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KING AND QUEEN MURDERED. — —±-i ^RRIBLE CRIME BY THE SERVIAN ARMY. **t telegram Bays a report has th»+'lec^ Cologne to the "Koelnische Zeitung" *<• the King and Queen of Servia have been ^inated. The report adds that the lCrny has proclaimed Peter Karageorgevitch of Servia. Hat j tro°Ps entered the Palace and assassi- tha> t^le King and Queen. It is rumoured all the Ministers were also murdered. LATER PARTICULARS. -41 later telegram from the same source says: j fie career of the Obrenovitch Dynasty closed Ija 8^ early hours of Thursday, on the day of the year on which Prince Il o:ael was murdered 35 years ago in the W at Topechider, near Belgrade. Requiem "Was to have been sung on Thursday for hjg ce Michael, and now the last scion of race—together, it is reported, with all connected with his dynasty by his jf0 °rtunate marriage—lies on his bier in the at Belgrade. The people of Belgrade e been flocking through the streets since t0 .? o'clock in the morning, whispering one UttjT^ ot,her the horrid deed, but without of ^.lnK any reproaches. Strong detachments ^«iilitary are encamped round the Konak. Ijj Exchange telegram says that three brotK^618' several aide-de-camps, and the 2 her of the Queen were also assassinated. Des. '3 stated that the Army on Wed- &e«»ay night proclaimed Peter Kara- King of Servian The troops f0ro tely Eurrounded the Konak, and l{in their way into the Royal Palace. a8g s .Alexander and Queen Dragra were 48 as 1112L d. All this occurred between lve and one o'clock on Thursday morning. y, EIGHT ASSASSINATIONS. eo 'Illa, Thursday.—Further telegrams have He through from Semlin confirming the ajjj the proclamation of Karageorgevitch of c, assassination of the King and Queen the prv'a- In addition to the Royal couple. M. Zinzar, M. Markovitch and his cw. Commander of the Guard at the Hjav :e> and two other persons were murdered, ,nS a total of eight.—Central News-. '1' NEWS CONFIRMED. tec e Servian Minister states that he has 1'0 elv"d a telegram from Servia leaving no betn for doubt that the King and Queen have 11 assassinated. KING AND QUEEN SHOT. Awt<!r Beuter telegrams show that King Vic a,n'ler and Queen Draga and the Prime be*' r were shot. A new Government has constituted. C A FIERCE STRUGGLE. e.togne, Thursday. The "Koelnische 'Ht- ,"5 this morning publishes the follow- gram' timed 8.20 a.m., from a private *n Belgrade:—"The story goes in Bel- tW ,c. that King Alexander had' of late been ejecting a separation from Queen Quien, however, had become the King's intention, and tried to that 1 1)1111 from carrying it out. It is said 0Uja*t night some military officer of high j £ 0 aine: tried to carry off the Queen from the by force, but encountered strong resis- a, ee from the Queen's partisans, and that in tWerce struggle the King and Queen, with &o, respective supporters, were killed."— Uler, BIOGRAPHY OF THE KING. H^nder I. (Obrenovitch),- King of Servia, ^th Q 011 Ausust 14, 1876, and succeeded his faVofr' the ex-King Milan, who abdicated in ^'v0r of 1118 8on' on March 6, 1809, after Un,j CiQg his Consort, Queen Natalie. He was the guardianship of two Regents till 0^ 1853. When Crown Prince he accom- «>xjj a his mother, Queen Natalie, into after h^r separation from the het,K' tut was forcibly removed from at Berlin and conveyed back to rt e' *u 1393 the Prince suddenly dis- the Regents and assumed the reins of 'rouj'" pnder his rule Servia suffered less Jleg °iTil dissensions than during the cy In 1894, at his request, his father I itig to Belgrade for the purpose of assist- ln the government of the country. Paid a visit to the Austrian Emperor vienna. THE DRAGA INCIDENT. over a J"ear a8^> Alexander I. married ^ad»?Bhter of one of his officers. A great the V' arose at the time, it being stated that on fgi1IXg had been inveigled into the marriage tho„ Pretences. I?or a time it appeared as *v*Ht ^ueen Draga would be divorced, but QMly matters simmered down. THE NEW KING. t nce Peter Karageorgevitch was born in Sort Belgrade, and married, in 1883, Princess ^auBhter of Prince Nicholas of Mon- v died in March, 1890. Prince ha. I' Karageorgevitch has figured for many re as a pretender to the Servian throne. ^CLAMATION BY NEW GOVERNMENT. S^ade, Thursday.—The following is a the proclamation issued by the new j nQient this morning:— the Servian people,— art night the King and Queen were shot. trin this grave and fateful moment the to x of the Fatherland have combined Whm a new Government. I le tile Government makes this that UQcement to the people it is convinced it antlle Servian people will gather round lend it ^heir aid to maintain order I security throughout the land. tha be Government hereby makes known 6, lofi1"0111 to-day the Constitution of April comes into force. <liSs meeting of national representatives, fitly. JiVed by proclamation of March 24, is SjjT^ned to meet in Belgrade on June 15. Jovan Avakumovics (Premier <iljj.?ut portfolio), Lyubomir Kalievics »ter for Foreign Affairs), Stojan ^^nister of the Interior), Georg <Torv 8 (Minister of Commerce), General V0 Atanazkovics (Minister of War), Cqj0 av Velikovics (Minister of Finance), I'mjj.Alexander Machin (Minister of >iCs Works), Professor Ljubomir Stojano- ^icg n!njBter of Public), Ljubomir Schivko- ^he Minister of Justice). J|ed Owfr'ort that the whole affair was car- eetla by he army is confirmed. The lri° ra .are thronged with crowds of people, K^i8tel!>e^ loud cries as M. Protics, the new in' Interior, drove by on his way to nistry,—Raiit«r. ^CTa STATEMENT rx PARLIAMENT. Rowing is the official question and th6 Q Parliament on Thursday relating tirder of the King and Queen of ft C^?VENb°N (r- Suffolk) asked if the by revou any information in regard to Jh»^ich ♦ <a which had broken out in Servia if Se<i u le dynasty and Ministnr had been yfe «af t t'le method of assassination, and ISC6 of British subjects was assured. <^k c CR AN BORNE said the Government of Lally. informed that the King and Servia were assassinated last night, jj a new Governilaent had been formed Avakoomovitch, a former Prime o^hat the Constitution of April, 1901, V<< holished by King Alexander, had to d* and that the National "Hm in March last, had been V* at OI1Ce- Va ti-ue'tTZMAURICE (R., Wilts) asked if it tilaalt thalt certain Ministers had been "^ANBORNE eaid he had seen that to a ,the newspapers, and he had no ^doubt its truth. EDWARD INFORMED. vClilQsh^ and Queen were informed M nPalace °' the assassination of ^at ^een of Servia. King Edward &revJe Sovnr«a ac(luaintance with the unfor- ^ia and their demise did not Je8ty'B carrying out his day's ) I

CAPITAL CHARGE AGAINST A BOY OF TEN. A little tattered street match-seller named Patrick Knowles, whose head just reached the dock rails, and whose age is ten, appeared before the Stockton-on-Tees magistrates on Monday charged with the wilful murder of a fifteen months' old baby, named Frederick Hughes. The little one was decoyed from its home on Saturday, the 30th ult., and its body was found the following day, buried in some loose sand, on the site of an old iron- works on the outskirts of the town. Accord- ing to the medical evidence given at the inquest, death was due to asphyxia. The police applied for a remand in order to communicate with the Treasury and put in a confession made by the prisoner on Saturday night, after he bad been caught taking another baby, named Fanny Lynasb, aged nineteen months, to the same place where the body of the other child was found, and which one, it was stated, he then declared he intended to drown. It was said that Knowles. after describing in detail how he conveyed the baby Frederick Hughes to the spot where it was found, said, "I laid the baby down and made a, hole with my hands, and put him in it on his back. He woke up when I put him in the hole, and he shouted, 'Oh, mammy,' and cried. I lifted his pinny over his face and pulled the 'muck' on to him with my hands. He was crying a.nd kicking. He tried to get up, and I put some bricks on him and a big piece of stone. I then left him, and went home." The prisoner was remanded.

ANOTHER ATTEMPTED MURDER BROUGHT TO LIGHT. It is reported that the ten-year-old match- seller, Patrick Knowles has now confessed to a third outrage. The attempt on the life of the boy O'Shea took place in March. It is remarkable that the scene was the very ballast heap in the dismantled West Btockton iron works, where the child Hughes was killed. A railway official, named Cassells, was passing over this vacant ground one even- ing, when he observed the clothing of a child lying about. As he paused for a moment smothered screams came to his ears, Closely examining the ground, from which the cries appeared to rise, be found to his astonish- ment a baby almost completely hidden in a email hole that had been dug close to the wall. Loose earth had been thrown over the infant. A piece of an old railway sleeper lay on its head. Mr. Casselis immediately released the little captive from its uncomfortable position, and then discovered that it was pinioned. By means of a red scarf or necktie its arms were tightly bound, while its legs were tied near the ankles. The little one-it was not more than two years of age-was only attired in a shirt, which was wet, as though it had previously been in some water. Mr. Caesells carried the poor little mite. which wM blue with-cold, into his office. where it was tenderly cared for. warmed, and dressed again. The railway police authorities were communicated with, and it was ascertained that the child's name was O'Shea., and that it had been missed for several hours from its home by its parents, who now reside in Milton-street. At the time Mr. CaBsells went through the gateway on to the place where the child was discovered he saw two boys running away. who must have had something to do with the burial. The railway police made inquiries, but these were not prosecuted very far, it being thought that it was merely a mis- chievous freak on the part of-emno lade. In view of recent developments, however, there can be no doubt that a cold-blooded crime was but averted by Mr. Casseills' timely appearance.

THE STOLEN MOTOR BOAT. The tl1;f who stole a motor-Voat from the Tyne Inst week ia a young Norwegian of twenty nimed Paul Lisseth (or Nissett), telegraphs a Hamburg correspondent. Finding himself in Blyth without means or work, and seeing a motor-boat, he conceived the- idea of stealing it and cross- ing in it to Hamburg. He succeeded in cast- ing off unohservpd. letting the machinery in motion, and gaining tne high seas. He soon lost his bearings, however, and steered too far to the north. His scanty supplies of food and water soon a-tve out, and he suffered the pangs of hunger and thirst. Then the motor spirit ran abort, and the boat became the sport of the waves. Luckily the weather was calm and the sea smooth, or Lisseth would have made no progress, and the boat vould have been swamped. Helped by a. email sail, lie steered well enough to reach the harbour of Esbjerg, Denmark, after a voyage of five days. He had neither money nor and when he tried to step ashore he collapsed Entirely. The sympa- thetic natives gave him food, and, thanks to a, powerful constitution he quickly recovered and tried to sel" the motor boat. Failing in this, and desiring to get out of the place before news of the theft arrived. he stole the money for the journey and fell into the handa of the police. The motor boat still lies at Esbjerg quay, and Lisseth is in Esbjerg gaol. A seaman's certificate was found upon him in the name of Isaksson, of the brig Amazone, dated April. 1902. Lisseth will be examined in a few days.

TEN SUICIDES IN ONE FAMILY. An inquest was held in Jersey on Wednesday on the body of Wm. Charles Jeram, a native of Portsmouth, who committed suicide by I taking spirits of salts. The widow of the deceased, who arrived yesterday morning, deposed that her husband had been in the I same employment 43 years, and no less that I nine of his relatives had committed suicide. The jury returned a verdict thet deceased committed suicide while temporatily insane.

BIG WINDFALL FORHARITY FORTUNE OF HALF A MILLION TO BE DISTRIBUTED. The personal estate of the late Henry Bloom Noble, J.P., of Villa Marina, Douglas, Isle of Man, has been proved at £ 180,000. This is exclusive of real estate, of which Mr. Noble owned a large amount, the Villa Marina alone being estimated at more than LICO,ODO. The total value of the estate is variously estimated at from £ £ 00,000 to £ 750,000. Testator left all his property to his trustees in trust for reali. sation, and, after payment of various legacies, the residue is to be applied for such charitable purposes as the trustees in their absolute and uncontrolled discretion think fit. The specific legacies, which amount to about £45,000, include:- X18,000 for Church and missionary work, £ 7.500 for hospitals and asylums, £ 2.500 for sailors, and £750 for two scholarships at King William's College. Various other insti- I tutions in London, Liverpool, and Cumber- land benefit. There is a personal legacy of L2,500 to Dean Lefroy. The late Mr. Noble, who was Norwegian and Swedish Consul for the Isle of Man, was, it appears, a Cumberland lad, born at White- haven, and started life in the Isle of Man haven, and started life in the Isle of Man as a, clerk at 16s. a week.

LETTER FROM SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT. Dr. Clifford has received the following communication from Sir William Harcourt, dated the 8th inst. My dear Dr. Clifford,—I am amused to read Mr. Balfour's disquisition in to-day's papers on 'Passive Resistance.' He has, pro- bably, at the present time as much as he can manage in reconciling his discourse on the mischiefs of the corn duty, addressed to Mr. Chaplin's Protectionist deputation a week or two ago, with his recent declara- tions of adhesion to the projects of Mr. Chamberlain But, by a cruel stroke of ill fortune, he has been confronted by a Cheltenham cor- respondent with his theory of resistance to a Home Rule statute, defended, in the case of the people of Ulster, in case it should be passed. The extracts submitted to his con- sideration are interesting. 'I admit that the tyranny of majorities may be as bad as the tyranny of King. I will not say that what is justifiable against a tyrannical King may not, under certr.in circumstances, be justifiable against a tyrannical majority.' And, again, 'If you found that you were to be handed over by the majority of the electorate in this country to a body of personti differing from you in their views of public morality, in their views of private morality, in their religion, to men who had publicly announced that they proposed prin- ciples which you and I believe to be abso- lutely inconsistent either with private rights or with private liberty, would you submit? I do not believe that you would ever submit. I, for one, am not going to preach a submis- sion which I myself should not be prepared to give.' Mr. Balfour doee not think it worth while to dispute their accuracy, and it may, there-1 fore, be assumed that he adheres to them as illustrating and justifying the well- remembered declaration that Ulster will fight, and Ulster will De right.' which appeared to indicate action somewhat morfr energetic than passive resistance.' Mr. Bal- four is evidently prepared, somewhat to my surprise, to extend the fine old Whig revolution doctrine addressed to tyrannical Kings to cover the case of tyrannical Parlia- mentary majorities. To such tyrannical majorities 'he ie not going to preach a. sub- mission which he himself would not be pre- pared to give under certain circumstances.' "He. however, thinks that in the case of passive resistance to the Education Act the sense of logio is dull in its promoters. 'The proper course for them to adopt, if they object to the statute, is to return a, majority to the House of Commons which will alter it, so as to suit their views.' The sense of logic, however, of Mr. Balfour appears to be so dull that he has not remarked that the Education Ac:, is a statute which cannot be altered by a change in the majority of the House of Commons, and that, therefore, the proper course which he recommends altogether fails of its purpose. "There remains another tyrannical majority which is as supreme as before, and over which the resistance of those whose consciences are violated has no control. How are the Non- conformists to induce the House of Lords, 'who profess principles which the Noncon- formists believe to be absolutely inconsistent either with private rights or with private liberty of conscience,' to alter the provisions of the Education Act, which have been dic- tated by the bench of bishops, and will be defended by the permanent, unchangeable tyrannical majority in the House of Lords. "The Ulster men (Mr. Balfour says) would have been handed over without power of redress to what Unionists, at all events, believed then, and believe now, would prove a tyrannicai majority. What redress does Mr. Balfour offer against what the Noncon- formists, at all events, believe now would prove a tyrannical majority in the House of Lords?—Yours truly, "W. V. HARCOURT."

POCKET FOUNTAIN PENS. 2/ 3/ 4/- and upwards; STATIONERY DEPARTMENT, WESTERN MATT, LIMITED, CARDIFF. AM ft "StMBgest and Best." I —HEALTH, FrySs ps" concentrated T Cocoa t W A Over 300 I Gold Medals and Diplomas. |

MURDER IN A FLAT. FRENCHMAN ORDERED TO BE EXTRAD ITED, Paul Jules Martin, 21, a French subject, was at Dow-street on Monday committed for extradition charged with the murder of Madame Bertha de Brienne at a fat in the Rue Chalgrin, Paris, on May 8. The accused was arrested at Glasgow about a month ago, I and subsequently signed a confession about some jewellery. He said that he seized the deceased by the throat to stifle her cries. He then left her, thinking she was only in a faint.

THE MOAT TRAGEDY. In the Chancery Division of the High Court on Tuesday Mr. Justice Byrne appointed a receiver of the balance remain- ing of the sum of £ 564 which was in the possession of Samuel Herbert Dougal at the time of his arrest. Such balance, amounting to 9419 odd, is now in the hands of the police. 1 His lordship gave leave to the defendant Dougai, to apply by summons, notwithstand- ing the appointment of a receiver, if he should be advised, for payment to him of any money, which he could show to be his own money, not derived from the sale of produce from the Moat Farm or belonging to Miss Holland's estate, the summons to be returnable forthwith.

EXPULSION FROM RUSSIA. In a printed reply to a question by Mr. Martin in reference to the expulsion of the cOTresPondent of the "Times" from the Russian Dominions, Mr. Balfour says a report has been received from the British Ambassador at St. Petersburg on the subject, but it does not add materially to the accounts that have already been published. We are not aware," continues the Premier, of any pre- cedent for the expulsion of the correspondent of a British newspaper on account of the tone adopted by the newspaper. His Majesty's Ambassador himself took steps to obtain, if possible, the rescission of the order, or at any rate, to protect Mr. Braham from unduly harsh treatment." Sir C. Scott has now been called upon to ettpply by telegram full par- ticulars of all the circumstances which accom- panied Mr. Braham's expulsion.

FOUNDLING IN COVENT GARDEN. Quite a stir was created in Covent Garden Market by the discovery of a chubby baby of two months on one of the stalls of a well-known salesman. The little one attracted attention to its presence by vigo- rous cries. The early consignments of fruit were just beginning to come to hand, and the market was thronged with buyers and porters at the time. The news of the incident quickly spread, and the child was the subject of quite an informal reoeption. It was seen to be a well-nourished child, but was in a very dirty and neglected state. It was taken to the Strand Union Workhouse in Bear-yard, where it now .remain** I

SAD MATRIMONIAL FAILURE. MINING ENGINEER AND HIS WIFE. The extraordinary relations which were stated to exist between a Cardiff mining engineer and his wife were the subject of inquiry at Cardiff Police-court on Tuesday (before Mr. T. W. Lewis, stipendiary). Mrs. Grace Southern applied for a separation order against Mr. Thomas Angus Southern, a mining engineer, residing at 37, Ninian-road, Roath Park. Mr. Lewis Morgan was for the appli- cant, while Mr. St. John Francis-Williams appeared for the husband. Mr. Lewis Morgan said the parties were married in 1895, and had three children, but the whole of the complainant's married life had been an exceedingly unhappy one. The defendant had extraordinary views of married life, and seemed to think all its obligations were entirely upon the woman. The only part of the marriage service which he seemed to remember was that in which bis wife promised to obey him. He had several times inflicted bruises on his wife's arms and legs, and had also treated her with the greatest indignity. Two years ago he insisted that all the photo- graphs of herself and her friends should be removed from the house, but carefully retained all the photographs of his friends. He also had prohibited her from visiting her parents or her friends, and them from visiting her. She thought, as she could not visit them, that she would send them photographs of herself and children, and had a proof taken. Her hus- band, however, wrote to the photographer forbidding him to supply any photographs to his wife. Recently he had refused to give her money for household duties, and had instructed several shopkeepers not to give her credit. One day he met her with her friends, Mr. Watkin, the solicitor, and his wife, in St. Mary-street. He objected to her staying witn them, and elbowed her along the rtrwt. Mr. Southern's children were not allowed to receive I presents from anyone, and since she had been married she had been kept as though in prison, and had not been allowed to communicate with her friends and relatives. Mr. Southern was cute enough not to assault hie wife in the presence of servants. While they were present he treated her kindly and used endear- ing terms, but immediately the servants were gone he swore at her and used ftireats towards her. The Stipendiary intimated that no evidence need be called of the indignities such as refusing money and removing the photo- graphs. All that concerned him was evidence of cruelty. THE WIFE'S EVIDENCE. Mrs. Southern, an attractive young woman, wearing pince-nez, said she was now living with her aunt at 47, Stanwell-road, Penarth. She left her husband on May 26 because she was afraid to stay with bim. On the day before he struck her on the ear and forced her out of the dining-room almost to the front door. One of the girls came into the passage, and he said in front of her that she (his wife) should leave at once, and he would allow her so much a week. On the 8th of April he bruised her on the leg and also on the arm- the latter in forcing her about the room. The assault occurred while they were in bed, and the bruise on the leg was caused by her husband in trying to force her back into bed after she had got out. This bruifle was about aa big as the palm of her hand, and she showed it to her aunt, Mrs. Watlin, her mother, a servant, and Dr. Aitken. He also bruised her arm on April 18, and again on April 23. The latter assault was done before the nurse. She went into the nursery to stop her hus- band from punishing a child which had been very poorly. She said, "Don* Upset him: he will be poorly aU day," and he got hold of her arm, bruising it, and said if she did not leave him alone the must leave the house. On the 16th* of May he kicked her on the leg in her bedroom with his bare. foot. He then turned her out of the bedroom, inflicting a bruise on her arm. On May 23 she went into town to meet her aunt. Her husband insisted on accompanying her. She met Mr. and Mrs. Watkin in St. Mary-street, and Mr. Southern, addressing Mr. Wal/:in, said, "I won't have your wife interfering with me." He pushed her (witness) into the road, and Mr. Watkin said, "We can't have a breach of the peace here; you had better go." Her husband then pushed her along through the street. On one occasion, in May, her husband had kept her awake for three follow- ing nights, when she was suffering from neuralgia. She said to him, "I must have some rest," and the next night she went into the spare room. Her husband came and wanted her to open the door, and she refused. The next day he took the locks off the spare bedroom door and off her own bedroom door. The next night she put a little bolt on the door, but her husband broke in at about half-paflt two in the morning. At that time she had been very-ill for two or three months with neuralgia. Mr. St. John Francis-Williams cross-examined the witness at considerable length. For the last six months have you refused to speak to your husband?—No. She added that sometimes she had not spoken when he had passed remarks about her, but had always answerea whe'n he aslffed her a question. Do you remember that you have constantly refused to go for walks?—Yes, I have refused, because he had been swearing at me half an hour before. Continuing, she said she once refused because she hadjnade an appointment with a young lady ^hom her husband had forbidden her to associate with. "But he had no reason to do so," she added. Has he frequently asked you not to go 80 frequently to Mrs. Watkin's hou.eP-Yes. But, in spite of these requests, you have gone?—Yes. during the last six months I have. Her husband had complained, she went on, that after visiting them her conduct towards him had been cooler. For the first six years of her married life *he never spoke to them at all. Mrs. Southern did not admit that beyond the assaults the home had always been comfortable. She had always had two servants, and had done a great deal of work herself. "You have constantly refused to go out with your husband?" said Mr. Francis-Williams— j During the last ffcw weeks. Whenever he has made advances you have treated them with contempt-The last few weeks I have. She admitted that no one in the house had seen her assaulted except the nurse. The Stipendiary: What are the defendant's mea ns ? Mr. Morgan: Oh, considerable. The Stipendiary suggested that the case could be more conveniently dealt with in the divorce coutt, especially in view of the allega- tions of the defence. He could not make an order of an amount sufficient to keep a lady in her position with three children. Continuing her evidence, Mrs. Southern admitted telling her husband he behaved like an old woman, and that she had called him a beastly cad, but denied calling him a fool. The Stipendiary thought some of the evi- dence somewhat irrelevant. Even if the com- plainant had been insolent in her manner or negligent in her duties, if defendant had been guilty of cruelty towards her she was entitled to an order. Mrs. Southern saia ner imsband had oftentimes told her to go. She herself expressed a wish to go a few weeks ago if he would give a small allowance. With regard to the breaking of the lock on May 7, she said she told her husband she was going to sleep by herself for a few weeks till she felt better. When her husband broke the lock she did rot know whether he came in with the intention of seeing to the baby, which was crying. He brought her 1* hot-water bottle, but she did not remember that he tucked her in. The young lady whom her husband had refused to allow her to associate with was the only friend she had in Cardiff at that time. She was not allowed to associate with a single eoul in Cardiff. Emily Harris, Florrie Evans, and Mary Gillis, servants, gave evidence of bruises on Mrs. Southern's arms and leg. and Dr. Aitken said she had a bruise 24in. long and liin. wide. THE DEFENDANT IN THE BOX. Mr. Southern then gave evidence. He said for the last six months his wife's attitude towards him had been very unkind. Before that they got on fairly well. She had refused to speak without cause, and had refused to come for walks. She had been unkind to him for two months. Mr. Southern .admitted that he Ijruised her arm in the "presehce of the nurse, but be merely took hold of her arm to pjlt her on one side. That was the only time fie had put hie hand on her. the only time fie had put his hand on her. The Stipendiary said Mr. Morgan need not cross-examine, and. Mr. Franci#-Williams having addressed him, contending that Mrs. Southern's story was uncorroborated, and that her husband should be believed, I The Stipendiary made an order for 91 a. week. with the custody of the children. I

THE OLD MAN'S REPROACH. AGED WORKER; "Ah! sir, they foreign old working men treated very different to L They don't have to finish up in the work'us!"

TYPHOID-INFECTED BLANKETS. EIGHTY THOUSAND PLACED ON THE MARKET. In the House of Commons on Monday, Sir THOMAS DEWAR (U., St. George's-in- the-East) asked the Secretary of State for War whether he had yet received from the general officer commanding in South Africa a report explaining the circumstances under which discarded hospital blankets were sold in South Africa; would he state the result of the inquiry, the humber of blankets sold, and the amount which they realised, and, in the interest of public health, would he con- sider the expediency of issuing instructions that all stores composed wholly or in part of textile fabrics which had been used in the field, whether in hospital or otherwise, should be carefully disinfected before they passed out of the hands of the military authorities? Mr. BRODRICK aaid the general officer commanding in South Africa reported that in October last, owing to the rapid demobilisa- tion of the troops, an enormous stock of un- washed general service blankets was returned to the Cape Town Ordnance Stores and stacked in the open under tarpaulins. Efforts were made to have these washed and properly stored, but meanwhile the stacks took fire by spontaneous combustion and endangered the entire ordnance depot. Prompt action became imperative. < id the chief ordnance j officer gave injtrm.. /•'fcfllor. large numbers of those in the worst'condition TO be destroyed by fire, and accepted tenders for the sale of 80,000, provided they were removed within three days. The blankets were not un- serviceable, although they had not been washed. The amount realised by the sale was £ 1,495. Medical officers had, under the regulations, power to destroy any articles of public property on sanitary grounds, and were expressly ordered to disinfect all soiled bed. ding which had been in contact with the sick. I am not prepared to issue so wide an order as that suggested, that all textile fabrics which have been used in the field should be disinfected before being sold. As previously stated, the ordnance and medical regulations contain clear instructions as to the disposal of condemned or infected articles, and I also issued special orders forbidding the sal in South Africa of any textile article which might convey infection. There appears to have been an error of judgment on the part of the responsible officer, who had otherwise done excellent service. The military autho- rities are investigating the matter." DISCARDED TENTS. Sir THOMAS DEWAR asked the Secretary for War if he would state the number of discarded military tents which had been sold in South Africa, and the amount which .they realised; were they disinfected, and were^they sold by tender or by public auc- tion; and would he also state the number of hospital tents sold, and say whether any, and, if so. what steps were taken to secure their disinfection. Mr. BRODRICK said that 2,760 tents were known to have been sold, of which only four 1\ were hospital marquees. They were sold by auction and tender. The amount realised was 1970. Under the medical regulations, medical officers were authorised to destroy public property on sanitary grounds when necessary, and were also in possession of stringent instructions regarding disinfection. He had no reason to suppose these instruc- tions were disregarded. TRACING THE BLANKETS. Sir THOMAS DEWAR asked the President of 1 the Local Government Board whether the hospital blankets which reached this country from South Africa as discarded War Office stores had yet been traced in the towns in the provinces to which they were distributed, and could he say whether the local autho- rities had in every case taken steps to secure the destruction or disinfection of these infected blanket*. Mr. LONG said he had sent a circular- letter to about 200 sanitary authorities in England and Wales in whose districts it was reported that some of the blankets referred to had fieen received, and had advised them as to the measures which should be adopted in order to safeguard the public against any possible infection from the blankets. He had not received reports from all the autho- rities, but, so far as his information went, he had every reason to be satisfied with the action taken in the matter.

BASE COIN RAID. QUANTITY OF SPURIOUS MONEY' SEIZED. Disguised beyond recognition, several Scotland Yard detectives on Wedne&day raided a base coin factory in Cambridge-road, Bethnal Green, London. The detectives, who were headed by Sergeants Williamson,' Fowler, and Purkiss, awaited a favourable opportunity, and then I pounced into the house which they knew was used for the purpose' of manufacturing counterfeit coins. In one of the rooms the officers found a man busily engaged before I a bright fire. Molten metal was in a ladle on the hob, and near at hand were plaster of Paris moulds of current silver coins. Files, acids, saws, a pair of bellows, and other I implements used in the manufacture of base coins, together with a large quantity of spurious shillings and half-crowns were also found in the room. Some of the coins were ready for circulation, and hundreds of others were waiting to receive final touches in electric batteries. The whole of the articles were, of course, taken away by the police, and the man was arrested and escorted to the police station. It is understood that the raid was executed as a result of many complaints which have been received from the Russian Government. During the last six months thousands of English counterfeit coins have been circulated into Russia. ==

FIRE AND FLOOD IN AMERICA. CONFLAGRATION AT A NEW BRUNSWICK TOWN. The forest fires in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia still continue to be destructive. There are no signs of rain, and the drought has now lasted four months. On Friday the town of Hopewell, in the eastern part of New Brunswick, was largely destroyed by the fires, which reached the place from the adjoining woods, which had been burning for four days. A large steamer partially built was destroyed. and also one lying at the dock. If rain is deferred tremendous destruction is inevitable.-Renter. A telegram from Spartanburg (South Caro- lina) reports serious devastation by a cloud- burst in that district. The dams were swept away, and as tne result of their destruction the surrounding country was flooded, the cotton mills at. Spartanburg and Clifton being completely wrecked. The loss is estimated at £ 400,000. At Pancelot, a village of about a thousand inhabitants. almost every building was either wholly or partially wrecked. Six bodies have been seen floating in the flood, and it is thought 'I that many more have been drowned.— j Reuter. The Madison levee, protectinl, East St. Louis and three othT towns on the Missouri, has burst. Five hundred men are engaged in trying to stop tM gap with sandbags and stones. A levee ten miles up the Mississippi has also given way, and 76 miles of country is flooded. Many farms and villages are under water.—Reuter. Later.—The river has now reached the houses and stores along the levee, having risen over a foot. According to an official forecast, it is estimated that by Tuesday the river will have risen 37ft„ or a further rise of 3ft.. which will bring the level of the water 7ft. above the danger line. Passenger traffic on the railways running into qt. Louis is seriously interfered with. and the traffic on those lines is believed to have fallen off 50 per cent. In East St. Louis the freight-yards of several railway companies are under water.—Reuter. WAVE 60 FEET HIGH. A telegram of Monday from Columbia (South Carolina) says:—The Congaree River is sweeping seaward loaded' with debris from the Piedmont region. The river was 12ft. 6in. above the danger line at mid- night, and was rising at the rate of 2Jin. every I hour. The flood wave which struck Pacolett and other mill towns was 60 feet high. The estimated loss to life and property is increas- ing a3 details become known. The mayors of the neighbouring towns have issued appeals for assistance, and the War Depart- ment have hurriedly despatched rations and medicines from Atalanta. The mill towns along the Tiger River are cut off by floods, and it is feared that lives must have been lost there.-Reuter. A telegram from St. Louis states that a small, but powerful, steamer reached Blaekwalnut at midnight, and took off 200 terrified people from the roofs of the houses. Fifteen men, while working to save a levee near Madison, were drowned by the caving in of the banks.-Reuter.

ALLEGED ABDUCTION. PONTYPRIDD MAN CHARGED AT WALSALL. I At Walsall, on Wednesday, John Ricketts, I miner, Pontypridd, was summoned for un- lawfully taking a, girl named Sarah Jane Dobbin, 14, out of the possession and against the will of her father, a miner, of the Pinfold, Bloxwich. Mr. W. Waldron defended.—Evi- dence was given for the prosecution that on Whit-Monday defendant met prosecutor at a I public-house at Bloxwich, and suggested that he should allow the girl in question to go with him (defendant) as a servant. Prosecutor I declined to give his consent, but next day the girl disappeared, and was afterwards found to have accompanied defendant to Pontypridd. In cross-examination, prosecutor admitted that he had no reason to believe his daughter went away for anything but to be a domestic servant, and he admitted having received a letter from her in which she complained of having been ill-used by him. and said she had a good place, and meant to stay.—For the defence, it was con- tended that the Act under which the proceedings were taken was only intended to prevent girls being induced to leave home for improper purposes, me girl, it was. said, representail that her father had given his consent to her leaving home, and she was engaged by defendant's wife, who believed her story, and paid her fare.—The Girl said her father had more than once told her she would have to get a situation, and she took him at his word.—The Bench considered the evidence did not justify them in sending the defendant to the assises, and they dismissed the case.

JUDGE IN FAVOUR OF PASSIVE RESISTANCE. Speaking at King's Lynn on Wednesday night to delegates of the Norfolk Baptist Association, his Honour Judge William Willis, K.C., amid much enthusiasm, declared him- self in favour of a policy of passive resistance.

PASSIVE RESISTANCE AT SWANSEA A largely-attended public meeting was held at the Albert-hall. Swansea, on Wednesday evening in favour of passive resistance to tte Education Act of 1902. Mr. David Roberts, chairman of the Swansea School Board, nre- sided, and, in opening the meeting, strongly urged that the present Government had no mandate to carry this pernicious Act. and they were perfectly justified in resistance to anything which violated their moral sense. —The Rev. Penar Griffiths proposed a resolu- tion pledging the meeting to passive resist- ance to paying the rate demanded by the Act. His chief hit was a remark that the present Government were put in to carry on the war they had created. They had been directly urged to "Pay, pay, pay"; now the new gospel had to be preached, Don't pay, don't pay, don't pay."—The Rev. O. D. Camp- bell, Haverfordwest, seconded, and the reso- lution was carried. The principal speaker afterwards was the lution was carried. The principal speaker afterwards was the Rev. Dr. lownsend, ex-president of the Free Church Council. A collection was made and cards were distributed, which those present were asked to sign, wild a view to further organisation of the passive resistance pro- posals.

FOUR NONCONFORMIST MINISTERS I SUMMONED. At Alnwick on Saturday George William Thompson and the Revs. John Oman, John Otty, and Ernest Oliver, Nonconformist ministers, were summoned for refusing to pay the education rate. The magistrates made an order on all the defendants to pay the rate demanded. At Withernsea, near Hull, on Saturday the Rev. T. Collins, Methodist minister, and Miss Talbot, daughter of a fate minister, were similarly summoned. The magistrates ordered distress warrants to be issue

ACUTE POLITICAL CRISIS. 1 STARTLING DEVELOPMENTS AT ANY MOMENT. Our London correspondent writes as fol- lows:—That the debate in Parliament have precipitated a crisis is no longer a matter of doubt, aad the air is again full of dissolution rumours. The Radical leaders are. however, said to be afraid of the rapid course of events. They are quite unprepared for a general election, and would much rather that the Ministry continued office for some time longer. But events may be against them. On the one hand, we have the Colonial Secretary, who has tariff colours nailed to the mast, and determined at all hazards to support them; on the other, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, his predeces- sor, Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, and the younger and more progressive Tories pledged at all costs to oppose them. The state of the Unionist party is, indeed, parlous, and, as Sir Michael observed, the tension cannot be long continued. The late Chancellor of the Exchequer's speech was, however, not so much an attack upon the Colonial Secretary, as upon the Prime Minister. Old Parliamen- tary hands were startled at the free and frank manner in which he lifted the vetl from Cabinet life. Not only did he reveal the manner in which his Budgets were submitted and considered by the Cabinet. but also the strained political relations which had existed there. That Sir Michael and the Colonial Secretary had not seen eye to eye for some time was generally known, but that between Sir Michael and the Prime Minister there had been such lack of sym- pathy was not suspected. Sir Henry Fowler, naturally, made much of the disclosures, as did others, and thp result was not conducive to unity. He would, indeed, be a rash man who would predict the trend of events. The Press Association says:—A profound impression was produced in Parliament by the weighty utterance of Sir Michael Hicks- Beach. As soon as the late Chancellor of the Exchequer had finished his speech the lobby became thronged by members of the House of Commons and peers, who, irrespec- tive of party, recognised with mixed emotions that such an attack from that quarter must have an immediate and serious effect upon the Government. General regret was expressed that the Speaker should have felt it necessary tc impose limitations upon the scope of the debate, but the prevailing opinion seems to be that the Government must find an early oppor- tunity of making clear their position collec- tively and individually with reference to the fiscal policy advocated by Mr. Chamberlain. A sensation was also caused in both House and lobby by the definite and emphatio declarations of the present Chancellor of the Exchequer against the proposals put forward by his colleague the Colonial Secretary. Some Liberal members express their belief that the Government will relegate the tariff question to a Royal Commission. They regard that as an alternative which will also bring other advantages, ¡a5n time, and secure the sanction of some Free Trade members of the Govern- ment, who. though avowedly adverse to Mr. Chamberlain's policy, are, nevertheless, will- ing to let it become the subject of an official inquiry. The Central News says:—Although the debate has served to clear the air, the dif- ferences disclosed in the Cabinet are so marked that it has aggravated, rather than allayed the political crisis. An immediate appeal to the country is not considered pro- bable, nor it is thought likely that Mr. Chamberlain will resign. Many, however, of the more ardent Free Traders in the Con- I servative party consider there is no other course open to the Colonial Secretary than to resign. The strength of Mr. Chamberlain's I following as disclosed by the debate i. unexpectedly insignificant. It is made up chiefly of those members who have always I favoured Protection. The Press Association states:—Wednesday brought no startling developments in the I political situation, but it is still recognised on every hand by Parliamentarians that the Government continue in critical circum- stances. There is no reason to believe that any member of the Ministry has yet resigned, and every effort is being made in private to preserve the Ministry intact. Two I or three days may elapse before it is known I whether these conciliatory endeavours have been successful to the extent of permitting the remainder of the session's work to be transacted without the convulsion of a poli- tical crisis. It is assumed by many Liberals that the Cabinet had allowed certain of its members to agree to differ upon the fiscal policy advocated by the Colonial Secretary. but it has now become obvious that this toleration of differences upon such a vital question in the inner circle does not com- mend itself to either side. In the Upper House, also, the same feeling prevails. This is indicated by the fact that on Monday Viscount Goschen, a Unionist peer, and a former Chancellor of the Exchequer, intends, in the form of a question, to bring the whole subject of Mr. Chamberlain's policy before the House of Lords. The terms of his lord- ship's question have not yet been settled, but it will be so framed as to draw from the representatives of the Government some defi- nite declaration upon the broad fiscal ques- tion which has so suddenly arisen.

I GAGGED BY THIEVES. A HOUSEKEEPER NEARLY STRANGLED. At South-Western Police-court, London, 011 Wednesday, Arnold Eyres, a carpenter, and the nephew of a police-constable. living in Toot- ing-grove; Frederick William Keysell, a coach- man, giving an address in Charlwood-road; and William Henry Gower, a stoker, of Aslett-street, Earlsfield, Wandsworth, were charged, on remand, with being concerned in breaking and entering 18, Dents-road, Wands- worth-common, the residence of Mr. Charles Wesley Evans, an electrician, and stealing, I belonging to him, a variety of articles aud money besides. The house was entered olae afternoon while the family were away by removing a glass panel from the front door. I The prisoners were arrested mainly through the instrumentality of Miss Emily Hine, a, young lady residing at 9, Dents-road, S.W., who explained how she assumed the role of a detective office by keeping the men under observation, and by shadowing them she finally caused their arrest. A more serious charge was now preferred against Eyres. lie is accused of stealing a large quantity of valuable jewellery from 92, Louisville-road, Upper Tooting, and assaulting Harriet Dean, the housekeeper. The allegation is that on May 18 two men, Eyres being identified as one, called at the house, and the door, was answered by the woman Dean, to whom tha visitors represented having been instructed to call in order to do some repairs. Dean refused to admit them. She suggested that they should call again, when her employer would probably be at home. Thereupon they forced their way into the house, and to silence 'her they stuffed a handkerchief in her mouth and blindfolded her with another, and dragged her along the floor, having first flung her down, into one of the back rooms. There she lay helpless while the men ransacked the house, eventually escaping from the back windows. A neighbour, hearing unusual noises, gave the alarm, and on the arrival of Police-constable 784 W entry by the front of the house was found impossible, as the windows and doors were securely fastened. He obtained an entrance at the rear after scaling various walls, and discovered the woman lying on the floor unconscious. Attempts appeared to have been made to strangle her, for a handkerchief was fastened tightly round her neck. He removed the handkerchief from her throat, as well as the one that had been used to gag her, and also the other across the eyes. She recovered con- sciousness on the application of restoratives, and was able to describe her exciting expe- rience.—Mr. Garrett ordered a remand.