The Western Mail

WAR IX SOUTH AFRICA- LOBENGULA AND HIS TRIBE TO BE CRUSHED. ACTIVITY AT THE COLONIAL OFFICE. A Renter's telegram from Cape Town on Tuesday says: It is expected that the Bechuanaland Poiice Force, under Major Goold Adams. and the Tub Column, after advancing to Tati. will effect a 'unction with the two columns despatched by the Chartered Company from Fort Charter and Fort Victoria, whicr number 800 men. l'h«combined forces will then proceed to Bulawayo and make a simul- taneous attack upon Lobengula's kraal. The Tali Column from the south and the Fort; 'Columns from the east and Khama's men are expected to unite with the Bechuanaland i force at Tati. and advance with them against the Mr-tabele. A special correspondent of the Pall Mall Ge-?tts at Jonauiiesburg. telegraphing on Tuesday, says.Four hundred men from Fort Charter, under the command of Major Forbes, .nd the same number from Fort Victoria, under :he command of Captain Allan Wilson, are con- centrating beyond the border. The Matabele art. retiring to the bush on the mountains. Commander Eaafe, with 250 men, proceeded to Tati on Monday to join the BechRanaIand Border Police, under Commander Goold Adams, j amidst cheering for the Queen. The Bechuana- land Border Police, with Khauia's men, ad- vance from Macloutsie in a few days. Mr, Cecil I Rhodes and Sir Charles Metcalfe are both at i Fort Salisbury. Captain Heymann. who is in command of Fort Salisbury, declares that his j position is impregnable. There is no news of Mr. Sclou ACTIVITY AT THE COLONIAL OFFICE. The Pred Association is informed that Colonel Sir Frederick Carrington, of Carring- ton e Horse, on Tuesday offered hia services to the Government to proceed to South Africa te take command of the British forces in Itfashona- land and Bechuanaland against Lobengula I should the position of affairs in those regions develop into a larger campaign than at present existing. The Press Association adds that after a long interview between Lord Ripon and Sir Frederick Carrington, it is not at all unlikely that the offer will be accepted. The Press Association learns further that the Marquess úf Bipon, who came to town specially, was: met at the Colonial Office by several gentle. men of noted South African experience, and has given full discretionary powers to Sir Henrr Loch to make war on Lobengula's impis should these savage warriors continue to harass the natives of Mashonalanci or Bechuar,il.land. Sir Henry Loch, it is understood, hae also been ■iven permission to enrol volunteers for service n the Bechuanaland Frontier Police te the num. )er of several hundred for action against Lobengula: forces. This is iu order to bring ip the official troops to their full standard of .00 men on the northern frontier of Matabr-V- and, wherf now only some 200 regular frontier iohce can be spared.

THE CHOLERA EPIDEMIC. ANOTHER DEATH NEAR ROTHERHAM. j The Press Association says :-On Tueóday Mary Ann Mitchell, aged 42. wife oÍ & potter at Rawmarsh, near Rotherham. died from cholera. Sbe was seized at five o'clock on Monday e*en- in\ and six hours later was in a stats of col. iapse. Death ensued at live o'clock on Tuesday morning. A post-mortem examination was made, and parts of the stomach were forwarded to London for bacteriological examination. ANOTHER DEATH AT NEW YORK. A Dalziel's telegram from New York says i The Hamburg liner Russia, which has been placed in quarantine, has had another death among ber passengers, this making the ixth. The caso is regarded suspiciously. It is thought, j however, that, even should the deaths be aacer- tainfid to be due to cholera there is little or no C"lI' for n.i,ty, as the epidemic would be unable now to establish itHelf in !"ew York. THE SCOURGE IN BISCAY. A Reuter s telegram from Bilbao on Tuesday -y? ;—The cholera ?. in the Province of Bi?,?y number twenty to 30 daily. QUARANTINE NOTICES. A Dalziel's telegram from Libon on Tuesday ."vs Tlw Dtario Do Governo publishes Ministerial decree declaring infected with cholera. Stettin, sinc Septeher 15, as woU as Blyth and all the th?- p.rt. of orthumber. 1,L.d. with the exception of Newcastle, which merely continues to be regarded as suspected imc*i October. The Central News says Governor Sir W. J Sendali telegraphs that five days' quarantine has been imposed at Cyprus on direct arrivals from Hull, Grim soy and the Humber ports.

THE MOORISH OUTBREAK. A Dalziel's telegram from Melilla on Tuesday The 3,000 Spanish soldiers who have hen disembarked here arc impatient to begin lios. ilities. The Moors are entrenched and await, the attack of the Spaniards. G .1 Mar- I*Uo refused to receive one o: the Kabyle chiefs, "ho came ?ith a flag of trace. The Sultan of Morocco is using all his efforts in order to P vcveut tVe tribes of the interior from joining ♦he rising, against the Spaniards.

THE ENGLISH COAL WAR. EXPECTED COAL FAMINE I IN BIRMINGHAM. MINERS RETURNING TO WORK. SOUTH WALES COAL' OWNERS SUGGESTED SETTLEMENT. Our special trade correspondent telegraphs tha t. owing to the exhaustion of stocks, a serious coal famine is threatened in Birming- ham. Hitherto the scarcity has Dot been severely felt, as the city has been supplied by neighbouring collieries workinlr under the slidinfT-scale. but the demand uron these col- lieries is such that the supply is intermittent and restricted. The gasworks are only supplied with a month's stock, and tho gas committee are straining every nerve to obtain further supplies. Coke has been advanced half a crowu per ton, and the suspension of the home supply is imrninent A SOUTH WALES COALOWNER S SUGol GESTION. A South Wales coal proprietor, writing in the Times on Tuesday, says In the event of the coal dispute not being definitely settled at the conference to be held on Monday next. I would suggest the desirability of an immediate sus. pension of hostilities for a fixed period (say, to the end of the year) to give time for angry feelings to subside and for further negotiations. The Miners' Federation have agreed to the men resuming work at the old rato of wages, and it will be a cruelty to them and to the public if the owners refuso to re-open their collieries. Negotiations for a permanent agreement can be carried on jnst as well, if not better, with the colliers at work as if they were idle. In my letter which you published on the 21st ult. I advocated the South Wales sliding-scale. with a minimum and maximum limit, as the best and fairest mode of regulating wages, and I am strongly convinced that a sliding-scale with a sliding range of about 25 per cent. is the best plan that can be devised for regulating- miners wages and for preventing strikes." MEN'S OPINION OF MAYORAL MEDIA- TION. -I. A Central N"ews telegram says Inquiries in h,ffield on Tuesday elicited the fact that neither the coalowners nor the men approve of htipl.cfl; & settlement i the coal dispute. The leaders of the miners say the men will not accept any reduction, and the owners declare that after keeping their pits idle for ten weeks such a small reduction as 10 per conl. is simply ridiculous. The general opinion is that nothing- will come of the mayoral media- tion. The proposals are not acceptable to the Cannock miners, who state it will occupy six I weeks to put the pits in working order. RE-OPENING OF COLLIERIES. Ihe Press Assocmtiou Tain worth correspon- I dent l..legnphs At Pooley Hall Colliery. near T.,u,, O'th, Tuesday a large number of men who proceeded to their work at tho reduction of o per cnt. ?e?,, .,t by :t ?rcm bocty of federa- tion men, who had be?n summoned by the firing of guns, and who endeavoured to persuade the colliers not to descend the shaft, in some cases seizing their" snack or mid-day meal. Many men went to work, but some yielded to the pickets, and were escorted home amid loud cheers and the blowing of horns. At Alvecote, a neighbouring colliery, several pumpers were forcibly prevented from commen- cing work, and compelled to return to their cottages. The Ashton Moss Colliery. Ashton-under- Lyne, commenced work on Tuesday at the old ,.t, s. The colliery employs 80me 700 men T ???"'f??? of the Peel ?a? CoU?s. Little Hulton, near Bolton hue intimated that the men may return to work to-day (Wednesday) at the old rate of wages, making the eighth firm which will have resumed work in the Bolton dis- tri, t. A he N17.,?,'?kbi?-, coalowners and managers met on Tuesday at Atherstone, and agreed to post a notice at their r?pectiYe pits that the wor k s ould be re-opened on the t of the I Sh:ldocf°freo,:d th.t date The pits which resumed work last week at the old rate in the Leeds district are now steadily employed, and the output is being daily increased. It is reported that lIIessr, Henry Brigg and Co.'s large pits in Normanton are preparing to resume work. °" prepAnns' o THE BISHOP OF SOUTHWELL AND THE STRIKE. The Bishop of Southwell, presiding at the diocesan eonferenGe at Derby on Tuesday, questioned the moral -ight of the miners and coalowloncr,?? to cau?e sudden breaks in the con- tinuousness of the supplies to other industries which depend upon them for their own support. «-Onhh Lordship's motion, a ,o utioii of sym- p?thy ?as passed with the men, and he offered to act as almoner in case donations should be forthcoming for their relief. A SPECIAL CONFERENCE. The Press Association Manchester corre- spondent telegraphs :-A special conference of the Lancashire and Cheshire Miners' Federa- tion has been summoned by telegraph to be held to-day (Wednesday) at Wigan, and telegraphic summonses have heeu scnt to all the districts directing them to appoint delegates to attend. A conference of the federation is to be held at Birmingham to-morrow to decide i upon the suggestion to return to work for six weeks at the old rate of wages, and then accept a reduction of 10 per cent. THE COALOWNERS' FEDERATION OFFER TERMS. The Coalowners Federation met at Derby. on Tuesday, and stated that, while re-affirming their conviction that the stato of trade entitled them to the reduction asked for, yet with the object and desira to end the widespread distress and general dislocation of trade, and in de- ference to the appeal made to them as contained in the suggestions of the mayors, they offered to allow the men to resume work at a present re- duction of 15 per cent, out of the 40 per cent, advanced since 1888, and that pit-head notices should be given to-morrow (Thursday) that work can be resumed on Monday, the 16th inst., at that reduction. The coalowners further agreed to meet the representatives of the miners at an early date, and to use their best endeavours to formulate and agree upon a scheme for a tribunal of conciliation. DISAGREEMENT AMONGST COAL- OWNERS. The Central Nev/s Sheffield correspondent on Taesd3.] had an interview with Alderman Gainsford, managing director of the Birley Col- lieries, Sheffield, on his return from the Derby conference. Mr. Gainsford intimated that he disagreed with the decision of the conference, and was prepared to recommend the re-opening of the Birley Collieries on the ter.? suggested by the mayors. THE BOARD OF TRADE AND ARBITRATION. Thp Press Association learns from an official source that if a definite invItatiolO is made by the coalowners and miners to the Board of Trade to discover a way out of the present deadlock the board bas arranged for two li^ht bon. gentlemen to act as intermediaries. With- out such an invItation no action will be taken by the Board of Trade.

MINISTERIAL CRISIS IN ROME. A telegram from Rome through Dalziel's agency says:—Rumours of an impending Cabinet ..ri. are siill current, and it is believed that not only Signor Giolette, but every other Minister will not be sorry to vachte his post before the crash comes. It is "yen said that those Ministers baH themselves spread reports of dissensions among the members of the Admi- nistration. A telegram irom the Rome corre. spondent of a Parjs agency, refrring among other n"ttro to tbe .1.? r,t, d by the publication of that Tanlango pamphlet, was handed in at Rome for transmission on Sunday night, but was suppressed by Goyerument orders.

A TRIO OP GERMAN SUICIDES. A Berlin ielrgnm through R<mtr says •— Murder? and s'Ücirle are becoming of almoet I daily .ccunenc in tbi. iky. Some little while .go a lover h.t his mistress and t)i,?? Co.- :¡t:d Ou¡¡d:.¡'°bl¡{:d;e8th:n.1eatJ.ebod;r I 0, Y.-g man was found in the Thi?rg'rt,. ith a revolver wound in his head. 1.other case "young mau in the Army, who had been refused prmission to marry, committed suicide by taki81( prussic acid. Considerable ."n8atlon has alno heJl created at Glopan by the suicide or r, A-, doctor named Marcus, who hotr himself just before his trial on a charge 1>£ im-1 morality.

CARTER'S Little 1,i-, Pilis will positively cure torpid lwer, and prevent iu returc Thi i? not talk, hat t?tb, Of &1 cb.eudst Is Hd. Illustrated DACtphlet free. Britilb d?ptt, 46, Holborn Viaduct i London L359 AN UP TO DA'U DETECTIVE STOKY Moina.See Weekly Mail of -&t-dy next for opening chapters.

AFTER THE SECOND ROUND. JOHN BULL: Keep up your pecker, Dunny, my boy; it's possible to knock him out yet.

AMERICA CUP RACE THE DEFEAT OF THE VALKYRIE. CAPTAIN CRANFIELD SURPRISED AT THE RESULT. LORD DUNRAVEN HOPEFUL. INTERFERENCE OF EXCURSION BOATS. AOULUENT TO THE VIGILANT. A Router's telegram from New York on Mon- day evening says Captain Cranfield, of the aU;jrie, stated in the course of an interview this evening in reference to the victory of the Vigilant It was not a bad day We had a good fair breeze, and not too much of it. I must say we are very much disappointed. We thought after the race on Saturday that we should do better on a triangular course than in a leeward or windward race, instead of which the Vigilant beat us on the wind and off it, and when ihe wind freshened and I thought we should catch her she walked away from us. When we had gone about five miles I thought we should have passed her, but very much to our surprise from then to the end she, gained. I expect her movements early in the race were due to her centre-board. That's my idea. 1 mean that she had not got it down to suit her. I knew after Saturday that we had a hard nut to crack, but I could not believe that we could have been so well beaten. We knew from what the Navahoe could do that the Vigilant must be far in front of her." Captain Cranfield, in reply to a pointed question, would not admit the centre. board to be better than a keel, and said, We can show you some other experiments. I regret we didn't win. It would have been better if we had won in order that a boat should be sent over to us. In that case even more improvements might be made on yachting lines. If ever you had to send a boat to England you would find it difficult to get the cup back." A Dalziel's telegram from New York on Tuesday says :—As the Vigilant returned to her anchorage off the Bay Riding yesterday after- noon at five o'clock she was received with a burst of cheering, whilst the guns of the Atlantic yacht clubs fired a salute. Every steam yacht and river steamboat shrilled a greeting to the American Cup defender. The Valkyrie came to anchor about half a mile from the Vigilant, when the Earl of Dunraven and his guests left her for New York in it steam launch. Captain Cranfield, Mr. Watson (who designed her), and Mr. Ramsey, the sailmaker, were rowed ashore to the Atlantic Club house. WHAT THE VIGILANT'S OWNER THINKS. Dalziel's representative then boarded the Vigilant and found Mr. Oliver Iselin surrounded by a crowd of happy guests. What do you think of the result, Mr. Iselin r asked the correspondent. "The result is a good one; don't you think so f" answered Mr. Iselin. Were you interfered with by any of the excursion l'oats 2 1. No the boats, for the most part, behaved splendidly. Except at the start, there was no crowding of the yachts at all. 4i De you think, Mr. Iselin, that the Vigilant could beat the Valkyrie in a 'heavy sea with housed topmasts ?' I believe that the Vigilant could beat her under any conditions," was the answer. Were there any accidents of any kind during the race ? Yes," replied Mr. Iselin-then hastily correcting himself after exchanging a glance with Mr. Herbert Leeds. I may state, on the authority of Mr. Lathaiii Fish, of the Regatta Committee, that there was an accident. The Vigilant sprung her bowsprit after she passed the second stakeboat." "What do you think of the Valkyrie P 4; She is the fastest boat ever sent over here, and an especially dangerous adversary in a light wind. The first forty minutes proved that I am right in the opinion I have always held that the Valkyrie's best point .3 going to windward in a light breeze. "Whatdoyotithink of only one gun being fired at the start ? (At this there was IL general chorus of" Oh, oh.") 4* I think it very pretty," answered Mr. Iselin- It hasn't, however, been of much use as yet.' It looked a little risky for the American to the people on the excursion steamers at the start," said the correspondent, "All thought the Valkyrie was leaving us behind at the start," replied Mr. Iselin "and that did look badly enough for us." Why did the Vigilant lag back so much at the start? All her head sails were fluttering in the wind. Was it to prevent her blanketing the Valkyrie, or because you were afraid of getting her back draught-" It was done to keep clear of the Valkyrie's weather quarter; that was all." At that moment Mr. Gouverneur Kortwright, the fleet captain, stepped aboard and grasped Mr. Herbert Leeds by the hand, shouting, "Wasn't it a race." Mr. Leeds acquiesced, saying, It was the best race 1 ever was in." "But why did you change your fore-staysail when you rounded the first stakeboat inquired Mr. Kortwright. Mr. Iselin asked it for the reach, and ordered up the balloon foretopsail. "Why did you take in your baby jibtopsail on the reach home ? Was it too much for you to carry ? Did the wind haul off to the west- ward?" asked our correspondent. No," answered Mr. Iselin, "but I did not wish to take any risk when we were so far ahead, and was more inclined to make a sure finish than a brilliant one." OPINION OF THE VALKYRIE'S PILOT. A Dalziel's telegram from New York says Captain Lyons, the old Sandy Hook pilot, who sailed on board the Valkyrie during the race, returned to the shore as soon as the Valkyrie dropped her anchor. He bore the defeat philo' sophically. It was a good race," said the old man, a good race. Everything was fair and square as conld be. We were honestly beaten. The Vigi- lant is a fine boat, but too big for use. Yes, iL fine boat. I knew when the race started that the Vigilant was only feeling us, That's an old trick of Captain Herrebhoff's. If thecea. had beeneverso choppy the Valkyrie would have done no better than in this morning's rme We were fairly beaten. The Valkyrie's sailors looked rather glom at the result. Mr. Watson, the de-1 signer, and Mr. Ramsey, the sailmaker, were ashore. I believe they proceeded to rush their sorrow with a beefsteak." MR. WATSON ACKNOWLEDGES DEFEAT. What do yon think of the race asked Dalziel's correspondent of Mr. Watson later on. The latter answered, in a firm voice, The Vicilant would certainly have beaten us, bar any trouble or any accident. No, everything worked as it should on board. The Vigilant out-sailed us on every point-that is all." Do you think the Vigilant's victory attribu- table to the superior model of her hull or a greater area oi canvas P cannot say," answered Mr. Watson. The Vigilant certainly has a greater spread of canvas than the Valkyrie." What do you think of the Vigilant P" "That she is a remarkable boat; a truly remarkable boat." Do you think the Valkyrie would do better in a choppy sea?" I don't know that's flat. The Vigilant has outsailed her on every course and on every wind." How about that very short tack you made to windward before making the first stake- boat r" We did that to try and escape the wash of the excursion boats that interfered with us. One large steamer, with two funnels, came near us several times. Still, this had no effect on the race and could make a difference of but a very few seconds. That is all there is to say about the matter, except that it was in rather bad taste." After the Vigilant returned to Bay Ridge it was learnt that she had sprung her bowsprit on the way home. This report was confirmed by Mr. Latham Fish, of the America Cup com- mittee. Neither Mr. Iselin nor any of the other gentlemen on board the Vigilant cared to speak of the matter, and the extent of the injury could not be ascertained. A telegram has been sent, Dalziel's correspon- dent ascertained, to Peepgrass, at City Island, in Westchester County, New York, telling him to forward a new bowsprit to Bay Ridge to-day. It is not that the accident will cause any delay, as far as the obtaining of a new bowsprit is concerned, as the Vigilant's owners had dupli- cates made of all her spars early in the season. LORD DUNRAVEN'S OPINION. A Central News telegram from New York on Tuesday Hays :-111 an interview Lord Dunraven stated, referring to Monday's race, that the numberless excursion steamers and pleasure craft in attendance somewhat interfered with the free navigation of the competing vessels, and expressed an opinion that but for this cir- cumstance the Valkyrie would not have been beaten by more than five minutes. He thinks it probable that the Valkyrie will win the next race. In answer to the special correspondent of the J ~T' Gozette. his lordship ..id Several times our decks were swept with the wash, and twice I had to put about to avoid this annoyance. This took me out of the course and used up time. I don't say this annoyance was intentional, you know, but it was very dis- agreeable, and I don't believe I would have come over if I knew what I had to go through. I am of opinion that the course ought to be laid in "ome place where both boats could have a fair test." Do you think the racing committee could do anything to prevent 8, repetition of this crowd- ing"" No, I don't think they could. They have no jurisdiction over such matters. The puolic ought to have the good sense to keep out of tho way. That is the best way to show its appreciation of real sport." Do you think the result of the race demon- straties the superior sailing qualities of the centreboard type of craft r"—" You see, we cut my boat down at least a foot. I have no way of comparing her speed now with what she did last summer in English waters. Under condi- tions such as the race to-day, I have no hesita- tion in saying that the Vigilant is a faster boat. What she would do in a stiffer wind or what she would do with less wind is hard to determine. I am of the opinion that in heavier weather my boat might do better work. You will notice that the Navahoe, in all the races run off on the other side, did much better work in comparatively mild weather. She did not seem to be able to handle her sails on the roughest of the days." I don't mean to say that this would happen to the Vigilant. She might do as well in rough weatner as at any other time. It is merely a suggestion that occurred to me at the moment." What do you think your chances are for carrying home the cup? Well, if I had won cilryi?! race I would have thought they were pretty good. However, I am by no means dis- couraged. The Vigilant has demonstrated beyond any doubt that she is a great boat, a fast boat. As I said before I do not think I could have won with the Valkyrie." AMERICANS JUBILANT. A Central News telegram from New York on Tuesday sa.ys :-It has just transpired that the reason for the Vigilant lowering her baby jib. topsail in Monday's race was that she sprung her bowsprit during the first leg. The American press is jubilant, feeling confident the America Cup will remain in New York. THE THIRD RACE FIXED. A Reuter's telegram from New York on Tues- day evening says :-The third race between the Vigilant and the Valkyrie has been fixed for to- morrow (Wednesday), the damaged bowsprit of the American yacht having been repaired.

TRAGEDY AT BURY ST. EDMUNDS. ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SUICIDE. The Central News Bury St. Edmunds corre- spondent telegraphs :—On Monday afternoon at Cockfield, near Bury St. Edmunds, a shocking attempted murder and suicide took place. William Souter twice shot at a neighbour, Mrs. Crick, and then deliberately loaded his gun, and, placing it beneath his chin, pushed the trigger with a forked twig. The charge entered his head, and killed him instantly. Both victims are over 60 years old, and had lived in humble circumstances under the same roof. The tragedy occurred in the locality of the allotments close to their heme. Crick was engaged to sweep the schoolroom after the children had left, and later was ob- served running towards the allotments shriek- ing Murder and bleeding at the back of the ear, followed by Souter, carrying a gun. Previously a report haa been heard. Crick took refuge under- neath the petticoats of Mrs. Cocksedge, whom Souter threatened to shoot also, if she did not move away. Despite Crick's frantio entreaties, Cocksedge wrenched herself aivity- leaving a large portion of her under clothing in Crick's hand. Souter then fireci on Crick, wounding her in the shoulder. Cooksedge's three-year-old child received a. pellet in her hand. Crick lies unconscious, never having spoken since. No hope is entertained of her recovery. Apparently Souter imagined Crick and her hus- band were concerned in his having received notice to quit his tenement this Michaelmas. A Press A.?;-i.ti,)u telegram ,.y?:-Th- cause of the iU-teetmg betwef-n the Cricks and Souter is alleged to be tbftt the Cricks had accused Souter, who did not bear a very good character, of poisoning their pigs. THE INQUEST. lhe coroner s jury on Monday evening re- tu?m?d ,di?'t f fl 'd?. the ?.q.?at held on the body of Soutoe?.

FIVE MEN KILLED BY A DYNAMITE EXPLOSION. A Dl.iel'. telegl'fom Orville mys :—A freight car loaded with dynamite exploded seven milM from here on the PennsylTanian Railway on Monday. Fin men were killed. The shock oc.,or,d by the explosion was felt ten miies I --y. The tber cars on the train were blown Itcrose the metals, and traffic delayed for some time.

THOUSAND MEN DIS- CHARGED FROM CHATHAM. A large number of labourers bave received notice of di E-1, 1 I ,bo,s b e, rec, d notice of discharge at Chatham Dockyard, and it is understood that about 000 .'?n will shortly be discharged to balance the excess of the E.ti. Tnate g" by repairs to the b.ttl?el?ip Howe.

I "MOINA," a Detective Tale.OpeniDg I ChMten in WHklv Mail on Saturday, October 14.

REMARKABLE DISCOVERY I AT SWANSEA. A SUPPOSED REAL RAPHAEL FOUND. THE PICTURE VALUED AT I £ 12,000. A Swansea contemporary says Information reaches us that one of the most valuable paintings in the world is at present in the possession of Mrs. Vignolles, wifo of the manager of the London and Midland Bank, being none other than" The Reconciliation Philosophy, Astronomy, and Theology," which was painted by Raphael for one of the Popes. It has been viewed by the best known English art connoisseur in the trade, and by him its minimum value is placed at E12,000, at which figure he is prepared to treat as its reserve price. There is a history attaching to the painting, which was for a long time looated in Spain, and has since been 200 years in the family from whom Mrs. Vignolles acquired it. We understand that Mr. Vignolles is willing- even anxious-to afford his fellow-townsfolk an opportunity of viewing this magnificent specimen of the great Italian master before it is removed to London, and it has been proposed that it shall be exhibited in the public library gallery but this, we believe, will not now be done, a more suitable room being required.

THE LABOUR TROUBLES ON THE CONTINENT. I END OF THE BELGIAN COAL STRIKE. A Renter's telegram from La Louviere, Belgium. on Tuesday, says The committee of the Belgian Miners' Federation met here to- day, and decided that the strike should termi. nate. The committee afterwards issued a state- ment that the masters had gra t:?l e:?L? increases of wages, and that the men would now resume work.

THE BRITISH MISSION TO CABUL. A Times second edition telegram from Calcutta on Tuesday says :— A message has been wired here reporting a disturbance at Cabul, but it is believed to be a mere canard.

THE DUTCH MYSTERY. THE RECOVERY OF MISS SCHMITZ'S BODY. A Dalziel's telegram from Amsterdam on Tuesday says :-With regard to the body found drifting in the Amstel near the village of Nes, three hours from here, on Monday morning, and which was identified by two friends of the Schmitz family by certain articles found on the body as that of the missing Maria Schmitz, it appears that the police do not hold to the same opinion. The body has been so long in the water that the features are not to be recognised as those of Miss Schmitz. There are, however, many circumstances which point to its being really the body of Miss Se?mit?. EVIDENCE AS TO THE IDENTITY OF THE BODY. A Heuter's telegram from Amsterdam on Tuesday says :-The woman's body which was found floating in the River Amstel yesterday was conveyed to the offices of M. Simons, the examining magistrate, this afternoon for the purposes of identification. The evidence of several persons was taken to-day, among those examined being a sister of Miss Schmitz, who is engaged as a nurse at Huissen. She declared that the remains were not those of her missing sister, as the latter had four false teeth, whereas there was only one false tooth in the mouth of the deceased. Moreover, her sister had a mole on her shoulder, and there was none on that of the corpse. The witness further said that the lobe of one of her sister's ears had been bored, but no such peculiarity was observable in the case of the body found. None of the other w.tne??? whose evidence was taken ?o pre- Eared to express a positive opinion that the bd;d ;s etii:t"f l\iis;SS;?tzpiÄhs\ of the missing woman is at present in Amster- dam, but was too ill to -ie evidence. Notwith. standing the official statement published to-day that the body discovered was not that of Miss Schmitz, doubts are entertained as to the identity of the corpse. The stays worn by the deceased were similar to a pair belonging to Miss Schmitz and of the fame size, and the height and size of the body exactly tally with the description given of the missing woman. The main difference is that the latter's eyes were grey, while those of the corpse are brown, and according to medical opinion the eyes of a dead person do not change colour by immersion in water. After the examining magistrate had heard the testimony of the witnesses, lie Jong was brought into the room where the body lay. He, as usaul, pretended to be perfectly indiffe- rent to what was going on, and merely shook his head, saying, It is not she." He repeated the assertion that Miss Schmitz would turn up safe and sound. In reply to questions, the examin- ing magistrate said that in his opinion the evidence adduced did not establish anything as to the identity of the remains. A Dalziel's telegram from Amsterdam says :— A younger sister of Marie Schmitz was ou Tuesday afternoon shown the corpse of the woman fonnd in the Amstel, but failed to recognise it. Marie Schmitz's brother is expected here to-night and will be given an opportunity of identifying the body. The prisoner De Jong declares that the body is not that of Marie Schmitz, who he affirms is alivo in London, The statement that the body is that of a lady who has been missing from A rnhem for some weeks past is not borne out by the members of her family who have examined the corpse and do not recognise it.

TERRIBLE SUFFERINGS OF A CREW. A Dalziel's telegram from Victoria, British Columbia, states that the first officer and eight of the crew of the Chilian barque Leonora arrind there yesterday on the tugdiscovei-y, which had been sent to Noah Bay by the Chilian Consul at Port Townsend to meet them. The men were in a terrible condition when the tugboat took them on board. They had walked from Cape Johnson to Noah Bay almost without clothes, and ha ving had scarcely anything to eat for three days. According to their account, which is very circumstantial, the barque struck a rock and almost immediately broke up. Nothing was saved from the vessel.

THE LOSS OF A RUSSIAN IRONCLAD. MESSAGE FROM THE SEA. A Dalziel's telegram from Ria on Tuesday says :-On Sunday last some fishermen walking along the beach near Bildcrlingshof, a watering- place on the Gulf of Iii?do,l,,ghl, a a ,ei, u t t hic¡' °hllh:V?dtl f\:kfieda ah: It contained a piece of paper, on which was written in Russian tho fohowing message from one of those who went down in the ironclad Roussalka 9.45 p.m The Roussalka has run aground. All is lost. Pray to God for our rescue.—Froloffs." The j¡sll¿rm.n handed it over to the police.

NEW AMERICAN ELEC- TORAL LAWS. A special Central News telegram from New York on Tuesday says :—In the House of Representatives at Washington to-day a Bill was passed repealing what is known as the Federal Election Law. The Democrats have in the main supported the measure by denouncing the existing law, which *?t has been con t, del has ?nble g the Republican party to spend large sums of national money in order to secure majorities in doubtful States. The Bill now passed accords to each State complete control and absolute responsibility in all elections to Congress, but whether the blacks iu the Southern States will obtain greater political freedom is a moot point.

THE REPORTED PURCHASE OF MEXICAN LAND. A Dalziel's telegram t'rnm Washington on Tuesday says :—The Mexican Minister here, Don Matias Romero, on being asked to-day for information respecting the reported sale of th- peninsular of Lower Californi to a syndicate having in view its annexation by the United States, said, as far as he knew, there is abso- lutely no foundation for the report.

1 i" MOINA." .-Sooia.ligtio Crimes ReTealed.-1 See Weekly Mail. AN UP TO DATil: DETECTIVE STORY Motna."—See Weekly Kail of Saturday next for opening chanters. V

TWENTY-POUND MAGISTRATES. A SHORT CUT TO THE MAGISTERIAL BENCH.

GLAMORGAN J.P.'S, ALLEGED GREAT SCANDAL. BARTERING MAGISTERIAL HONOURS. HOW THE AFFAIR WAS OPERATED. EXPLOITING A WELSH M.P. HIS NOTEPAPER USED FOR CORRESPONDENCE. INTERVIEW WITH MR. ALFRED THOMAS, M.P. STATEMENTS OF GENTLEMEN WHO WERE APPROACHED." THE AFFAIR LAID BEFORE THE LORD-LIEUTENANT. On Tuesday we published a paragraph re- 1 lating to a peculiar method of making magis- trates for the county of Glamorgan, which, it is alleged, has lately been developed in certain quarters. The allegations contained in that paragraph have been freely connected with a list of names of gentlemen, candidates for the magistracy, which we published in the Western Mail of September 30. That list, which is given below, was received with a good deal of surprise at the time it was issued, for, while it contains the names of a few gentlemen who might very well expect such honour, the others make up a very scratch team THE LIST. Alfred Stevens (C), Penhill, Llandaff. Alderman John (L), Cowbridge. John Robert Christie kU), Baynton, LlandufT. Mr. Williams (Li, high-constable, Aberdare. Johu T. Salathiel (L), Blaengarw. William Thomas (C), Hayes, Sully. Richard Evan Jones (L). Mumbles, Swansea. William Vincent Huntley (C), Welsh St. Donat's. Councillor Morgan Morgan (L), Cardiff. William Walter Nell (C), The Grange, Wenvoe. F. W. Manders, ex-high constable, Aberdare. Isaac George (L), Mountain Ash. Thomas Lewis (L), Pontycymmer. Jamus Price (C), Royal Tudor Hotel, Cardiff. David Jenkins (L), Swansea. Edward Treharne (C), surgeon. Cadoxton. J. Griffith Jones (" Caradog"), (C), Ponty- pridd. James Mullin (L), doctor of medicine, Cardiff. John Crockett (U), Pontypridd. Evan Evans (C), Mountain Ash. Captain Hill-Male vXJ), Pontypridd, Job Llewellyn (L), Llandaff. The publication of the list gave rise to much discussion in certain quarters amongst those wh,) were privy to the negotiations which have been going on for some months, the history of which was on Tuesday investigated by a special corre- spondent of the Western Mail, who gives the following account of the affair as related to him by various gentlemen who were approached" in the matter, or whose names are otherwise associated. He writes:- It may, with moderation, be said that the paragraph in Tuesday's Western Mail re- specting the making of Glamorgan magis- trates descended like a thunderbolt in cer- tain quarters. Some suspicion had been excited by the list published in the Western Mail twelve days ago, but this was neces- sarily limited in extent. It was Tuesday's' paragraph which concentrated attention -on the matter, and brought up painful feelings in the minds of individuals who had been" had" in the race for honours. The story points a fine moral to the tale of how the House of Commons, in a Vandalic moment, threw overboard the old method of selecting magistrates, and opened the way for business of the kind which, it is alleged, has been pursued in Glamorganshire, and, there is reason for believing, not exclusively in this county. The unravelling of tho story has been some- what difficult, in tho first place because the plans of the magistrate-making syndicate appear to have been laid with consummate skill, while the gentlemen who snapped at the bait are naturally reluctant to expose their own weakness. One of the members of the syndicate (which consists of five or more individuals) happened to possess special knowledge of the people likely to desire such honours, and seems to have used that knowledge to advantage. An attempt was made to boom" the thing by including certain individuals who may be supposed to represent the working classes, negotiations were opened with a solicitor in Cardiff with a view to securing his legal aid in the matter, and the interval which has elapsed since the passing of the House of Commons reso- lution has been well occupied. The absence of names from the following story has been already explained, but I may here state that the conductors of the Western Mail are in possession of the names of those concerned, and that at the proper moment the Western Mail may have some- thing to say about tl>e circum- stances] under which the list of names given above appeared in these columns on September 30. At present the whole matter has been laid before the Lord-Lieutenant of the County, and will, probably, find its way to the Lord Chancellor. HOW LOCALITIES WERE OPERATED, The modus operandi adopted by the run; may be gathered from the following account of the proceedings of one of their number in one of the industrial centres of the county:— Dramatis persona (1) A well-known Con- servative politician, and (2) the leader of the ring. Period, some time in July or August last. The former, who had simply an how-d'ye- do" acquaintance with the latter, was accosted in the street one day by said ring leader, who called his attention to the now famous resolution of the House of Commons relative to the appointment of magistrates, and intimated he was engaged in preparing lists of gentlemen in various parts of the county for presentation to the Lord Chancellor. These lists (it was added) would be fair to both parties, and contain the names of those qualified for and deserving of the honour of being elevated to the magisterial bench, altogether irrespec- tive of party politics. After unfolding this pleasing programme, the$eif-e«teem of the said Conservative politician was worked upon by the suggestion that he, being well acquainted with the de- serving of his own Pluty, could suggest suitable names for presentation to the Lord Chancellor. I distrusted him from the first," re- marked my informant after giving me this statement of how he had been approached, but I determined to temporise, in order to find out his little eame." Accordingly, my informantfiertofallthrew doubt upon the suggestion that the Lord- Chancellor would altogether ignore the Lord Lieutenant in the matter, and declared his belief that the namps would come back to Lord Windsor in the end. This was met by the positive assurance that the whole tran- saction would be carried through directly with the Lord Chancellor. Whom do you act for ? asked my in- formant, still feeling his way. Oh, influential parties," was the reply. Are you acting for ? (naming a well-known WeLh M.P.) naming a No, I am acting under instructions from head-quarters." The upshot of the conversation was that a further meeting was arranged, my informant promising to consult his friends. This meeting came off, and information was volunteered that the affair had tn worked in a number of Glamorganshire towns, some of which were mentioned, a big bundle of petitions containing the names of various gentleiiH-n being produced in corroboration. One of these petitions was shown to me yesterday, but I am not permitted at present to use its text or the names it contained. The mode of proceeding was still further elaborated at this meeting, but no mention was made of any money payment—a circumstance which my informant, for obvious reasons, now regrets. Finally the names of my informant and his friend were put down for submission to the Lord Chancellor. Some time later he received a letter stating that his name had been submitted to his lordship, who had asked certain pointed questions respecting him. The information sought was subsequently furnished, and there the matter rests, the eminent Conser- vative politician, whose name, by the way, is not included in the list published in the Weslun Mail the other day, being still in uncertainty as to the upshot. Several gentlemen from the same locality appear in the list published in the Western Mail-not, however, on the recommendation of my informant nor on that of his friend- and it is believed in some quarters that money has passed in the case of some of thein. HOW INDIVIDUALS WERE APPROACHED." One of the gentlemen" approached" in the matter spins an interesting yarn on the subject. I was driving home from the office one e. "ning when I was hailed from the door of a well-known hostelry by an individual whom I did not know, but who greeted me with the somewhat startling query, Why don't you go in for the magistracy ? 'I have not thought of it,' I ri,-ilieti. "I %Vell, you have a splendid chance now,' was the reply. 'A large number of magistrates will be made shortly, and you should go in.' The individual pro- posed a meeting at a certain place and time, and I agreed. This was in August, and two days later I received a note from the indi- vidual referred to postponing the appoint- ment to another date, and adding, < There is a good chance of your name being put on the list of magistrates, provided you comply with the requirements of the Lord Chancellor. th@ i;t were those requirements?" I interposed. "Was anything said about money ? Not then," was the reply. "The note- paper on which that letter was written bore the name and address of Mr. Alfred Thomas, M.P., but the name was crossed out, and so was the name 'Bronwydd' in the address, another address in Cardiff being substituted. Later on I met the individual referred to, and, in reply to a remark of mine, he assured me it was all right, that my name had gone in to the Lord Chancellor, supported by a memorial signed by persons whom I knew, and that 'fetched' me. When the list appeared in the Western Mail some of my friends spoke to me on the matter, and I found the suspicions I had entertained as to the genuineness of the affair con- firmed. The last I heard of it was a letter received some days ago aRking for another meeting. and men- tioning that it had been arranged a deputa- ;:io;3dtia:;n :n';ns:'P nd another deputation upon the Lord Chan- cellor. The letter went on to say that the expenses incurred by sending these deputa- tions would be heavy, and asked me to send£5. I replied that I would be prepared to contri- bute towards expenses when the object sought had been attained. There the matter rests as far as I am concerned." In further conversation, I gathered that while my informant rather plumed himself upon the fact that he had not really been misled by the promises of the syndicate, he naturally felt sore that his name should have been mixed up with the affair, for (as he pointed out) it might spoil or, at any i ate. defer his chances of being placed on the bench. This, in his case, is the more annoying, for he is one of the few who (as I remarked before) might justly expect such distinc- tion. After the statements made respecting the use of Mr. Alfred Thomas's name I natu- rally sought an interview with that gentle- man. Even a man of Mr. Thomas's amia- bility was, as might be expected, conside- rably annoyed at the manner in which his name has been mixed up in the affair. Your name," I said, has been men- tioned to me in several quarters in connec- tion with this operation for making new magistrates for Glamorganshire. Do you know anything about it "Nothing whatever." There is an idea abroad that one of the members of the syndicate holds some con- nection with you in the matter," I re- marked. I know nothing at all about the matter, except what 1. have seen iu the papers, and the statements made me by one or two gentlemen." "You have not given anyone authority to use your name in the matter ? No, decidedly not, and no one hae ever had my authority to act in such a matter." "I have been told of a letter, sent to one of the gentlemen approached by a member of the syndicate, written on notepaper bear- ing your name and address. Your name and address were crossed out, and another address written in. Do you use notepaper printed in that way:, Yes." I gather you did not supply any note- paper for uso:!)n negotiation for magistrate- making ? 11 No, certainly, I did not. I may add I distinctly disapprove of this new method of appointing magistrates on memorial." M r. Theodore Dodd's name has been men- tioned in the matter. Do you think he knows anything of these negotiations P" No, certainly not." This closed the interview. The allegation that money had been asked for, and, in some cases, paid over, cropped up in various quarters in the course of my investigation The grounds upon which money was demanded are not. clear, but J was informed that ostensibly it was for the purpose of engrossing the memorial ¡ and paying the expenses of the "influential deputation from Wales," who, it is claimed, went to London to present them to the Lord Chancellor. Why the memorials were not sent by post to the gentleman who, it is alleged, "virtually acts for the Liberal party," namely, Mr. Theodore Dodd, is not apparent, and no one whom I interviewed yesterday could give me any answer to that query. It has been suggested, with reference to several of the individuals whose names appear in the list of September 30, that one of the" requirements of the Lord Chan- cellor might very well be an examination in I handwriting and orthography. NEGOTIATIONS WITH SWANSEA I GENTLEMEN. Our Swansea reporter tolegraphx:-The I startling rumours to which the Western Matt gave prominence yesterday in connection with the nominations for the commission at the peace tor Glamorganshire aopcars to he the outcome of the euort. ?f a coup? of <_ar<ha gentlemen to obtain lttic promotion money from such of the nominated candidates as might be disposed to part. I have just had a sight of one the letters which have been forwarded by one of the govi lemen in ques- tion to candidates, the amount which wa stated yesterday as being demanded was apparently exaggerated over 100 per cent. The sum asked in the case in question 10118 the rather remarkable one (,f Cg 15s. an amount probably tixed upon in the idea there is luck in odd numbers. It will ha observed, however, that an actual seat oa the bench is not offered for that sum. What the writer ctfers is. first, to take further steps to ensure, and. secondly, tc" accele- rate" the appointment. For the present the names of the parties are suppressed, but the information e.an be verified at any time it the parties desire it. The letter is dated Cardiff, October 4, and runs as follows Dear Sir,-If you would see your name in the proposed list of new magistrates for the county of Glamorgan, I should like to see you within the next day or two, as some further steps might be taken to ensure your name being on the list of appointments. If you cannot find time to meet me in this matter will you kindly let me know by return, and I will write you at length on the whole matter, and see if we can accelerate your appointment on the corn- mission of the peace, the expenses in connec- tion with the presentation of your memorial would, Mr. assures me, be paid by you. This amount would be £ 9 15s., and I shall be glad if you will let Ille have your cheque for that amount if you have not already paid Mr. -Yours faithfully," In at least one case a well-known gentleman was communicated with by a can- didate, who received the letter, and was asked if the writer had any connection wIth him, and he replied in the nega- tive, although the applicant had written on note paper containing the gentleman'* printed address crossed out, and another Cardiff address substituted.

THE CHAMBERLAIN CANARD. DENIAL FROM THE MEMBER FOR WESr BIRMINGHAM. INTERVIEW WITH MR. S. T. EVANS. HE ADHERES TO HIS STATE. MENT. QUALIFIED PROMISE TO DIS. CLOSE THE NEGOTIATOR. The Daily Telegraph New York correspon- dent, telegraphing on Monday evening, 'Y5:- This morning I paw Mr. Chamberlain at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, upon his return from Boston, and I communicated to him the state- ment which appeared with reference to the alleged terms of conspiracy offered to Mr. S. T. Evans by Mr. Chamberlain. I asked the right hon. gentleman if he desired to make any remark upon the foregoing, and these are Lis words :—" The statement as given is untrue. I do not believe that Mr. Evans has been rightly reported. INTERVIEW WITH MR. S. T-. EVANS. A representative of the Western Mail called on Mr. S. T. Evans at Skewen on Tuesday evening. Mr. Evans had not read Mr. Cham- berlain's contradiction, but after being shown; the same by our representative he said :—" Mr. Chamberlain's attention appears to have been called to a statement in general in the news- papers which said that I received a message direct from Mr. Chamberlain offering terms of conspiracy.' Mr. Chamberlain's attention does not seem, however, to have been called to the detailed statement which was made in the New R"1Í1!It, Do you adhere to what you said with refe- rence to the proposals made by a gentleman said to have been visiting Mr. Chamberiain I strictly adhere to it," replied Mr. Evans. Continuing, he said that no communication had been made to him by this gentleman, who had been called the negotiator, since the publication of the articles, but, at the sme time, he had no objection at all to divulge the gentleman's name, provided the latter gave his authority. Mr. Chamberlain said that he believed that you were incorrectly reported in general." "Ye8, and to some extent he is right. Why not divulge the mysterious negotiator'* umeP" The best thing for me to do, under the cir- cumstances, is to say nothing. If, however, the gentleman makes a denial of what has been pub. lished respecting our interview I shall be quite; prepared to lift the curtain." Is there much behind?" Yes, a good deal."

MORE MISERY PROBABLE. FRESH TROUBLE FOR THE LIBERATOR VICTIMS. OFFICIAL RECEIVER MUST ENFORCE CLAIMS. The Presa Association says that the misery caused by the failure of the Liberator group of companies is likely to be seriously increased by the decision of the Official Receiver to make an early call on the shareholders of the House and Land Investment Trust. Several shareholder* have appealed to the Official Receiver to omit their names frem the list of contribntories, and various reasons have been given why they should not be called upon to pay this demand. One is that the shares were applied far through the wide oirenlation of lyinc reports and false balance-sheeto, and that the shareholders ought not to be held responsible at any rate beyond the serious losses already, sustained from the deficiency bronght about by the financial methods adopted by Balfonr and his co-workers. In reply te these represent** tions, the Official Receiver has issued the follow. ing circular letter — All persons who were shareholders at th* date of the winding-up order must be included the lit of ?ntributories, but when yon rem. ve a notioe of the call, which will shortly be made on the ewes, you ?h..Id forward an ?ffidait stating exactly of what yo-.= properly oow;o* your mean& and sources of woome, and your inability to py the call in full. This must be sworn befr? justice of the peace or co-& sioner for o&tb. Y Oil should Vr tle .& ti.6 make an offer of compromise, which will be brought before the committee of inspection for their consideration." It is presumed that this means the Official Receiver has no option but to enforoe the oall on all shareholders, no matter what they may have lost in this and other companies of the Balfour group. The effects of the disaster will, therefore, be mr -e severely felt than ever.

THE CATERHAM SCANDAL. ALLEGED IMMORALITY BY A CLERGYMAN. Before the C/oydon justices on Monday Mr. Hood, solicitot'. on behalf of the girl Aliee Hockley, renewed the application he had pre- viously made for an atSliation sammonsagainsta clergyman. The Mayor -id the ..gi-mt4ft "onJd grant tb" Eummons on ,hc complainant's information, lTiug on Mr. H??tl:lati' n?t's would be corroborative Cidcnce.-AliM Sarah Hockley then swoie an information that Iae Be, 'Thom? Closs was the falber of her child born on the 1st of Al??il. and the summon" wd granted gi..t hi.?.

CONDITION OF CAPTAIN O'SHEA. Captain O'She&'s condition has taken a favourable turn, and he was somewhat better on Tuesday. It "I'? fe.d that symptoms of 'Need I. liev_ had developed. Sir iV.. lkv-d- bent, however, is of opinion that this is not the case.

Dr. Vaughan. Eomau C.?tholic Bib.p of PI1. mouth, has b?n on a liit to hU nephew. C:íf;'l hVa;ebn,oll..t Archbiehep'N ne¡f:: Westminster. MozgA & Detwde T*le.—0p<nmt Ob t.. iV.L-ty JLC.O a. Bttat?. 0,4?bst 14.