The Cardiff Times

South Wales Goal Trade. THE SLIDING SCALE. GLOOMY "PROSPECT. Meeting of the Joint Committee. On Saturday a meeting of the sliding-scalo joint committee of the workmen and owners of South Wales and Monmouthshire was held at the Angel Hotel, Cardiff, In the absence of Sir W. T. Lewis, who is out of England for the benefit of his health, Mr W. Abraham,' M.P., occupied the chair. Mr P. Jones took thevice-chair, and there were present, on tbe owners' side, Messrs A. Hood, C. B. Holland, E. Jones, W. Thomas, E. P, Martin, and W. G. Dalziel, secretary; and ou the men's side, Messrs D. Morgan, P. Rees, G. Howells, T. Isaacs, I. Evans, D. Jones, T. Davies, M. Weeks, and P. Miles, secretary. The meeting was called for the purpose of considering the proposed revision of the sliding-scale. The com- mittee sat until late in tbe evening, no decision being arrived at. It was ultimately resolved to adjourn until Tuesday. A meeting of the sliding-scale joint committee was held at the Angel Hotel, Cardiff, on Tues- day. In the absence of Sir William Thomas Lewis, the chair wlts occupied by Mr Wiliiam Abraham (Mabon), M.P., the vice-chair being occupied by Mr Philip Jones. The employers present were :— Messrs A. Hood, Edward Jones, E. P. Martin, C. B. Holland, William Thomas, and W. Gstscoyno Dalziel, secre tary. Representatives of the. workmen present:- Messrs David Morgan, Thomas Griffiths, P. D. Rees, George Howells, Thomas Darouwy Isaac, Philip Jones, Isaac Evans, Daniel Jones, Thomas Davies, M. Weeks, and Lewis Miles, secretary. This meeting was an adjourned meeting from last Saturday, and met again specially to further consider the revision of the scale, and the appeal for an immediate advance bf wages to the work- men of South Wales and Monmouthshire. The representatives sat the whole day, and adjourned, until Wednesday, to further deal with the subjects under consideration, with a view, if possible, of arriving at a settlement. The adjourned meeting of the Sliding-scale Joint Committee for the Associated Collieries of South Wales and Monmouthshire was held on Wednesday, at the Angel Hotel, Cardiff, under the presidency of Mr Willam Abraham (Mabon), M.P. The vice-chair was occupied by Mr Philip Jones. Representatives of the employers present were Messrs Archibald Hood, Edward Jones, C. B. Holland, William Thomas, E. P. Martin, and W. Gascoyne Dalziel, secretary. The following representatives of the workmen were present:—Thomas Griffiths, David Morgan, P. D. Rees, George Howells, Thos. D.»ronwj Isaac, Isaac Evans, Daniel Jones, Thos. Davies, M. Weeks, and Lewis Milfes, secretary. The joint committee further considered the several proposals of the workmen's aide for the revision of the sliding-scaie, and during a lengthy discussion several important points arose, upon which the workmen's side thought it would be necessary to consult their constituents, and the meeting was further adjourned until as early a day as can be arranged. MANIFESTO. To THE MINERS or MONMOOTHSHIBE AND SOUTH WALH. FELLOW WORKMEN,—Having not yet concluded the negotiations with our employers as to the re- vision of the sliding-scale, we ask you to send a delegate from each colliery to meet us at Aber- dare on Monday, January 6th, 1890, to receive our report and explanation, which will be con- veyed back to the workmen, so that they may be able to assist us in arriving at a tinal conclusion. The meeting will be held at the Carmel Hall, Monk-street, Aberdare, at 10 30. Time being so brief no further circulars will be issued. W. ABRAHAM. MOBGAN WEKKS, PHILLIP JosKS. THOS. ISAAC. THOMAS GKIFFITHS. GEORGE HOWELLS. DAVID MORGAN. PHILLIP D. REES, ISAAC EVANS. THOS. DAVIES. DANIKL JONKS, LEWIS MILKS (Sec.) Our Mining Reporter telegraphsI have un- impeachable authority for stating tbat the prospect for an amicable settlement between employers and employed in the South Wales coal trade is very gloomy; indeed, the negotiations for settle- ment conducted by the Sliding-Scale Committee have completely broken down. The men's appeal for an immediate advance of 10 per cent. in wages has been rejected, while the workmen's representatives felt, in duty boua-1, to reject the concessions in the revised scale which the masters offered. The men's offer to submit the dispute to arbitration has also been declined.

RHONDDA MINERS' ASSOCIA- TION, A Sub-Agent to be Appointed. A monthly meeting of delegates was beld on Monday at the Windsor Hotel, Ton, in con- nection with the Rhondda. Steam Coal Miners' Association. Several questions of more than ordi- nary interest were discussed. Chief among these was the proposal to grant assistance to Mabon, M.P., in carrying out his duties as miners' agent. This question had been considered at each of the several collteries in the district during the past month, with the result that on Monday a resolu- tion was unanimously passed that a sub-agent be appointed, but the matter was further referred to the collieries to decide as to the propriety of amal- gamating the new office with that of tha district secretaryship. Adiscusaiou arose as to the necessity of adopting some means to further lessen the out- put of coal at the various pits, but no resolution was passed, it being arrangbd that the question should be fully discussed by the miners during the coming month. The miners of Glyngwyn Colliery were admitted members of the district. A resolution was also passed urging all the col- lieries to ptess for the adoption of the weekly payment of wages system, and calling upon the workmen's side of the sliding scale committee to use every effort to secure this concession in the revised scale. The resolution further condemned the action of a Mountain Ash workman in writing to the press stating that the workmen of that place were opposed to the weekly payments. The Mountain Ash delegates remarked that the general opinion of the men was quite the con- trary.

FATHER RICHARDSON ON STRIKES. The Rev Father Richardson gave one of bis evenings for workmen and their wives, at the Albert Hall, on Monday evening. The principal feature was a lecture by the rev. gentle- man on "Strikes and Strikers." He referred to the recent commotions in the labour world, and deprecated strikes, which, he said, were great evils, because they paralysed trade and often drove it from the country. Strikes should only be resorted to when every other means of bringing the employers to reason had failed. He also attacked the claim of the capitalists to board their gains, and gave it as bis opinion that all wealth was given in trust, and should be administered for the public good. In conclusion, be advised his bearers to practice thrift and temperance Councillor Canning proposed a vote of thanks to tbe lecturer, and the Mayor (Mr M. Mordey), iu seconding, endorsed the remarks of Father Richardson as to tba evils of strikes, and said that bis firm lost £ 1,000 owing to the misunder- standing with their men a few months ago.

ADVANCE IN THE PRICES OF OHINA. At a fully-attended meeting of the china manufacturers of North Staffordshire, held at Longton on Monday, it was unanimously resolved that, in consequence of the increased price of coal and raw material, a general advance in the price of cbina should take place on the 1st January. This is understood to mean an advance of something like 14i per cent. on the price of all general china goods sent out from the whole of the potteries.

A MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT CALDICOT. On Saturday morning as a man was taking some friends to see the entrance to the Severn Tunnel they discovered a man, named Charles Morgan, lying at the bottom of a drain about 15 feet deep. Assistance was obtained, and after be was got out it was found tbat his head was badly cut, aud bis face bruised and covered witb blood. He could not give any account as to how he got there, and the affair is at present a mystery. It is surprising that Morgan did not fall into the tunnel cutting, which is 60 feet deep. Morgan is 65 years of age, and resides at Caldicot Pill, Slight hopes are entertained of his recovery.

'elshIchoes FROM LONDON. I From Our Special Correspondent. POLITICAL--LITERARY-SOCIAL THE ILLNESS OF MR THOMAS ELLIS, M.P. News reached London on Monday that Mr Thomas Ellis, M.P., who is at present in Egypt, ladheen stricken down with fever. Later informa- •jon told us that he was under the care of the English doctor at Luxor, and that he was im- lrov;u! Since very shortly after the commence- ment of the parliamentary recess, Mr Ellis has fcen enjoying a prolonged foreign tour in com- pany wjtb Brunner, M.P., and his son. •■be constant attendance in the House and the Jard work of the last parliamentary session had seriously on a constitution not over-strong, with true Ellisian perseverance he stuck to lis duties to the last, and entered on his conti- leotal tour with unwearied zest. Only a short ortnight ago he wrote to the present writer a long stter fall of his characteristic enthusiasms. Most kings that came within his ken and experience 'Ppear to have been measured by their relation 'id adaptability to the requirements of Wales. [t was the needs of Welsh education that made "6 building containing the school appliances and Pecimens of school work of the City of Pans the host interesting exhibit in the whole of the exhi- Ijtiou. It was the Weisb.guide-book of Mr Owen Awards (Tro ya yr Eidal) that made the jour- ley through northern Italy so positive a joy. ladies in the problems of Italian lite lead to he strongly-expressed desire for a companion °lunae by the author of the guide-book pointing in historical form the developments of Italian •istory and Italian art. The two books, taken ,nd read together by week-night classes in Wales, Wherever out of Wales Welshmen congregate, "ould themselves be a liberal education. It goes vithout saying that a Nationalist of tha type of r Ellis would feel keenly interested in the Italy f to-day. He was, so he writes, constantly-on he alert to know something of the Italy of Maz- in., Garibaldi, Cavour, and Victor Emmanuel. e euergy of unity and freedom is making itself elt in every direction and in every sphere of life. Int it has serious problems over and above the ocial problems, the difficulty of which Britain is '~>w realising. At Port Said-a godless rendezvous 5. the scum of nations—he found signs of v»les pushing on civilization in the presence of riving depot of the Bible Society. Another e'sh blessing was the Merthyr patent fuel eked under the shadow of the Pyramids and to '°und all along the continental route. Cairo an inexbaustible fund of interest, but its joy was that it had amongst its mer- thriving Welsh nationalist. A few days ^ristmas Mr Ellis purposed going with o £ Alexandria, for a short p t?8 tr'P 'D t'ie LibyaQ desert before starting ,-JJJ e Nile. It is possible that the desert bought about i he fever. It is satis- C to know that Mr Ellis is in good hands. es could very ill afford to lose him at tha resent juncture. POKTRT.—HENRY VAUGHAN, THE SILURIST. 1 1,1081 charming books of the season le j, e Treasury of Sacred," Song selected from jr a<^ish lyrical poetry of four centuries by r»aac'8 ^al?r»ve, professor of poetry in jr n,vereny of Oxford, and published by r6 Cl^y ^fuwde, of the Oxford University fo^essor Palgrave, in bis preface, points l that i his at"st aim and leading principle I the selection has been to offer poetry for ry a sake. Hence many poems which ,d be justly expected when the object is Vsefu'ness> spiritual aid and comfort, not included in tue collection. This probably 5,gjQ.at8 for tfae absence of Euglish hymns by 8 hymnologists. Welsh hymn-writers, even *» they are of the stamp of Williams Panty- j n' are generally mote prone to edification to poetry. But ia Professor Palgrave's list ctaim at least one Welsh name—that of » Vaughan, the Silurist. The selection from ot poetry given in the "Treasury" will be t u°U aS ec^tor observes, the largest mass >aaa>^Ul^ar verse 'n book, but is the largest ° ^'8 Poetry 'n any way accessible to the iee««'rlreader* The "S'lex Scintillans" of 1650 and Rediviva" of 1678 cannot nowaday* be *Ve ^°r ant* 80 *ar as am aware we Ve neVer had a modern edition of the Silurist's )u, s" These, Mr Palgrave observes, are so jQe^Q3e^ iQ style, filled with such strokes of imagination, not without fantastic ues, that they require very careful study. editor's UDtBn wili materially assist the UdeDt, and all Welshmen will feel grateful to Mr a'grave for rescuing so much of Vaughan's work om obscurity. Henry Vaughaa was born at sKythrog, near Uok. He entered Jesus °^ege, Oxford, in 1638, thence went to ondon, took the degree of Doctor of eaicine, and by 1647 was practising at ssrythrog or Newton. Except that be married Id had children, nothing is known of his life in IIJ native place. The tombstone in his Parish hurch of Llausautffrald records :—" Henricus j^ughan, M.D., Stluris-Servus inutilis Peccator [:¡Ximu8 Hie jaceo, Gloria Miserere," a good au s humble confession, to which Mr Palgrave Ids the ancient family motto, "Safe is the ""ier of a clear conscience." The "Treasury" stains charmmg selections from the works of ritisb bymnists from the days of Edmund Phaser to those of Lord Tennyson, and the Ünirable way in which it is turned out by the larendon Press makes it the most desirable of it books. A LONDON WELSH COMPETITIVE MEETING. The union of the London Welsh Sunday Schools old a competitive meeting on Boxing Day. The at was held at Shoreditch Town-ball, under the :esidency of Mr Richard Roberts, L.C.C. Both 3ion and meeting have been in existence now t many years, but it is safe to say that either the one nor the other shows any f?ns of progress. At the Boxing Day 'lebration, Young Wales (from Bethnal Green 1d Whitechapel) indulges in vulgar horseplay 1d blatant rowdyism. Beyond factitious interest A one or two musical contests, the programme is 1 these youthful disturbers a bore and a Usance. Any attempt at tbeir intellectual Ql'ghteuinent is resented, and the mee 6t»erally terminates in a scene, with one of Mr knro'a men in blue as the central figure. I his ear it was much the same as usual, and at the nish Mr John Thomas, of Llanwrtyd, who acted Musical adjudicator, after saying some toler- Jly severe things about the conduct of the dIery, contented himself with delivering his Judication to the front benches. Is it not time Ir the Sunday School' Union to go in for Wronger coutse of regeneration, or for iw rOVing the Boxing Night meeting off the year's Stt

A PHILOSOPHIC VIEW OF BAZAARS. A. A. Ferguson piesided recently at the Opening ceremony in connection with the East arlt Free Church bazaar in the Victoria-bail, •asgow. He said time spent at home preparing Nicies lor bazaars was not misspent. Ic *ept °ung ladies in touch with borne and prepared lem to minister to an aged parent, to sickly ^'ldren, or to do the humdrum dnt'e8 of 'etyday life. (Applause.) He feared the teu- ency of the present day was to give up the trivial )und and the common taste. It was said bazaars ^occasion for flirtation. He did not think it a8 possible to get on without that. (Laughter.) t *as also Baid that sometimes a good deal of .Rabbing went on at bazaars. (Laughter.) He not think that was a very serious crime. A little folly now and then Is relished by the wisest men, °d women, too. (Laughter.) It was also said iat rwa us and gambling went on at baiaars. If e wa*Roiuff to engage in gambling he would not 110086 a bazaar for the purpose ot carrying out is wish; and for this reason, that he never got oything. (Laughter.) There was no excitement 1 it at all. (Laughter.) He was not so tiure ut some gentlemen who condemned raffi ng so ery severely did a good bit of gambling in their *u business. They called it speculation, daughter.) There was to be a little speculation i screens at the end of the bazaar—(lauphter)— ad he dtd not mind speculating a half-crown. Laughter.)

caged YOUNG ladies, Caged pets are the fashion in New Britain. "be Papuan papas in that ^delectable island do ot mince matters with young men whose fancy Qns on thoughts of love. No followers arr lIowed except on the battle-field, where the de- bated make a bolt of it if they can, od the conqueror bolts the defeated, well aoked, if be can catch him. The blush- Ig girlhood of the people are not Mowed to run about, flirting and fascinating, and *ttiiig eligible youug men at daggers drawn. hey are secluded in cages within doors, and are Illy taken out once a day to be washed. When Ie rlgbt young man comes along, the doors of the lge are opened and the imprisoned bird flutters Ito the arms of her future lord and master. The 'jitem has this advantage, that it saves a great 5*1 of expense in gaddmg about, and it gives the ajpuan young ladies a substantial reason for raping into matrimony at the earliest possible iportunity. iportunity.

A WORD TO MOTHERS.—Kernick's Mothers •fcoUri,?11^etking Powder* prevent convulsions.—la n « od boxea iffjgg i

Calamitous Disaster in London. FIREE AT AN INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL Appalling Loss of Life. [PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.1 LONDON, Wednesday. Whilst tha bells from a score of London churches were noisily proclaiming to tho inhabi- tants of Forest Gate the advent of the new year, a series of heartrending scenes were being enacted close at hand. Shortly this morning, just as the merry peals whicu followed the various watch night services wereaying away, the notes of a solitary bell, obviously rung by an unskilled hand, fell upon the ears of such belated wayfarers as happened to be in the Vlcin,ty o{ Forest Gate Poor Law bchool. Oa an ordinary night the incident would have aroused general curiosity, if it had not excited alarm but STtbe threshold of 189° it wa* freely noticed, or, if noticed, was explained away as an individual attempt to swell the volume of p0pUiar pood feeling. No one suspected that the fitful ringing of this insignificant bell, the dinner-bell of the institution referred was Jreally ,appeal to common humanity on beha £ ^"0"eatu^ on the verge of the grave. Xne unwuuted sound did not continue long, for all hands were needed to assist in the work of rescue ^it pubhc atten- tion was soon attracted to the spot by more nowerful evidence of the disaster, and the news raDidly spread that fire had broken out m the schools and that lives were in danger. N0 time scbools an tb local fire brigade in grappling with the situation. A couple of manual engines were in very brief period pouring jets of water ini-n the burning building, and they bad barely set to work when three steamers, which had been telegraphed for from neighbouring stations, arrived on the scene. But the flames j oncured a hrm hold of the in- terior woodwork before the outbreak was discovered, and all that remained for the firemen ? HTWL to try and limit the area of conflagra- tion as much as possible, and to render what help thev could in getting the inmates out alive. Unfortunately a considerable number of lads had already perished. At great personal risk the attendants, who had been awakened by the ringing of the bell and the pueous appeals for halo bad struggled bravely against the st.fling fnmRS which threatened the occupants of burning ° s and bad brought a large proportion of the hovs o'ut of danger. But nearly 30 remained un- accounted for, and 25 of these were dead before The rescue party could get them to open air. One little boy succumbed as he was being carried out. CHARACTER OF THE BUILDINGS. The range of buildings is situated iu extensive ^rounds facing the Great Eastern Railway, about half way between 1 orest Gate and Mary- land' Point stations on that system. The institution, which is intended f r the reception of pauper and refractory hildren from unions in the East End of London, accommodates about 600, and at the time of the outbreak nearly all the bed3 were occupied. It was in a wing of the main building known as the dinintf-room annexe that the fire originated. The wing is aa erection of three floors, and, in view of occurrence such as that which took place this morning, it is furnished with an external stone staircase in addition to the usual mode of access from the main building proper. At the foot of the external staircase, which runs from the first floor to the yard,and which is covered in from top to bottom, is « door, which is always locked, but of which a yardman sleeping on the second floor invariably carries the key. The ground fluor of the wing is divided into two apartm«nts by a wooden partition about an inch in thickness, the first, that nearest tha dining- ball, being known as the needle-room, and the second as tha wardrobe room. The wardrobe room is furnished with a quantity of lockers to hold outfits of children in the dormitory above, and it is in charge of Miss Bloomtield, who sleeps in the room on the first floor at the other end of the wing. In the daytime a number of girls ara employed in the needle-room repairing clothes, k,c., with the aid of sewing machines and for tueir comfort an iron stove is fixed iu the middle of the floor. A pipe passing from the stove to the outer wall, above the beads of the work woineD, conveys smoke into the yard. The first and second floors of the wing are used as dormi- tories, a smaH space being reserved on each level for the accommodation of officials and servants. Ou the second floor, for instance, there is not ouly a large apartment, with rows of little beds for boys, but also a room for the accommodation of the yard man, Hare; whilst on the same storey rooms are provided tor two or three females employed in connection with the dmiug-hall. Than on the first floor, as has been mentioned, Miss Bloomfield slept, also a Miss Terry, whose work lay in the same part of the building. It should be stated, however, that, although situated in the same wing, the women's apartments are quite isolated from those of the boys. ORIGIN OF THE FIRE. The fire originated in the ueedle-rooin on the ground floor, and it is supposed to have been caused by the overheating of the flue attached to the stove. About half.past twewe Miss Bloom- tield, Who had retired to rest some time before, ^"rr„°s7„of ■,ta Ot »mok. i» to 00 the Si"'1""1"1"1" on the landing, an(i perCeiving that lb° Z°k° ,Came UP ^om below, n roanh u8 to discover the cause. which she alnr °r of fche neddle-room, of whicn she always carries the key, s()n saw a light iiment lalt°erShhtbe *revic0 n«ir the floor, and a tha^the nlaiiL- havin8 opened the door, she saw the dinner i Partiti°n was on fire. To fetch windows wa« nDg lfc outside one of the Miaa Vilnon « i a Woi'k of a very few seconds, of Miss Tap tbeH raa uPstairs to the bedroom tha rlinincr »y' nefdlewoik mistress, who fetched charge thl £ °0Ia ^eys from the officer in whose having civfn e?lain at nif?ht. The two women, in th« alai'"a to the other servants sleeping rouse tha ^arried downstairs again to lockfng the P Hmtendent' Mt Dunean. Un- their wav .dln,°K r°onfii door, they made iirppss to fK buildiug, whence Terrv fetrh6 ™ivr^stant room was easy. Miss and Alias R?a £ •Duncan and the schoolmistress, officiate B,1„Tmfieid &aV9 the alarm to the other essential if it P^sence of Mr Duncan was nartition JL L ys sIeePin(f above the burning of careful ° 8 rescued alive. In consequence cation bnr Preoau',0ns taken to prevent communi- servanU' r"6611 dormitories and the Miss Bloom^M l0'niDK» ifc Was impossible for and until M IA t0 WarD the keeping ehildren, unlocked tlf« H^Un°un arrived on the scene and uniocKed the door things were at a standstill. GALLANTRY OF THE SUPERIN- TEN DENT. When Mr Duncan fouud how matters stood be onlv for a W t0 th9 needle-room, pausing the *• r?onie?' on way to catch up one of inshiHin 8 ^ueen extinguishers with which the fire Karl °u,ls Provided. He saw at once that the hia btained too sure a footing forany efEortsof in? "iextinKui8hing it; and, appreciat- ovorhei^ errible peril which threatened those snecBartJ j made a dash for the staircase, and first J Plta the smoke, in reaching the varvmtr r_ rm,tory» where thirty boys, of ages forward with tha'in^^ to°H a C0UPle of stepa but it was too late FU0!1! ° eatelicK th« ro?al» was on fire, and "the time ttje flooring smoke to the open don Cauaed a that Mr door, with the consequence the staircas-n 'AUK8 ITORA^Y forced back on to noxious fuse's "MJ hal £ ;suffocated by the and again ho J puncan refused to be beaten, IamTvl ^d t0 reach his charges, but overpowered 'bv th tim8 Was comPletely coa»J.o»«ei, b\/h?.ll ™,0„keV. »»1. 1»»™« tho purer „t '» Ktound. In flames. But theiernhvaiVOUnog to battle wifch the gmshers had little a.nd Portable extin- of tbe outbreak, IJJ!ta ? tJ i. nf thin nn,- ?T a11 attempt to force an r nntd tho Tr eventually to Da aban- 9 ^ad been practically got THRIVING EFFORTS TO ESCAPE. *hMe?h^hend015tath°n' Were b6iD« carried on at the other end of the wing with much better success Geo^eHara, the yardman, who sleeps a »ant fn ? on tha second floor, went to bed about half-past i?me* about three hours, he awoketofind hisroom fuU of and fc' bear some of the little fellows in t'ie adloming apartment calling to him. He rushed out of bed and went into the dormitory, where he found a few of the boys awake and up, but a considerable portion of the remainder were asleep and uncon- scious of any danger. There is no direct access from the dormitory in question to the external staircase, but in the northern corner of the room there is a wooden staircase running down to the first floor dormitory, by which persons emerge just at the top of the stone stairs. It was not unnatural, therefore, that Hare should first endeavour to escape by the stone staircase at the other end of the room, knowing, as he did, that this communicated direct with the ground floor. He shouted to the boys to get up and follow him, and unlocked the door f0r them to leave the room. No sooner was the door thrown open, however, than the experience of those below was re-enacted, though with a contrary effect. On the first floor, Mr Duncan was unable to enter ou account of the rush of smoke. On the second floor the boys were unable to effect their exit from the same reason. The end of the room nearest to the doorway was at once thick with smoke, and the door bad to be closed without del^y for fear of worde consequences, The lads were by this time becoming^he]pie88 through fright, and suffocation, and Hare had almost to use force to get them to the top of the other staircase. Taking one of the youngest boys in each arm,and calling to the others to follow, he made his way down the wooden stairs to the first floor, where the state of things appeared to be even worse. The door at the bottom of the external staircase had, however, by this time been forced from the out- side, and help was at band. Having deposited his first burden in safety be groped his way back to the upper floor, and got a number of boys down by making them join hands and follow him. FROM SLEEP TO DEATH. The fire never obtained so fierce a hold on the second floor dormitory as on the one below. Yet, of the 54 boys who slept at the top of the building only 40 were brought out alive. There was pro- bably not a single case of painful death in this dormitory. In the lower room two of the children appeared to have expired in great agony, their limbs being drawn and their features distorted. Here also the bodies were in some instances found on the floor, or even under the beds« Above* 1 however, all those who were awakeued to a sense ot their pern, appeared to have escaped, the con- dition of those who perished being in itself proof that death came upon them whilst asleep. One little feUow was found with one arm carlessly thrown upon the coverlet, and the other behind his bead, but in the majority of cases the sleepers bad the bedclothes up above their shoulders, and appeared to be enjoying to the full extent the sweets of warm and peaceful repose. The mortality in the lower dormitory was much heavier than in the upper one, only 14 of the 30 lads quartered there being got out aliye. Wheu au entrance was once effected tha firemen and others made superhuman efforts, and some very narrow escapes are on record. But pluck was of no avail when the rescuers were so handicapped in point of time. lhere is little douot that the bulk of the deaths took place before the outbreak was discovered either by Miss Bloomfield or Mr Hare, and uuder those circumstances unstinted praise should be given to those who so willingly risked their lives on behalf of the poor little waifs. When the steam engines arrived on the scene a mastery was rapidly obtained over the fire, but it was not until after two o'clock that it was completely ex- tinguished. The whole of the bodies, however, had been got oat some time before this, and the authorities were able to realise the full extent of the calamity. As the bodies were rescued from the burning wiug they were taken to the infir- mary, one of the smaller blocks of buildings referred to above, where they will lay until after the inquest, which opeus at one o'clock to- morrow. HEARTRENDING INCIDENTS. Representatives of the press were allowed to view the bodies of the hapless victims. They lie in the infirmary-hall, the walls of which arc very largely covered with New Year's mottoes, and decorations of holly and mistletoe. The bodies are placed in two rows along the sides of the apartment, and tbe sight is one of the most harrowing which could possibly be witnessed. The beads of the little fellows rest on snowy white pillows and little b!ankets are tucked around them. The faces of the majority of them wear a peaceful and painless expression, proving that death was but a continuation of their sleep, and that no sudden fright had come to disturb the serenity of their slumbers. The little bands lie naturally at the side or on the breast, and be- token no struggle for life. In the few instances, where the natural colour of the skin has been turned by the beat, the burning is evidently very slight, and of a post-mortem character. This, however, does not apply to two of the cases. II. one of these the side of the face is scorched, and on the other the remains are but a blackened aud charred mass. The terrible condition of this body is due to its falling through tho floor of No. 9 dormitory into the room below, where the fire raged most fiercely. Whilst the work of rescuing the children was going on at the northern end of the wing, some excmng incidents transpired on the eastern side of the building, where a considerable number of persons bad congregated to note tbe progress of the tire. Mrs Davies, one of the servants occupying a room on the second floor, finding apparently that escape by the staircase was hope- less, pulled up the window and shouted for bolp. Atter a brief interval she jumped from the window on to the roof of an adjoining building, when she was helped down by means of a ladder. Mrs Hill, an official, sleeping in the same part of the building, got out of the window, and, in some remarkable manner, succeeded in scrambling down a waterspout fixed in the angle of the wall. What was still more retnarka.ble,sbe sustained no injuries. Mrs Davies did not escape so well, for in jumping she hurt her ankle, and she now lies in the infirmary. EXCITEMENT IN THE DISTRICT. When the sad details of the disaster became known in the neighbourhood this morning great excitement was manifested, and throughout the day the main entrance of the schools was blocked by crowds anxious to catch a glimpse of the ruined building. A strong force of police, under Inspector Harvey, was, however, in attendance, and none but those having business with the officials weie allowed to enter the gates. At seven a.m. Mr Duncau assembled all the boys in the diuing-hall, aud called over their name3, after which the list of dead was postedjat the porter'sl odge. During the afternoon many persons having sons or daughters at the institution arrived from Whitechapel, Poplar, and other East-end districts, for tbe pur- pose of setting their minds at rest as to the fate of their children. As a rule, after a glauce at the list,they were able to return reassured, but in one or two cases the result of the scrutiny was less satisfactory. The gates were then oponed, and, amid the silent sympathy of the crowd, the sor- rowing relatives would be admitted and conducted to the infirmary for the purpose of identifying tbe child on whose behalf the visit was uudertaken. Mrs bmitli, whose son Albert met with his death in No. 9 dormitory, was scarcely able to recognise the corpse, so altered were the features, and tbe woman burst into a flood of tears ut the sight of her dead boy, and went away sobbiug piteously. GLOOM IN PLACE OF FESTIVITY. In accordance with time-honoured custom, to- day was to have been the day of festivity for the scholars. A gigantic Christmas tree bad been prepared for the amusement of the youngsters, and the crowd at the gates was swelled by many friends ot the inmates who bad come to witness the presentation of prizes and other functions which form part of the New Year's Day pro- gramme. Of course, the dreadful calamity which has befallen the schools cpset the whole of the arrangements and in addition to the loss of their playfellows, the little fellows are deprived of their anuual treat. Last night in the dormitories there were many stolen conversations respecting what to-day would bring forth, and the last words that more than one of the deceased children spoke bad reference to the jolly time which to-day would bring forth. STATEMENT BY AN OFFICIALS Mr Duncau, superintendent of the school, made the following statement to a press repre- sentative :-1 was sleeping in my own room, and was suddenly aroused by Miss Terry, the needle mistress. It was between 12 30 aud 12.35. I went out into the lobby, theuce straight to the needle-room, taking with me an extinguisher. I ascended the staircase to the dormitory on the first floor, where many of the boys were sleeping. On gaining the door and trying to enter I was forced back by a large volume of smoke issuing from dormitory 9. Though I made the strongest effort to enter the room I suddenly felt myself over- powered, and I fell in a half-iusensible condition down the staircase. I there lay for a little time, for 1 did not recover myself immediately. When able to rise I found the hydrant, and, with others officials, did everything in my power to subdue the fire.. Up to this I had seen aone of the boys. The work of rescue was carried out as speedily and effectively as possible, but aa to the children who lost their lives I have little doubt that they bad all been suffocated before I reached the staircase of the sleeping dormitories. CAUSE OF THE DISASTER. With reference to the cause of the fire. Miss Terry declares emphatically that when she went to bed at 11 o'clock, having then just come from the middle room, the fire and gas were both out. The chairman of the school, moreover, points out that, in compliance with the regulation rigidly insisted on by the insurance company, the store pipe was so safeguarded that it is next to impossible that it should have caused the conflagration. The pre- mises are insured in the Sun Office. In the course of the morning the Mayor of West Ham paid a visit to the school, and in the afternoon a board meeting was held. Opening of the Inquest. The inquest on the 26 boys who were suffocated on New Year's morning at West Ham Industrial School was opened on Thursday afternoop, before Mr C. C. Lewis, coroner for South Essex, in the girls' schoolroom. Several members of the board of Governors were present, including the chairman, Mr H. J. Cook. Mr H. E. Dabis, fire expert and surveyor to the coroners of Middlesex and the city of London, also attended. Those relatives of the deceased who attended were conducted to seats by the deputy chaplain, Mr Cowen, and several appeared overcome with grief. Inspector Isaac Thompson represented the police. After the swearing of the jury, the Coroner said they bad been empanelled to enquire into one of the most lamentable occurrences that had ever fallen to the lot of a jury to investigate. Happening as it did in a public institution, be felt sure they would spare no time nor trouble iu endeavouring to ascertain the real and true origin. He proposed that the proceedings that day should be of a prelimipary character. Evidence would be taken of identification, and afterwards he hoped to be able to give such instructions as would insure that the whole of the evidence should be prasented in consecntive form. Mr P. A. Nairn, solicitor (Messrs Baker and Nairn), informed the coroner that he represented the Board of Management of the schools and every facility would be attorded to secure a full inquiry. The jury then viewed the bodies and the scene of the fire. Mr Charles Duncan, superintendent of the school, was tbe"Iirst witness examined. He said t that the whole of the children retired to bed at a quarter to eight on Tuesday night, that being tbe accustomed time. Nothing unusual happened until he was called up at 12.35. On being aroused from bed be was told by' Miss Terry, needle mistress, that the needle-room was on fire. He at once passed down the stairs and took the fire extinguisher with him. He^ound the needle-room passage leading thereto and the staircase leading to the dormitories full of smoke, so dense that be found it dificult to breathe. The fire subsided a little after he bad played on it, first with the extinguisher and then with the hydrant. The Coroner asked where Mr Duncan first found the boys had been suffocated. Witness said as he passed through the dining- room on the way to the needle-room he was told that the boys were being rapidly rescued. It was after he bad played on the fire that be learnt some of the boys were still in the two dormitories. He brawled upstairs to No. 9 dormitory, the door of which waa locked. He unlocked it and called out, but got no response. The keys were kept by tbe officers. No person having a key was sleeping that night within No. g, as the official by whotc such key was usually held happened to be on leave. The boys, therefore, were looked in from that end, but he did not know whether the exit was free by the other staircase. It wa. half-past one o'clock when a number of bodies were recovered and taken into the infirmary. He was now able to identify seven bodies. In answer to the Coroner, Mr Duncan added that be was prevented ascending to No. 10 dormitory as be was overpowered by the density of the smoke. Questioned by the foreman, witness aaid it was owing to the smoke that be did not at first dis- oover the fire in tbe partition, Edward O'Brien, drillv master, was next ex. amined, and identified six bodies. Tberesa Pownall, nurse, identified the remaining thirteen, making, with those identified by the superintendent, in all twenty-six. The Coroner said that was the length to which be proposed to carry the inquiry that day. It was for the jury to say when they would re-assemble. On the suggestion of the foreman the inquiry was adjourned until Wednesday at 10 a.m.

THREE MURDERERS EXECUTED The Gravesend Tragedy. William Thomas Hook (40) was executed within Maidstone Goal on Tuesday for the murder of his wife Julia, at Gravesend, on the 18th Sept., 1889. Berry was the executioner. Since bis condemnation the prisoner bad listened to the ministrations of the prison chaplain, but had been callous, and expressed no repentance for his crime. During the past week he had been visited by a man named Jack Scott and bis two young children, who are now inmates of the Coxheath Union. Between them and the prisoner a heartrending scene took place. The sheriff arrived in Maidstone on Monday night and proceeded to the gaol at seven a.m. on Tues- day. The prisoner rose early, and was immediately seen by the chaplain. He ate a fair breakfast, and when the executioner visited him, submitted to the pinioning with perfect tranquility. The gallows is situated about 60 yards froui the condemned cell, and tbe prisoner walked firmly to it. Berry then adjusted the white cap, and tbe prisoner, with great emotion, then said, U Good bye, Jack Scott; good-bye, all my old friends. Now for the great secret. Julia, I loved you, my darling. Good-bye, good-bye, Julia; God bless you." Prisoner weighed about 12 stone, and a drop of 6 feet 2 inches was allowed. Death was instanta- neous. Double Execution at Leeds. Robert West (45), a travelling showman, and Frederick Brett (39), railway labourer, were exe- cuted at Leeds on Tuesday, the former for the murder of his wife at Haudsworth, near Sheffield, on the 17th August, and the latter for murdering his wife at Halifax, on the 20th October. West and his wife bad lived unhappily together for twelve months, and at Handsworth feast he charged her with being too familiar with a man known as "Leicester Jack." After they bad retired into their caravan for the night, West cut his wife's throat with a razor, afterwards leaving the caravan and confessing the crime to a show- man in an adjoining caravan. He was drunk at the time. On being arrested by the police he also admitted what be bad done, and kissed tbe dead woman's cheek before being taken away. Since his incarceration in gaol West had been very indifferent as to his fate, and when visited by bis son last week he bade him a cheering farewell, remarking that he need not come to see him again. He bad eaten and slept well, and at times appeared quite jolly. To the prison chaplain, however, be bad listened attentively. Brett also murdered his wife when drunk by cutting her throat with a clasp pocket-knife. In his case, too, jealously was tbe cause, tbe culprit having often accused her of making too free with his fellow workmen. On being arrested be coolly said, I have done it, and it cannot be uudone. I was only acting 'Jack tbe Ripper. Brett bad also exhibited con- siderable coolness since his confinement in prison. He bad relished bis food and slept soundly. Being a Roman Catholic, he had been regularly visited by the Rev Father Mulcaby, to whose ministra- tions be bad been very attentive and apparently devout, expressing bis perfect readiness to suffer for the crime committed. A petition in favour of a reprieve for both men was presented to the Home Office on the ground that they had received great provocation. A re- ply was received on Sunday stating that the facts did not justify the Home Secretary in advising any interferauce with tbe due course of the law. Shortly before eight o'clock Billington, the executioner, pinioned the men, both of them sub- mitting quietly to the process. They were both firm and walked boldly to the scaffold, which they reached as the prison clock struck eight. They were placed side by side on tbe drop, and on the bolt being drawn the two fell simultaneously, death in both cases being all but instantaneous, a slight struggle being apparent on the part of West. The usual inquests were afterwards held. The following is a copy of the farewell letter which Robert West,a travelling showman,who was executed on Tuesday for the murder of his wite at Haudswoith, near Sheffield, wrote to one of his Derby acquaintances. The letter is addressed, Mr thoinas limbert, East street, Morlidge, darbey," and is written on the ordinary prison notepaper. It is not signed by the writer, but bears the initials of the governor of the gaol, and is couchad in the following terms :— Satuaiday, Desember 28 lSBg. dear frend i rite tbease few liues to you hoping to find you in good heth, as it leaves mea at present in as good helth and spirits as peasable and my time is short now and i shall be glad when it is over and don with as my lite as bean nuthing but a misery to mea now for the sixteen months now ever since i first found my wife out about ber doings and her witch-crafting old thing of a mother av caused al our trubell but i dont cair i am very glad to think that i knowes the going of my dear wife, aud i hay had hir buiried as nise and as respectable as aney bodey could be and as comfortable as can be and they hay got plenty of my money to put up a nise grave stoue and they Lav got bir insuranc money as well i heard that they was telling peeple that they paid for my wifes funeral but you can tell them that it was with my money as i gave my sou Robert twenty bod pounds to com and sea my dear wife buiried and pay for everey think as 1 knew they weould be telling every bedey but i thought I would not give them the chanc to talk a bout me. i thought they should not talk a bout neatlier IDea nor my famley as I bay paid for every think as hav bean dou respect- ing my wites funerall and I want you to show this letter to Mises ill (Mrs Hili) as was at the doram ox aud giv my cind love to hir and hir husband aud bir sou Josh and ambey lathom and begey shaw, and Joseph mansfield and all old friends, and wish them al god bye for now aud for ever aud except the same your selves and all your sons and daughters and if they dont put hup a nice stone get on to them and tell them that you knows that the money was left a purpos and al the thing i have willed to my three little children as i thought the other thre was old a neuf to sea to them selves now so now i must conclude with my cind love to won and al of you for now and for ever so good nite and god bless you al and i have heard talk a bout peaple bing haun- ted and if possible i will haunt my wifes mother and 'iester Jack as long as they liv ef i can and i hope bir mother will have sumthing hapen bir before long for what she hav brought mea and my wife to as my dear wife would av bean alive now and as comfortable as posable to bav bean if it not bean for hir old withcrafting old tbiug of a mother. The individual referred to was alleged to have been the cause of the jealousy existing between West and his wife.

A YEAR'S LIFEBOAT SERVICES, The lifeboats of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution have done excellent work during the past year, resulting in the rescue from the peril of death by drowning—and in the majority of instances from death itself—of as many as 408 persons. In addition to this list of noble services, the lifeboat crew3 were the means of preserving a vast amount of property, including assisting to save or absolutely saving 17 vessels from partial or total destruction. During the year the institution also granted rewards for the savuig of 207 lives by means of shore-boats, fishing-boats, or by other means, so that the com- mittee bestowed rewards in the year 1889 for the saving ot 615 lives, making a graud total of 34,658 lives, for the saving of which the society has granted rewards since its establishment in 1824.

GROSS CRUEL TV TO A CHILD Phineas and Ann Boden, husband and wife, were charged before the Ironbridge magistrates, on Tuesday, with cruelty to a boy, the son of the first-named defendant. From the evidence it appeared that the child bad only two meals a day, these consisting of bread-and-dripping. He seldom had anything to drink, and, it was stated was frequently illused without any provocation. Though nearly four years old he only weighed 121b., instead of 35lb. His hair was covered with vermin, and his body was in an emaciated condition through insuffi- ciency of food. The woman was his step-mother, and, witnesses said, had often expressed a wish that he was dead. The father was described as a man who would not work. The Bench com- mitted them to gaol for three months with hard labour.

LAST OF THE LIVINGSTONES. A correspondent writes I hear of the death of Oswell Livingstone, the last surviving son of Dr. Liviogstone. He bad been settled for some time at St. Albans as a practising physician. Consumption carried him off. He was named after Mr Oswell, one of bis father's hunting friends in the old days at Kolobeng, with whom, it will be remembered, the great explorer made his memorable journey to Lake Ngami. Oswell joined the expedition sent out by the Royal Geographical Society to find bis father in 1871, which Stanley met on his way back to the coast after finding and succouring Livingstone, and which came to such a sad end. The only sur- viving children of Livingstone now are Mrs Bruce, of Edinburgh, and Mrs Wilson, of Kendal.

THE PARNELL COMMISSION REPORT. The Leeds Mercury hears that the report of the Parnell Commission will condemn strongly the conduct of the managers of the Timet in accept- ing and publishing the forged letters without adequate inquiry into their genuineness.

CARDIFF SADDLERS AND THE HOURS OF LABOUR. A meeting of the newly-formed Association of Saddlers was held on Tuesday evening in the Cattle Market Tavern, Cardiff, when the father of the society in this district took the chair, Mr Pearse. The CHAIRMAN proceeded to give a detailed account of the visit of the deputation appointed to call on the various employers. The substance of the report was that the OQlk of tha employers had met the men in a conciliatory spirit, and tbat terms mutually satisfactory,, to both -rties bad been arranged.

MINERS' Mt \ER. P The monthly mee Miners' Association b Arms, Caerphilly, oufB>i.tc -,he pre- sidency of Mr Tbon lair was occupied by Mr E r Lewis Miles was secretary on the agenda was the bru." Rudry Colliery, Rudry. T repre- sentatives reported y vi d upon the colliery officpl 1M 0\1N7 jrt at settlement had I ¡,I'\I' v is de. cided that the depu- tation to interview ials As to these cases, wita .(le"<< tgthis long-standing griev *n. to Stc >i.> Daniel Francis gave a briei 'f e con- ference, and the cor.rif unani- mously endorsed.

HOLLOW AT's OI«'* £ »r TJFCP lvn.v- >aghs, Influenza.—The sootl -^5 prnp- p i <>f ledica- ments render them wr !'t ■: 'vi. iW m'1.: >1 ■" seases of the respiratory o 3 and influenza the Pills, ta t. rtrgfeu; !»,nd tment rubbed over the chi e >• dingly efficacious. When i' treat- ment is the easiest. "r" *i-.way's Pills purify the blood 'V;V •• i free circulation through tl id air tubes, and render res • ucing the strength, irritatin, the ppirits such are the •' ering when anyone is afflict "> hitis, and other chest couij "4 per- sons are seriously f«{ ,,¡' most countries.

SERIOUS ACCIDENT AT CARDIFF A serious accident of a most peculiar nature befel a lamp-cleaner, named Edward Burns, at Cardiff, on Friday afternoon. He was engaged in cleaning the large Bray lamp near the Bute Monu. ment, when the ladder upon which be stood slipped, and caused Burns, who is over b5 years of age, to fall to the ground. He was picked up in an unconscious state, and conveyed to the infirmary in a cab. The institution was reached at balf-past two, and it was there ascertained by Drs. Thomas and Evans that tbe poor fellow bad broken several ribs, besides sustaining very serious internal injuries, though there are no bruises apparent externally. The man was in an unconscious state on admission, and up to a late hour this morning be had not recovered sensi- bility, the only evidence of animation be- ing an extremely faint breathing, broken occasionally by low groaning. Mrs Burns was at once sent for, and, accompanied by several friends, she remained in close attendance. It was feared that the unfortunate man would not long survive. Burns is well known in Cardiff and its neighbourhood, and is of venerable appearance. He is an old pensioner, having served 21 years in the Royal Horse Artillery. An inquest was held on Saturday evening at the infirmary, by Mr Coroner Reece, on the body of Edward Burns, labourer, aged 62, residing at Splotlands. Oa Friday afternoon deceased was lighting lamps when he tumbled off the ladder, apparently in a fit. Tbe body was identified by the wife of the deceased, who said that he was generally a healthy man, and had not been sub- ject to giddiness of any sort. She beard of the accident on Friday afternoon, and was present when he died at five o'clock next morning.—P.C. Prickett (No. 3gJ said he was on duty in Custom House-street, and noticed deceased suddenly falling backward" on his head without making any attempt to save himself.—After bearing the medical evidence, a verdict of "Accidental death was returned.

TERRIBLE FALL DOWN A COAL PIT, On Thursday evening, about &ix o'clock, a sad and fatal accident occurred at what is known as the "Pegery" Pit, Nantyglo, the property of Messrs J. G. and W. Barnm. It appears that three men went on the carriage about six o'clock to descend the pit, and, after going a few yards, one of them, Samuel Stiort, residing at Beaufort, through some unexplained cause, fell over the side and down the pit. His body landed with a great thud at tbe bottom. His stepson, who was with bim, screamed, and the other man, Williams, called out, and the carriage was stopped. In doing so Williams, who is an elderly man, fell on the carriage, the result was that he was severely shaken. Assistance was soon at band, and under the guidance of Mr George Highfield the body of Short was brought to the bank and taken home. As expected, the man was quite dead. Deceased was 38 years of age. The old man Williams cannot give the slightest ex- planation of the affair, as his back was towards Short, who, it is thought, had not held Smolyon the sides. Williams was also taken home, where be was placed in bed and attended by Dr H. C. Bevan. The carriage, it Í8 said, appeared to have gone down as usual. Williams does not seem to have noticed anything out of the way.

MDME. BERNHAROPSTNARROW ESCAPE. Mdme. Sarah Bernhardt bad (an Exchange Company's telegram from Paris says) a narrow escape on Sunday night during the dress rehearsal of the new poetic drama, Joan of Arc, at the Porte St. Martin. The famous tragedienne who fills the role of the Maid of Orleans, had mounted the pileof faggots when, through some inexplicable accident, the stake literally caught fire. The actress shrieked, and, falling down in a faint, was borne insensible from the stage to the green- room. She speedily recovered, however, but two scene-shifters were seriously burnt while quelling the fire.

A FOOTBALL ACCIDENT. During a football match between St. Peter's School and Weston Club at Weston-super-Mare on Monday afternoon, Lieutenant Lyon, of Aldershot, sustained concussion of tbe brain from an accidental kick.

FIRE ON BOARD A STEAMSHIP AT BARRY DOCK. An outbreak of fire occurred on board the steamship Poonah, lying at Barry Dock, about 10 o'clock on Wednesday night. The Barry Dock fire float was quickly on the scene, and the flames were subdued before any damage was done. The Poonab sailed on Thursday evening.

SUDDEN DKATH.—Early on Tuesday a woman named Mary Ann Davtes, who lodged at the house of Wm. Shell, 23, Caual-parade, Newport, was found by Shell downstairs in a dying con- dition. Assistance was sent for, but the woman expired in a few minutes. The deceased had been ailing for some time, but no medical man having attended ber, an inquest will be necessary. FATAL ACCIDENT AT CILFINYDD.—Ou Tues- day, at the Bassett's Arms, Ciifynydd, Mr E. B. Reece, Cardiff, held an inquiry with reference to the death of a lad named William Osborne, aged 13, who was killed at the Albion Colliery by being struck by a rope on Christmas nigbt. Deceased was minding the rope on tbe pit bauk, and by some meaus bad his arm drawn into the machiuery connected with the rope. His arm was crushed, and had to be amputated just above the elbow. A verdict of "Accidental death" was returned. denly. He and his wife and daughter were at home, and Mr Evans was sitting in bis chair readiog, when he suddenly fell down and im- mediately expired. He had been in indifferent health for some time past. ANOTHER FIRE AT CADOXTON. — On Satur. day the window blinds aud sash on tbe first floor of Mr Gibbon's grocer shop at Vere- street, Cadoxton, were discovered on fire. Mr J. C. Pardoe, tbe Barry Local Board surveyor, who was passing at the time, immediately rushed in, and with the assistance of Mr Phillips (the owner), who had a large bay and corn business next door, eventually extinguished the fire. Tbe bed clothes were just beginning to catch, and there is no doubt but tbat iu a few minutes later the flames would have obtained a firm bold. The consequences then would have proved serious. It may be mentioned that water could only have been obtained from a bandpump about 300 yards away. ALARMING STRElIP ACCIDENT. — About ten o'clock on Saturday as William Davies, a lad of 13, was driving down Working- street his pony suddenly took fright and bolted up the street. Wheu near Batcbelor's statue it was brought to a stand, for the wheels of the trap came into contact with the curbstone, causing the vehicle to capsiza. The boy was thrown out and fell on his head. He was taken to the Infirmary and detained.

CARDIFF SCHOOL BOARD. At the meeting of tbe Cardiff School Board, held on Thursday, Mr Lewis Williams in the chair,¥:here were also present:—Rev G. W. Hanford, Rev G. A. Jones, Rev A. Tilly. Rev F. J. Beck, Dr Trebarne, Dr Edwards, Dr Wallace, Messrs John Cory, Thos. Raes, and John Gunn. t RETIREMENT OF MR THOMAS REES. The CHAIBUAN proposed tbe following resolu- tion :— That the Board desires to express its deep sense of the great services Mr Thomas Rees has rendered the cause of education ill connection with the Board during the past 15 years, six of which he has been vice-chairman, and to express its regret in losing hi3 valuable services, and expresses its sympathy with him in his recent bereavement. He thought the old Bosrd should not separate without expressing their thanks in the form of a minute, and their deep sense of the great services that their friend Mr Thomas Rees had rendered to the cause of education during the past 15 years. They should put on record the regret with which they parted with his valuable aid and help for this Board. It was with considerable paia to himself that he witnessed the severance of a connection that had been so happy and so very useful over so long a period. Mr Rees was one of the first members of this Board, and be had devoted to his duties an amount of time and energy more than it was within the power of any other member to render. He bad thrown himself without stint into the welfare of the schools of this town. He did not hesitate to say that nearly half of Mr Rees's time had been given up to this special work, and to him was due in a great measure the present flourishing condition of tbeir schools, more particularly so far as concerned bis duties as chairman of the General Purposes Committee and as general visitor of the schools. He was sure every member of the board was conscious of the complete impartiality which he exercised in tbe selection of teachers. Rev G. A. JONES cordially seconded tbe pro- position. Mr THOMAS REES, in the course of his remarks in acknowledgment of the vote, said be wished to avoid controversial matter as much as possible, but he did think that corporal puuisbmeot was too much resorted to by the teachers under tbem, He was about to give an instance of one case, when Dr EDWARDS and Dr WALLAOK strongly pro- tested against going into matters of that kind, which were open to contradiction and contro- versy, Dr Wallace declared that be bad accused Mr Rees privately and publicly of being the man who prevented a stop being put to corporal punishment, for when they wanted to dismiss a master and mistress for that offence he threw (be shield nf hill nnwarful.nrotection.Qver them.

General News. -• The chaplain of the United States Congress is a blind man—Rev W. R. Milburn. Temperance teaching has been made com- pulsory in the State schools of Victoria, Aus- tralia. The Rev M. Duffill, of SwanseaJ is to be invited to the pastorate of Finsbury Congregational Church, Moorfields, London, should the trustees endorse the resolution passed by the church. Mr Daniel Thwaites, the Bkckburn brewery died in 1888, but his will was proved in the last financial year under £4-64,516. This is the greatest fortune ot the year made our, of beer, and is second only to Lord Hindlip's £577,000. The steamship City of Paris arrived at Queens- town on Tuesday atternoon, having completed the voyage from New York in five days, 22 hours, and 50 minutes, beating the record by seven minutes. The extensive thread works of Messrs Barlow and Sens, at Lisburn, near Belfast, were partially destroyed by fire on Monday night. The damage is estimated at £26,000. It is covered by insurance. It is now stated that the so-called moonlighting outrage at Glencollius, in tbe King Williamstown district, was really a practical joke. During a dance at Daulea's House some friends, disguised as moonlighters, entered the place and ordered everybody to clear out. Dr Sergeant, Physical Culture Professor at Harvard University, utters a word of caution about over-exercise. He says tbat those who have been most successful in heavy gymnastics are also subject to nervous complaints. The British and Foreign Bible Society has during the 81 years of its existence issued from ita London house alone 29,000,000 complete Bibles, nearly 32,000,000 New Testaments, and 11.845,000 portions of the Bible—altogether 72,500,000 books. The elder brother of the martyr-missionary, Father Damien, is on a visit to Leeds. The mission of the rev. gentleman, who preached at the Roman Catholic churches iu the town last Sunday, is to collect contributions for the pro- posed Damien Institute to be erected in Belgium to perpetuate the memory and continue the woik of the late leper missionary, On Monday there was landed at Liverpool, from the Cuuard steamer Umbria, trom New York, 30 tons of silver bullion, representing a value of nearly a quarter of a million sterling. This is stated to be tbe largest quantity cf bullion that has. ever been landed iu Liverpool by one vessel. The bullion was at once sent to Londou. On Sunday evening the Rev J. F. Howson, preaching in Christ Ciiurcb, Chester, observed Mr John Harris, a shopkeeper and a member of the board of guardians, to be apparently very ill. He dismissed the congregation, and uad every attention paid to Mr Harris, who died in a few minutes. 00 the whole the aspect of the Royal Family bad nothing of "maddening gaiety" this Yule- tide. The Queen is ill, the Prince of Wales is ill, the Princess Curistiau is ill, Princess Louise is ill, and Princess Mary 01 Cambridge is ill, while Prince Henry of Battenberg and Prince Edward are far away. It is reported from New York that a beautiful girl, named Nora, whose photograph and love letters have bewitched hundreds of men into sending her money or railroad fares to jam them, turns out to be a young blacksmith, at Omaha. He has been arrested. Few of our readers are (says Invention) probably aware that the mauutacture of giass eyes and beads has assumed such large proportions in Germany that there has been called into existence a committee of manufacturers of glass eyes and beads. At a meeting of the glass eye makers' committee, held at Lauscha, it was stated that already orders are in hand for next year, not only for toys, but also for glass beads. A terrible affair was reported on Monday from Rochester, in Michigan. Mr William Major rose from his bed in a state of delirium, shot his wife whilst she lay asleep, and then procured an axe and brained both his daughter and granddaughter as they lay in their beds. To complete this domestic tragedy he committed suicide by bang- ing himself. The mysterious death of horses in Lincolnshire is causing great consternation among owners. Thirteen animals have now expired, and up to the present time no cause can be assigned ipr their mysterious deaths. Dr Harrison, the Lincoln city analyst, has made analyses of the stomachs and intestines of the deceased horses in search of suspected poison, but so far has not been able to discover any. A special cablegram to a sporting contemporary dated New York, December 26cb, says:—At San Fraucisco a slashing fight took place between Dan Needham aad Paddy Smith, of Birmingham, England. Seventeen rounds were fought. Need- ham gained first blood in the first round. Smith bad first knock-down blow in the thirteenth round. In the seventeenth round Paddy Smith was knocked out. A post or mail bag, dating from the year 1584, and containing 175 letters, has been found in a cellar at one of the civil courts at Frankfort-on- tbe-Main. All the letters, which were preserved and sealed, are of Italian origin, and were destined for the Netherlands. They have beon placed in the postal museum here, and will doubt- less be accessible to historical students. The great bustle case, which, after puzzling Mr Justice Kekewicb and amusing the Lord Chief Justice, finally reached the House of Lords, has proved a very castly affair. An inquiry has been held as to damages, and the losing litigant has to pay £3,625 19* 10d, while the costs ou each side amount to several thousand pounds. By the time the House of Lords bad given its decision this particular form of bustle is said to have gone out of fashion. For a number of years the Duke of Fife bas shown an increasing desire to meet, as far as possible, the wish of his tenants to become pro- prietors of their own holdings, and their appreci- ation of his policy has been strikingly illustrated in the large number who have availed themselves of its advantages. In BanSsbire he has now disposed of a valuable part of the parish of Botriphnie, consisting of three large farms, to the present tenants, who thus become proprietors of the soil they till. The Press Association's correspondent tele- graphs:—Mr William O'Brien, M.P., vi&ited Tipperary yesterday, when he was imme- diately served by Inspector Gamble with a copy of » proclamation signed by Col. Caddeil, stipendiary magistrate, to the effect that if any public meetings were attempted to be held they would be dispersed by the authorities. Mr O'Brien assured Colonel Caddeil that no such meeting was contemplated. Mr O'Brien visited tbe new bouses for the evicted tenants. Two brothers, Mr Williams, keeper of tba Royal Cornwall Sailors' Home, Falmouth, and Mr Joseph N. Williams, innkeeper at Fowey, are stated to have come into a large fortune by the death of a brother in Australia. About 35 years ago Mr Richard Williams left England for Aus- tralia, where be died lately, leaving £53,000 in cash and lands, and bonds of tbe estimated value of £120,000. Dying intestate, this large fortune comes to the two brothers named above, who are the next of kin. At the West Ham police-court on Friday, Reuben James Argent, 20, greengrocer, was com- mitted for trial charged with breaking into a beerhouse at Plaistow on Christmas morn- ing. He was arrested on the information of a man who saw bim running from the beer- bouse, and when taken into custody made an extraordinary statement to the effect that he and another were invited by two constables to join them in entering the cellar of the beerhouse, where they drank a quantity of beer. The con- stables have not been prosecuted. At Liverpool, on Monday, James Mooney, aged seventeen, was committed to the assizes for causing the death of Patrick Doyle, another youth, on Christmas night. The youths were drinking together when tbey quarrelled about a young woman witb whom the prisoner bad kept company for ten months till August last, when she transferred her affections to Doyle. Shortly after leaving the public-house they struggled in the street, during which it is alleged the prisoner stabbed Doyle in the neck, causing death before reaching the hospital. A curious story is told in a native Indian paper. It appears that iu Rangoon there are restrictions upon the possession of fire-arms. No one who is not a landowner is allowed to take out a licence for a gun. A Burmese barrister who applied for a licence found his landless condition an ap- parently effectual bar to its being granted. But the ability of the legal profession to drive a coach and six through an Act of Parliament is pro- verbial, and the barrister did not tamely submit to be thwarted by a mere regulation. He bought a freehold six feet by three in the Burmese Cemetery, and is now the proud possessor of both land and licence. Professor Blackie, speaking a day or two since in Edinburgh, said there was no class of men to whom Scotland was so much iudebted as to the Covenanters. Charles II. said Episcopacy was the only religion for a gentleman. Yes, for gentlemen such as he was. (Laughter.) Robert Burns and Walter Scott did for tbe Covenanters what they did for Scotland gener- ally. Scott was only a poetical Tory. God made him so; and though he talked of the Covenanters in a kindly way, he could not see the poetry of them. Burns bad more sympathy with them, and felt more than Scott. Intelligence from Mexico states that on Decem- ber 10th Mr W. Webster was foully murdered whilst returning from the Lablanc Mine, where he was employed, to Pachuca City. Deceased, who was a native of Troon, near Camborne, was discovered on the highway by two Englishmen, bleeding from fearful stabs, each inflicted near the heart. His body was warm, and death had recently ensued. Webster was only 20 years old, and had been in Mexico about 10 months. He waa an inoffensive fellow, and as hit bad not been robbed there was no apparent motive for the crime, which is attributed to Mexicans. About midnight on Monday a fire broke out at the residence of Mr W. A. T. Amherst, M.P., Grosvenor square, London. The flames, which are stated to have been caused by the overheating of an electric wire, had by the time the engines arrived got a good hold of tbe back part ot tbe second floor, and for a time it seemed certain tbe entire bouse of 20 rooms would be destroyed. The firemen, how- ever, succeeded in subduing the conflagration, but not before much damage WAS done. A death is reported to bave taken place from influenza in London, The victim is a compositor named Smith, who bad been working at a large printing office in the City, Between 30 and 40 men were attacked at the office, but they are all now. with but few exceptions, back at work. Before Mrs Harrison, the wife of the United States President, was exalted to her present position, she did a deal in her own kitchen, She is a famous pickle preserver, and likes cooking. Even noW she cannot wholly resign her house- witely habits. Her genteel accomplishment is painting on qlUflfy aBd ofer most oi lier tuna.

SERIOUS CHARGE AGr CARDIFF POUCEN At Cardiff police-court yesterda; Paine and Alderman Jacobs—P.O. I was charged with assaulting M Humphries, refreshment-house 1 Bute-street, on the 12th ult. Mr prosecuted, and Mr Williams, deputj v. aefended. I Prosecutrix stated that on the 12th December last a man and woman, unknown to her, stayed at her house and incurred a debt of 5?, as security for the payment of which the man left his watch with ber. Two days later the man came to the shop with defendant and offered her 3s in discharge of the debt, at the same time demand- ing his watch back. Complainant refused to give up the watch, whereupon defendant said if the man liked he would take her in charge for stealing it. She asked him how be could do that when the man had already offered her ii, thereby admitting his indebtedness. Defendant then accused her of being the keeper of a disorderly house, and said she had once been sent to six months on a charge of brothel keeping. There was not a word of truth in that statement. Defendant and the owner of the watch afterwards left the shop, but returned later in the day, when there was another altercation,'and complainant ejected the man. She requested Waters also to leave, but he aeclined, saying the premises were licensed, and he had a right to enter them and do as he liked. Com- plainant then attempted to eject him, whereupon he pushed her violently against the counter. Shortly afterwards he left the shop. Later in the evening the owner of the watch came again and paid the 5-i, when the watch was given to him. Cross-examined by Mr Williams, complainant stuck to her story in every particular. She fur- ther stated tbat when she finally gave up the watch, its owner said be bad given Waters a few glasses of beer and told him about the watch, and that Waters advised him to demand its return for three shillings, saying that if complainant refused to give it up for that amount, he (Waters) would make her. The man represented that the woman accompany- ing him was bis wife. Complainant had never seen the woman before. They came to the shop about 11.30 p.m., had supper together, and stayed till next morning. Elizabeth Jones, daughter of the complainant, gave corroborative evidence. James Youngs a travelling draper, said he was in the complainant's sbop between three and four on the day in question. He remembered the constable coming in with a man and demanding the return of a watch. The constable accused complainant of having allowed the man to sleep at her house with a prostitute on the previous night, and called her a blooming old shanty keeper." While most of the altercation was going on the man was outside the shop, having been ejected by the complainant. He saw the constable push the woman. For the defence Thomas Waters, the "man" alluded to in the case, whose name singularly enough is the same as that of the defendant, though it was stated they are not related, said he stayed at complainant's house with a woman be picked up in the street, and in the morning he found that Mrs Humpuries bad impounded his watch, in default of his paying for the bed. She told him he would have the watch back on pay- ing her 3i. On the following night he again went to the bouse and paid 91 for a bed. After being upstairs a few minutes, however, he came down and said the bed was dirty and unfit to sleep in. This excited the ire of the complain, ant, who went for him with a tire shovel- knocking him about severely and ejecting him, Next day he went to the shop with P.C. Harris. not the defendant, and offered 3* for his watch, but complainant demanded 5 s. He refused to pay that amount, and had an altercation with the complainant. Later on he called again in company with the defendant. Complainant was then very abusive, ejected him, and attempted to assault the constable. The latter did not assault the complainant. All be did was to put up his arm in self-defence. Cross examined by Mr David, witness admitted that the constable had been maintain- ing bim since the 14th of December up to the pre- sent time, in order tbat be might remain in Car- diff to give evidence in this cane. Waters only went to the shop with him once. It was P.C. Harris who was with him (witness) the first time. On the second occasion, while the complainant was endeavouring to eject Waters, witness called Harris to the scene again. P.C. Harris said when the alleged assault was committed be was signalled to by the last wit- ness, and went down to the sbop. He stood in the doorway, and saw complainant attempting to put Waters out. The constable did not strike or push the complainant. The Bench dismissed the case, Dr Paine remarking that there were many discrepancies in the evidence.

CRADDOCK WELLS' CHARITY. Ihe Scholarship Examination. A meeting of the Governors of Wells' Charity was held at the Town-hall, Cardiff, on Thursday. Mr J. S. Corbett presided, and there were present Principal Jones, the Mayor (Aid. Sanders), Dr Paine, Dr Taylor, Dr Edwards, Councillor T. Rees, Mr Lewis Williams, Mr Griffith Phillips, and Mr C. T. Whitmell, H.M. Inspector of Schools. A letter was read from the Charity Commis- sioners, stating that the expenses entailed in conducting the examinations for scholarships should be taken out of the JB200 set apart for that purpose. It was generally felt to be desirable that the sum should be wholly applied to the founding of scholarships, but after some dis- cussion it was decided that nothing more could be done in the matter. The expenses amounted to a little over jB15, and in order to meet this sum two scholarships were withdrawn. Mr C. T. Whitmell, in bis report of the examination, said that there were 449 candidates-198 boys and 251 girls. In many cases poor work was done, but several showed signs of capacity and merit. Of the successful competitors one came from the 7th standard, 7 from the 6tb, 9 from the 5th, and 8 from the 4th. Theo following is a list to whom scholarships were awarded. The numbers in brackets indicate the standard in which the student was educated. The number at the side of the name is the competitor's place in order upon the list:— jBlO 1. Mary Needham, Higher Grade. 3, Christopher Priest, Higher Grade. 2, Nana Evans (4), Albany-road. 4, Frank Perkins (4), Kailnor-road, b, Esther Owen (6), Splotlands. b, Henry Hyde (5), Wood-street. £8. 7, Edith Martin (5), Canton National. 8, David Cunningham (5), Higher Grade. 9, Annie Naylor (4), Severn-road. 16, Daniel Hurley (7), Higher tirade, 10, Edith Thomas (5), Crwys-road. 18, Walter Shipden (5), .Splotlands-road. 11, Martha Owyn (6) Splotlands-road. 20, Ernest Sutton (4), Scacey-road. 12, Harriet Klkingtun (5), Albany-road. 22, Wm. John Angus (4), Canton National. £ 6 13, Sarah Devereux (6), Aibany-road. 26, Richard Stowe (7), Higher Grade. 14, Emily E. Rees (4), Crwys-roa.d. 27, Wm. H. Johnson (7;, Higher Grade. Ib, Emily Whitefield (4), Severn-road. 29, James George Peliey(6), Higher Grade, 7, Nelly Price (4), Severn-road. SO, David John Williams (4), Grangetown. 19, jflleu Taylor (6), Albany-road. Ihe list is not in exact order of merit, The Governors are bound by the scheme to equatly divide the scholarships between girls and boys. I As a matter of fact, in the first twenty-five there were 17 girls and 8 boys. A number of the girls, who in reality preceded, boys to whom scholarships fell, were thus excluded. The Mayor suggested that a sub com- mittee should be appointed to ascertain whether the conditions had been com- plied with by the successful competitors. This was carried. Mr Lewis Williams suggested that the award should be made to the successful students in a public mauuer at the Higher Grade School. On the proposal of the Mayor, seconded by Mr Lewis Williams, a very cordial vote of thanks was accorded to Mr Wbitmell for bis signal and disinterested ee* vices in con- nection with the examination. In thanking them, Mr Whitmell spoke in high terms of the work done by the examiners, Mr Wakeford, assistant inspector, and Mr Cbarles Morgan, B.A., University College, and a vote of thanks was subsequently passed to them. The following are the four girls who were entitled to scholarships if the governors had been able to disregard the distinction of sex :— 21.. Gertrude M. Jones (5), Crwys-road. 23. Lily Farthing (0), Aloauy-road. 24. Gertrude Kicbards (6), Splotlands. 25. Sa.ah Thomas (6). Albany-road. The following were commended, in addition to those boys numbered over 25 who bave received scholarships Hetty Trimnell (7), Higher Grade. Fred Jenkins (5), Soutb Church-street. C. M. Minton (6), Higher Grade. John Brown (4), Splotlands. Walter A. Gihnaii (5), Wood-street. Wm. E. Paterson (5), south Church-street. I Edward Hayward (4). St John's National. Tom Underry (5), Grangetown. Florence Williams (7), Higher Grade.

CHRISTMAS PARTY POISONED BY A GOOSE. Ten persons are at present lying seriously ill at Luton suffering from the effects of poison. On Sunday there was a dinner party at the residence t of Mr Thomas Huckle, a retired gentleman, and who is a guardian of the poor, there being ten persons present, including Mr Huckle's wife and their three daughters, his brother and his wife, and other friends. They partook of a goose, and within from four to twelve hours afterwards all the party were seized with severe paius in the btomacb, and they evinced other symptoms of irri- tant poisoning. Medical advice was sought, and by means of the treatment applied some relief was obtained for the sufferers, but on Wednesday they were all still confined to bed, three doctors being in attendance. One or two of the^atients are said to be in a rather dangerous condition. The medical men have examined the remains of the goose, and they found that the skin appeared very white. It is stated that at the time it was cooked the flesh was noticed to have a peculiar reddish colour, but no disagreeable taste accom- panied it, Ono of the doctors ad VanCefj the theory that the farmer who reared the bird had thrown ?Qu8ome poisonous agent about tbe farmyard aud the goose bad picked some of tbis up.

WELSH EDUCATIONAL"C0N-~ FERENCE. A conference of the six joint committees of North Wales, with regard to the Intermediate Education Act, is to be beld early aw l/tababij at Qtostes*

JRTS. inday morn- d witb em- of 6s witbotnee s of Alfred tat WestotH. Railway Company, between the 21st and 24th December. A grocer's assistant from Catbays and Mr Thomas George Lloyd, draper, Salisbury- road, were both examined, but were unable to identify tbe prisoner as tbe parson who delivered parcels to them. They believed it was him, but could uot speak with certainty.—Mr Rees (magis- trates' clerk) asked if tbe police would proceed further when two separate cases broke down.— Mr Mackenzie (chief-constable) said there wai another witness who could depose to a separate transaction.—Mr Joseph West Heal, grocer, of Salisbury-road, was then examined, and seated that the prisoner delivered a parcel to him from a dray on Monday, 24th inst. The charge was 1" 10dt which be paid Dobell.—Mr Francis George David, clerk in the Great Western goods office, said tbe parcels intended for the above were included in a sheet which was banded to Dobell witb the parcels for delivery. Among them was a parcel from Mr Heal, cousigued for Peuzauoe. There was Is lOd to. pay.—Christopher Jones, Great Western clerk, was tendered as a witness tc prove that the Is 10.1 was not paid in, but it appeared tbat the mouey w- u;d in tobe oramary way be paid to another clerk (If paid at all), who was away in Milford.—Prisoaer was remanded. Albert Sbellam, cab owner, was summoned at Newport on Monday for assaulting Mr Wm. F, Stevens and usiug obscene languitge. Mt Stevens engaged defendant to drive h m from tbe Corn-street stand to the Alexandra Dock Hotel, but when the destination WM reached defendant demanded fed above tha fare agreed oil at starting. He also pulled com- plainant about by the coat, used his choicest vo- cabulary of slang aDd vituperation, and brought a crowd together. — Defendant endeavoured to show that he WM only demanding his proper fare but the mayor knew Detter.— Defendant then admitted that he did say fust one angry word, and caught complainant by the sleeve to ask tor his fare.— The Bench said defendant and his two brotbera were the sons of respectable parents, who bad given each a horse and cab to set bim up ia business. AU three sons had had a bad time befo", the Cabs Committee receutly, aud two got renewals of their licenses only on sufferanca. Defendant got bis without condition on promise 01 amendment.— Head-Constable Sinclair, in reply to the Mayor, said defendant bad beem nine times before the Court, and tbe Benoh told defendant be was not fit to have » license. He was a disgrace to the cabmen, who were respectable men. They fined defendant 49a or 28 days' hard labour, and directed Mr Sinclair to bring the matter before the Cabs Committee. Mr Stevens mentioned that the cabmen bad 1M rest at the Alexandra Dock stand, and con gregated in the public-house near. At Cardiff on Monday—before Dr. P*ini and Mr Peter Price-William West was charged with being drunk and causing an obstruc- tinii, aiso withassauttmg and kicking P.O. Tart (69; and P.O. Stephens wnde in the execution of tueir duty. It appeared that the prisoner, wb" declared he was so drunk he knew uotbing abour it, bit, scratched, and kicked the two policemen. They baa to carry him on a stretcher to the polio# statiou. He was fined 10* and costs, or 14 days" imprisonment. Owen Shanoon was chargec- with violently assaulting and woundioy Mary Shannon on the head with a giass tX No. 24, Homfray-street, on the 2S h iust The wile, who appeared 10 the wituess-oox witt her head bandaged, said her husband had beetf ill for four months, and this was the first time ht had got druuk during that time. She noW declared tbat she did not know who assaulted heff that it was "all done in a minute," that he bad never treated her so before, and that she never made the charge. She was going to tbe doctor's shop for something to stop the blood, when the policeman appeared on the scene. Shf bad no oesire to punish him. It was her own fault. They all had taken a lot ot drink.—P.O. Wakefield said the prosecutrix had lost. great deal of blood.—Mary Anne AXey, a neigh* bour, said Mrs Shauuou was very drunk and. aggravating her husband all day. Sle also refused to cook any victuals for him. Fiued 20d and coatl! H. Willicott (15) was charged with stealing 1 £ sacks value 3* 6J, from tbe ice house in Tressilian terrace, the property of Messrs Neal and West| on tbe 28ih December. The sacks were valued aC from 21 to 2 £ d per sack. The boy had beon seen walking witti three others in the neighbourhood of the ice bouse. They were afterwards seen drying tbe sacks before a large fire. The others rail away, but the prisoner remained. Asked where be got the sacks be refused to tell.—Prisoner wa* sent to prison for a month. It transpired that this was not bis first offence. The Newport magistrates on Friday in' vestigated, a dastardly piece of cruelty perpetrated by a young fellow named Cbarlei Frederick Stibbs, aged 19, CD a child ot eight- years, named Alma Caple. Shortly after midday on Monday the httle thiug was goiug along a por, tion of Waterloo-road, from h.r grandmotber'c house at Ebbw Bridge, to ber mother's in S( Woollos-place, and at the billy portion of tht highway known as the Old Trip, sb. encountered this coward in man's clothes. He threw her down and behaved indecently aui be it her, although be did no actual injury. Th child arrived home with mud on her dress and f scratch on her cheek, and tbe mother instantly set off to complain. Quick dispatch was giveu at the police office. The complaint wac made at 12.45, and at 1.20 Detective Jones headed off tbe younp ruffian some little distance* from tbe scene of bis oowardice. He admitted it* aud now hung his head and said it was all true. The Bench elicited tbat be was a ship's steward* discharged on Thursday from the s.s. Viceroy, and had a widowed mother at Hull.—The Mayor told prisoner that he had run great risk of being Com) mitted to tbe assizes. He agreed with Mr Justice Hawkins that such cases should be marked with severe punishment, because, whilst the children of tbe rich bad nurses to protect them, tboseof the humbler classes had no such protection. Everyone should be their protector. Hit brother magistrates were in favour of giving tbe prisoner tbe optica of a fine. He did not agree with their opinion, but gave way to it. The prisoner would be fined 60s, or a month's impri* soument, and be hoped prisoner would never commit such an act again. At the Cardiff police-court on Friday, Daniel Neville, a vetelran offender, notwithstanding his aristocratic name, was charged with being drunk and disorderly and making uile" of obscene language ou Boxing Day. Though tbe police, at a rule, looked the other way when a man came reeling past them on Boxing Day the con- duct of Darnel was really too bad. He couid not be modostity aud discreetly drunk like some ot his betters." He would swinlr bis arms about and challenge people to fight.—He was fined 40. and costs, or a month.—William Owen (26) war charged with stealing two odd boots, value £ 1 Is* from 41. Bure-street, the property of H. Arkell, on the 24vh iust.—Detective-Sergeant Fowie said he saw the prisoner going through Bute-street with something bulky under his arm. He ques- tioned bim, and not. receiving a satisfactory ex- planation be was locked up. It subsequently transpired that they were stolen from a shop Ul Bute-street. He was sent to priion for a month. At the Cardiff police-court yesterday, Edward Moon (30) was charged with stealing twelve pairt of socks, value 6s b 1, from 270, Bute-street, the property of Anu Rtmny. Prisoner, it appeared,las^ evening called at Mr Barnett's, pawnbroker* Wellington-terrace, and offered to sell a bundle oi socks. Mr Barnett very properly detained hint, and sent for P.C. Oxley. by whom prisoner wat taken into custody. The officer afterwards instituted enquiries, and found tbat tbe socks bad been stolen on tbe previous day from MrF Renny's sbop.—Prisoner, who said he knew, nothing about it, was remanded until Wednesday At Cardiff police-court yesterday—before 1h Paine, Alderm*tu Jacobs, and Major Sloper- Daniel Donovan (9), Frederick Hall (11), Ivor Williams (13), and Thomas Haines (8), were charged with stealing 8i 61 from a till at 24, Bridge-street, premises occupied by MrJamet Bryant, on the 31s December. They were alec charged with stealing 2s from tbe same till on the 1st last. It was clearly proved the boys bad between tbem stolen into the shop and abstracted the money, dividing it among themselves. Dt Paine severely lectured the mothers of the youthful thievies, and said he wac sorry tbe Bench had not the powef to place them in the dock.—Williams was ordered to receive 12 strokes with the birch rod, Hall 10 strokes, Donovan six strokes, and Haines (against whom a previous conviction was recorded) three strokes, each being further sentenced to one dal" imprisonment. At Cardiff police-court yesterday—before Dr. Paine, Alderman Jacobs, and Major Sioper— George Cooper (13) was charged with stealing a pair of boot*, value 6s from 31, St Mary-street, the shop of Mr George Oliver, On Tuesday afternoon tbe boots, which had beeu banging outside the shop door, were missed, and subse* queutly found at tbe shop of Mr Earnett Jacobs, pawnbroker. Prisoner was identified as having pledged thmu there. He now admit!ed his guilt* pledged thmu there. He now admit ed his guilt. and was sent to gaol for 14 days.—Dr Paiue once more condemned the practice of tradesmen in „ banging goods outside their premises. t. At Cardiff ou Wednesday—before Dr Paint- and Alderman D. Jones—Cornelius Brian (MS and J;«mes Moore were charged on remand with stoaiing four pairs of trousers and foaf muffler?, valued at J31, from 257, Bute-street, tbt property of William Nance. Prosecutor stated that on the 24th of December Sergmnt Hawkins, of the Cs.thays division ot tbe Cardiff police forcef called at. bill shop to enquire whether any propertj bad beea missed. H J thereupon examined hie stock, and Touud that between thirty ^nd forty pairs of trousers aud some mo«4rt had been taken from the counter. David W. Cohen, pawnbroker, Muudy-place, Catbays, said that on the 24th uit. Brian offered a trou- sers iu pledge, anu as be had some doubts as tc bis hona-tides prosecutor sent for Sergt, Hawkins. who took him into custody. Sergt. Hawkins stated that he afterwards tuund three pairs on the railway and four mufflers. The prisoner Moore gave himself up at the police-station on Wednes-• lc day, and handed to the officer on duty a pair { £ • trousers, which he stated he had received fr Brian. Brian, who had been previously corj^3» and had only receutly been discharged.. reformatory, was sent to prison for a rr. other prisouer, who had previously "on-Tyno ..j» character, was discharged. "H™ :5m — -« :¡

ROBBERIES BY A ;ll1oCÄ.bl1l'n .3. At Pontypridd police- .—— before Mr T. Joseph awi's Patent Raiser Boroew Holland, boy, son globe or chimnov.. the Cardiff Corpo^IJW»BM»BeC8 Mtd iMjWIink stealing clothes fryL » pleats