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SERIOUS SHIPPING DISASTER. STEAMERS IN COLLISION r OFF DUNGENESS. '< ] steamer St. Regulus, of Liverpool, which r*TlTed at Gravesend on. Sunday evening. ^Ported haying been in collision off Dunge- ess on Friday night, -with the Spanish garner Enero. The Enero foundered, and j, °f her crew of 25 were drowned. Captain of the St. Begulus, reports that the 'Salter occurred about midnight on Friday, tiim* begulus. which was on her way from j e Tyne to Alexandria, was then a few miles *r<'m the shore. The Enero, r bich was going channel on her way to Antwerp, was struck near the engine-room. The St. Regulus crashed into her side. and Captain Borg gave the order "Full staim ahead," in order to kped the vessels fast locked together, and to D1 event the Enero slipping away and founder- For flo.-ae time the vessels remained fast, Captain Borg endeavoured to persuade crew of the Enero to make their way on P°anl the St. Regulus. The crew were either to understand the captain or too fanned to take advantage of his warning, r^steod Qf making for the St. Regulus, they to get their boat out, with the result that they were thrown into the sea and gowned. Two of the crew and the pilot, a Dutchman, were all who escaped. The two "amen were asleep in their berths at the t.irn.e of the collision, and they only reached the deck after the rest of the crew had made their desperate attempt. The three men got larely on board the St. Regulus. The side of ,«he Enero was pierced by the stem of the lit- Regains, and a few minutes after the tIOllision she went down. Her boiler fjploded, and it is supposed that this caused the death of several of the a« all the attempts made by those on ?°ar<i the St. Regains to find any survivors the Enero were fruitless. The St. 4egulus was badly damaged. She has a large in -the stem and part of her plating been carried away. All the crew of the •ero were foreigners. The two seamen who 8l^vive cannot speak a word of English. St. Regulus is a steamer of 3,131 tons. *he Enero is of 2,047 tons. She belonged to •p^bao, and was on a voyage to Antwerp with *ron ore_ It appears, as far as can be ascertained, that 'Weather wag clear and the sea. smooth. St. Regulus got a boat out in quick and picked up the two sailors and the pilot struggling in the water, but none Of the remainder of the crew could be dis- ^?^ered, which lends colour to the theory that v were involved in the explosion of the £ and killed before they got an oppor- 0f getting into the boat which they endeavouring to launch. A Gravesend correspondent telegraphs that steamer St. Regulus is lying in the Thames t ,9ft Gravesend, with a large hole in the lower of heir bows. The fore peak is full of In an interview the steward of the EMmiSlel states that at the time of the impact Ipp&th the Enero the weather was perfectly KM W^EUT. She was struck amidships on the H starboard side. The Enero, a Spanish 'I steamer, sank in two minutes. The lifeboat, with four men. was at once launched from the St. Regulus, bci the boat waa damaged by the wreckage, and sank. The occupants, however, were picked up by another of two boats, also from the 8t.. Begnlna. Twenty- three of the Enero'a crew were drowned, in- cluding the Dutch pilot, taken on board at Dungenees. The chief engineer and one seaman of the Enero were saved. They were taken from a boat floating bottom upwards. Signal rockets were fired, but passing steamers took no notice, probably thinking they were for a pilot- The St. Regulus' boats cruised a-bout for fonr hours searching in vain for bodies.

THE AMERICAN ELECTIONS. REPUBLICAN PARTY STILL DOMI- NATE CONGRESS. Elections took place in the United States on Tuesday for members of the House of Representatives. Returns received at Wash- 1Ofrton, with a few doubtful districts unac- counted for. show that the Republican party, to which the present Administration of Mr. ■Roosevelt belongs, will control the next House °f Representatives. The Republicans have elected 196 Congressmen and the Democrats "6. Three Independents have also been returned, while in eleven districts the result. (at the time of counting) still doubtful. A"*18 the control of Congress will remain in hands of the Republicans. While the official returns may make the working majo- £ ty a close one, there is no doubt that it will 1 sufficient for legislative purposes. A New York message says that there is little ^°ttbt that the Democratio attacks upon the formation of trusts would have had a much Sweater effect upon the electorate only that great majority of the electors credit the resident with a sincere desire to protect the I11terests of the citizens against these gigantic, It is very generally believed ™*at he will effectually do so. On the whole, the elections may be regarded as an endorse- ment of President Roosevelt's policy. Various Democratic gains are reported, brlt, on the other hand. the Repub- licans have gained substantially in Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota, and in several other States, including those of New Eng- land. Mr. Odell, Republican, has been ^elected Governor of New York by 30.000 'otes over his Democratic opponent, Mr. Coler, but in Greater New York the Republican Majority has been largely reduced, mainly through local questions and conditions apart I from higher politics. A Republican landslide sweeps Montana. Amongst those elected to Congress for one of the wards in New York J»as Mr. W. R. Hearst. the proprietor of the New York Journal."—Central News. Many States have elected Legislatures which Will choose Democratic Senators, but the results are not likely to imperil the Repub- lican majority in the Senate.—Renter. The message show that the Democrats have tarried Alabama, Florida, the two Carolinas, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee, and the Republicans Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsyl- vania, Kansas, Wisconsin. Ohio, Connecticut, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, and Montana. The Democrats have gained ground in Mary- land. Although the Democrats have gained some seats in the New York Legislature, the Reptffilicans still have a decisive majority, ensuring the re-election of Senator Thomas Platt. Further returns show the Republicans of New Jersey have elected seven out of ten Congress- men. The Republican loss in the anthracite coal region of Pennsylvania is not as heavy as Was anticipated. The Republicans have carried Indiana, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and the State of Washington. For Virginia, with the exception of one Congress- man, Democrats have been returned. The Democrats have also carried Georgia, Louisiana. Missouri, and Texas. The Demo- crats will have a majority in the Colorado Legislature, ensuring the re-election of Mr. Teller to the Senate. The Fusionists were Successful in Nevada.-Reuter.

CRIMINAL'S EXPLOITS. At Clerkenwell Sessions on Tuesday Albert 1 Eayres, 34. was sentenced to eighteen months' 1 hard labour for stealing jewellery, value S,25, from Mr. Charles Oswald Nicholson Williams, Of Brompton. Counsel for the prosecution said the prisoner was an extremely dangerous Criminal. Under a false name he had given evidence against a pickpocket, and on another pecasion, personating a detective officer, made inquiries about some lost jewellery. He had obtained entrance to Holloway Gaol, inter- viewed prisoners charged in connection with cases of great importance, and got statements of confessions, which he sold to newspapers. One confession he obtained was that of Prince, the murderer of Mr. William Terrise, the actor. Counsel also stated that another Pnaoner, a luggage thief, told Eayree where some plunder was hidden. The latter obtained 1 and disposed of it. and left the man without the wherewithal to secure the services of conn- 8el for his defence. Counsel added that j Bayree had preyed npon Mrs. Oath cart, by j whom he was employed as agent to collect hnts. and that he afterwards acted as writ- < torver for 1-k floiicttor. I

Coal Owners and Men's Leaders in Conference-See Page 7.

DISASTER IN NEW YORK. TWELVE PERSONS KILLED AND EIGHTY INJURED. Twelve persons were killed and 80 injured by an explosion of fireworks in Madison- square, New York, on Tuesday evening. It is estimated that" there were 30,000 people in the square to view the election returns. The fireworks were along the border facing Madison-avenue, arranged in three groups, with cast iron mortars, twenty to each group, loaded with heavy bombs. When the first row was lighted one of the mortars fell on its side and discharged a bomb in the thiokest part of the crowd. The bomb exploded, hurling people in heaps. The con- cussion knocked down the remainder of the row of mortars, and a volley of projectiles ploughed the crowd. Simul- taneously a second group, 150 feet off, discharged its contents into thq crowd. A moment later a third, evidently ignited by sparks, exploded in a similar manner. In the panic which ensued thousands of people ran blindly across the square, tripping over benches, falling, and being trampled upon. During half an hour there was a scene of the wildest confusion. Some corpses were blown almost to pieces. All the ambulances in the city were called out, the injured sent to hospital, and the dead to the morgue.—Reuter. Of those killed six were boys (of whom three were negroes). and the rest were men. The injured also were mainly men and boys. -Reuter. A message of Wednesday evening says:—Of the injured several will probably succumb. Seven victims have had their legs amputated at the Bellevue Hospital. Some persons lost both their hands, and others have had minor operations performed on them.-Reuter. Madison-square after the explosion resembled a battlefield. The crowd watching the display- ing of the election results was so great that policemen clubbed a passage-way through them in order to reach the sufferers, some of whom, to escape being trampled under foot. had crawled behind the park benches. The police have arrested ten employes of tne nre- works firm.

THE ARTICLE CLUB. MR. COWEN'S ACTION AGAINST MR. LABOUCHERE. The hearing was continued in the King's Bench on Tuesday of the action brought by Mr. Laurence Cowen against Mr. Labouchere. proprietor, rnd Mr. Horace Vowles, formerly editor of "Truth," in respect of libels alleged to have been pablished in that periodical. Plaintiff, who appeared in person, continued the opening of his case. He commented on the defence set up, that there was no malice and that the articles dealt fairly with matters of public interest. He put it to the jury that a man's private life was not a fair subject matter for public comment. Mr. Labouchere himself did not go into the box. though he had been the defendant in many libel actions. Whether Mr. Labouchere would appear on this occasion he did not know. No doubt they would be told Mr. Laboucbere did not rake in the sixpences from the sale of "Truth," because he was an unselfish defender of the public interests. But it was intolerable that a man who set himself up as a censor of public morals should himself øbrint from examina- MR. LABOUCHERE. tion. He (plaintiff) had made mistakes, but he had always acted honestly and with a clean intention. He asked that the jury should award him such damages as would re-establish his character, and act as a warning to traducers, slanderers, and purveyors of scandal. Mr. Cowen then gave evidence on oath, his testimony being a repetition of his opening statement with greater amplitude of detail. Plaintiff said he had never concealed his identity after his bankruptcy, the fact being that he had changed his name from Cohen to Cowen for literary purposes long before his bankruptcy. The rules and objects of the Article Club were all applicable MB. LAURENCE COWEN. to any ordinary club. The Article Club existed for the benefit of the members, and not for plaintiff's individual advantage. Mr. Cowen's evidence-in-chief having been concluded, Counsel for defendants asked his lordship to order that all letters from the Chinese Minister to Mr. Cowen be disclosed to defen- dants. Mr. Cowen agreed to do this. Counsel then asked that a minute book of the Article Club should be disclosed. Mr. Cowen at first objected, but eventually agreed to let counsel see the book before he commenced to cross-examine him. Mr. Cowen was cross-examined at the resumed hearing on Wednesday. He changed his name from Cohen to Cowen for literary purposes. He admitted that he was bankrupt when he started the Article Club. He denied that he attempted to exploit the Ohinese Minister at Coventry as an election dodge, though at the time he was a candidate at Coventry. Articles were written criticising his conduct of the tour at Manchester, Liverpool, and other places, but generally they were well receivd. The articles in question were written by his enemies. The hearing was again adjourned.

CARDIFF MAN MISSING. A man. named Michael Sullivan, has been missing from his home, No. 12, Penlline-street, Cardiff, since ten p.m. on Saturday last. Sullivan is a labourer 52 years of age, about 5ft. 6in. in height, stout build, and stoops slightly. He has thin brown hair, and has a. mooatache and fresh oomplexioiL When last ana be -was attired in & light grey coat, dark blsaetremsr* and-a cotton shirt.

MR CHAMBERLAIN S TOUR. -0 CORDIAL MESSAGE OF WEL- COME FROM CAPE COLONY. It is expected Mr. Chamberlain will leave England for South Africa on the 25th inst. The following telegram has been received at the Colonial Office from Sir W. Rely Hutchin- son, Governor of Cape Colony:—"I have received the following confidential minute from Ministers: 'Ministers have been informed incidentally that it is the intention of the Secretary for the Colonies to visit South Africa shortly. Have the honour to request his Excellency to convey to Mr. Chamberlain entire satisfaction with which announcement of the intelligence has been received by them. From the moment of Mr. Chamberlain's land- ing Ministers desire to receive him as the guest of the Colony, and they will be glad to obtain information as to the probable time of his arrival, so that necessary arrangements may be made for the accommodation of the right hon. gentleman, and those who accom- pany him, amongst whom they sincerely hope to see Mrs. Chamberlain. Ministers trust that Mr. Chamberlain will be able to spend some time, at least a. fortnight, in Cape Colony, so that he may have the opportunity of visiting some of the important towns in the Eastern and Northern districts, where he will receive a most hearty welcome from the people, who recognise the invaluable services he has ren- dered to Cape Colony and to South Africa generally, and who will experience a sense of disappointment if they are debarred from the opportunity of giving personal expression to the sentiments they entertain with regard to the manner in whiqh he has conducted busi- ness of the important department over which he presides during a prolonged period of unexampled difficulty.' Mr. Chamberlain has forwarded the follow- ing reply to Sir W. Hely Hutchinson:—"Please inform Ministers that I have received their cordial message with great pleasure, and gladly accept their invitation that I should be the guest of the Colony during my stay. Mrs. Chamberlain will accompany me, and much appreciates the kind reference made to her. It is my hope, in accordance with the sugges- tion of your Ministers, to remain for a fort- night, and I shall be very glad if it is possible to visit the districts indicated. I am taking the East Coast route outward, and shall thus be able to spend the last weeks of my stay in South Africa in the Mother Colony. I will send full particulars of dates and route soon as my arrangements completed." EXTRAORDINARY DEMAND FOR TICKETS. Owing to the extraordinary demand for tickets for the Chamberlain banquet, the joint committee of the three political parties at Birmingham feel that no building short of the Town-hall will be sufficient, and they have accordingly obtained the consent of Mr. Chamberlain to alter the date from the 14th to the 17th inst., when the banquet will be held in the Town-hall. The price of the tickets has been fixed at a guinea. A torch- light procession will follow the banquet. BIRMINGHAM LIBERALS TO ATTEND THE BANQUET. At a meeting of the Birmingham Liberal Association held on Monday, after a long dis- cussion, it was resolved that, as the visit of Mr. Chamberlain to South Africa was under- taken with the object of solving in a generous spirit the complicated problem which awaits solution, the association should join in the proposed non-party banquet to Mr. Chamber- lain as the accredited representative of the nation. THE CRUISER GOOD HOPE INSPECTED. The cruiser Good Hope, which is to convey Mr. Chamberlain to South Africa, was on Tues- day inspected by Rear-admiral Henderson and passed as ready for commissioning on Satur- day next. After this she was taken out of dock and placed ready to receive her stores and run her official trials. All the prepara- tions for Mr. Chamberlain's stay abroad are now made.

FORGED BANK NOTES CASE. INTERESTING EVIDENCE BY AN ENGRAVER. At the Mansion House, London, on Wednes. day Joe Zubesky, Mathew Rome, William Barmash. Solomon Barmash, Israel Salisbury, and Morris Mabs were again charged with being concerned together in forging and uttering Bank of England notes. Jean Schmidt, an engraver, was called as a. witness, and on his appearance in court Zubesky became excited and commenced shouting and gesticulating. The Alderman told the man that unless he behaved himself he would be removed to the cells. Schmidt gave a detailed account of his asso- ciation with Solomon and William Barmash, which, he said, extended over a period of three years. His (Schmidt's) remuneration for engraving the spurious notes was to be 71 per cent. on the face value. Notes of the face value of £14,000 were mentioned in the course of the conversation. Be (witness) purchased the paper and zinc plates, and the experiments were carried out in a bedroom at the house of the Barmashes, and they lasted about a week, during which time he made several specimens with the view of getting over the difficulty of the water mark which proved satisfactory. Schmidt, continuing, said it was afterwards decided to take a house in Andover-road, Southsea, for the purpose of counterfeiting the notes. Witness was successful there in manufacturing the plates for the water mark. William Barmash gave him a genuine JS50 note to work upon, and some time later witness showed his results to the former, who took a sample of the notes to London, and on his return reported that they were quite satisfac- tory. Witness said he remained at Southsea for a month. When he returned to London electrotypes or first plates which did not give good results were dropped into the harbour at Southsea. The other plant was brought to London. Further operations were then carried out on stone by means of a heavy press. After printing and engraving the notes were dried and bleached, and were taken to the house of the Barmashes. The case was adjourned. In connection with the forged Bank of England notes case a Plymouth telegram states that an arrest was made there on Wednesday of a jeweller who is charged with forging and uttering and being in possession of forged notes.

THE KING AND HIS GUARDS ANOTHER REVIEW AT BUCKING- HAM PALACE. The 2nd Battalion of the Scots Guards were inspected by his Majesty at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday. Afterwards the King addressed them as follows:— Colonel Romilly, Officers, Non-commis- sioned Officers, and Men of the 2nd Bat- talion Scots Guards,—I am anxious to express to you the great satisfaction I feel at seeing you here to-day, and inspecting you after your long spell of active service in South Africa. I congratulate you on your return and on the high state of efficiency in which this battalion is. I know full well how ably you have conducted your arduous duties in South Africa, and I am glad that you. as well as the other regiments in the Brigade of Guards, have maintained that high state of discipline which has always been characteristic of the Guards. I regret that it was not possible for you to be present at the parade last week, when I inspected the other battalions of the brigade. I am pleased to see you home safely, and glad to have this opportunity of welcoming you. and congratulating you, Colonel Romilly, on the fine battalion under your command. The King, who was accompanied on to the lawn at Buckingham Palace by Earl Roberts, was dressed, out of compliment to the bat- talion, as colonel of the Soots Guards. His Majesty heartily shook hands with Colonel Romilly, who after the speech by the King called for three cheers for his Majesty. The response was of the heartiest description, the Guardsmen raising their bearskins aloft on their bayonet points, and giving ringing cheers. The officers marched put in file, and each waa separately and by name presented to the

P.O. LLOYD-GEORGE (OF BRUMMAGEM FAME) TRIES HIS HAND AS A "SPEED REDUCER." Mr. Balfour frankly told Mr. Lloyd-George that if he and his colleagues continued their present line of action the session must con. tinue until Christmas.

THE FRENCH "JACK THE RIPPER." DEATH SENTENCE PASSED AT NICE. Towards the close of the trial of Vidal, the French "Jack the Ripper," at Nice on Wednesday, the public became more and more excited, and a rumour got to the ears of the police that an attack was to be made on the prison van. The intention was to take Vidal out and lynch him. As a precautionary measure, therefore, an extra body of police surrounded the prisoner, and at lunch time he was not taken back to the prison, but had his meal brought to him in a room adjoining the court. Outside could be heard the angry hooting of the crowd and shouts of Death to the woman-killer!" "Death to Vidal!" The prisoner, however, shrugged his shoulders and I VIDAL. curled his lip with a. sneer. He maintained this attitude during the whole of the Public Prosecutor's speech. The Public Prosecutor entered into a. long and scientifically-built-up argument to show that in every one of Vidal's crimes there could be no doubt about the question of premedita- tion. The elaborate precaution he took, both before and after the murdm, to prevent detection, showed that he was very far from being mentally deficient. The man, in the opinion of the Public Pro- secutor, was a monster, a plague of society, who was only prevented by chance from taking the lives of other persons besides those whom he murdered. These crimes he committed in order to get money, as he was too lazy to do work of any kind, and never remained long at any employment. As to extenuating cioumstanoes, the Prosecutor told the jurors that they would look for them in vain. In the crimes committed by the prisoner there were only atrocious circum- stances, which aggravated his guilt. His motives were utterly base and his methods hideous. No excuses for clemency could be adduced from the characters of his victims. In the presence of pain and death the un- sullied woman and the others were equal. Vidal, moreover, did not seek his victims among women of a certain class. He did not hesitate to MURDER THE SPOTLESS and innocent Swiss girl, Gertrude Hersbrun- ner, whom he surprised in the train near Etie. The prosecutor concluded by reminding the jurors that if they gave any verdict but that which he expected they would be failing in their duty, and would cause throughout the whole country deep and painful astonishment. The peroration of the prosecutor's speech was almost applauded in court, and the pri- soner winoed under the scathing words addressed to the jmry. Vidal, in fact, has found no one to give him any sympathy except his lawyer, After the strong speech for the prosecution, it was evident that Vidal had nothing to hope. This was made more manifest by the prisoner's counsel, Maitre Tribes, who acknowledged at once the difficulties of his position, and who showed that he was fully aware of the impres- sion made on the minds of the jurors by the 'I. speech of the Public Prosecutor, and especially by that part of it referring to the casee of Mdlle. Hersbrunner, the Swiss shopwoman of Monte Carlo, a respectable girl, and of the poor derelict of the Toulon night-houses who was lured out to Tamaris and there cruelly murdered. Maitre Tribes, throughout his defence, tried to make the most of the theory of attenuated responsibility, and rather wearied the court by his long quotations from the medical reports on the mental condition of his client. The jury retired to consider their verdict at 4.25. and returned at 5.15 with a unanimous verdict of "Guilty, without extenuating cir- cum stances. Vidal was then sentenced to death. On hearing his sentence he got up in the dock, and, turning towards tlw jury, said, with great coolness: "Gentlemen, it only remains for me to thank you." He sat completely indifferent while the Judge read out the terms of the sentence. The crowd outside cheered loudly when it heard the verdict.

ALL ABOUT A HALFPENNY At the Spalding Urban ,Council audit on Wednesday a Local Government Board auditor and five clerks were detained an hour dis- cussing how a halfpenny should be dealt with. The banks refuse to take halfpennies, and the auditor contended tha.t the half- pennies should accordingly be brought for- ward. The previous auditor had, however, held otherwise, and marked the halfpenny balance out. No decision was arrived at. The audit had to be adjourned for a. week, double rail- way fares and other expenses being necessi- tated. _———

DEATH OF A WELSH MISSIONARY. The death is announced of the Rev. Rhys Williams, the Welsh missionary who was (superintendent of the Boucherville Rainy River Presbyterian Mission Station in Canada. The deceased, who was forty years of age, was a native of Rhyl, and, after commencing to preach, was educated for the Congregational ministry. At the completion of his collegiate career, he was appointed as a missionary for India, where he laboured until his health failed. After having been on furlofigh in this country, he went out to Canada, about twelve months since, but his health again failed, and be passed away at the Winnipeg Hospital last memtiu learing a widow aoi} o— ohild, (

THE TRALEE JEWEL ROBBERY. I THREE CARDIFF PEOPLE IN THE DOCK. At Tralee, Co. Kerry, on Wednesday, Isaiah Brookes, hairdresser. Tralee, his wife, Mrs. Julia Brookes, and his servant, Ellen Scully, were brought up in custody charged with the robbery of upwards of JB200 worth of jewellery from the premises of Messrs. R. Cromer and Co., Castle-street, Tralee, jewellers and watch- makers, on the night of the 12th of October. A great deal of public interest was centred ia the proceedings, and the court was crowded. Mr. Joseph Cromer deposed to having I assisted hia brother in the closing up and securing their jewellery establishment on the night of October 11. On the following Mon- day morning, October 13, it was found that a large quantity of jewellery had been stolen from the premises, and that an entrance had been effected into the shop from the rear. He had, since Brookes's arrest, been shown a box of jewellery by the police. Most of the articles in the box bore the private mark of the firm, so that he could identity them as his property. The list comprised 20 gold pins, 1 gold scarf- ring, 7 gold necklets, 1 gold bracelet, 2 gold chains, 12 gold trinkets, 3 gold rings, 5 gold watches, 33 gold brooches, 17 genWs Albert chains, 28 ladies' silver Albert chains, 19 silver bangles, 190 silver brooches, 35 silver sets of links and studs; 21 silver watches, 9 silver pencil-cases, 9 silver match-boxes, 2 silver card- cases, 2 silver sovereign-holders, 66 silver pendants, 29 gent.'s plated chains. 13 stone hairpins, 10 plated boxes, 60 gold-plated rings, 5 gold bangles, and 5 pipes. The total value of the property stolen would be over £ 200. As far as witness knew, this list included every article taken from the shop, except a watch and chain (produced), which the police showed him. Head-constable Lavan, Tralee, deposed tha.t he had observed where an entrance to the premises had been effeoted. The shop was approached from the rear. over a wall about 10ft. high. The wall was scaled by placing the stump of an old tree against it on the outside. The descent from the wall on the other side was effected by jumping on to a. timber bicycle-orate. An entrance was forced in the hairdressing department of Messrs. Cromer. Witness, on passing to the jewellery shop, noticed seven single bank notes on the counter. His suspicions fell on Isaiah Brookes, a hairdresser in Tralee, and now prisoner in the dock, who had come from Cardiff. It was ascertained that Brookes had got into financial difficulties, and owed considerable sums of money to various people. On the 1st of November witness received a wire from Cork, and he went to where he knew that Brookes had lodged the night before. Brookes was not there. He then went with District- Inspector Sullivan and got a transport car, and proceeded to Gortlea. On arrival there they found Brookes in the custody of Police- sergeant Walker. When witness saw Brookes there was £1 17s. 6d. in silver on a table, and prisoner asked witness would he send on some of that money to his wife, who had gone on to Cork. Witness replied that pro- bably prisoner's wife was in custody also by that time. He then said, "She knows abso- lutely nothing whatever about this affair." Prisoner then gave witness a pocket-book, which contained two t5 notes, four single notes, one sovereign, and four half sovereigns. Brookes also gave up the watch and chain (produced), saying, "I may as well tell you the truth; that is a portion of the property taken from Cromer's." Winess hen cau- tioned prisoner, and said to him, "If you wish to say anything, tell me, was there anyone with you in Cromer's?" He replied, I will tell you the truth; there was no one with me." Subsequently he stated that he had packed the jewellery up himself, putting some into his servant's box, and told his wife that they were things belonging to his hairdressing business, which he would require later on when he reached Cardiff to set up business again in his trade. Police-sergeant Patrick Brosnan was next sworn, and deposed that he observed Mrs. Brookes and her servant leaving Tralee by train for Cork. Brookes was seeing them off. Witness went into the guard's van, where he found two trunks labelled, Ellen Scully, pas- senger to Cork," and a wooden trunk, labelled Mrs. Brookes, passenger to Cork." Those were the boxes found by the police at Cork, and brought back, along with the female prisoners, to Tralee by Head-constable Ken- nedy, Cork. After hearing further evidenoe, Mrs. Brookes and the servant were discharged, and Brookes was committed for trial to the winter assizes.

A SHIPBROKER ARRESTED. SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST A CARDIFF GENTLEMAN. At Cardiff Police-court on Wednesday John Tyrrel, a well-known shipbroker, of Romilly-road, Canton, Cardiff, was brought up in custody charged with criminally assaulting Bessie Hopkins, wife of David Hopkins, Romilly-road, on Saturday night last. He had been arrested at 2.45 on Monday by Chief- inspector Scott. When charged prisoner replied that Mr. George David would appear for him, adding that he had never had any- thing to do in a court before and did not know the procedure. Mr. George David elicited that prisoner was in a respectable position, and although he had known that the charge had been made against him for some days he had faced it. He formally made application for the prisoner's release on bail. Mr. J. T. Richards, who appeared for the prosecution, said the charge was a grave one, which he would neither exaggerate nor minimise, and the bench might be sure that they considered the position of defen- dant before they took the extreme course of issuing a warrant. It was so grave, considering all the circumstances, that he could not pos- sibly say he could consent to bail, but would leave it to the court. He was prepared to go on with the case at any moment. After consideration the Bench decided to grant bail in prisoner's own recognisances, of £ 500 or two of £ 250.

CARDIFF VESSEL IN COLLISION. The steamship Blodwen, belonging to Messrs. W. and C. T. Jones, arrived at Cardiff on Tuesday, and the captain reported that his vessel had been in collision with a fishing boat in tke North Sea on f&edneoday last. The Asking boat saok.

SERIOUS MILL FIRE AT STOCKPORT. EXCITING SCENES AND GAL- LANT RESCUES. A terrible fire broke out late on Wednesday afternoon at the extensive premises of the Vernon Cotton Mills Company, Stockport. There are three mills in close proximity, and the outbreak occurred in the centre of what is known as No. 2 Mill, being caused, it is stated, by the fusing of an electric wire. The company employ about tOO hands, and the mills consist of over 100,000 spindles. As soon as the fire waa noticed the local brigade was quickly despatched to the spot, but it was obvious that the conflagration would prove most serious. The operatives were at work throughout the mill, and the cry of "Fire!" promptly spread from room to room, creating the utmost consternation. Those who were able at once made their escape down the usual way, and hurried out of eve *y available door into the yard and street; but dense volumes of smoke filled the whole of the structure in a very short time, and tli-3 workpeople in the upper storeys found it impossible to descend the stairs, and many of them were almost overcome by the suffocating fumes. Ropes were lowered from ths tower, and some of the more daring operatives lowered themselves from the win- dowa and dropped into the sheets which had been spread out by the excited crowd in the street. One man who had been burned failed to hold on to the rope, it-nd, to the horror of the spectators, fell on to the wall and from thence to the ground, sustaining injuries of a shocking description. Several women fainted at the sight. The injured man, after receiving medical aid at a neighbouring house, was conveyed to the infirmary. Meanwhile, there was some delay in bring- ing up the fire-escape, and the imprisoned paDple at the top of the mill were compelled to continue in their position. With smoke rolling up from the lower storeys in dense clouds, the greatest excitement prevailed in the street, and the relatives of those engaged at the mill, who had by this time arrived in large numbers, were going about in an anxious and distressed state, franctically inquiring for their loved ones. The operatives at the top of the mill were encouraged by the shout-a of those below, who exhorted them to remain where they were and not to jump, as many seemed inclined to do. At length the eeeape appeared, and was placed against the wall amid cheers. In a very few seconds the sections of the ladder were elevated, but a groan burst from the anxious crowd when it was seen that it stopped several feet below the ledge of the top window. One of the operatives, a lad without anything on but his shirt, reached from the window with his foot, endeavouring to get on to the top rung, but he was dragged back by his com- panions, and then. to the relief of all, the escape wae brought a. little nearer and hoisted up to the window. A policeman rapidly mounted, and one by one the imprisoned workpeople, about 50 in number, came down the ladder, and eventually all descended safely, though many were in a shocking con- dition, and between twenty and thirty had to be taken to the infirmary. After about an hour hopes of saving the main buildings of two of the mills were abandoned, and the local brigade, now augmented by assistance from Manchester, devoted their energies to preventing the spread of the fire to the third mill with very good effect. A later telegram says that the fire resulted in one death. Thomas Hipwell, aged about 43, succumbed to his injuries. The fire had not been conquered up to a late hour, by which time the whole of one mill and a portion of the adjoining one had been destroyed. The damage is estimated at £ 100,000, covered by insurance. DEATH OF ANOTHER OF THE VICTIMS. Another death, making the second, took place on Thursday as the result of the great mill fire which occurred last night at Stockport. Joseph Beard, who wa.s severely burned on the head and arm, has succumbed to his injuries. Most of the others who were injured aTe progressing favourably, though it is not expected that all will recover. The damage is now estimated at £ 200,000. The fire was extinguished early this morning. A third death took place at noon to-day, the victim being a man named George Howarth, aged 45. who was badly burned. Three others are in a very critical condition.

MB. MORA NT. (New'Secretary of the Bo&rd of Education.)

SNOWDON JOR SALE. At the Mart, Tokenhouse-yard, on Wednes- day Messrs. Fox and Bousfield offered for auction 2,039 acres of freehold property in North Wale i, including the southern and wes- tern slopes of Snowdon, with hotel on the summit, fishing rights in Lake Dinas, and also the chalet erected by the late Sir Edward Watkin, Barl. The bidding started at J6500. and was raised to £11,000. at which figure the property was withdrawn, the auctioneer announcing that the reserve price was £ 15^00, J

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LOVE TRAGEDY AT BRISTOL. » j ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SUICIDE. r Great interest has been excited in Bristol Zin the ead tragedy which took place on Monday at Brislington. The unfortunate young fellow, Philip Oates, who. after attempting to murder his sweetheart, Violet Powell, shot him- self in the head, died at the General Hospi- tal, and it appears that, after having shot his sweetheart, he must have twice fired upon himself. Near the right temple there were two bullet wounds, and when he reached the hospital he was in extremis. So deeply em- bedded were both bullets that it was impos- sible to extract either at the operation. A post-mortem examination was made, and the inquest was formally opened by the city coroner, and adjourned for a fort- night. Evidence of identification was taken, and the house surgeon at the hospital stated that it was hoped that the girl would be in a fit condition to give evidence in a fortnight. At first the reason for the crime was a com- plete mystery, but that mystery was cleared up by a letter which was found upon Oates when he was taken to the hospital. The letter was to his parents, and it is understood that in it he states as the reason for his act that life had become intolerable in conse- quence of the unhappy relations between him- self and his sweetheart during the past six weeks. He had, he said, told his friend all about it, and he thought it right to let hia parents know. There would thus appear to be good ground for the inference that the deed was premeditated, especially as the revolver with which it was committed was a new one. It was a small revolver, such as can be purchased at almost any toy shop, and must have been used at a very short distance. A press representative saw Mr. Powell, the father of the unfortunate girl, at his residence in Leonard road, St. George. Mr. Powell said he had no idea as to what could have been the cauee of the attempt on his daughter's life. The couple had been keeping company for something like six months. He did not know the young man's parents personally, but when Oates first began to walk out with the girl he made inquiries as to his position and character. Finding that his parents were highly respectable people, and that they were well known in religious circles, and finding also that on all hands the young fellow was given a thoroughly good character, Mr. Powell raised no objec- tions, and, in fact, always welcomed Oates to his house. The young man was a strict teetotaler and most careful with his money. He went to a religious service every Sunday, the girl almost invariably accompanying him. The poor fellow seemed very fond of the girl. and. as far as Mr. Powell knew, the girl was really fond of him. On inquiry at the Bristol General Hospital it is ascertained that the girl ia making satisfactory progress, and that there is now no lear as to her ultimate recovery. She is still suffering from severe shock, but otherwise her condition gives no ground for alarm. It is not certain that there is a. bullet embedded in her neck, and for the present, at any rate, no operation is deemed necessary.

WESTON DIVORCE CASE. A TOWN COUNCILLOR AS RESPON- DENT. In the Divorce Division on Wednesday Mr. Justice Barnes had before him the petition of Mrs. Martha Sophia Stone for a divorce by reason of the alleged cruelty and misconduct of her husband, Mr. Albert Stone, a draper, of Weston-super-Mare, who denied the charges. In opening the case, Mr. W. T. Lawrance. who appeared for the petitioner, said that the parties were married at Emmanuel Church, Weston-super-Mare, on the 2nd of June, 1890. There were no children. At the time of the marriage the respondent was a widower with four children. The respondent was a draper. formerly carrying on business at Bristol, and some time after the marriage he sold that business and went to reside at Bromley, Weston-super-Mare, becoming a member of the town council. They lived fairly happy at first, but subsequently the petitioner dis- covered that her husband gave way to secret drinking. He bad to be medically treated. He again gave way to drink, and frequently threatened to commit suicide. His cruelty was of a very singular cgaracter. He would take to bed a bottle of wmsky, and. stimulated by its contents, he prevented his wife from sleeping. In the first place he would wander about the room and deliberately make noises by shaking the brass handles of the furniture. declaring that he would not let her sleep. He would take up a newspaper, and for an hour or two he would deliberately crumble it up and shake it, avowedly for the purpose of pre- venting his wife from sleeping, stating that he could not sleep, and he would not let her. In the course of her evidence in corrobora- tion, the petitioner said that after she found out that her husband was secretly drinking. she remonstrated with him. and he promised to reform. They both signed the pledge together, but be soon broke it. Subsequently she taxed her husband with being unfaithful. and he admitted it. Dr. E. F. Martin, in practice at Weston- super-Mare. gavs medical evidence in support of the petitioner's case. His Lordship granted a decree nisi, with costs.

RECOVERY OF MISSING'PLATE REMARKABLE EXPLANATION BY A PRISONER. More about the extraordinary discovery at an Oddfellows' dinner at Brack ley of silver plate said to have been stolen as far back as April, 1898, was heard on Wed- nesday by the local magistrates, who for five hours were engaged in hear- ing evidence against Oneeimus George Frederick Bull. or Payne, by whom the articles in question were lent to an innkeeper. The scene of the robbery was Burwell-hill, Brackley, next door to which establiahpnent, according to the prosecution, accused lived with his mother. Nothing more was heard of the matter until October 21 last. when a police-inspector, who was among the guests at the Oddfellows' dinner, noticed that some of the silver was marked "R." He took charge of it. and went to the occupier of Burwell-hill. a Mrs. Russell, who identified it as part of the stolen property. At Bull's house other articles of plate, said to belong to Mrs. Russell, were found. The prisoner, in giving evidence on his own behalf, suggested that the police proceedings against him were due to spite. He said that he inherited the plate from his father, who died in 1899. His father was a county-court bailiff, and frequently used to pay the amounts of Warrants for debtors, receiving goods as security. He executed distress war- rants on goods belonging to the late Mr. Robert Russel), brother-in-law to the prose- cutrix. but he (witness) did not know whether Mrs. Russell gave his father plate in pledge when the latter had the warrants. The prisoner was committed for trial.

MERTHYR MYSTERY SOLVED. The mystery connected with the finding of a bundle of clothes near a disused pit shaft near Merthyr has been solved. The clothing belongs to Harriet Lee, a girl twelve years old. who lives with her parents at 18. Gilfach Cynon. The girl left home on Monday, taking the things with her, to visit her aunt, a Mrs. Beauty, in Penydarren, with the intention of making a stay. The aunt, however, insisted upon her returning home. and fearing to take the artielea back to the house she left them on the tip at the place where they weffe à' oowned, >