Weekly Mail

A QUEEN'S PHILANTHROPIES. The Queen of the Belgians, whose grave illness is now announced to be typhus, appears to be the victim of her own benevolence. It is stated that she contracted the disease when making one j of her many and secret visits to a hospital. Her Majesty's charities are endless, and she does not merely give money, but, dressed quietly and with only one lady-in-waiting, she constantly steals away from her Palace to the homes where sickness is present, and her- self nurses and cheers the patient. She has learnt Flemish, so that she may talk to the poor in their own language. Her Majesty does not court popularity, but her philanthropies are, nevertheless, widely known, and, naturally, are held in highest appreciation by her husband's subjects. Not only is she willing to attest her participation in the common interests of humanity, but she has the courage to burst the limitations which tradition and custom have hedged about a Royal personage, and to oome to hand's grip with the inevitable and inexorable foes of mankind. Her Majesty's affliction is dire, but she has youth on her side, has a great and calm courage, and is fortified by the stimulus of a noble passion, and by the affection of her people.

THE ANTI-CONSUMPTION CRUSADE. The Cardiff Docksmen who listened to Sir Lauder Brunton and Mr. David Davies, M.P., on the floor of the Exchange must have been impressed with the commercial as well as the humanitarian aspect of the anti-con- sumption crusade which has been inaugu- rated in Wales as a national memorial to the late King. Consumption above all diseases seems to have a malignant preference for victims in the prime of life—young men who have consummated their period of training and have entered upon business careers to enable them to establish themselves in life: young women who are in the midst of the sacred task of rearing their offspring: men in the thirties and the forties, in the fulness of their power and usefulness. The removal of so many and under such circumstances is a national calamity in the broadest sense, but it is also specifically a loss to commerce and to family life—a loss which has a calculable pecuniary aspect as well as a human aspect beyond all calculation. It needs a parallel such as that which Sir Lauder Brunton drew, between the tenth plague of Egypt and the plague of con- sumption, to enable those who are hardened and indifferent to appreciate the poignant sadness of the latter affliction. The view that sickness can be prevented and death deferred by sanitary precau- tions enters into the thoughts of few. Here lies the first part of the educational mission which the anti-consumption crusade is to embrace. It is necessary to teach people, all the people, that sickness is unnatural, and that to a large extent it can be obviated or minimised by ordi- nary prudence.

ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING. Motives of economy rather than failure of inventive skill must no doubt be blamed for the neglect of one important desideratum in artificial lighting- the avoidance of excessive concen- tration and glare. The eyesight of the people is suffering from this mischief. It is greatest, perhaps, in the homes of the poor, where a single light has to suffice for one room, that one light being usually a lamp placed on a table right in front of the eyes of those who sit thereat to eat or work, or a sliding pendant drawn down as far as possible so as to make the illumination the more effective for those who work by it. In the homes where reasonable convenience, not to say luxury, is the rule a better diffusion is secured, and in some instances the luminous points are screened from view, effective diffusion being afforded by the bright reflecting surface of the ceiling. In shop front lighting the evil of excessive concentration can be met by shades and reflectors. Mr. Haydn T. Harrison, who read an interesting paper before the Institution of Electrical Engineers on street lighting by modern electric lamps, pressed on his audience the great value of small, but evenly distributed, lighting. The eyesight of the present genera- tion, he said, is suffering from the The eyesight of the present genera- tion, he said, is suffering from the indiscriminate use of large, glarmg light units unsuitably placed. "Therefore, it is important that those who are called upon to illuminate streets should not be tempted to accentuate dark places by producing a few patches of bright light." Good illumination, though the prime object in street lighting, is not the only feature to be considered. Careful thought has to be given to obtaining as even ilknmcafekm m po«ribJr, j

LONDON LETTER 1 A COLUMN OF INTEREST TO ALL OUR READERS. LONDON, Thursday. The Coronation of King George will see the Cullinan diamond included among the Crown regalia for the first time. Since it was quite impossible to cut this truly wonderful gem as a whole, it was split into two main portions—each of which is considerably larger and more valuable than any other diamond known to exist. The larger of these two portions has just been placed in the centre of the front of the Crown that the King will wear next June In order to accomplish this the Court jewellers had to make certain re-arrangements of the other priceless jewels contained in the Royal diadem. with the result that the appearance of the Crown has besn immensely improved. The other half of the diamond has been mounted in the head of the sceptre that his Majesty will carry, where it is a regular blaze of light and colour. Queen Mary will also wear a not inconsiderable portion of this diamond when she takes her seat in her Coronation chair, since five smaller fragments—all of considerable size—were mounted in the necklace that was presented to Queen Alexandra a year or two ago. It was then stipulated that this necklace should become a portion of the Crown jewels for all time, so that it will be worn on this occasion by Queen Mary and not Queen Alexandra. The Koh-i-Noor will, of course, retain its position on the King's Crown, so that he will wear on that all-important day more valuable jewels than any previous British Sovereign. ME. CHURCHILL THREATENED. I hear that the authorities at Scotland Yard are very much concerned about the safety of the Home Secretary. During the last few days he has received many threatening letters, and warnings have also been sent to the police. Mr. Churchill presumably sought to con- ciliate the suffragette extremists by causing so many of the police charges to be withdrawn, but his clemency appears to have had quite a con- trary effect. He is accused of going out of his way as a Minister of the Crown and the head of a great depart- ment of State to throw contempt upon I the movemerr and noon those who wish to be regarded as martyrs in it. Any- how, the police authorities are very much concerned about him. He is shadowed by Scotland Yard plain clothes men wherever he moves. They follow him I not only about London, but also about the country. The attack upon him in a railway train shows how well- grounded the alarm of his official pro- tectors is. The "shadowing" of other members of the Government is a responsi- bility that Scotland Yard takes seriously enough, but for various reasons it is the safety of the Home Secretary that is safety of the Home Secretary that is worrying them most. Mr. Churchill has plenty of physical courage; but some Of the threats he has received are of a peculiarly objectionable and disturbing kind. THE PEER AND HIS HAT. There is a well-known peer who has sat in the House of Lords for three score years. Ever since he can remember he has beei in the habit of sitting on the Woolsack, and, as is the custom with members of both Houses, he has always insisted upon wearing his hat. The present Lord Chancellor is a great stickler for etiquette, and whilst he has no objec- tion, and can have no objection, to peers wearing their hats in the House or imme- diately in front of the Woolsack, he yet objects strongly to anyone sitting on the Woolsack and wearing his hat at the same time. It is, in his opinion, distinctly dis- courteous to the high office which he holds. To the noble lord's great surprise, last week he received an intimation that in future he must remove his headgear if he intended to occupy his usual seat. The noble lord refuses to obey the request, but as the intimation was only given to him .on the eve of Parliament rising he has not yet had an opportunity of show- ing his independence. What will happen in the next Parliament the elections only will show. THE KING'S SPEECH. In the King's prorogation Speech the brief reference to the breakdown of the Constitutional Conference was of the most colourless kind. It was confined to an expression of regret. This part of the Speech was awaited by both Lords and Commons with the keenest interest, and I need not say that there was a general feeling of disappointment that no new light was thrown upon the political situation. At the same time, it was recognised that the King's Speech could not well be made the medium of a longer communication than that with which the Prime Minister had favoured Parliament. A Speech from the Throne must of neces- sity be restricted to generalities, espe- cially at the end of a session, when under any circumstances it would be absurd to look for a revelation of Ministerial policy. M.P.'s SAY "GOOD-BYE." There is always a certain amount of pathos in this, for in the case of a certain number of members the end of a Parlia- ment represents the end of a career. Three members said good-bye to the Speaker who will not be seen again at Westminster—Mr. Henniker Heaton, Sir Francis Channing, and Mr. Wolff. The first of these is well known as the most determined postal reformer of our time. Successive Postmasters-General have paid him the singular tribute of their reluc- tant praise. He has plagued each in turn, and from each he has dragged some reform for which the public have cause to feel grateful. Sir Francis Channing closes his Parliamentary record with the reward of a baronetcy. Twenty years ago he looked for something much more glittering. He was then one of the push- ing and, apparently, one of the coining men on the Radical benches. He addressed meetings of the National Liberal Federation, he showed an inte- rest in labour questions, he was dis- tinctly one of the Radical forwards. But there came a time when the zest for political life seemed to die within him. Radicalism was long under a cloud, and even when it emerged no political prefer- ment came his way. He had to be con- tent with a baronetcy, and now he dis- appears. Mr. Wolff disappears without a baronetcy. DEANERY OF WESTMINSTER. It is doubtful whether any other Prime Minister has made so many deans in the same space of time. By the trans- lation of Dr. Robinson from Westminster to Wells the most coveted deanery of all is made vacant, and there is great curiosity and expectancy in the ranks of the Radical clergy as to the manner of filling it up. Mr. Asquith, of course, will nominate the new dean, whatever may happen in the political world. A NEW DOCK FOR LONDON. The Port of London Authority has, I understand, in contemplation the con- struction of a new dock which will make the port unrivalled for all purposes. Although the new dues have not yet come into operation, the great improvements which have been effected by Lord Devon- port have greatly increased the amount of business transacted, and as a conse- quence the amount of revenue has already greatly increased. Lord Devonport, who is, perhaps, best remembered as Sir Hudson Kearley, is now engaged in abolishing ancient customs and intro- ducing many effective reforms which will further benefit the business of the ship- owner. Considering the vast changes which have been effected in administration there has been singularly little friction since the authority came into existence, and the shipping and commercial world are now singing the praises of the man who has carried out so admirably the pro- visions of the Act. CHAUFFEURS EVADING THE LAW. A question which is now agitating local authorities is how to prevent chauffeurs and motorists generally from giving wrong names and addresses. It is pointed out that numerous chauffeurs, after having many convictions registered against them, take out a new licence in a new name in a new county, and thus for fll practical purposes start again with a clean sheet. When discovered the penalty, of course, is heavy, but the risk of discovery is not very great. Even though the photograph of the licensee appeared on the licence, as has been I suggested, this would not altogether do away with the fraud, although it would j prevent that extensive exchange of licences which now takes pJaco mxtoosc ] motaoBtB a certain

LAWYER AND PRIEST. + CURIOUS IRISH SLANDER ACTION. A remarkable action was concluded in Dublin on Tuesday by which a solicitor and his wife allege that they have been slandered from the pulpit by a Roman Catholic priest. The plaintiixs are Mr. Arthur F. Coghlan and his wife, Mrs. Maria J. Coghlan; the defendant is the Rev. Canon Rice. parish priest of Mitchelstown. Damages of £1,000 were claimed Mr. Coghlan acted as solicitor and sub- agent for Mr. William O'Brien during his contest for the Parliamentary representa- tion cf North Cork at the general election in January last. Ho was married in 1903, his wife being a widow with seven children. Plaintiffs claimed that they had suffered damage from the following remarks, which they allege were made by defendant in the course of his sermon in the Roman Catholic Church of Mitchelstown at twelve o'clock Mass on April 24 last:— There is a daltheen of a jackeen going about talking, both in public and private, of the priests and all the money they are getting. Now, let me tell you about this fellow. His father died about six years ago, and he buried him with a public funeral and a High Mass for which he never paid. This is a matter which 1 do not wish to speak about from the altar, but priests must defend themselves sometimes from attacks like this. If our priests are poor they are pious; but, thank God, I always, even in the poorest parishes I was ever m, had more than enough. Some time afterwards this jackaes was getting married to a widow, and this widow not alone gave him her hand. but her I family as well. and she put the comether on him. When he was marrying the widow he came to me for his papers, and 'tis glad 1 I was to get rid of him. I thought he wa-s a decent boy, like every other boy in the I parish, and would pay me. So I gave him his papers; but from that day till this he never paid for them. No. I am wrong; he did lately pay some little things to one of the priests, but he paid that out of poor William O'Brien's money. Plaintiff, examined, said defendant nad been parish priest of Mitchelstown for several years, and was of advanced years. Witness denied attacking the clergy. FAN GO FOIL." Plaintiff said the comether" meant improper relatiolls before marriage, and tha,t "fan go foil" meant that he would come to a bad end. Canon Rice gave evidence on his own behait. Serjeant O'Brien You used an Irish expres- sion, "fan go foil"? Canon Rice: Yes. and the meaning of that is an expression we near about so much in politics now: Wait and see. (Laughter.) Witness added that he belonged to the Mitchelstown district, and from his child- hood he had been accustomed to hear the phrase cometliej as a common colloquial fxpreesion. Serjeant O'Brien: What does that men?— It means to entice or captivate by mental or physical accomplishments. In cross-examination by Serjeant Moriarty. witness said he had told the congregation to wait and see. The people of Mitchelstown were to wait and see what would happen to Coughlan and his wife?—That is another interpreta- tion What were they to wait for?—As if we were to say, "We will wait and see what will come out of it." Out of what?—Out of the political action. It is an expression often used at the end of a discourse. The Rev. Michael Ellard said that Canon Rice spoke of the generous way in which the people supported the priests. He always bad enough. Some of the priests," the canon said, "might not be very pious, but at all events they were very poor, and the people ought not to be so oensorioue in talking about the priesta and their money." The jury returned a verdict for the defen- dant, and judgment was given with costs.

HOW IT WAS DONE. ALLEGED BURGLARY CONFESSION. Richard Parr (28) was charged at Cardiff on Thursday with having between the 15th and 16th ult. entered the lock-up shop, 10, Splottr road, in the occupation of the Cardiff Co- operative Society (Limited), and stolen a cheque for payment of £1, a postal order for 10s., two tins of tobacco, and a quantity of chocolate, together of the value of £1 Us. There was a second charge preferred of maliciously damaging three tubs, a box of butter, a ledger book, three bicycle covers, and other articles to the amount of £10. On opening the shop on November 16, the manager (Mr. Pugsley) found the floor littered with stock, and everything in con- fusion. Confectionery, rolled oats, biscuits, and hroken bottles were mired up, three tubs of butter were covered with oats, and vinegar and oil had been poured on the top of them. Tins of pine apple and bottles of sauoe had been opened, and the contents poured over the merchandise on the floor. Three outer covers for bicycles were cut through, and some leaves from a ledger were also distri- buted on the floor. Subsequently the £1 cheque was found under the counter amongst some tickets. Investigating the case. Detective-sergeant Dicks arrested Parr on the following day in Bute-terrace. When arrested he had in his possesion some tablets of chocolate bearing the Co-operative Society's stamp. In his cell, Parr was said to have communicated to the detective the explanation that he climbed up the water spout, and got in through a small window, which was 40 feet high from the basement. He added, "I don't know why I did it. I wish I was dead." On being formally charged, Parr said: I did go there, but I did not steal any- thing. I did do the damage, but I did not know what came over me to do it. I could not have been in my right mind." Prisoner, in the dock, pleaded not guilty, and made a long statement in explanation of his whereabouts at the time in question. On both charges. he was sent to the quarter sessions.

""HE IS A JIBBER." DMVER'S EXCUSE FOR ILL-USAGE John Newis, 50, Stockland-etreet, Grange, in the employ of Mr. Gale, contractor, was summoned before the Cardiff stipendiary on Thursday for illtreating a horse through overloading it. Mr. W. H. Cullen, engineer, residing at Llanishen, said that on the 11th of November he was in his office in Park- place, and, looking out of the window, saw a rather small horse attached to a cart laden with beer barrels. Two men were in charge, one of whom tugged at the horse's head, whilst the other struck the animal on the flanks, evidently causing very great pain, because the horse kicked violently and moved sideways in its efforts to get out of the way. Witness shouted to them to leave off the ill-treatment, but they took no notice, and so he went down to them and remon- strated with them. It was a light trolley laden with eight or nine barrels. Police- constable George Jones, receiving a com- plaint from the last witness at the Central Police-station, went to Park-place and saw defendant in charge of the horse and trolley. He denied the charge, and said he dealt only a few blows with his hand. There were seven hogshead of beer and two kilos, the hogs- heads weighing 6cwt. each and the kilos 2cwt., whilst llcwt. was the weight of the trolley. The horse perspired freely, but there were no marks of injury, and he could not find any whip, defendant saying, I have no whip; he is a jibber." The horse tried to move, but failed. Fined 40s. and costs, or one month with hard labour. His Worship complimented Mr. Cullen upon coming forward on public grounds in the interests of humanity.

COUNCIL UPROAR. MAYOR SENDS FOR THE POLICE. Mr. A. A. Purcell, the Socialist candidate for West Salford. was responsible for a remarkable incident at Wednesday's meeting of the town council of that town, of which he is a member. A discussion was taking plaoe on the question of penny-in-the-slot gas-meters, and a councillor made a statement which Mr. Purcell challenged. "It's a lie," he cried. rising to his feet. The Mayor (Mr. Phillips): Mr. Purcell, you must withdraw that language. Mr. Purcell: I withdraw nothing. The Mayor: Then I must ask you to leave the council chamber. Mr. Purcell I shall do neither. The Mayor: Then I must send for the chief constable. The chief constable (Mr. C. V. Godfrey) was summoned and entered the council chamber with Inspector Johnson. In vain Mr. Purcell's friends and all parties advised him to withdraw, and finally the mayor in- structed the chief constable to remove him. At first Mr. Purcell offered some resistance, but better counsels prevailed, and he finally left the chamber

BRAVE CARDIFF CITIZEN. Cardiff Watch Committee on Wednesday presented the Royal Humane Society's medal to Mr. Frederick R. John, Bridge Hotel, for saving a lad named James Morgan from drowning in the canal. Dr. Smith in making t.ne presentation said that the committee were pleaeed to recognise in Mr. John a ottlaen of wbom Cardiff bad reMcrn to be IponO.

TRUNK HORRQR. • NUDE BODY DISCOVERED ON A BRIDGE. French amateur a-nc professional detectives are supplied with a, tangled skein to unravel by a discovery made la.te on Sunday even- ing at the little town of Ponts-de-Ce, on the Loire, a few miles from Angers. TWK> soldiers on their way back to barracks found on the Dumnacus-bridge. against the parapet, the nude and horribly-mutilated body of a man. A few seconds before mak- ing this discovery they had stumbled against a small handbarrow. while between the barrow and the corpse they passed a man wearing a heavy cloak and a hood that covered the top of his face. This individual is presumed to be the murderer. He has not been arrested. DEED WITNESSED BY A CHILD. The inquiries made by the police have enabled them to trace the path of the man with the barrow from Angers to the spot where the body was found. A warrant has been issued for his arrest, but in all proba- bility he left the neighbourhood before the hue and cry was raised. The presumed assassin is a man named Delhumeau. a horse dealer. living with a woman named Marguerite Maillaud, who has been arrested. The woman's child, a little g-irl of two and a half years, was probably a witness of the deed. AWFUL MUTILATION. The victim, whose identity has not been established .waa apparently murdered at Delhumeau's house, and the assassin then mutilated the head with a view to rendering the victim unrecognisable, sawed through the legs in order to get the body into a trunk, placed the trunk on a barrow, and set off through the streets of Angers, along the high road to Pcnts-de-Ce, and was there prevented by the arrival of the two soldiers from con- cluding his work by throwing the body into the Loire. SHAVED THE VICTIM. After the murder the victim's face appears to have been carefully shaved, and the spot where it was found is seven kilometres (nearly four and a half miles) from Delhu- meau's house. This distance, through a dis- trict, where a fair was in progress, he is pre- sumed to have walked with his barrow and its horrible load. Three times on the way he appears to have stopped at wineshops to drink. After the discovery of the body an attempt was made to arrest him, but he got away in the darkness after firing his revolver at a journalist who endeavoured to stop him. A blood-stained hatchet has been found at Delhumeau's house, also more bloodstains on the floor, and yet more blood on the shaving brush and razor. A BANKER? Who is the victim? This is a point that has so far baffled the police as completely as that of the whereabouts of Delhumeau. The latter had a second domicile in Up-street, Jersey, and one theory is that the dead man is a banker of that place with whom Del- humeau was in relations. At the house a number of garments have been discovered bearing the marks of Eng- lish firms. These include a pair of brown boots, a hat, and a well-cut coat, which do not appear to have been the property of Del- humeau, and are, perhaps, those worn by the victim. LOADED REVOLVER. A letter that arrived a.t Delhumeau's house I on Tuesday, addressed to the woman, con- tained a time-table of the service between the Channel Islands and the coast of France. This letter was posted at St. Malo. The doc top who held the autopsy concludes I that death was caused by a blow struck from behind with a blunt instrument. The knife wounds were inflicted afterwards, and an attempt made to cut off the head and the legs below the knees. Delhumea.u's record is bad. He has been in prison several times for fraud and steal- ing. No less than three revolvers have been found in the house, two fully loaded and the third oontaining five charges only.

DANCER WIFE SHOT. ONE OF THE GIRLIES COMPANY NEW YORK. Thursday. Alfred R. Dalby, with a red scar in the middle of his forehead, where the bullet, entered when he attempted his own life after shooting his wife. Miss Teddy Hudson, a dancer of the "Girlies" company, took the stand yesterday in the Court of General Seessions, where he is on trial for attempted murder. He told how their married life had been ha.ppy for no more thaai three weeks, and he said that afterward his wife's associations with other men and her corre- spondence with them, which he obtained and read, had caused the mental distress that culminated on July 22 last, when he sought out the dancer as she left the New Amsterdam Theatre, and upon "her refusal to return to him shot her as she was enter- ing her boarding house on Forty-fifth-street. The Dalbys were married in May, 1909, in Boston, where The Top of the World" Company was playing. He was the musical director of the show, and she a chorus girL He was married when he first met Miss Hud- son, but obtained a divorce and wed her. He said that about three weeks after their marriage, when they were playing at Bing- hamton, New York, she had confessed to him that her previous life had included affairs with other men. Following this, he said, he found a letter to his wife from a man which made him lose faith in her. A,fter the separation, Dalby said, his wife went to live at No. 242, West Forty-fifth-street, a house which he had forbidden her to fre- quent. As she refused his requests to return I to him Dalby became distressed, and several witnesses testified that he acted irrationally and carried about with him a revolver. Dalby was still on the witness stand at the conclusion of yesterday's session. Miss Adele Rowland, an actress, appeared to-day as a character witness for Dalby.

LIBEL AND SLANDER. £12,000 DAMAGES AWARDED. In the King's Bench Division on Thursday the action by Mr. William Griffiths and Mr. O. Bedell, owners of "G.B." surface-control traction patents, against Sir John Williams Benn. member of the London County Council, for damages for libel and slander in speeches and articles about the stud-tramway which was land in Mile End-road was concluded. The defence was that the facts published were true and fair comment. The Judge completed' his summing-up yes- terday, but the jury were allowed to post- pone consideration of their verdict until this morning. They assembled at 10.30, and an hour later sent his lordship a message that they wanted a definitioh of what was legal notice, and an explanation of special damages. These questions were explained to them at length in court, and they again retired. Returning at 1.20, the Foreman stated that the jury had found a verdict on all ques- tions except messages, on which point they could not agree. They found for the jJTain- tiffs, awarding them £12,000 general damages. His Lordship gave judgment accordingly. with costs, and allowed a stay of execution, in view of an appeal on security being given or a sum paid to the satisfaction of the court.

DINAS POWIS FLOWER SHOW The annual meeting of the Dinas Powis Horticultural Society re-elected Major-gene- ral H. H. Lee, R.E., J.P., The Mount, as president, and Mr. R. A. Sprent treasurer, and Mr. John Rees was appointed secretary in consequence of the resignation of Mr. W. D. Williams. Thanks were accorded Mr. and Mrs. D. T. Alexander for tbe use of Bryu- .«i&eiL grnmwte for the ahMB, I

MURDER WILL OUT. e CRIPPEN'S CONFESSION CON- FIRMED. Confirmation of the confession made by Dr. Crippen, which we exclusively published, is given in this week's "John Bull" as follows: Let us say at once that we know those who are responsible for the "Evening Times" well enough to be satisfied that they would never have been party to anything in any way dis- honourable to the newspaper profession. Nor will we tolerate the idea that British journalism is so depraved that any organ of the press would lend itself to catch-penny sensationalism in regard to so ghastly a sub- ject. We are certain that the paper acted in perfect good faith—although, as we shall show. a little inquiry would have revealed that there was a missing link somewhere. CONGRATULATION. The statements contained in the alleged confession are, in the main, true. Speaking' generally, the "Evening Times" did obtain tHe gist of a statement made by Crippen, and we congratulate the editor upon his enterprise. Crippen did admit "being a party "—we ask our readers to bear these words in mind—to his wife's death; and he did admit "being a party" to the mutilation, destruction, and concealment of her remains. When, and to whom, these admissions were made we are fully aware. How we come to be so is our business; but wo make tho asser- tion with a full sense of responsibiil1,y-a.THi. if any reader doubts our word, we hope he will be a reader no longer. If any contem- porary doubts us, then must have a poor opinion, indeed, of the honour of the aclling to which he belongs. THE CRIME. Mrs. Crippen was poisoned by hyoscin, and Crippen admitted being concerned in the affair. Her body, that of a heavy woman, was then carried down to the coal cellar and was gradually disposed of—partly by means of burning most of the flesh and the small bones; partly by sending the large bones away from the house, and partly by burying the remainder of the flesh under the cellar floor. The day Inspector Dew first visited the house. Crippen stood on the loose slab of stone in the cellar whilst talking to him. So far, the statements published in The Evening Times are substantially cor- rect. But now come one or two points which require clearing up. We must not, of oourse, acoept Crippen's sworn statement that Mise Le Neve came to Hilldrop-cresent on the day of what we may now call the murder. She tells us in her letter in thw week'<s "Mrs. Bull" that she was not there for "some days" after the "disappearance," but she adds that when she got there, although frequently in the kitchen and the cellar, she never saw any- thing unusual, and Crippen "was calm and quiet, just as usual." WHO WAS THE CONFEDERATE? We have, therefore, to ask ourselves whether it waa possible for Crippen, quite a small and weak man, to have done all the ghastly work, alone and unaided, in a few days—carrying a heavy body down to the oellar, dissecting it, burning the small bones and some of the flesh ;getting rid of the others; removing part of the brick floor of the cellar, burying some of the body, and making good the floor. No disorder in the house, no smell, no excitement! The thing is ridi- culous. Then, who was the cenfederate? We tried to get Crippen to say, and listen to this guarded reply :— Under no circumstances shall I say any- thing which would bring trouble to others. A CLUE. There is only one clue we can suggest. We have good reason to believe that immediately after Mrs. Crippen's death a sum of money — £ 200—which stood in the name of the dead woman in a certain savings bank was drawn out upon what purported to be her signa- ture. In our open letters to both Crippen and Miss Le Neve we asked for information upon this point, but none has been forthcoming. Who knows but that here may be the clue to the mystery? TO SUM UP. To sum up, Crippen was party to the murder of his wife. He had a confederate. Somebody used Mrs. Crippen's name imme- diately after her death for the purpose of withdrawing a sum of money from a bank. And somebody took (or sent) some of the bones away from the house. Crippen died in loyalty to that somebody—whoever he or she was. But something more may yet come t.o light. Murder will out. We should add that Miss Le Neve's denial that Crippen wrote a letter to John Bull" counts for little, as Mr. Arthur Newton, soli- citor, says he sent on John Bull's" open letter to Crippen, and the answer was duly received.

BANK WITHOUT ASSETS. « ANOTHER SUSPENSION IN I LONDON. The following: notice was posted at the offices of the London Trading Bank (Limited), 12, Coleman-street, E.C., on Saturday morn- ing :—■ These premises are closed on the authority of the Official Receiver in Com- panies Liquidation. All communications should now be addressed to 33, Carey-street. A second note stated that owing to a combination of circumstances, which could not be foreseen, the bank had reluctantly been compelled to suspend payment. It was added that steps would be taken at once to wind up the business, and that it was anticipated that the creditors would be paid in full. NO ASSETS AT ALL. In the Chancery Division on Saturday an urgent application was made to Mr. Justice Swinfen-Eady, who allowed his business before the court to be interrupted in order to dispose of it., Mr. Hilyard said he had to ask his lord- ship to appoint a provisional liquidator of a bank which was unable to pay its debts. The bank was prepared to consent because it had no assets at all. Hia lordship, after reading the papers sub- mitted to him, asked it counsel had com- municated with the official receiver. Mr. Hilyard: No, we have not. His Lordship: Well, I usually appoint the official receiver. Mr. Hilyard: Then we ask that the official receiver be appointed. His lordship directed counsel to communi- cate with the Official receiver at once. Counsel accordingly left the court, and returned in a few minutes with Mr. Burgess, the official receiver. NO DEBTS TO BE PAID. His Lordship said that according to the figures the face value of what were called "free assets" was about £66,000. If the past due bills, which represented a very large item, were eliminated then tdiere were £14,000 of free assets. Mr. Hilyard: But that is not sufficient for the current account. His Lordship: That may be, but I am looking to see what the free assets are. As I gather, the bank stopped on Friday. Mr. Hilyard: They did open to-day, but they are not paying to-day. His Lordship: Then I appoint the official receiver provisional liquidator, and no fur- ther moneys are to be accepted, no debts to be paid, and no cheques to be honoured, but the assets to be collected. Mr. Athwatt said he appeared for the bank, and consented.

MORE BLUEJACKETS EIGHT THOUSAND ADDITIONAL MEN FOR THE NAVY. When the Navy Estimates for 1911-12 are laid before the House of Commons next March, it will be found that Parliament is invited to provide for 7,000 or 8,000 additionall men. This increase in numbers is due to thejl large crews that are required to man the super-Dreadnoughts that will take the sea in the course of next year. IMPENDING NAVY CHANGES. It is stated that Admiral Sir Edmund Poe, who succeeded Admiral Curzon-Howe in com- mand of the Mediterranean Fleet last April. will relinquish his command next March. He will, it is also said, succeed Admiral Sir Wilmot Fawkes, who is Commander-in-Chief at Plymouth. Prince Louis of Batten berg M mentioeed as his probable sroooeeaor, I

WEEK BY WEEK. 4 LIGHTER SIDE OF CURRENT EVENTS. Connrad na Gaedilge is Gaelic for Cardiff Gaelic League. Many of last January's election posters are still on the walls. A London weekly refers to Halcwmtwrch. Swansea." Fine plaee. no doubt. There are secondary schools in Wales which have libraries of over 2,000 volumes each. Colts and Bloaters were the respective titles of football teams which played a match in a West Wales town the other day. Mr. Ernest Rhys draws some interesting parallels between Tolstoi's Childhood and Youth and Daniel Owen's Rhys Lewis." In one cf the commercial offices of Port taid there are three officials who at one time were pupils in the same Welsh county school. Sir Isambard Owen's father was one of the assistants of the great Brunei in the con- struction of the Great Western Railway. The vice-chancellor was filmed after the- eminent engineer. Sir William Thome was presented to the Duke and Duchess of Connaught when their Royal Highnesties reached Cape Town at the beginning of this month. Sir William, who is a Pembrokeshire n:,r:n, was mayor of Cape Town a few years Weary collier in Rhymnny train, hung up for its usual twenty minutes' rest at Ystrad Mynaeh: "The Government gives us an eight hours day, and I'm blessed if this blank railway company doesn't rob us of one- third of the advantage it gives us." A schoolmaster at Gilfach Goch received a telegram from the county education authority which read as follows:—" Please close your school for previous three weeks." What the county education authority sent was: Please close your 3chool for period of three weeks." If names signify anything, the sergeants- at-mace of the Tenby Town Council are two Welshmen—loyal and true. The two are John Thomas and Thomas John. It is to be hoped they will go to the poll together to save any possible mistake, or arguments, between the poll clerks. Of all the members of the staff of tbe Car- diff University College there are only four remaining a8 the Old Guard" of those originally appointed. They are Professor Thompson, in chemistry; Professor Parker, in zoology; Professor Powel. in Welsh, and Pro- fessor Paul Barbier, in French. An important part of Mr. Winston Churchill is keeping watch in the Rhondda. The Home Office official who was sent down by Mr. Churchill to keep him informed of all developments had to leave the Home Office in such a hurry to catch the train that the Home Secretary had to lend him his own overcoat. A clever retort was given by Sir Roger Williams, a gallant Welsh soldier of Queen Elizabeth's day. When a French general happened to remark that the English march beaten on the drum was slow, heavy, and sluggish, the Celtic warrior replied, It may be true; but slow as it is it has traversed your master's country from one end to the other!" Mr. Robert Young, an Edinburgh iron- monger, who died the other day, was known throughout Great Britain as a collector of horseshoes. He had rows upon rows in hiB shop, including some found in Monmouth- shire dating from the period of the Roman occupation. Every country in the world. from China to Peru. had provided him with horseshoes. A voluble and excitable woman who Wa.8 defendant in a trifling case at Merthyr per- sisted in addressing the stipendiary as "My lordship." "I am not a lord yet," said Sir Marchant, much amused, and ha added thoughtfully, "I don't know what may happen in January." But the expression was so often repeated that Sir Marchant chuckled, "I'm quite an established peer by this time." An old woman, living in a South Pembroke- shire village, who had never visited a town, was invited to spend a holiday at Cardiff by her daughter, who had just got married. She went, and one evening the daughter and her husband went to the Empire and left the old lady in charge of the house. When they returned home they found her sitting in the dark. Asked by her daughter why she did not light the gas, the old lady replied, "I couldn't; I tried hard for a long time to get the wick up with a pin, but failed." Of the 300 candidates for the recent matriculation examination of the Univer- sity of Wales there were only two in addi- tional mathematics and three in German. These entries mean that extremely few of the candidates intend to pursue their studies in the practical subjects of life. Cannot something be done in our schools and col- leges to alter the present trend of things 3.J1d persuade young Welshmen to enter the world-wide contest for the prizes in mining, engineering, metallurgy, and allied subjects ? A Cardiff ship's captain tells a curious story of the well-known imitative faculty of the Chinese. Whilst his vessel was recently in a port in China it became necessary to have a. certain pipe re-placed. Three timee the pipe was brought on board, and. after being placed in position, the Chinese workmen were ordered by the serang." or overseer, to take it back. Then it occurred to the captain to Inquire the reason. He was informed by the serang" that a bulge in the original pipe had not been made in the right place in the new pipe. Professor Barbier, of Aberystwyth Univer- sity College, and Professor Barbier, of the Cardiff University College, are not in any way related, though they bear the same name. The eldest son of Professor Barbier. of Cardiff, is the professor of French language and literature in the University of Leeds and author of a book on Owain Gwynedd which won the chief prize at the Newport National Eisteddfod. Another of Professor Barbier's sons is the lecturer in French language and literature in the Uni- versity of Birmingham. Professor Edwards and Mr. R. Donghton, who were returned on the Aberystwyth Town Council on Saturday, are both Methodist preachers, Calvinistic and Wesleyan respec- tively, the former being also a deacon at the Church of which the mayor, Mr. Samuel, is a member. It is worth noticing that Sir Marchant Williams, whom Professor Edwards criticised at the University Court on Friday, succeeded the professor as war- den of the Guild of Graduates. As an expe- rienced golf captain. Professor Edwards is expected to be the founder of the long-delayed golf links at Aberystwyth. A Parisian correspondent informs us that a well-known and wealthy Welsh M.P is seek- ing for a French castle which he wishes to purchase and restore, and where he intends to live for a considerable part of every year. The name of the M.P. is said to be Thomas. There are three Welsh members of this name. Mr. Abel Thomas. M.P., is, doubtless, too busy at the Bar to think of castles in France. It seems scarcely probable that Sir Alfred Thomas has any intension to become Vicomte Thomas, so by the process of analysis one is driven to think that the M.P. in question must be Mr. D. A. Thomas. Life in the western portion of Gower is not always so dull as many would imagine, and a recent singing contest between two village choirs has created more interest in the peninsula than any twenty grand nationals." In the above contest one of the choirs was adjudged the winner, but the losing choir, having reason to think that they are far and away the best singers, now come forward with a challenge. They offer to sing the same test piece as before, with the same singers and conductor, and defy their rivals too gain the verdict a second time. They make a fine sporting offer, viz., the prize money to be doubled; the loser to pay. Doubtless the challenge will be accepted. The degree ceremony at Aberystwyth on Friday was a great day for three bearers of the name Roberts. Both Mr. Thomas Roberts, of Aberystwyth, and Mr. Thomas Roberts, of Bangor, received the degree of M.A., while Mr Frederick Thomas Roberts, M.D., was the sole recipient of an honorary degree, that of D.Sc. As is well known, the principal of Aberystwyth College is Mr. Thomas Francis Roberts. Two bearers of the name from Bangor obtained first-class honours, a woman student in arts and a man in science. On the other hand. no less than three men students from Cardiff of the name of Lewis, took first-class honours, a distinc- tion not attained by one Jones, though about ten Joneses took other classes in honours in arts (none in science). The small number of graduands from Bangor this year is explained by the fact that the majority of the successful Bangor students preferred waiting to be presented in the new college at Bangor next year. All things considered, the Rhondda. has been singularly free from strikes, riots, and other periods of turbulence, especially when it is remembered that at the beginning of the nineteenth century the valley offered a safe hiding place for persons wanted by the authorities for various offences. The scum, the riff-raff of the country crowded there, and in those days the saying. He is gone to IMerthyr." had the same meaning as when "We say nowadays, He is gone to America." TChe first riot in the valley occurred in 1802, but soldiers from Cardiff and Bristol soon restored order. A second riot took place in 1816, but the presence of a regiment of dragoons, which had seen service at Waterloo the. previous year. soon had the desired effect. In 1831, however, things were so bad that the Riot Act was read. and a collision between the 93rd Highlanders, who were hurried to the spot. and a large section of the rioters resulted in bloodshed, many, of the rioters being killed.

I ttVttldtt SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1910. THE "WEEKLY MAIL" is published on Fridays and Saturdays, and can be obtained from your local newsagent. If you find any difficulty in obtaining the paper, please communicate with the Manager, Weekly Mail Offices, Cardiff. The "Weekly Mail" will be sent by J post on payment of a subscription in advance on ihe jollowing terms;- I s. d. One Quarter 1 S Half Year 3 3 One Year 6 6

MUSIC AND DANCING. Speaking to a gathering of London journalists, Sir Edward Elgar had some sensible things to say upon music in its relation to the masses. For one thing, he wanted to see British music restored to its proper place, as compared with foreign nations like Germany, and for another he pleaded that the best music should be placed within reach of the people at large. At present it is too often confined to the few who are in a position to pay for the privilege. We see this from time to time in our own midst, and have to deplore the fact that in an intensely musical country like Wales the music- lover is too often debarred from a pleasure he would keenly enjoy mainly on account of admission rates that are to him prohibitive. This is a great pity, but under present conditions there seems no help for it. Larger halls and cheaper music for the people—this is Sir Edward's watchword, and we hope it will not be uttored in vain. The great composer appeals for municipal aid in this matter and certainly he will carry the public with him when on their behalf he pleads for cheerful music for the masses, and that music of the best. He has himself done something to bring this about, and has had his reward. Ancient dances and music were beau- tifully represented at the Queen's-hall, London, in aid of a charitable cause. The pavane. the galliard, the coronto, the sarabande, the minuet, all these and many more were performed, and the effect is described as most beautiful. The old Welsh dances were not represented; as a matter of fact, they have not come down to us. They existed once, of course, but were scotched by the Puritan move- ment, and finally killed by the Methodist revival of the eighteenth century, which, alongside of its undoubted merits, helped to sweep away many a delightful relic of the former times. Whether anything can be done successfully to re-construct the old Welsh dances is a matter of opinion. With our old national music we are, of course, more successful, and a society lately formed is rescuing many a veteran ballad and quaint lilt that were on the verge of extinction. It is a thou- sand pities that the Cymro cannot still exhibit his national dances, and so join hands—or, rather, feet—with his cousins of Scotland and Ireland.

DEATH OF A PEER. Lord Churston died on Wednesday after- noon at his Devonshire seat, Lupton House, Churston Ferrers, at the age of 64. His lord- ship was stricken with paralysis on November 15, since when his condition had been most critical. A "econd paralytic stroke on Wed- nesday afternoon terminated fatally within two hours. The late peer, who was the second baron and a baronet, is succeeded in the title by his son, the Hon. John Reginald Lopes Yarde- Buller, who married in 1907 Miss Denise Orme, the actress. The new baron is 37 years of age. was formerly in the Scots Guards, and saw service in South Africa.

"BRITT: OMN: REX." THE DESIGNS FOR THE NEW COINAGE. The town-clerk of Cardiff has received a proclamation by the King determining new designs for gold and bronze coins. The gold coins will, with slight variations, have the obverse impression of the King's effigy, with the inscription "Georgius V. Dei Gra: Britt: Omn: ltex fid: def: ind: imp: and for the reverse the image of St. George attacking a dragon. The bronze coins, as at present, will have on the reverse the figure of Britannia. The proclamation will come into force on January 1, 1911.

EXPRESS IN COLLISION. NARROW ESCAPE OF PASSENGERS ON L. AND N.W.R. While the Manchester to Bournemouth express was running through Stafford Station on Monday it collided with a light engine, which was running on parallel lines. Both engines fouled at the point where the rails intersect, and the light engine was derailed, but the express kept the metals. The two engines were badly damaged, and two car- riages also suffered damage. The pasaengera complained of shock, but none were injured. TRAIN DIVES INTO THE SEA. Owing to the failure of the brakes to act, an Admiralty engine and a number of trucks ran over the end of the breakwater at Alderney on Monday morning and fell into the sea. Happily, the trucks were in front of the engine, and the men in the train were able to jump clear, sustaining no injury beyond shock.