Weekly Mail

STRANGE CHARGES OF BLACKMAIL. -4 REMARKABLE DISCLOSURES IN LONDON. Serious allegations of blackmail were made at Miaryieborce Police-court on Saturday against two young men, Arthur Cecil Strat- ton, a clerk, of Portla.nd-road, Holland Park. and Alfred Graham, a billiard-marker, of Queen-street, Marylebcme, who were arrested in a coffee-house at John-street, Edgware- road, the previous Saturday on a charge of being concerned together in sending to Sidney Neville Noa-kcs certa-im letters demanding money with menaces. Stratton, when takenv into custody, said:- I have been expecting this. It is about that fellow who has been slandering and libelling me, after having made a con- venience of my house with Graham. I have been trying to get him to take this step, so that I may expose him and recover damages if possible, and clear myself of the charge which he made in one of his let.t.ars that I was the leader of a gang. Upon Stratton was found a weighted life- preserver, while Graham had in his posees- sion a revolver. Mr. Bodkin, for the prosecution, said one of the offences was the accusing of the prosecutor of a certain grave offence. The evidence would show that the prisoners were constant associates, who met daily at a coffee-house, where they wrote letters, neither of them apparently being in em- ployment. The prosecutor was a gentleman of about 27 years of age, of independent means, and unmarried. He conducted a well-known business in London, which was that of a limited liability company, of which he was a director. He had from time to time, as a single man. indulged in dissi. pation in London, and three years ago, after dining somewhat too generously, met a lady at a place of amusement, and went with her to her home in the neighbourhood of Bloomsbury. During the night the whole of his possessions were stolen, including a valu- able watch, a sovereign purse, a pen Knife", a handkerchief, visiting cards, and other things by which his identity could be estab- lished. The prosecutor did not give information to the police. Shortly afterwards the prosecu- tor was stopped by a man .n the street, who said he had the whole of his property. The prosecutor asked him what he wanted for it, and received the reply: "I did. not steal it myself. I want £10, and £ 5 for myself." The n7 prosecutor on that went to the secretary cf the company and obtained from him F,15, which he handed to the man. That was about September, 1906. Alter the arrest of the two prisoners Graham sent for Chief inspector Bower, and made a statement respecting the prosecutor and a house in South Queen-street. A pocket- knife which had the abbreviated name of the pnx=ecutor on it was found on the prisoner, and Ji« "He did Il..t tell y&u he Rare me 11,1; to get it back." The house in South Queen-street, it seemed, was a small lodging-house that was occupied under a lease by a man who died in hospital in April of this year. This man had a, daughter, who atKuit March last became the wife of the prisoner Stratton. The house was let sus a lodging-house, and about this period Graham went to lodge there, and later both prisoners lodged together at Netting Hill. Then, said Mr. Bodkin, oommenccd a series of letters which were received by the prose- cutor. and which, it was alleged, were written by the prisoners with the object of levying blackmail. The prosecutor, fortunately, took up a firm stand, and on July 21 he wrote: — I beg to give you notice that if you or any of your gang annoy me in any way whatever I will at once place the matter in the hands of the police." Further letters were, how- ever, received, reference being made in some of them to the house in Little Queen-street and with veiled imputations of a certain kind against prosecutor, who ultimately decided to apply for warrants against the prisoners. Stra,tton on his arrest said: —" I have had ample oauoo for every step I made." In explanation of the life preserver found on him, he said he himself had been black- mailed. Graham said: "This trouble is all through Stratton. I did not want to do any- thing in the matter; I should have let it drop, but he kept on making me write the letters." PKOSBOUTOS'S STORY OF THE LETTERS. Prosecutor in giving evidence said from September, 1906, until the middle of last June he heard nothing, but he then received a letter signed "Alfred Graham," in which the writer asked for a little money -to get employment. lie did not reply to this, and on July 16 a letter reached him signed A. C. Stratton," and dated from Little Queen- stre-et, in which the writer said: — I understand from my lodger, Alfred Graham, that you are a great intimate friend of his. I may mention that on the strength of his assertions I have advanced him considerable sums of money on the security of a gold pocket-knife which yon left in a room in my house. I was always led to believe that he had great expecta- tions from you, and that you would set him on his feet again, and that then he would re-pay me, and what with the -nilmorous telegrams and postal orders which you have sent him and the fact that I had seen you in my house several times I naturally believed him. Graham is talk- ing very wildly; I cannot enter into details. Please arrange for an interview with me. Witness on receiving this letter wrote threatening to place the matter in the hands of the police, as there was not tne slightest truth in the statements made in the letter as to his visiting the house in Little Queen- street and sending Graham telegrams and money. In another letter which witness received, signed "Graham," the writer sa.id:- I have been very ill for two or three weeks with a bad attack of malaria, and I only got out of bed this morning. I saw my late lodger, a Mr. Stratton, and lie told me he had written to you saying he bad lent me some money and asking you to make an appointment. If he writes again just ignore him. I don't think he will. Of course, he knows all about your being round to Little Queen-street with me, and in a foolish moment I told him who you are. I am determined to see you vory soon, so send me a wire. I shall not write any more; if I do I shall not stamp them, as I have no money. I don't care whether you give me any money or not, but I must see you. and if the worst comes to the worst I shall write to your father. A further letter signed "Stratton" was sent to witness's solicitors, in whioh the writer paid:— I have been waiting for the matter to be brought to a climax. I am prepared not to let the matter be bought. I intend to have the matter out in a court of law. I shall not hesitate to take the initiative myself in a manner which will not be relished by your client. Witness then decided to take proceedings. In further evidence, witness said the man to whom he paid the money for the returned articles wa.s not either of the defendants. Graham once stopped him in the street and eaid, "Stratton is going for you. He is a very determined man, and if you take my advice yon had better give him some-thing to keep him quiet." He had ne.or been to the house in Little Queen-street, nor did be know anyone connected with it. He had never given Graham money, and had never eeen Stratton till that day. Alfred Deles. a painter, stated that he and his wife took apa.rtments at a house in Little Queen-street in April last, the rooms being let w them by the prisoner Stratton. Graham came to lodge at the house and remained there for eome time. So far as witness could Pee, neither of the prisoners did any regular work, but he never heard any complaint of Graham bringing men to the house. lie prisoners were remanded for a week. i

RAILWAYMEN'S SENSATIONAL ACTION.-See Page 7.

GIRL'S VISIT TO A BUNGALOW. 4^ — TWO MEN CHARGED WITH ABDUCTION. An extraordinary story was told at Liverpool Police-court in connection with a charge of procuring and conspiracy preferred against a prepossessing young woman named Maud Horrocks (19) and two men of good social position named William Green, a. sack merchant, of Poulton, Cheshire, and Thomas E. Francis, of Will- aston, Cheshire. The story for the prosecution was that the girl was Frances Helena Murphy (fifteen), and lived with her mother, with whom the prisoner Horrocks also lived under the name of Wilson. On August 13 the girl, who was perfectly innocent and modest, was asked by Horrocks to go with her to a French polishers' picnic to Wrexham. The girl's mother, thinking everything was all right, consented. At eleven o'clock on the Saturday morn- ing Horrocks and the girl set out for Wrex- ba.m, the former paying the railway and other expenses. On arriving at Wrexham they met the two male prisoners. They got into a motor-car, and the girl asked Maud Horrocks where- the rest of the picnic was, and both men replied that they were going to meet the rest of the picnic later on. They drove for a time, which seemed to be about half an hour, along Holt-road, and crossing the river they got cut of the oar and went down a footpath to the river and to a road where there was a bungalow, which was approached by two steps into a central room, used for the purpose of a kitchen. On the right and the left of this central room there were two bedrooms, which were separated by hanging curtains and not a door. The girl noticed there were four port wine glasses standing on the table and a black bottle, from which the cork had been withdrawn and evidently replaced. She was invited to take a glass of wine, and she com- • sented. The others also had something to drink, and then the men went with the woman Horrocks into the bedroom on the right side. Oi.e of the men proceeded to read a book sitting by the side of the girl, and that was the last thing she remembered. At that time she was wearing her hat and jacket. As far as she could jecoHect she woke up two hours afterwards, when she was lying on the bed in a bedroom. As she moved to get off the bed the woman Horrocks came in. and the girl immediately challenged her, and said that something had happened to her. The woman re-plied. Nothing has happ-er-ed to you; I have been with you all the time. You were asleep in the small room, so I took the hat and jacket off you and carried you into the bedroom." The girl. however, was not satisfied with the woman'? statement. She found the two men in the kitchen, and told them tha.t she believed something had been done to her, but they said that nothing had happened and that the woman had boon with her all the time. They all had tea. and after a row on the river Horrocks and the girl left the men, and were conveyed to Wrexham Railway Station in a taxi-cab. During- the journey tack to Liverpool Murphy told Horrocks she wa-s vexed with her for having said she was going to a picnic, and the woman replied, Tell your mother you have been to a pic- nic." Horrocks and the girl went to bed that night without anything to eat, and as the girl was uadawastngr the woman fell upox her knees and bogged her to a.dhere to. the story that they had been to a picnic, and that they had been nowhere else. Nothing waA said about the affair until the 30th of that month, eome fifteen or sixteen days later. The girl then informed a young married woman, who also lived in the house, what ha.d happened, and she ma.de a voluntary statement on the 30th, which was repeated to the mothor, and which was consistent with the story which she had told before. The mother went to the police, and the girl was subsequently examined by Dr House, and liis examination confirmed the story told by the. girl. When Horrocks was arrested she denied that anything improper had taken place. ¡ EVIDENCE BY THE GIRL. Murphy, who gave her evidence with remarkable coolness, said that the door of the bungalow did not open with an ordinary key, "they had to make a name with it." The wine she drank was more bitter than that which she had on her birthday. She I then felt herself go off into a deep sleep. When she awoke she was in another room lying on a stretcher bed. Her hat and jacket were off, and she felt very ill and sick. Both Horrocks and the men denied tHjJt anything had been done to her. Medical evidence in support of the case for the prosecution was given. Mrs. Annie Bradford, mother of the com- plainant by a former marriage, gave evi- dence bearing out the story told by oom- plainant. Cross-examined, witness said she had been mutually separated from her husband, who was in Johannesburg. She had a weekly allowance from her brother, and she earned a livelihood by cleaning houses. She denied that a young gentleman had taken a female to her house dor an improper purpose, but she admitted having sent her daughter to this man for the loan of 10s. to meet the expenses in connection with her married daughter's illness. She expected Horrocks and her daughter home from the pic-nic by seven o'clock, but they did not return till half-past eleven. She was greatly annoyed, and ordered her daughter straight to bed. She denied that Horrocks had ever used her house for an improper purpose. It was eleven daye after the pic-nic that she heard what had happened, and &he then learned from a neigh- bour, whom her daughter had told. A police-constable of the Denbigh County Constabulary stated that he knew Green and Francis by reason of a gallant rescue they some time ago made of two drowning men. He had never seen the defendants driving or riding in a private motor-car. He had only seen them in a railway motor-'bus. Accused were committed for trial, bail being allowed.

WELSH GIRL'S ROMANCE. ELOPEMENT AND MARRIAGE IN AMERICA. Details have just been received of a Welsh girl's marriage in Los Angeles, which formed the happy sequel to a romantic attachment and elopement. Mrs. B. C. Fricke Ithen Miss Nellie Evans, the daughter of Mr and Mrs. John Evans, 43, Alfred-street, Neath) left England on July 10 of this year to join her sister. Miss Edith Evans, in San Diego. Mr. Fricke had then been in San Diego for about sixteen months, having for some time been employed as a private tutor. He had pre- viously been an officer in the German Navy, and it was while aboard a training ship, when stationed at Cardiff, that he first met his bride. On meeting again on the other side of the Atlantic, the couple eloped to Los At.goles, being pursued by the bride's elder sister and a detective. Upon their arrival there the sister relented, and consented to the marriage, which took place on September 15

AEROPLANE ACCIDENT. EXCITING EXPERIENCE OF THE HON. C. S. ROLLS. The Wright aeroplane of the Hon. C. S. Rolls was damaged in an accident while undergoing preliminary trials at the Aero Club grounds at Shellbeach. Mr. Rolls made a satisfactory short flight of about 60ft. or 70ft., and then decided to make another effort. Just as he had cleared the end of the rail he raised his elevating plane at too great an angle, with the result that the machine shot up like an arrow until it assumed an almost perpendicular altitude. For the moment, as the huge surface of wood and canvas stood up 30ft. from the ground in this dangerous position, the few spectators present were greatly alarmed. Mr. Rolls had, however, just cut off his motor in time, and the machine came down with a crash on the right-hand wing, smash- ing it to pieces, and breaking both pro- pellers. Luckily, the aeronaut escaped with- out a scratch.. t

A SUFFRAGETTE'S VIVID STORY. One of the suffragettes, Miss Laura Amswortli, who has undergone the forcible administration of food at Winson Green Gaol, Birmingham, was released en Tuesday morning. She was in such a serious condition that she was taken dircct to a nursing home. Later she was visited by Miss Christabel Pankhurst, and she gave a detailed account of the operations to the solicitor who has been engaged on behalf of the suffragettes thus fed. She said:- For three days after being in prison I took no food whatever. On the Saturday morning I was taken into the matron's room, where there were two doctors and six wardresses. The prison doctor said, "1 have orders that you are not to be released. I have to do everything in my power to feed you. I am going to commit a technical assault, and I take full responsibility for my action. He then asked, "Will you take food or not?" No," I said emphatically, whereupon I was sounded and my pulse was felt. After- wards I was placed in a chair, my head was held back by the wardresses, and one of the doctors opened my mouth with his linger. Milk was then poured down my throat by means of afeeding cup. Whilst this was being done both my mouth and nose were being held. I was then put to bed. Afterwards the governor came to my cell and asked me if I had any complaint to make, and when I complained of this treatment he simply referred me to the visaing justices. The same evening the two doctors returned. I again refused to take food and resisted their efforts to make me do so. Th ly tried to force food into my nostrils. There seemed to be something sharp at the end of the tube, for I felt a sharp, prick- ing sensation. Owing to an injury received before going to gaol through someone hitting me on the nose with a stone, it appears that the nasal passage was closed. One of the doctors then said: "It's no good; we shall have to use the tube." I was raised to a sitting position, and a tube about two feet long was produced. My mouth was prised open with a steel instrument, and then I felt them feeling for the proper passage. I was now being held by four or five wardresses. I felt a choking sensation, and what I judged to be a cork gag was placed between my teeth to keél) ray mouth open. Altogthcr it was a horrible feeling. I experienced great sickness, especially when the tube was being withdrawn. Twice a day, morning and afternoon, I was fed in this way, whilst at mid-day a small quantity of meat extract was forced through my teeth. One afternoon the two doctors visited my oell and had a whispered conversation. One said to the other: "Yes. I agree," and I was then told they were going to remove me to another cell. They actually took me to the hospital, and there I have been until I webs relea.MM.. Food was administered th-ere by means of the feeding cup.

A CORK GAG. MR. KEIR HARDIE QUESTIONS THE HOME SECRETARY. Mr. KEIR HARDIE (Lab., Merthyr Tydfil) asked the Home Secretary in the House of Commons on Tuesday whether he had been informed that Miss Ainsworth, who was released that morning from Winson Green Gaol, Birmingham, alleged that a steel instrument was used to force open the mouths of those women who had had to be fed by force, and that a cork gag was inserted in order to keep the mouth open, and whether, in view of his former statement that this had not been done, he had received any fresh official information on the subject. Mr. BELLOC (R., Salford, S.): May I ask whether in this matter anything different has been done to the women to what has been done to men in times past without Protest from any Dart of this House. Mr. GLADSTONE: Of course, the treatment has been applied to men in cases of necessity, and without demur. With regard to the other question, I only received notice of it ten minutes ago. Perhaps the hon. member will be good enough to put it on the paper. Mr. KEIR HARDIE: The right hon. gentle- man will make inquiries? Mr. GLADSTONE: Certainly.

KING MANUEL'S VISIT. HIS BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS AT WINDSOR. LISBON, Sunday. The Seculo" to-day publishes what it states are the official plans in connection with King Mhnuei's forthcoming visit to England. Leaving Madrid in the first week in Novem- ber, his Majesty, after a brief visit to Madrid, will proceed to Cherbourg, where he will embark on November 14 for Ports- mouth on board the British Royal yacht i Victoria and Albert. N, Portsmouth King Manuel will be received by the Prince of Wales on behalf of King Edward, and will travel by special train to Windsor. King Manuel will remain at Windsor for eight days, ard in honour of his Majesty's twen- tieth birthday, which he will celebrate there, King Edward will give a great banquet. On the following day King Edward will confer the Order of the Garter upon him. During his stay at Windsor King Manuel will proceed to London, and be the guest of the City Corporation at a Guildhall lun- cheon. Subsequently King Manuel will remove with the Court from Windsor to Buckingham Palace, where he will stay for a few days, and where a Royal ball will be given in his honour.—Central News.

LOVERS' LAST LETTERS, MAN AND WOMAN FOUND SHOT ON THE RAILWAY. An inquest was held at Birmingham on Tuesday on the man and woman whose bodies were found on the railway at Yardley Wood. The man was a native of Stafford, named William Henry Boon, and the young woman was Marian Hickman, living with her parents in Birmingham. Both had been shot. A letter written by Boon to his father ste.too I should advise you to avoid people pointing to my grave and for years saying "This is the grave of W. H. Boon, who murdered his true lover and suicided," by gratifying my last wish to be cremated. Maggie begged for months for me to take her with me. In a lett-e-r which the young woman had written to her mother she eaid:— I was determined to do this six months ago. I begged of Will to go together. Do not blame him for it. I could not take to another. The jury returned a verdict of Wilful murder" against Boon in respect of the woman, and as regarded himself of Suicide whilst of unsound mind."

BEGGING LETTER FRAUD. MONEY OBTAINED FROM VIS- COUNT LLANDAFF. At the Guildhall, London, on Tuesday Henfy Edgar, otherwise Stanley (65), a clerk, was sentenced to twelve months' hard laJbour, under the Prevention of Crimes Act, on charges of having sent a fraudulent begging letter to the Earl of Gosford, of Armagh Castle, County Armagh, with intent to defraud, and of obtaining three sums of £1 from Viscount Llandaff by fraud. Lord Llandaff attended the court to give evidence in support of the charges, and the magistrate described the case as one of the worst of its kind. The police stated there was a long list of previous convictions against the prisoner for forgeries and similar freuds. Eighteen complaints had been made to the Charitable Organisation Society of prisoner's begging letters sent to peers.

I THE PEACEMAKER-

A HUSBAND'S SAD STORY. • WIFE SHOT IN A LONDON STREET. A dramatic midnight shooting affair occurred at Maryl-ebdne, as the result of which a young married woman, Mrs. Maud Saunders (24), is now in hospital suffering from a bullet wound. Her husband, Thomas Saunders (30), labourer, was charged at Marlborough-street, London, on Friday with attempted murder. The couple had been separated for a year, and tbe wife went to live in a flat at Gpper Maryleboue-street. As she was returning to her rooms about midnight she was unex- pectedly met by her husband. There was some conversation, and a few minutes later a shot was heard, and Mrs. Saunders was found collapsing on the f<>otpath and bleed- ing from the face. The husband disappeared round the corner, but a passer-by held him until the arrival of a constable. The bullet passed clean through Mrs. Saunders' head, but the wound is stated not to be dangerous. A constable told bow at midnight he heard a police whistle blowing1. I turned round and saw prisoner runnin.g towards me, closely followed by a second constable. I ran towards him, but just before I reached him he was knocked down by a civilian. I then took him into custody, and on the way to the station he said, I am sorry for her. I hope she is not hurt.' Prisoner was quite sober, and had twenty cartridges in his pocket." Two youths spoke to chasing prisoner after the shooting occurred. One of them said that Saunders kicked him in the chest and pointed the revolver at him At this stage an extraordinary letter written by prisoner to his sister was pro- du.ced. It ran: When you get this I hope I shall be out of all my trouble. If I had taken your aovioo I should not be in the position I am now, but if you knew what I have gone through you would understand. I'thank you for the trust you have put in me. I f!ja:ve tried hard to fight against it, but last blow is more than I can stand. You know I have suffered imprisonment for my wife and how I forgave her. You know I would do anything for her, for I love her dearly, but I cannot understand her going back to "M." I spent £90 trying to get her back. I wrote and went to see "M" and her, and asked her to come back, but they only laughed at me. My poor boy will have to suffer, and I hope God will bless him and take care of him. I went to "M's" father and asked him if he would see his son and ask him to give up my wife and go back to his own. And this is a clergyman's view of morality. He told me to go and mind my own business and to leave his son to mind hiV. So the only thing is for me to take the law into my own hands. I don't know anything more to say except to tell all the girls not to think too bad of their brother. I would only ask a last favour, and that is -don't let my boy go into a home. He will be a credit to anyone. A last good-bye and God's blessing to you all. Prisoner was remanded for a week.

MILLIONAIRES' WEDDING. SIR. HARRIMAN'S DAUGHTER TO MARRY MR. GOELET. NEW YORK, Saturday The New York "American announces that Mies Mary Harriman, daughter of the late financier, will shortly be married to Mr. R. Goelet, the young millionaire financier. The wedding, says the "American," will be very quiet, and will take place at Mrs. Harri- man's home at Arden, Tuxedo Park.—Cen- | tral News. Mr. Robert Walton Goelot, who is 29 years of age, is a director of several railwayps, banks, and trusts, and a member of the Manuscript, Fine Arts, and Holland Societies. He is a cousin of Mr. Robert Wilson Goelet, brother of the Duchess of Roxburge. His for- tune is already £ 2,500,000, and it is stated that he wiH inherit another £ 3,000,000. Miss Mary Harriman is the daughter of the late Mr. E. II. Harriman, who left a for- tune of between fifteen ,#ind twenty millions tune of between fifteen 4Lnd twenty millions sterling to his widow, who is now the richest I woman in the world. Miss Harriman has been trained in the science of philanthropy, and on her father's death Mrs. Harriman said she would be her right hand in all I' matters of charity.

JOURNALIST'S SUICIDE. SELF-DESTRUCTION FOLLOWS 11,1,- HEALTH. The death occurred at Vienna on Sunday under sensational circumstances, of Mr. Albert Pulitzer, the well-known Ameri- can journalist. Mr. Pulitzer, who -came to Europe some fourteen years ago, owing to ill-health, had lately suffered greatly by reason of nervous trouble. He had rooms at the Grand Hotel, and his doctor, who called last night to keep an appointment, found him lying dead on the floor under circum- stances which pointed to his having shot himself in front of a mirror, while on the table was a small empty phial which had contained poison. Inquiries showed that earlier in the evening Mr. Pulitzer had dis- missed his secretary and other attendants, and had asked to be left alone. The deceased, who was 58 years of age, was a brother of Mr. Joseph Pulitzer, proprietor of the "New York World."—Central News.

JUDGE IN MOTOR ACCIDENT A motor-car, containing Mr. Justice Wright and two other gentlemen, was standing in Queensborough-road, Bray, on Saturday evening, when another motor-car turned the corner and badly damaged the former car by collision. The occupants of both cars were severely shaken. j

WOMAN DEVOURED BY LIONS. f—- EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE AT I A THEATRE. PARIS, Friday. A terrible scene occurred last night at the Theatre Menoey, where a play, Papa- la Vertu," is being given e,ery evening. A lion tamer, after having performed his role in the piece, has been in the habit of leaving the animals in the care of their keeper, a young ma-n named Bailloud, who for the last two years has been acquainted with a woman named Josephine Ripoc.he. Frequent quarrels occurred between the pair, and. menaced with desertion, Josephine Ripoche is said to have decided to commit suicide. Last night she approached the lions' cage, which had been placed behind the scenes, land irritated the animals with a. whip. Sud- denly ferocious roars were heard, and terri- fied scene-shifters and actors saw the woman in t1." clutches, of an enormous lion j U'u^ght siigaiiut the bars of its cage, tbarryfL which it had succeeded in thrusting its paws. The lion was lacerating the throa/t of the unfortunate woman. The lion tamer, sent for in haste, succeeded in oompelling the lion to let go its hold, but Josephine Ripoche died almost immediately. The play was still being- performed. Doctors had been sent for, but were power- less to afford aid to the woman.—Central News.

I PRISON CONFLICT. BUILDING FIRED: FIGHT WITH SOLDIERS. LISBON, Saturday. According to a telegram published in the "Secuiio" the large prison at Coimbra was yesterday the ecene of a desperate conflict between its inmates, who revolted, and the troops and police called too quell the dis- order. The revolting prisoners fired the building, hoping to escape in the confusion, but the fire was quickly discovered by the warders, who after a short and sharp fight over- powered the men and drove them back. Meanwhile, however, the flames were spread- ing rapidly, and a large force of firemen was summoned to deal with the dangerous situa- tion, troops being also hurried to the spot. The prisoners, realising the despera-tenees of their position, but heedless of the advancing flames, erected barricades, and defended the prison entrances with amazing fierceness, raining volleys of stones on the soldiers, police, and firemen, and even pouring boil- ing water down upon them. Eventually the fire was extinguished, and the prisoners surrendered.—Central News.

FALL FROM A WINDOW. TRAGIC DEATH OF AN AGENT- GENERAL. A coroner's jury at Margate on Monday evening returned a verdict of "Accidental death" in regard to the Ron. Charles Alex- ander Duff Miller, Agent-Gcnera-l in London for New Brunswick, who died as the result of a fall from a window. He was ordered to j Margate for a complete rest cure. On Satur- day morning he left his bedroom with his male attendant, who missed him, and he was found lying in the yard under an open bed- room window. Death resulted from a frac- tured skull. Mer. Miller, who was a Fellow of the Royal Colonial. Institute and a Governor of the Imperial Institute, was born at Kingston, Ontario, in 1854. His early education was at Montreal Hia-h School, and he afterwards studied at The Grange, Sunderland, and Vevey, Switzerland. At the time of t112" Fenian Raid in Canada in 1866 he was only twelve years old, but, nevertheless, his ser- vices were such that he was awarded the! Oa.nadian medal (with clasp). His mother! was a cousin of Mr. J. Alexander Elder, the founder of Messrs. Elder, Dempster, and Co., of Liverpool.

£6,000 INVOLVED. SOCIETY SECRETARY CHARGED WITH FRAUD. The hearing of the charges of fraud brought against Alexander Gibson, lat*j secretary of the Penzance Building Society, was resumed at Penzance on Monday A solicitor acting for the Public Prosecutor intimated that several new charges of mis- appropriation of moneys of the society were to be preferred against the accused. The charges concerned cheques paid to the accused by members on their re-payment accounts, and also by members as subscrip- tions, and it would be proved he converted j those amounts to his own use. There was a. deficiency, he was afraid, in the society's assets of £ 6,000, which had melted in thin air. Other charges were being investigated, but he did not know whether they would be brought- Evidence was then given by mem- bers of the society of cheques paid to prisoner on re-payment of loans from the society, and that they gave accused no authority to utilise those moneys for any other purpose than the society's. The accused was further remanded on baiL

ESKIMO CANNIBAL. According to statements made by FBkimos, some time during the winter the natives at Port Harrison (Canada) weire in a state of starvation, and one of the men killed and ate He child. On learning it his neighbours attacked him, whereupon he shot several of them, and then fled into the wilderness.— Reuter.

BABY FLOATING IN j THE CANAL. ♦ |CORONER AND "DIABOLICAL" I ACT. A Shoreditch jury on Friday returned a verdict of Murder against someone un- known in a strange case which is being investigated by the London police. AYra-pped in a woman's skirt, a living baby was thrown, into the Regent's Canal. Pre- viously an attempt had been made to poison it with vitriol or sulphuric acid. A man and woman, it is stated, were seen to throw the parcel, which was tied with string, into the canal, a-nd then hasten away. The parcel floated down the middle of the ca,nal, and something was hea.rd crying inside. I at firrt thought it was a cat," said a boy named Jones" However, at the request of a girl, who said it was a baby's cry, I ran for my fishing *H?d and recovered the parcel, in which I found a living baby." A constable ran with the child to the nearest house, and noticing that the baby was very black near the mouth, he tried to s-Joiige the .-tain 'off. He then found that the child had been burnt with acid. For sixteen days the baby lived, and then it died from blood poisoning set up by the add, "Apparently an attempt was made to pour it down the child's throat and it wriggled, as a ba.by would, with the result that it snashed over its body," remarked the coroner. It was a diabolical act." I The fcllowing description has been issued of the couple alleged to have been seen throwing the child into the cana-l:—Woman, of the couple alleged to have been seen throwing the child into the cana-l:—Woman, aged about 25, 5ft. lOin. in height, dressed in a light fawn coat, with black "Merry Widow" hat. Man, short, and wearing a, lajge green I cap. CHARGE AGAINST MOTHER AND TWO DAUGHTERS. Three women, Mary Kettrick and her daughters Catherine and Esther, were at Newtown, Mount Kennedy, County Wicklow. on Friday charged with the wilful murder of the last-named's child, whose dead body was found buried in a garden at Kiicooie. Eventually the murder charge was with- drawn, and the three women were committed to the assizes on a charge of concealment of death. They were admitted to bail.

DASH INTO HOP-PICKERS. MANSLAUGHTER VERDICT AGAINST MOTOR-DRIVER. A coroner's jury returned a verdict of "Manslaughter" at Farningham, Kent, on Friday against Mr. Clifton R-obinson, of Oharing Cross, London. On Sunday evening last Thomas Goulding (oo^ and. his wife, Annie (41), were, with their seven children, tramping to London from Kent, where they had been hop-picking, when Mr. and Mrs. Goulding were knocked down by Mr. Robinson's motor-car, and died from their injuries, while one of the children was also injured. Two witnes&es stated that the deceased were walking near the hedge. A policeman deposed that when he met Mr. Robinson's car, containing the dead man, Mr. Robinson, who was quite sober, said:- We have had a very bad accident. I can't understand why we did not see them. They were in the middle of the road. In his evidence Mr. Robinson, who drove the car, said his speed might have been seven- teen or eighteen miles an hour. He did not see the deceased until within thirty or forty feet. He swerved to avoid the children and the deceased, but the latter were knocked down by the radiator and lamp. The police stated that the car seemed to have made & semi-circle and then gone up the bank. Another motorist and his chauffeur described Mr. Robinson's speed as dangerous. The jury were absent an hour and 40 minutes, and their verdict was Culpable negligence." Mr. Robinson was committed to the assizes for tr. and was admitted to bail—himself in £ 200 and two sureties of £ 100 each.

RUSSIAN PRISON SCANDAL THOUSANDS OF PRISONERS DIE ¡ FROM DISEASE. ODESSA, Friday. An official return shows that the total num- ber of people incarcerated in the prisons of European Russia on July 1 last was no less than 180,000, whereas the total prison accom- modation is less than 90,000. Typhus and spotted typhus are admitted to be virulently epidemic in no fewer than 65 prisons, and the mortality therefrom is said to be grievously high," but no figures are given. The official report mentions in detail some forty prisons which are in a scandalous state of dilapidation, and where the most elementary sanitary provisions are absolutely non-existent. It is declared on reliable authority that during the past decade many thousands of prisoners incarcerated by administrative order" have perished in prison from pre- ventable disease.—Central News.

TRAIN DASHES INTO OFFICE NARROW ESCAPE OF TELEGRAPH CLERKS. At Northallerton Station on Friday an empty passenger train took the wrong points and went into a short siding adjacent to the station. It ran with great force into the telegraph office, which was carried forward bodily several yards on to the platform. The clerks narrowly escaped death, and two of them were injured The other buildings on the platform, were damaged, and a portion of the roof was displaced, overhanging the ma,inlirie in so alarming a. manner that traffic was carried on on a single lin&. 9

SPRING CLEANING. 1 W. E. Vaughan & Co. DYERS, DRY CLEANERS, AND LAUNDRY PROPRIETORS, CARPET BEATERS. SEND POST-CARD FOR VAN TO CALL. LlandafJ-road, CARDIFF. § Nat. Tel. 2035 1 J| "Strongestoand Best." ^PJPLI jt -jHJSAJ,TjB. i 9 J& & Jy L Fry's 5 Pare Concentrated J Cocoa I Over 300 (Ijliigfci/ Gold iledals and Diplomas. n -rr

j WHERE WIVES ARE EXCHANGED. + AMONG THE PAGANS OF THE BENUE. We have received from Northern Nigeria some interesting particulars of the opera- tions lately undertaken by the British among the cannibal pagan tribes in the remote parts of the province of Muri, on the Upper Benue, operations undertaken for the purpose of establishing effective administra- tion over a territori so little known that in many cases the villages visited had never before been seen by a white man. The people are described as being of the lowest type, every village being cannibal. Worship consists of the worst form of fetish. In most cases the entire population is stark naked. The first places visited are described as "shocking," the inhabitants being among the lev est. Their persons were so offensive that even the native soldiers were unable to remain near them. Some hundreds of these pagans assembled while the political officer explained to them the wishes of the Govern- ment. As ihe patrol proceeded they found the inhabitants all working in their fields filly armed with spears and shields. A large meeting of the people was called, and it was decided not to a¿Tee to the terms proposed by the British as punishment for tl-f killing and eating of seven men. On the expiration of 24 hours' grace the force n.arched into the town, which was cleared after considerable opposition. Two counter- attacks were beaten off, the leading man being shot at eight paces. As a result cf these operations the people became quite friendly, and it is not anticipated that they will give further trouble. The cause of almost all the inter-tribal fighting is the women and the very common practice of taking ",1,es without payment. There exists among certain of the tribes a custom of a regular exchange of wives, which leads to many complications At the same time the married women are perfectly moral j and misconduct is unknown The religious beliefs of these pagans are interesting. They believe in the transmigration of souls, a man being, in their view, re-born by the same mother after death. An evil man's soul becomes a witch, whose fate :'s death by bi-rning. In some cases the people worship a deity who at their religious celebrations is represented as armed with a long horn, which he blows at intervals. Sometimes this deity is fully clothed, on other occasions he is absolutely naked. One of the pagan I deities hills all women who see him.—Press Association Foreign Special.

FISHGUARD ROUTE. f AMERICAN AMBASSADOR'S COMMENDATION. Mr. Whitelaw Reid, the American Am- bassador to England, was a passenger on board the Caronia, which arrived at Fish- guard on Saturday. His Excellency entrained for London, and on Tuesday, whilst passing through London, gave one of our London representatives the following expression of his opinion regarding the new route;- I was very pieased and satisfied with the Fishguard route. It enabled me to reach London on the night of landing, which would not have been possible otherwise. I was impressed by the efficient management of the traffic and the promptness with which all the arrangements were carried out.

EXECUTION SCENE. 11 FIRING PARTY FAIL TO HIT CON- DEMNED MAN. PARIS, Wednesday. The Cerbere correspondent of the "Matin" telegraphs details of the execution in the i M'ontjuich Prison at Barcelona of the man Garcia, sentenced to be shot for violating the graves of the dead. The firing party consisted of eight men belonging to the Numaneia Dragoons, and when the order to fire was given they hesitated and shot wide, none of the bullets touching the victim. The second volley was discharged with alrRost the same Tesult. for. although this time a bullet tore Garcda's shirt, he was not wounded. The lieutenant in command of the platoon then shot the condemned man dead with his revolver as a refinement of cruelty. Garcia was taken to the chapel of the prison 24 hours before his death, and whilst there twice fainted. He was only 22 years of sge. and left a request that two photographs of his fiancee should be buried with him.—Central News.

• -■ 11 THIRTY MEN ENTOMBED. EXPLOSION IN A CANADIAN MINE., VICTORIA (Vancouver), Tuesday. An explosion occurred to-day in the Dtins- muir Mine. Ladysmith. Thirty miners are imprisoned. The mine is burning fiercely, and there is no hope of rescuing the entombed men. Wednesday. Fourteen bodies had been recovered from the Dunsmuir Mine at midnight. There is no hope for the remainder of the 30 imprisoned miners.-Reuter. EXPLOSION IN A FRENCH MINE. ALAIS, Wednesday. An explosion of firedamp occurred at the Molieres-sur-Ceye Mine. It is stated that five men were killed and two injured. So far two bodies have been recovered.—Reuter.

FOUND SHOT IN A RIVER. WATER BAILIFF'S MYSTERIOUS DEATH. Patrick Wren, an ex-con-stable, who was en-ployed by Lord Ashtown as a water bailiff, has been found with a gunshot wound in the head about a mile from the disused police barracks at Ballinamult, Co. Water- ford. At the inquest on the body of Wrynne a verdict of Accidental death was returned. Deceased left his home at Ballinamalt in the evening, taking a double-barrelled gun a,n,d the key of Lord Ashtown's boathouse. He did not return, and a search being made his body was found in the River Suir at mid- night, his gun, with one barrel discharged and the other loaded, being near him. An upturned boat wa-s also found not far away. It is supposed that when leaving the boat the gun went off, the charge entering the body, and that he fell into the water.

LADY KILIJED BY A TRAIN. An inquest wae held at Bexhill on Tuesday on Constan ce Robinson (28), of Highgat-e, London, who was killed at a railway level- crossing on Sunday. The evidence showed that the deceased, who wa-s staying at Bexhill for the benefit of her health, was crossing the line on her way back to the house, appa- rently taking no hotiee of a coming train. When it was two yards away she rushed towards the gate, but was caught by the buffer. The jury returned an open verdict.

STATIONMASTEWS DEATH. John Oonroy (27) was charged at Greenwich on Monday with the manslaughter of James Foweraker, stationmaster at New Cross Station, on the South-Eastern Rail- way. The police stated that when arrested the accused paid, I pushed him down when trying to catch my train. I helped him up, and said I wae sorry. I accidentally pushed him down." Oonroy wa.s remanded on b&iL