Weekly Mail

iUUTPI ACCUSED OF PARRICIDE. —-—f A FATAL STRUGGLE AT LLANHILLETH. From an early hour on Tuesday, despite the heavy and incessant rain which fell, the precincts of the Pontypoo; Police-court were c:owded with persons anxious to hear the inlke proceedings ag-ainst Archibald Viot-or Dunn, the Llanhilleth youth of seventeen years, who is in custody on a cnarge of killing his father, James Dunn (55), by r'nking- him on the head with a poker a-t his residence, :0. 32, Hafodiarthan-road, Llan- hilleth, on July 19. Alderman Da-i-id Jones was the presiding magistrate, and prior to the opening of the case has worship expressed sympathy with the witnesses, who had come from Llanhilleth at considerable inconvenience, but stated that the case was brought up at Pontypool in consequence of the inadequate accommo- dation at the Llanhilleth Police-court. The Henen hoped that the standing joint com- mittee would provide adequate accommoda- tion at Llanhilleth at the earliest possible moment. Mr. Horace Lyne. Newport, prosecuted on behalf of the Public Prosecutor, and Mr. Harold Lloyd. Cardiff, defended. Dr. Frost was the first witness called, but before giving evidence he said that, as a magistrate of that division, he wished to make & protest against the hearing of the case at Pontypool. It was at great inconve- nience that he attended the court that day. end it was very annoying. The polioe autho- rities should See that proper aecom, niodation was provided at the Llanhilleth Police-court. Giving evidence with regard to the post- mortem examination which he and Dr. Aitken made on the body of the deceased man, Dr. Frost stated that he found compound frac- tures of the skull, which had been caused by the infliction of eight wounds, and there was also considerable laceration of the brain. AU the other organs of the body were healthy, except the right lung. The wounds on the head were the cause of death, and might have been caused by the poker produced. When he went to the house he 6aw parte of the brain on the floor, and there were bloodstains all about the place. He thought two of the wounds were c&used when ihe deceased was in a stooping attitude. fT^Xa^fa'^Sod* w*trM:«6 said one blow Jrcvm tixe poker might have caused more than one wound, and he thought the table and the fender might have accounted fõí- two of the wounds. whilst it was possible that one of the fractures was caaised by the deceased's head coming in contact with the stone floor. When he examined the prisoner he found his tonsils to be inflamed, and this was consistent, with someone having caught him by the throat and squeezed it. Marry Ann Dunn, widow of the deceased, ttated that her husband ran after her when the was leaving1 the Central Hotel about tteven pjn. She went for protection into a neighbour's house, and the deceased followed ber and attempted to strike her with a chair. Bubsecrueaistiy he left the house. and a few minutes later her daughter came to fetch her, and when she arrived home Police-con- ptable Turner was taking her son Archibald away, And ..she was not allowed to go inrto the lihoxise. Mary Oale, a neighbour, corroborated as to lItibe incident with the ohair. She added that -decenbed was very drunk, and .Mrs. Dunn, was ifiobesr. 11 I'LL DO FOR YOU." Gertrude Maj-y Dunn (20), daughter of the deoea&ed, repeated the evidence she gave before the ooroner. to the effect that her father had threatened to cut her throat if she refused to fetch her mother. She ili"ÆI described how the deceased throw her out of the house and locked the door, keeping Archie insade. She then beard him tray to the prisoner: Now I have you cornered I'll do for you." She heard them straggling, and subsequently she broke the window and got inside. She heard Archie tell his father to stand back or he would strike him, but deceased rushed at the prisoner, and the latter struck him with the poker in self- defence. She pulled the prisoner away and then ran out. Cross-examiaed, witness said prisoner was a quiet, steady. and inoffensive boy. and a teetotaler. Baadier in the evening her father caught her by the throat and dragged her by the hair from the kitchen to the back- yard. George Alfred Dunn corro-borated Me sister's story as to his being turned out of the house by his father, and he also stated he heard his brother say Stand back." Abraham Gould, oollier, of Rrookland- terrace, said that whilst on the way to the deceased's house he met the accused, who said I have hit my father out because he was choking me. He had me by the throat pinned against the mantelpiece. I had the poker and hit him. Dr. Aikem, who assisted in the post-mortem examination, agreed with the evidence given by Dr. Frost. CHARACTER OF THE DECEASED. Pobiee-oonstable Turner described the state of t-he kitchen, on his arrival at the house. and said that when he charged the prisoner with killing his father he made no reply. The deceased was a man of quiet disposition, and he knew no reason why it should be said he was not a kind father. Frank Sees, a collier, of Llanhilleth, described the deceased as a quiet, tidy man, a.nd said he saw Mrs. Dunn on the night in question at midnight. Mr. Lyne: What condition was she in ? Mr. Lloyd: I object to that question. You aTe trying the boy for murder or man- slaughter, but not the mother as to her character. The Bench upheld Mr. Lloyd in his objec- tion, and other evidence was then called as to the character of the deceased, and this concluded the case for the prosecution. Mr. Lloyd then addressed the bench, and said that no common jury in the land would convict the boy on the capital charge on such evidence as had been given., and he asked the bench to reduce the charge to one of manslaughter. This was done, and the Bench committed the prisoner for trial at the assizes on a charge of manslaughter, intimating they would be prepared, to grant bail in two sureties of JE50 each.

A WIFE'S ELOPEMENT. STORY OF INFATUATION FOR MARRIED MAN. A'n amazing elopement story was told at Bristol on Wednesday, when a refined woman of 35. named Sarah Jane Hunter, applied for a chdld maintenance order against Alfred John Matthews, chief ste-ward of the Cambrian Lake steamer Philomel. The woman was married, with three children, end carrying on an art needlework shop at Sunderland, when she met Matthews, three years a-go. Becoming infatuated, though Matthews was a marTried man, she left her husband and family, taking £500 savings from the shop, and eloped with Matthews to Manchester. After staying there a month, they came to Bristol, where they have since been living as man and wife. Mrs. Hunter opened two shops at Clifton and Knowle. but, though doing a good busi- ness, Matthews took so much money when idle that they were ruined. A lx-tfiy was born in January, 1908, and put out to nurse with Matthews's brother, who had distrained Mrs. Hunter's furniture for its maintenance. The man left her on July 10, and she was now practically destitute and much in debt, the whole £500 having gone. Matthews did not appear, but wrote admitting the paternity of t.Jt¡e child, saying, "Never mind, I am in for it now. I must grin and bear it." He appealed to her to renew relations, but she told the court she was going back to her husband, who would again put her in business. The Magistrates made an order of 6s. a week till the boy was fourteen.

MOMENTARY MADNESS. £ 1.000 DAMAGES AGREED TO IN DIVORCE CASE. Mr. Henry Hartley Aloysius Joseph Patrick Ru&fell, solicitor, was granted a decree nisi in the Divorce Court on Tuesday IJy reason of his wife's misconduct with Mr. Henry Woodroffc, iviiose position was not "t.a t.ed. Counsel said damages had been agreed at .El.OOO. Mr Rus<?eli wanting provi- sion to be made for the respondent, and the jury assessed them at this amount. The respondent was introduced to Mr. Woodroffe shortly after her honeymoon, and ultimately she went off with him. When the petitioner wrote asking her to come back, and offering to regard her action as momentary madness, she said she had decided to live her life with one with whom she had everything in com- mon, the reference being to the co-respon- dent.

LADY DANCERS MOBBED. CROWD MISTAKE THEM FOR SUF- FRAGETTES. A singular adiventure befell five young ladies, professionally known as the San Ton vocalists and daracers, on their arrival in Hull from Russia by the Titania on Monday. As they were walking to the station, on route for London, they were mistaken for members of the militant suffrage party. A cry of Mrs. Pankhurst!" was raised and immediately a great crowd surged round them. They were badly jostled in the com- motion which followed, and they were only saved from injury by the intervention, of the police. With some difficulty the ladies were got into a tramcar and taken for refuge to the polioe-station. Later they were con- ducted to the Paragon Station, and they had to be ooncealed in the telegraph office until the crowd was dispersed.

DEATH OF IRISH M.P. The death occurred in London om Monday of Mr. James Halkin, Nationalist M.P. for West Clare. His death creates a Parliamen- tary vacancy. He was returned unopposed at the general election, and there was no contest in 1900. I TURNING OVER A NEW PAGE.

MARRIED WOMAN'S INFATUATION. + REMARKABLE STORY TOLD IN COURT. Damages were agreed at £375 in the Divorce Court Division in the suit brought by Mr. William Robert Osborne, a Chippenham architect and surveyor, against his wife, Mrs. I,ena Caroline Osborne, whom he accused of misconduct with Mr. Arthur John Butllock. There was no defence. According to Mr. Willis, petitioner's counsel, his client was married on Docember 15, 1903, at Bath, and there had been four children. In 1907, while they were living at Chippen- ham, the co-respondent came to stay in the house as a paying guest. After a time the Petitioner complained of his oonduct, and asked him to get lodgings elsewhere. In December, 1908, the co-resp^udeii.t came to the house, and in the absence of the petitioner was asked in. Suteequantly Mr. Osborne found a no to on the floor ir; his "-ife's hand- writing. It bega, My Own Da.rling.-Will has gone to Trow- bridge; will sigmal when all is safe.— With all my Jove. The husband spoke to the co-respondent, wno said he had dropped the note so that the petitioner might know what was going on. He tried to make out that he did not care about the lady. The wife agreed that. she wa,3 infatuated with the co-respondent, but he did not care for her. Mr. Osborne wrote to the co-respondent, asking him not to come to the house again, and brought his wife up to Surbiton. He had to go back to Chippenham, and heard that. Mr. Bullock w.as leaving the town that night- He found that the co-respondent, had come to tojivn, so he caught the first up-traia himself, and when he saw his wife she de- clared that she was going away with the Co-respondemt that day. They all three went to a solicitor, to whom the petitioner said: I want to serve a writ on this man claiming damages. He was told tha.t the matter could rot be disposed of like that, and then the co-respon- delllt and respondent declared that they would leave the country if the husband did not accept the money he was going to claim a6 damages. The petitioner thought that if they went abroad he would not be able to get a divorce, so they went to the General post Office, where tl>s co-respondent wrote out and signem an agreement to pay the sum of £37:J in full settlement of claim made again-st him by Mr. W. R. Osborne in con- j neotioa with divorce proceedings, £ 250 to be paid forthwith, and the balance to be secured to his bankers within a month from that day. The document bore a sixpenny stamp. The President: That was very businesslike. Petitioner returned to Chippenham and ion suited his solicitor, to whom he took a lettsr received from ths co-respondent, en- closing £ 50 on account of the £375. That money was pa.id into the bank to await the order of the Court. A'decree nisi was granted, with costs, and the custody of the children, the jury assess- ing the dajrages at the agreed sum of £ 375, to include the £ 50 now in the bank. .=-

BEAUTIFUL, HONEST EYES HUSBAND AND CO-RESPONDENT IN DIVORCE CASE. The Greenwood-Teale <!ivorce case was resumed in London on Friday. Mrs. Virginia Teale was called to answer her husband's allegations of misconduct, upon which be claimed a divorce. She said Mr. Daw- son, the co-respondent, never came to the house without her husband's approval. Beply- ing to the president, Mrs. Teale said she had never coimmitted misconduct. She further denied the statements made by a witnos3 on Thursday that she was very much in love with Mr. Dawson, and that she wished she could find out something about her husband. Mr. Frederick William Dawson, co-respon- dent, was called, and Raid he had never com- mitted misconduct with Mrs. Teale. Another witness stated that she had heard Mr. Ten.lc say he always trusted Mr. Dawson, because he had beautiful, honest eyes. Counsel having addressed the jury. the president summed up. The jury found that Mrs. Teale and Mr. Dawson had not been guilty of misconduct, and the petition was dismissed.

MEDITERRANEAN COMM AND DUKE OF COÑÑAÜGHT RESIGNS HIS POST. The Duke of Connaught has tendered his resignation of his command in the Mediter- ranean. It v is stated that there has been no question of friction either with the War Office or with the Government. The Duke's action has been entirely spontaneous, n,nd he has sent to the Army Council a full expla.nartioai of the reasons which have orpera-ted with him. His is;tat-ement is not available for publication, but a press agency is in a position to state that his Royal High- ness, having filled the appointment for two winters, is convinced there is not sufficient work for him to do in that capacity, and that the position is to that extent an un- necessary oaie. The War Offloe on Sunday night officially announced the resignation, which has been accepted by the King.

WOMEN AS HIGHWAYMEN. Two women, armed and on horseback, held up two tourists from Glidden, who were pro- ceeding across the plains east cf Denver. While one of the women covered the two prisoners the other wourt through their pockets, and succeeded in collecting- jE40 and a valuable watoh. The robbers then dis- appeared, leaving no clue.—Central New.

EBBW JUNCTION COLLISION. -—4 I BLACKWOOD DOCTOR SUES I FOR DAMAGES. A sequel to the Ebbw junction collision was heard at Glamorgan Assizes on Satur- day, in which Dr. Howell Thomas Evans, having a practice at The Laurels, Blackwood, sued the Great es-tern Railway Oompa-ny for damages for personal injuries sustained on the company's railway whilst travelling .from Cardiff to Newport on Se-ptember 28, 1907. £l,OC'J special damages were claimed, including £500 loss of profit in practice and £ 293 for assistance in carrying on his prac- tice. The statement of claim set forth that, owing to negligence and unskilfulness on the part of the company, the train in which plaintiff was travelling oame into violent collision with a mineral train, and that the carriage in which the plaintiff was travelling was derailed and wrecked, and the plain/tiff was thrown violently forward, and his spine and brain were sovinjured that his nervous system had received a permanent shock. In opening the case Mr. Abel Thomas sa.id the medical evidence would show that there was a lesion in the pIaintitS"g cervical verte- bras. In non-medical terms, his spine had to a certain extent got out of place, and the lumbar region" showed a thi-ckening, evi- dently caused by some injury, a.nd this would last as long as he lived. At present, after eighteen months, h-3 suffered from continual pains in the head, neck, and leg, and speedily suffered from exhaustion. His gross income from his profession was £ 1,750, and net. profits about £ 1,100. Since his accident the expenses of carrying on the practice, which was chiefly a, colliery one. had risen from £ 45) to £7f:IJ a year, a.nd he had lost JE650 in that way. The jury, after an absence of five minutes, returned a verdict for plaintiff for £ 3,500.

A SPHINX-LIKE MAN. SILENCE AS REASON FOR WIFE'S DIVORCE. In the opinion cf the ClBcial Referee of New Park, New Jersey, siionce on the part of a husband, when prclang-ed over a period of yeans, or when occurring in undulv large slabs over comparatively small periods, is ju^t as much legal cruelty to a wife as to neglect to Drovide her with clothes and food. He, therefore, granted Mrs. Blickensdorf's petition for divorce. Her husband, silent to the bitter end, merely M-nt a friend to court to say he had nothing to add to what he had said to his wife before their marriage, and. further, that Mrs. Blickensdorf had more than enough to say for ;UtY two people, arld finally that Mrs. Biickensdbrf s persistent, loquacity was just as galling as prolonged silence. A stream of witnesses swore before the referee that Mr. Blickensdorf maintained a sphinx-like, wcoden. impenetrable silence ever since four years ago, when he mumbled responses a.t his wedding. For four years M-rs. Bliekenedorf tried by every rurtifice known to woman to make her husband talk, but in her testimony before the referee she admitted that she failed. At first she squeezed his hand and chucked him under the chin, but the only response she got was a stony stare. Then she burnt the soup, put salt in his coffee- and, finally, she had tried putting tin-tacks on J his chair. All in vain; still he was speech- less. Several neighbours testified they had not heard him say a word in S'ix or seven years. "We even took him to fireworks one night to see if he would say 'Ah!' said one witness, "but we couldn't get him to open up. He is the moat careful man in the world with his talk. It is worse for a man to be able to talk and to be always silent than to be dumb." "Ye<=!. indeed," ejaculated Mn-. Biickensdorf, weeping before the jury. "In summer," she continued, "he sat in the yard all day, and long into the night, silent as a wooden man. And in winter he kept close to the stove, and burned the wood and coal she carried in, but said never a wordT Previous to marriage my husband talked fluently, but was never wha.t you would call a born talker." The Blickensdorfs were married in 1905. At the wedding breakfast Mr. Blickensdorf, after murmuring what wac taken for an apology. hurried off to work. When he came baok in the evening his bride mot him at the door with an affectionate smile. Blickensdorf returned the smile, and hurried into the house, where he sat down. Once, and it wso a red-letter da.y for Mrs. Blickensdorf, he moved his lips, as if a.bout to fay something. but, evidently changing his mind. closed his lips again. 11 ■

THE FRENCH CABINET. PARIS, Saturday. At a meeting of Ministers held at the Ministry of Justioe the list of the French Cabinet was definitely completed ae follows: Premier and Minister of the Interior—M. Br iand. Minister of Justice-X. Bathou. Minister of Foreign Affairs—M. Piohon. Minister of War—General Burn. Minister of Marine- Vioe-adrniral Bone de j Lapeyrere. Minister of Finance—M. Oochory. Minister of Publio Works, Post, and Tele- graphs-.M. Miller and. Minister of Public lnetrnction — M. Doumergue. Minister of Commerce—Jean Dupuy. Minister of Agriculture—M. Ruan. Minister of the ODIonics-M. Trouillot. Minister of Labour—M. Viviani. Under-Secretary of State for Finance—M. Renoult. Under-Secretory of State for War—M. Sarrant. Under-Secretary of State for the Nuy-M. Cheron. Under-Secretary of State for Fine Axte-M. Dujardin Beaometz.—Beater.

SCREAMS FROM A CANAL. 4 LADY TELEGRAPHIST MUR- DERED IN IRELAND. Remarkable evidence was given before the Mullingar magistrates when Joseph Heffer- nan was brought up charged with the murder of a lady telegraphist. Professor M'Weeney said that bloodstains, apparently human, were found on the trousers which prisoner was wearing when arretted. There was blood on his leggings, a-nd cup-shaped depressions an the leather, which appeared to have been scooped out. Brownish stains, which gave the reaction of blood when tested, were found on a knife which was said to be the prisoner's. A boy named Michael Murray eta-ted that while milking a goat near the scene of the murder he heard screams. There was first of all a fairly loud scream, then two or three louder, followed by one very short. They were the screams of a woman. Shortly after- wards he heard a peculiar shrill, piercing sound oo-me from the direction of the canal. Polioe evidence was to the effect that on the 15th inet. prisoner said to a policeman, "I am afraid they will swear my life away. Do you think if I admitted it and say I was mad from drink would I get off with a oouple of years?" mad from drink would I get off with a oouple of years?" I Prisoner was committed for trial. He said, "I did not kill her," and, turning to a polioe- man at the back of the court, who held prisoner's boots in his hands, said. "Keep thoee boots safe for me." Attempts were made by the public to get at prisoner whilst being removed in custody to the station. The crowd hooted and groaned significantly.

MINISTERS ELOPEMENT. APPEAL MADE TO WIFE FOR A DIVORCE. The elopement of a Unitarian minister with a member of his congregation was the ground on which his wife, Mrs. Ka.te Emily Pearson, obtained a divorce from him. She married the Rev. George Challen Pear- son in 1892 at Sheffield, and they went to live at Selby, where Mr. Pearson had charge of a. chapel. One of his ch-urchrworkera was a Miss Mary Hurst. Of his attentions to this young woma.n Mrs Pearson had cause to complain. but "Thero is nothing m it," sa.id the minister when he was spoken to about the matter. In 1895 Mr. Pearson, on account of ill- health, had to give up his pastorate, and he arranged to join his wife at the house of her parents. But she did not see him again until long afterwards, for he immedia-tely left England with Mary Hurst. In a letter he said: — When you read these lines I shall be where there is no fear of encountering those who know us in England. In another -oa.rt of the world I shall commence a. new existence. The past will be like a dream. I shall have no dread of gossip there, and oan laugh at conventionality. The husband's mother wrote to Mrs. Pear oon asking ber to "set him free." You know that we shall feel the same to you (&he added). I feel to you as a mother. You would stiU keep the name. Now there is a. child it would be hard for him to suffer through no fault of his own. Paying a visit to her moth er-in-law 's house. Mrs. Pearson in after years—she had in the meantime become a trained nurse- met her husband there. He offered her £50 if she would divorce him, and this offer was subsequently increased. The President, having been satisfied that the offer was not accepted, a.nd that the case was not "one to recover money," granted a decree nisi.

A MATRIMONIAL CAUSE. CARDIFF PARTIES IN THE CAPE COLONY SUPREME COURT. In the Supreme Court, Cape Town, there was heard the action of Edwards v. Edwards for restitution of conjugal rights, failing which a decree of divorce and custody of the fcur manor children of the marriage, and costs._ Mr. Watermeyer was for the plaintiff, Minme Edwards, of Green Point. Defendant, Reginald John Edwards, who was sued bv edict, and had been personally served ia Bulawayo, did not appear. From piaintiff's evidence'it appeared that the parties were married in Cane Town in June, 1900, without community of property. Defendant, who was a solicitor's clerk came from Cardiff. After the marriage he had appointments in Bloemfontein, Pretoria, Johannesburg, and elsewhere, and at some of these places the parties lived together. In March, 1906, they went to England for a holi- day. In June, 1906, defendant returned to South Africa, leaving plaintiff with his mother in England, and from time to time he remitted small sums for her support. In Deoember, 1906, defendant oeased to contri- bute to her support, and witness returned to the Colony,"and could not tra.c.e him for some time. He had not communicated with her further. It was stated that defendant informed the process-server that he did not intend to return to plaintiff. A decree of restitution was granted, defen- dant to return to or receive plaintiff on or before October 1 next, failing which to show cause on October 12, in terms of intendit. "'1.

BRITISH CAPTAIN'S SUICIDE NEW YORK, Saturday. Captain Thomas Crichton, of the British ste,am,et Tuscany, from Argentina, committed suicide by shooting himself after handing over the ship to the pilot on his arrival here. Gar^l^ki Cricbtnn's home wae Perth.—Reuter. j

ATTEMPTED MURDER AT SWANSEA. 4 SORDID STORY TOLD IN THE ASSIZE-COURT. r At Glamorgan Assies on Wednesday (before Mr. Justioe Sutton) the charge was heard against Benjamin Evans$4), a labourer, of a "N feloniously wounding Eliza Bevan, with intent to murder her, in Sketty-lasae, near Swansea, on June o. Mr. L. M. Richards (instructed by. -cut .Mr. Lawrence Richards) prosecuted. The prosecutrix, who was escorted to the witness-box, Eeemed in a weaker state than she did at the police-court early in June, and her answers had to be repeated to the court. She was aooompanied in the witness- box a nurse. Prosecutrix detailed a sordid story," as Mr. Richards described it—her illicit life with the prisoner for the past twelve months, and the attack made by Li:n upon her late at night in Sketiy-lane. Jih-l before the occur- rence prisoner, who hac .eft. her for about a fortnight, asked her to tome back to him. and she said she would never do so again. and that she was tryin-g to be reconciled to her husband. She met him on the night ia question at his request, and after having a drink went to Sketty-iane on the car. They had another drink, and then prisoner requested her to walk down the lane. After having a quarrel over their affairs, prisoner said, If I can't have you, no one else shall." He then said, "Look! there's a man," and when she lvoked round she felt a razor pass across her throat. It was wielded by the prisoner, who had his arms rou.nd her at the time. She struggled, and tried to get away, and he said, If you break it I have another." She managed to smash the hajidie of the razor. Her throat and hands were severely cut. Prisoner walked away when she fell down, and when he returned she beM her breath, and prisoner stooped down. listened if she was breathing, kissed her, and said, "Poor girl! I am sorry for you. You have been a good girl to me." When &ne was In hospital he wrote her two letters. I11 the first he referred to the martyrdom of their love," and in the second he suggested to her tha.t they were attacked by two men in the lane, and gave a detailed story of all that he alleged happened, and further suggested to her that her own story had been made UP. because she thought that she wae going to die and wanted to take him with her. The letter con-eluded that he would give away all the details of her life in court if she did not do him justice. Prisoner was called, and said when be. was m the lane with prosecutrix he saw a man. They walked on a bit, and later a man, jumped out behind them and pulled him (prisoner) into the road. While struggling with the man he heard Mrs. Bevan scream Murder! Then he saw her lying in the gutter with a man leaning over her. Prisoner got free from the man who had attacked him. and saw the other man running away. He then lifted Mre. B&van's head and saw a pool of blood. Knowing' I got blood on my clothes," added prisoner, I thought I would be suspected and went home." Prisoner was sentenced to ten years' pemea servitude. MERTHYS WOMAN AOQCITTED. Mary Oondoo (35), a»rried. was charged with maliciously wounding Johanna Wheelan at, Merthyr on July 6. Mr. Raymond Allen prose- outed.—Prosecutrix stated that when she told, defendant, her lodger, that she would have to keep better hours she cut her in the face with a table-knife.—The prisoner absolutely cdnied it, and said Mrs. Wheelan'e husband did it. -The jury acquitted the prisoner. I. The court adjourned till this (Thursday) morning. I There remains only one small criminal cMet for trial.

"I WAS PERFECTLY SANE." THAW DENIES WHIPPING GIRLS. The Thaw case has drifted into a highly unedifying spectacle. The man who thought he was authorised by Providence to shoot Stanford White, and who was found not guilty of murder, and sent to Matteawoa Asylum, is asking the court to release him on the ground that he has recovered his sanity. One of his former lawyers, who is suing Mrs. Thaw, sen- for unpaid counsel fees, has brought evidence alleging that just be- fore White's assassination Thaw used w. horsewhip as many as 200 young stage- struck girls, and distribute thousands of dollars amongst them in order to bribe them into silence. His own wife, who could hardly be restrained from flying at his throat in court, threatens to supply even spicier testimony against her husband. Thaw himself gave evidence on W-edne.sday. while his mother and the former Countess of Yarmouth wept beside him. As he faced the Public Prosecutor, Mr. Jerome, who examined him. he LOOKED WHITE AND SOARED. The temperature of the court was at least lOGdeg. The judge, counsel, the witness, and the spectators were all using fans. Thaw proved a more agile and intelligent witness in the hands of the most formidable cross-examiner of America tiian most people had expected. He denied all the horsewhipping storiea. hinting that a certain class of Jerome wit- nesses, disappointed at their failure to obtain a share of the Thaw money, would swear any* thing in revenge. Mr. Jerome asked him at least a dozen times if he thought himself insane. Thaw's final reply was: "Why, Mr. Jerome, your whole argument—when you were trying to get me to the electric chair—was that I was perfectly sane and knew the nature and quality of my act." Thaw's may have been a dangerous tem- perament, but (says the Morning Leader "1 he has his wits about him.

EVIDENCE AT AN INQUIRY NEWSPAPER TO PAY E3,250 DAMAGES TO ENGINEER. At Liverpool Assizes on Saturday, in a libel action brought by Thomas Davies, an engineer, of Widnes, against Messrs. Eultaa and Co., the proprietors of the Sunday Chronicle," damages of £3,250 were awarded the plaintiff. Mr. Davies had given evidence at a Home Office inquiry, in which he spoke strongly of the misconduct of a certain class of workmen in his employ, whom it was proposed to pro- ride with aprons, nail brushes, towels, &c^ in order to avoid the danger of lead poison- ing. The defendants, it was alleged, miscon- strued the evidence as relating to Widnes generally, and plaintiff claimed that by so doing they had damaged his character and also injured biB reputation as an expert wifc. nes6.

SUICIDE OF A VICAR'S WIDOW. With a raror purchased from a local hair- dresser, Mrs. Ida Mary Sanderson, widow of a clergyman (described as having been formerly vicar of Pomtnewydd. Mott- mouthshire), committed sucide at a BexhilJ boarding-iiouse. In a Bible found in her room she had written under two texts: "Remember this, my darling children. Had your mother remembered she would not have had such bitter remorse now when health, and strength have gone, and she cannot serve God as she longs." At the inquest recently a verdict of "Suicide during temporary insanity" wae returned.

ASK YOUR DRAPER FOR \f9 gy DIAGONAL j0jb I & 11b seam Jg$|L CORSETS Will not split Nor'tear In p^\ In tha Seams the Fabric >v NrfV Made in White, Black, Fawnt Silver Gi-el, etc. p* v 4/11, 5/11, 6/11, 7/11 ptr pair and upwards. 1 ^fw THREE GOLD MEDALS. ) J Admirably Modelled."—Queen. \{|He3 £ Wc»!>J "Mo.t Comfortable." J Lady's Pictorial, Ku%.«F7 A PleMc write for Price List to tha Y & N Corset Factory, \|Mtr BRISTOL. Sold by Drapers A Ladies' Outfitters \\f; i 8u6W*t ttcrowjkmU the United Ktngdoin and I' Colonies. *■ PUR-E Not a stimulant merely for the moment, but a Permanent and Agreeable Form of Nourishment.

SOLICITOR KILLED ON THE RAILWAY. Mr. Alfned Wake, solicitor, of Crioklewood, who had been for a sea voyage and returned to the Tyne suffering from delusions, was being conveyed home on Tuesday, and while an attendant was purchasing the tickets he disappeared. Later Mr. Wake's body was found almost decapitated in a tunnel between North Shields and Tyne- mouth

TWO SOLDIERS COMMIT SUICIDE. An extraordinary double suicide occurred at Colchester on Saturday. Sergeant Launcely, of the King's Royal Rifles, and Private Bedford, of the Bedfordshire Regiment, blew out their tyaias at the same hour, at eight o'clock. Xaunoely, who served with credit in South Africa, shot himself in his bunk, and Bed- ford almost simultaneously committed suicide in the barrack-room vfhilst the rest of the men were at breakfast.

MOTOR STHrCK BY TRAIN. BANKER, HIS WIFE, AND NIECE KILLED. MENOMINFaE (Michigan), Sunday. Mr. Ole Erickson, a Michigan banker, his wife, and a seventeea-year-old niece were killed yesterday in their automobile, which was struck by a train. Mr. Erickf-on was a native of Norway, and a former member of he Michigan Legislature.—Reuter,

CHANNEL CONQUERED BY FRENCH A VIATOR.-Page 7. _n_

SHIPWRIGHT & HIS WIFE. + BARRY COUPLE IN DIVORCE COURT. In the Divorce Court on Wednesday (before Mr. Justice Bargrave Dcane) a case was heard in which Mr. Sa.muel Galliver, a shipwright. living at Kingsland-orescent, Barry Dock, sued for a divorce from Annie Laura. Galliver, I against whom he alleged misconduct with a Mr. Tom Durham. Misconduct was denied. Mr. Le Bas appeared for the petitioner, and Mr. Willock for the respondent. Mr. Le Bas said the respondent had put in an answer, but the co-respondent did not appear. The petitioner and his wife were married on the 28th of February, 1891, at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Cardiff, and they lived at Station-road, Cardiff, and other places, and there were three children of the marriage living. In 1903 there was trouble about the respondent's drinking. In 1905 her habits of drunkennees had got so bad that in June she was removed to the Bridgend Asylum. In August, 1906, she was discharged, and resumed cohabitation with her husband at Barry Dock. Very soon she began drinking again, and in September, 1905, when in a drunken condition, she smashed the furniture and household effects, doing damage to the extent of £25. On the 8th of September, 1907, she left her husband, taking two of the ohildren, and went to her mother a.t Cardiff. Petitioner then took out a summons before the magistrates for the custody of the children, on the groufid that his wife was a habitual drunkard. That summons was dismissed, a6 the husband did not succeed in establishing the drunkenness. After that negotiations took place, and the petitioner endeavoured to get the custody of the children, but the wife was unwilling. She proposed to go and live with his mother and sisters, who were persons of the highest respectability, and he thought the children would be well looked after there. A deed of separation was entered into, and petitioner allowed his wife £1 a week, and he was to have access to the children. Subsequently the petitioner got the custody of bath the children. On the 23rd of June the petitioner, in consequence of information he had got, filed his petition for divorce, alleging mis- conduct by his wife with Tom Durham a.t the Gordon Coffee Tavern on the night of the 27th of May. A decree nisi was granted.

ATTACK ON A BOOM. DESTROYER GETS THROUGH HARBOUR DEFENCE. Shortly after five o'clock on Wednesday morning the destroyer Ferret attacked the boom in Portsmouth Harbour. Considerable importance was attached to the experiment, and the Tesult was a great surprise to the Starting from Spithead, the destroyer steamed at full speed into the harbour. When within a hundred yards or so of the boom steam was shut off. There was a tense moment as the destroyer neared the obstacle. The crowd of spectators held their breath, whilst a swarm of Government boats moved forward to help the Ferret, for it was gene- rally expected that she wouJd be impaled on the huge spikes with which the boom was thickly studded, but, to the astonishment of all, she swept through the obstacle as though it had been a cobweb. The progress of the destroyer was not. evert arrested, and her crow stood calmly on deck. At first she seemed to be absolutely un- injured, but close inspection showed that her bows were slightly dented, a.nd evidently she was holed through the bottom, though not seriously. In a few seconds the whole thing was over, and the Ferret was being towed back to dock by tugs. She had been strenghtened for the trials, a cutter having been fixed to her bows. An examination of the F-ermt in dock shows that the vessel sustained no injury beyond a slight dent in her bows. Lieuten.ant Hodgson steered her through the boom, and all the men in the engine-room remained in their places.

FORMER MUSIC-HALL ARTISTE DIVORCED. In the Divorce Court on Tuesday Mr. John Hickieson Moley. employed in the wool trade, aud living at Bradford, obtained a deotee nisi on the ground of the misconduct of his wife, formerly a music-hall artiste, with Mr. George Hopkinson Thorpe, against whom damages were asseaeed at £100. The wife made counter allegations against the peti- tioner, but the jury found he was not guilty of the charges. Answering the President, the petitioner said be had seen the respon- dent and co-reepondent together.

SEQUEL TO DISMISSAL. LABOUR UNION OFFICIAL TO PAY R-50. The House of Lords on Tuesday reversed a decision of the Court of Appeal and upheld the judgment of the county-court and the King's Bench awarding jEM damages to a labourer named C-oiiway against an official of the National Amalgamated Ul),ion of Labour for unlawfaily a.nd maliciously pro- curing Oonway's dismissal from employment in a ship-repairing yard in South Shields by informing the foreman of Conway's gang that the ihembors of the Union would ow-ve work unless Conway was dismissed. Conway was disliked for a supposed breaoh of Trades Union rules some yeai-s previously.

A STRANGE LETTER TO A WIFE. « "A POOR, SILLY, CONFIDING FELLOW." Mrs. Ethel Rebecca Thackeray's action for libel against the Encore" came agair. before Mr. Justice Walton and a common jury in the King's Bench recently, when a verdict was given for defendant. She claimed damages for the publication of a notice stating that she was living in Ireland apart from her husband, and that Mr. Thackeray would not be responsible "for the performance of any- engagement she may enter into or any debts she may incur." Mr. Thackeray, the plaintiff's husba-nd, was oalled for the defence, and stated that he was told that his wife had gone to Belfast. When he got there he found tha.t Mrs. Thackeray's wardrobe and jewellery waren the care of Mr. Walker, but her friend assured him they were put in a safe. Mr Martin O'Connor: Were you much attached to your wife?—There is no word for it. I idolised the woman. He found things out almost immediately on his return from Belfast. The last letter he wrote to his wife was couched in these terms: — When I look back on the last six years of my life I often wonder if it has been a dream. When I think of the happiness I have had, and the misery I now endure, I know to my Forrow tha.t it. has been stern reality, a.nd that now, when I have been brought to my proper senses, I know it has not been a dream, or even a terrible night- mare, but too true. I now wa.ke np to the fact that all the happiness I thought was given to me was only bluff. Everything points tha.t way, and I am a poor, silly, confiding fellow that placed my faith in a woman that was working all, day and night for her own ends and the ruin of her husband. It makes one wonder if there is any God. And this lund of woman I have made my wife, given her an honourable name after being my mis- tress for years. WTiere is the other man that would ha.ve done that? Well, I got camght, and in less than six months 3he left me and returned to the arms of her lover. Now, I must ask myself the question, Is there a good, honest, and true woman on earth? I am inclined to doubt it. Little did I think tha.t all her songs and bits of fun were all false. Counsel at last said he was tired of read- ing. (Laughter.) The whole letter was in the same style. During the progress of Mr. F. E. Smith's closing speech for the defence, Mrs. Thacke- ray was at the point of fainting twice, and had to be supported by a friend who sat beside her at the solicitors' table.

MARRIAGE IMBROGLIO. —- KING OF SPAIN'S COUSIN AND ENGLISH PRINCESS. An account of the imbroglio arising out of the secret marriage of the Infante Alfonso of Orleans, cousin of the King of Spain, to Pri ncess Beatrice of Saxe Ooburg Goth a, as given by the Prince himself to an intimate friend, presents the case in an entirely new liglh.t. So far from King Alphonso refusing his consent to the union, as reported in dis- patches from Madrid, his Majesty favoured the marriage with Princess Beatrice, privately gave him leave of absence for tha.t purpose, and personally intervened by tele- graph with the Bamberg eoclesiastical autho- rities, in whose dioo&se the wedding took place, to obtain the dispensation necessary in the case of a Catholic marrying a Protes- tant. The Spanish Government warned the Vati- can, and the diepensa,tion was neither granted nor positively refused. For some time the young couple waited patiently, con- sidering themselves affianced, as did also the King. who visited Princess Beatrice at Munich last summer, when the Infante graduated at Toledo. On the 12th inst. he immediately volun- teered for service at the front. War had meanwhile broken out in Africa. The King granted him three days' leave before going to Melilla, and urged him to marry secretly, promising to telegraph to the bishop at Bamberg the request that he should grant the dispensation. The Prince arrived at Coburg on the 15th inst., and a civil marriage took place the same morning. At three o'clock in the after- noon the priest- a.t Coburg received the dispen- sation by telegraph, and half an hour later the Catholio ceremony was solemnised. It was not intended that the marriage should be made public, but the news leaked out in Spain, and a Royal decree of degradation followed. Thus the Clerical party in Spain, who hold a majority in Parliament, have forced the King to disgrace his own cousin and drive him out of the Army, his offence being a secret marriage with a Protestant Princess, who is a niece of King Edward and first cousin of the German Emperor and the Czar. The Prince has telegraphed to the King asking again to be allowed to go to the front.—Reutei

FIGHT. WITH A BURGLAR. INTRUDER ESCAPES AFTER EXCITING CHASE. A daring burglary was perpetrated about seven o'clock the other morning on the pre- mises of Messrs. Bonmeval, cigarette makers, of Piccadilly, resulting in a desperate struggle and exciting chase, the burglar, however, evading capture. The caretaker, an ex-soldier named Thomas Fox, was sleeping in the basement, and, hearing a noise in the shop above, saw through a keyhole a man in the act of stow- ing away a quantity of articles in a sack. The intruder, finding- that he was discovered, opened the door and irnmediataly closed with tho caretaker. A desperate struggle ensued, during which Fox was severely bitten in the arm, and thl" burglar threatened to shoot his antagonis:, but did not disclose a revolver. Fox was overpowered, and the man, sprins- ing to his f-eet, dashed away, followed by the caretaker. Several attempts were made by pafcers-by to stop tho burglar, but witho.it ava,il. One man who attempted to secure the runaway was felled to the ground by a violent blow in the faoo, while others suffered more or less for their interference. It was afterwards found that the burglar had got away with a quantity of cigarette tubes and gold and silver cigarette casee, valued at £13, whilst in the shop were found two sacks ready for carrying away other articles, one being already packed with 2,000 ciga.rs. Fox is suffering severely from his injured arm.

EX-COLLECTOR SENTENCED. At Belfast Assizes on Tuesday Stouppe Maginnis, ex-rate collector, who pleaded guilty to embezzlement of nearly £3,000 from the Belfast Corporation, was sentenced to six years' penal servitude. The accused hod been the responsible official for 27 years. N