerel, 6d to 8d each; red mullets, Is to Is 3d each: lobsters. Is to 3s each crabs. 6d to 2s 6d each smelts, 6d per dozen; oysters, 3d to 2s 6d per dozen bloaters, 6d to nd per dozen; kippers, Is per dozen pairs smoked haddocks, 3d to 8d each. POTATO. There was a fair supply of potatoes on sale. The trade was dull at the annexed prices: Magnum bonums, 60s to 115s; regents, 60s to l20s; Hebrons, 601 to 110a aud champions, 50b to 00. per ton.