Flintshire Observer Mining Journal and General Advertiser for the Counties of Flint Denbigh

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. THF .VNSVAAi. CONVKXTIGX. In the Ho: LORDS, March 17. Lord Cadogan called attention the fact that Article 20 of the Con- vention between t'be Queen and the South African Republic, signed on the 27th of February that the Convention was to be ratified by the Volksraad of that Republie. He inquired why a similar provision had not been inserted in respect of ratification by the Imperial Parliament. He also asked wha^ would happen if the Boers did not ratify the Convention, as in that ease we should be left with the Convention of 1&&1 which had proved to be a dead letter and tne greater part of which had been abandoned by the Secretary for the Colonies in the course of the negotiations for the new Convention. Lord Derby explained that it never had been our constitutional practice to require Parliamentary ratification to treaties. The Sovereign power of the South African Republic being the Volksraad the ratification of the latter was necessary. It the new Convention were not ratified we should be just where we were before it was negotiated, but inasmuch as it had been obtained at the earnest desire of the Transvaal Government he thought the apprehension of Lord Cadogan on that head was an extraordinary one. „ The Marquis of Salisbury condemned the Convention as retrogressive, and after a few words from the Earl of Kimberley the subject dropped. Their lordships rose at twenty-five mmtues past five o'clock. THE SOUDAN. In the HOUSE OF COMMONS the Marquis of Harting- ton explained, in answer to Baron II. de Worms, that his recent statements in regard to the Red Sea ports was not that it was intended to hold any of the Red Sea ports, but was to the effect that the Government had from the first announced their intention to assist the Egyptian Government in the protection of the ports on the coast of the Red Sea. Her Majesty's Government, he added, had made no proposal to hand over the Red Sea ports to the Porte. Questioned by Mr. Ashmead-Bartlett and Baron H. de Worms with regard to the Government and Khartoum and the Soudan, the noble lord declined to give any further information upon the subject at present, but repeated that the Government would make a full statement as soon as they were in a position to do so. Replying to Sir H. D. "Weill", the Marquis of Har- tington stated that the Admiralty had telegraphed to Admiral Hewett asking whether it was true that a proclamation had been issued offering a reward for the capture of Osman Digna alive or dead, and point- ing out that a proclamation of such a character ought not to be put forth without communication with Sir E. Baring. MLMTATJY SERVICE. On going into Supply, Sir G. Campbell moved a reso- lution in favour of a system of military organization which would provide for two distinct classes of soldiers —short service men to stay at home and form a Reserve, and long service men to form an army for India and our foreign possessions. Lord Hartington dissented altogether from the sug- gestion but pointed out that a mixed system o. recruiting had been established as an experiment ot which it would be as well to see the working. After a short discussion, the motion was ne- gatived. THE HIGHLAND FEATHER BONNET. Sir H. Maxwell brought before the House the pro- posed discontinuance of the feather bonnet, of which he strongly disapproved. Dr. Farquharson, Colonel Stanley, Sir J. Hay, and Sir P. O'Brien spoke, the last named remarking with regard to most of the Scotch regiments that it was "all humbug" to pretend that they were recruited from Scotchmen. Mr. Brand announced that the IVtr Office would not come to any final decision this year, though no vote would be taken in the Estimates. THE ARMY ESTIMATES. Lord Hartington moved the Army Estimates. After explaining in detail the reductions and increases on the various votes, he dwelt at some length ou the general condition of the army. Last year, as he reminded the committee, he was obliged to admit a considerable deficiency in the number of men, and a great difficulty in supplying the necessary drafts. The terms of service, however, had been made more elastic-a bounty had been offered to induce men to remain in India, and to prolong their term of service abroad, and the general result had attracted more than 33,000 recruits, the largest number ever known for a single year. The Guards were now only 100 below their establishment, the Infantry of the Line about 5000 (the number being last year 8700), and more than 1000 men had been retained in India who would otherwise have returned home. There had also been a great reduction in the waste of the Army, but as it was certain that a large number of recruits would be required in the coming year, the mili- tary authorities had their attention constantly fixed on the importance of taking every possible step for in- creasing the popularity of the service. The Militia had contributed 12,000 men and the Volunteers some 1300. As to the quality of the men, he showed from the report that there was nothing to complain of, and he again referred to the Soudan operations as a proof of the serviceable qualities of the young recruits. But, on the whole, the short service system, he contended, gave us the means of filling even the weakest battalions with men in the prime of life and completely trained. Next he explained the detail of the proposed increase of the establishments, and among these he mentioned that the battalions in Egypt will be increased to the full colonial strength of 800, and that the battalions at home which are to take their place as first on the roster for foreign service will be brought up to their full strength. The total increase of the Infantry of the Line will be 2400 and with regard to the Artillery, he stated that four depots are to be formed—three in England and one in Ireland. The total strength of the available reserves is 60,000. Of the Militia, Yeomanry, and Volunteers, the reports were most favourable, and the present force of the latter is 209,38. of whom 202,428 are efficients. After giving some particulars of the Medical Service and the Army Hospital Corps, Lord Hartington related at some length the progress of the Ordnance Department. AV, ith regard to the heavy naval ordnance, three guns of 110 tons-the most powerful in the world-four of 63 tons, and three of 43 tons will be delivered this year, and the trials of the new 12-pounder breech-loading field guns have been of the most satisfactory character. Mr. Labouchere moved the reduction of the number of men on the establishment of the Army y main object in moving the resolution was seemed to him that the Government had too many soldiers at their disposal. They had had wars for the last 300 or 400 years, and he did not believe that in the case of a single war which history related it had been shown that the slightest service had been rendered to this country, or, indeed, that any of those wars were necessary. The Marquis of Hartington defended the vote as propped and appealed to the House to support the Government in the small addition which they proposed to make to the Army. The addition was owing to the ■"SKSSf ™ ivi.K.1 a* M, Labouchere's amendment 31; against, 162; majority against, 131. The vote was then agreed to. The House subsequently adjourned.

CUTTINGS FROM AMERICAN PAPERS. Wives ought really to be more careful about teiling all the truth to their husbands. "Why do you start so whenever I come into the room ? asked a brusque man of his better half. It is only my nerves, my poor nerves," she replied, which are so very weak that I am startled by every stupid tlnng I see." An old lady late at church, entered as the congre- gation were rising for prayer. La said she, courtesying, don't rise on my account. >s0t one of the cackling old liens in this country appears to know or care that a Florida turtle will lay 5?J]Vs in a day without making the least bit of noise ^The hen's fuss over one little egg ls.al3Suid. "What a wonderful age of invention tins is, said Air Peterson; I see they are now making wire sloth and I'll hAse some this very week to put a seat in Johnny's even daj pants. "Ma is Long Branch an awful dirty PlaLe" "Why no, my child-'what made you think f •. Why here is an advertisement that says it Is washed by the tide twice a day. An Illinois girl couldnt secure a certificate as a school-teacher because she conldn t tell the committee why the hind wheels of a ^aggon were the largest. All the answer she had was, Cause they are. An Iowa justice refused to fine a man charged with the offence of kissing a pretty girl without her con- sent Nothing," he said, but the dignity of its office prevents tfie court from the same offence. The temptation to an ordinary person frs- »iw faint a"ay on .V a pail of water is thrown over them they g0 Jnt0 con- vulsions and tear up the ga

VERY SUITABL^ f;0"rse I want some one ^!0 n Sri "/tallies in the last two months?»-F„„y Folks.

FAIR GAME. I say, boy, is there anything to shoot about here ? inquired a sportsman of a boy he met Well," was the reply, nothing just about liere • but the schoolmaster is down the hill yonder— vou can pop him over." TNN LITERAL.—" Mother, where s Bill ? M £ i let me hear you sny Bill again. You son do not.let :<Well, mother, where's «in the yard, feeding the ducks." William J3ut, mother, what makes Williams ? «Ck> out to foL ier'directly, rot, little scamp, or 111 bo* your ears."

-< VALUES OF PEARLS. Although a pearl weighing one grain is worth only about one-eighth of the price of a diamond of the same weight, it is very easy to spend a large amount of money for pearl jewellery (remarks an American journal.) There is now in New Yark city a pearl necklace worth 8100,000. There is another worth §23,000, and one was recently sold for 830,(0). These large prices are caused by the difficulty of obtaining particular sizes and colours that may be wanted. The most expensive collection of pearls on record is that owned by the Countess of Dudley in England, which is far more valuable than the cele- brated pearls belonging to the Queen. The countess has a coronet of pearls. The top is composed of pear- shaped pearls. There is a very large one in the centre, and the others are graduated in size down to the smallest. In order to get these pear-shaped pearls in the requisite sizes and colours, the jewellers were obliged to buy such an enormous quantity of pearls that when the famous necklace was completed, with earrings, bracelets, brooch, and finger rings to match, the jewellers had 8:300,000 worth of odd pearls left A pair of matched pear-shaped pearls weighing llOgrs. was recently sold in San Francisco for SC>000. When the Princess Royal of England married Frederick William of Prussia she received a necklace of thirty-two pearls, costing S93,000. In 1789 the French Government possessed pearls valued at S200,000. One that weighed 108grs. was valued at$37,000 two that were pear- shaped were valued at 555,800. The black pearls bring very high prices at present, but genuine pearls may be bought that are white, pink, or grey. The peculiar colour which is called pearl is a soft trans- parent drab. There is at present a greater demand for pearls, as there is, in fact, for all kinds of jewel- lery, than has been known for a long time. The plentifulness of imitations does not appear to destroy the value of the genuine article.

JEWEL ROBBERY AT WINDSOR CASTLE. A daring robbery has recently been committed at Windsor Castle. Mr. Luchlcin, a secretary in her Majesty's service, who lives with his family in a resi- dence within the precincts of the Royal demesne, has an apartment in the palace when his duties necessitate his attendance while the Queen is at Windsor. From this room a quantity of jewellery appears to have been recently abstracted.' The property stolen consisted of diamond and other pins, set with portraits of her Majesty, the Prince Consort, and other members of the Royal Family, and several sets of gold and jewelled sleeve links. Some of the trinkets, irrespective of their intrinsic worth, were highly valued by their owner, having been presented to him by the Royal personages whose portraits they contained.

A LADY CHARGED WITH THEFT. In London, at the Marylebone Police-court, Louisa Trevelvyn, 43, was charged on remand with stealing a lady's jacket, value 4s., the property of Charles Brown, a master chimney sweep, living at 10, Little Brook-street, Munster-square. At the previous exa- mination of the prisoner it was stated that she was the wife of Colonel Trevelyan. On the night of the 28th of February last she was accommodated with a room at the prosecutor's house, but her conduct was so strange that she was afterwards requested to leave, and it was alleged that she then took the jacket away. The defence was that the prisoner asked for a cloak that she had left- in the prosecutor's house, and that, in reply, the jacket was thrown out to her. Police-constable 88 S now said that when lie was called to the prosecutor's house to eject the prisoner, she was talking to the prosecutor in the passage about a book, and walked out of the house with the jacket openly on her arm. She appeared to be perfectly sober, and asked him to direct her to Victoria Station. It was then three o'clock in the morning. She was not disorderly, and behaved in a perfectly lady-like manner. The prosecutor was re-called, and expressed the opinion that when the prisoner came to his house on the night of the 28th ult. she was not sober. The cloak she was now wearing was left at his house for some time, and was supposed to have been given to his wife. She did not a,k for that, but for a dic- tionary. She always acted like a lady when not under the influence of drink. Mr. Cooke said that there was no doubt whatever in his mind that the prisoner went to the prosecutor's house while under the in- fluence of drink. He thought it also quite possible that while in that state she took the jacket under the impression that it was her own cloak. He did not believe, however, that any jury would convict her of theft, and he should therefore discharge her.

CRUELTY TO A CAT. In London, at the Southwark Police-court, James Martin, 2G, a medical man, living at 40, Trinity- square, Borough, was charged with cruelly torturing and killing a cat by setting a dog on it. Agnes Moore, living in the Southwark-bridge-road, said that between twelve and one o'clock that morning she was going along Gravel-lane towards home when she saw a cat run across the street. The prisoner was coming alonff with a terrier dog, and as soon as he saw the cat he set the dog after it. The dog seized hold of the cat and worried it, the prisoner standing looking on all the time. The witness called out to him "You brute, why don't you pull the dog off." He, how- ever, took no notice, and the dog continued to worry the cat until it was killed. Police-constable 180 M said he was on duty in Union-street that morning when he heard a woman screaming in Gravel-lane. He ran round the corner and saw a terrier dog worrying a cat, and the prisoner standing near. Wit- ness knocked the dog ofT, and took the cat up; it died in a few seconds. From what the last witness said he took the prisoner into custody. He said the dog did not belong to him. The prisoner, in answer to the charge, said the dog belonged to a person who lodged in the house. He took the dog out, and saw it, seize the cat, but was unable to part them. He denied setting the dog on the cat. Mr. Bridge said the prisoner was very cruel, and ordered him to pay a fine of 40s.

THE CIVIL SERVICE ESTIMATES. The Estimates for Civil Services for the year ending March 31, 1885, were issued on Saturday in the form of a volume of 509 pages. Under the head of Public Works and Buildings, the estimate is i'1,800,802, which is a decrease on the last year of X118,787, the chief saving being in sites for public offices and buildings for the Revenue Department. For salaries and expenses of Civil Departments X2,403,634 is required, which is an increase of £ 11,840, of which £ 10,000 is Secret Service money. For Law and Justice a sum of £ G;37G,377 is asked, showing a decrease of T31, 175 1 produced under the head of Irish Land Commission, which also allows of large increases being made in the costs of the Metropolitan Police, the County and Borough Police, and the Irish Constabulary. For Education, Science, and Art, £ 4,852,933 is required, which is an increase of C47,703, mainly caused by the expenditure in public education. The Foreign and Colonial services will absorb £ 590,000, a decrease of 17869, chiefly obtained by the absence of any payment under the Fortune Bay Fishery claims. For non-effective and Charitable services £ 1,179,539 is required, which is an increase of X1037, principally on account of pauper lunatics in England. Under the head of "Miscellaneous," a sum of £ 2G,77G is wanted on tem- porary commission, and £7193 for miscellaneous expenses, showing under the two heads a decrease of £ 1066, derived from temporary commissions, being below the sum required last year.

TIIE CHEAPEST or LAWYERS.—Keeping one's own counsel. So INCONSISTENT.—[A Parliamentary Return of the cost of military head-dresses, asked for by the advo- cates of the feather bonnet, has just been issued.]— Mrs. McAllister: "It is too bad of you, Alexander. You want to keep up those expensive feather bonnets of the Highland regiments, which you yourself confess can't be bought under £ 2 13s. 6d, and you begrudge your wife a bonnet that costs only a paltry pound- and withou.t feat/leJ"" Funny Folks. C4- TiiE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.—The annual return of the Education Department just issued shows that the expenditure for 1883 was E2,846,027 5s. 2d., an increase of X44,022 4s. lOd. over 1882. The amount paid to Church of England schools was XI,311,008 16s. 5d. (a decrease of E5894 14s. lid.), to Board Schools S858,019 11s. (an increase of 1 £ 44,611 lls.\ to Roman Catholic Schools X134,801 18s.'2d. (a decrease of E2352 9s. 8d.), to undenominational schools, X223,231 (increase of X1297) and to Wesleyan schools, IVII4,671 (an increase of £ 2714).

G-GSSI? _ON D E 3 S. An appropriate answer to the question, "What shall we wear?" is not always easy to £ nd in the multiplicity of textile fabrics presented to the choice of the purchaser. The problem is often solved by a reference to what other people are wearing, or are likely to wear. Some readers may find assistance in the following paragraphs, which we take from an 'ow" article in the Daily yews on "Fabrics for Spring Dresses;" The softest of serges are now prepared for the coming season, and those whose principles do pre- vent their buying spring costumes in time for the ri beginning of spring weather will find that English manufacturers have been by no means idle, but have taken time by the forelock. Some two years ago, complaints were rife that British looms toiled after the fashions of the day, and never succeeded in get- ting abreast with them. The reproach is now removed. The Scotch tweeds that come to us from Aberdeen, and the woollen fabrics of which Somerset is the manufacturing centre, are well in the van, and arc prepared to tempt their customers with every variety of material. There are thick tweeds, cloths, and serges for mantles, and light onet for die»ses. The usual spring epidemic of spots is visible on many of these, while others are striped, others checked, and i few figured with more elaborate designs. The stripes are. for the most part, narrow, and not even the most severe of purists could find fault with the subdued tones of colour in which they appear. Dark tints of brown and bronze alternate with others of dull red or deep blue; and occasionally a pale streak of amber, or the merest line of cardinal cr yellow serves but to accentuate the sobriety of the deeper tones. Some of the new homespun mixtures show a mingling of two or more shades of brown, warmed up with faint touches of crimson or a mix- ture of grey and white, brightened with a sprinkling of threads in bright peacock blue. This material is soft, ?-$Iit, and inexpensive. Others, in what is called sellW-uiour," offer a wide choice in the matter of colony Among them is to be found the shade of dark red now so much worn in mantles and jackets, and likely to remain in favour throughout the whole of the present year at least. Dark greys and light, tints of fawn and cinnamon, are also represented, as well as the cheerful peacock blue, in which so many women delight, as being not only a becoming colour. but one that is pleasant to look upon. irrespective of the former important consideration. Navy blue is as popular as ever; the novelties in serge consisting of those made with silk spots in a contrasting colour or with woollen spots called chenille. Light woollen fabrics are already prepared for tennis dresses. In many of these the inevitable spot is very large, but permissibly so, since the idea is to suggest the ball so indispensable to the game. These ■po% dc ■printcmps are of the size of a marrowfat pea, and are placed at equal intervals of about an inch from each other. In many cases the union of colours in these are very happy. In one, the spots are of a deep, reddy brown, upon a ground of delicate salmon pink. More voyant are spots of vivid crimson on a background of soft sea-green. So great is the effect that after a little looking the bright spots positively seem to detach themselves and approach the eyes of the gazer in the illusory way with which a burst of brilliant stars from a firework rocket has familiarised us. Other spots of satiy de boeicf red show upon a ground of creamy white. Cardinal on smoke grey affords another good contrast. An excellent mode of making these up would be to utilise the spotted fabric as polonaises over skirts of plain material, the flounces of which could be edged with the colours of the spots. The material itself is very soft and fine, being made of purest wool, and resembling the nun's veiling, which has had, and is still enjoying, such unprece- dented popularity. GALATEAS are again to the fore. Mothers of lively young daughters addicted to hoydenisli habits owe a large debt of gratitude to the inventor of this durable fabric. The delightful old lady who "lived to the age of one hundred and ten, and died of a fall from a cherry tree then would have been glad to know of a stuff that would suffer so little from her active habits. Not only is it strong, but its colours have un- usual staying powers. It may be positively boiled without being prevailed upon to part with the slightest modicum of colour; and dresses made of it always look neat and trim. Those in which the stripes are brown and cream-colour offer a change to the well- known blue and white, blue and grey, or grey and white. Navy blue, striped with white, is always popular, and makes pretty nautical dresses for young girls and children, if supplemented with sailor collars and curs to match in plain navy-blue cotton. IN an article on The Fashions of the Day" the QU-Cen says Black lace caps are beginning to be much affected by elderly women for both day and evening wear they look particularly well on grey hair. They are sometimes quite simple, secured on the head with large fancy headed pins or cut steel or diamond stars. For more dressv occasions they have an aigrette of red feathers or "artificial flowers. A pretty style, and becoming to most faces, is to have a fall of lace rest- ing on the hair in front, a half wreath of flowers above, partially covered by a second fall coming from the crown, and drooping low behind the ears and on the .1 1- O:1.1..1. ,+- oore !IVP alai lia,r it ziie Dacii. k,, fastened into the black lace, and also half wreaths of jet lenves. Broad black neck scarves of Chantilly lace are fashionable, arranged in several ways, according to the dictates of individual fancy. Looping the ends rather to one side with flowers seems, on the whole, to be the most popular style. They are also used as bonnet strings, tied in a large bow and passed through a slit in the little curtains of straw bonnets, one end being over and the other under the straw band. SMALL hats are more worn in the morning than bonnets just now, and there appears to be a great fancy for the Douglas caps, in red or in the material of the costume. The Douglas caps are^in several shapes, some having a broad jockey brim, some a narrow, and others none at all, but fit closely to the head, and are composed of flat rolls of material, closely laid together, round and round. The black and dark- coloured velvet caps are pretty, and the tweed ones are neat and look well with the plain tailor-made coats and gowns. Some dainty little flat-crowned bonnets are of gold wire, with satin wheat ears put on singly, all pointing towards the front, where a bow of cut velvet ends completes them. The mouse-grey bonnets have the same coloured beads on them, or gold embroidery round the edge, on the crown, oron the fore- most loops of the large butterfly" bow in front. Red is a reat deal worn, and yellow is also popular. W ith dark green bonnets beetles' wings are to be seen; but these are for afternoon entertainment wear. The crowns of worm work chenille, in various colours, are sold now, as the bead ones were a short time ago. and can be adapted to any bonnet shape. They merely require velvet for strings and trimming, or a tuft of feathers or chenille drops. They are rendered uncommon by having a large gilt needle thrust through the crown, threaded with the same coloured chenille The small bonnets suit the lurnetl-up hair, which is now most general, but which, by the bye, does not suit everyone. Soft large felt hats, with long drooping ostrich plumes, are worn by those who affect a picturesque style, but the toque and the Henri II. hat still hold their own. THE beauty of artificial flowers can hardly be greater than it is at present; and some of the garni- tures for ball and court dresses are original. Imagine at hick rose-stem, with small branches and leaves, copied accurately from nature, with large clusters o yellow tea roses, crossing the front of a dress, the falling petals of a few cut blooms caught here and there down one side, and a branch, tied with gold cord, on one shoulder. Or, again, a chain of grev pigeons, connected by loops of coral-pink ribbon, and brown hackle feathers, as a tablier, with a solitary bird, nestling on the loops of pink; placed high on one sleeve of the bodice. Enormous bouquets of feathery grasses are arranged as side trimming for ball dresses, with tufts of marabont at the base and feather butter- flies of all hues, mounted on quivering wire, hovering above. These butterflies, made of velvet or feathers, are fashionable for hats, bonnets, and ball dresses. Pearl butterflies are profusely scattered over black tulle skirts. Beetles' wings are now mounted as stars, and fixed on to long pins, or as sprays and half wreaths. THE short jackets in black, red, and grey cloth that are so popular, are likely to remain so during the spring, as they look smart over any skirt, and are warm and yet light. Some are straight all round the basque, while others are cut shorter at the back, and nearly all are trimmed with feathers or Astrakan fur. The grey ones are newer than the red, but the latest novelty is black tweed, with a plain lin. binding of military gold lace showing beyond the black Astrakan. A few have the waistcoat of the fur. with braid plaits looped across from button-, a.- large as Tangerine oranges, composed of Astral-an. t iose-fitting jackets of black stockingette with waistcoats of coloured stockingette all in one, and brandebonrgs of black braid, are worn indoors with different skirts. The small shepherd's plaid jackets have occasionally white flannel waistcoats, or black plush ones, made exac-tly the same as a man's. The white linen cravats worn with the tailor-made coats are modifying their seve- rity of style by appearing in folded lace or alternate rows of plain stitched cambric and open-work em- broidery. A pretty little arrangement called "Ye Jellie Bag," in ecru' guipure, is graceful and new, and falls lialf-ii-ay down the bodice from a straight throat- band. Boas" are very popular again for putting on when leaving hot rooms, and some pretty ones are of marabout, hooking to one side of tne throat with a large fancv hook and eye, and carrieo. down to the side and fastening to the bodice with a cluster of loops.

THE EXTRAORDINARY MURDER TRIALS IN VIENNA. w riting on March 14, the Tinna correspondent of the 7 t//iet< says The trial of Hugo Schenk, Karl Schlossarek, and their alleged accomplice, Karl Schenk, who are ac- cused of killing or attempting to kill several persons, began yesterday before a court of six judges. The indictment charges the prisoners with attempting to murder a miller named Todbera on April 8, 1863; with having drugged and robbed a coachman named Kaiser on Aprif 21, 1883: with having on May 21, 1883, poisoned and robbed Josephine Timal and thrown her body into the water; with having on July 13, 1883, murdered Katharina Timal by cutting her throat with having on August 5, 1883, murdered Theresia Ketterl; and with having on the evening of December 29, 1883, with an axe, killed a woman unknown. To-day the public crowded to the trial. It wis i-e- volting to hear Hugo Schenk, with modulated voice and in well-turned phrases, relate his monstrous crimes, smiling all the time. He complained of having suffered bodily and mental torture in prison, and said that lie was forbidden to write his memoirs, with the proceeds of which his wife was to pay his debts. The President explained that he had been given paper and ink on condition of not making bad use of them. but he had written to a young woman to send him poison in order to commit suicide. A female friend of Schenk was examined. At the end of the examination she rose, deeply moved, and staggered towards Schenk, offering him her hand; but the President warned her not to go near him, and to be on her guard. The Vienna correspondent of the Standard, gives the following particulars of this remarkable series of crimes: The chief of the accused, Hugo Schenk, is a good- looking man, of gentlemanly appearance. He is 45 years of age. His father was a judge's clerk, and he himself studied in the Artillery College, and subse- quently served in the army. At the age of 21, how- ever, he was sentenced to five years imprisonment for swindling, and three years ago was again convicted of a similar offence and condemned to two years' im- prisonment. In prison he made the acquaintance of his accomplice, Karl Schlossareck, a blacksmith, who was serving a term of eighteen months for theft. The two appear to have planned together a series of fresh crimes, Schenk, who knew something of chemistry, promising great results from his knowledge of narco- tics. The latter left prison before Schlossareck, and while waiting for his companion presented himself in several newspaper offices for the purpose of calling at- tention to a new narcotic of his invention, composed chiefly of cyanide of mercury. At this time lie was associated with his brother, Karl Schenk, a married man of 33, and on Sclilossareck's release the three formed a sort of partnership for carrying out their plans. The system adopted was as follows They carefully scanned the advertisements in the Vienna papers, and entered into correspondence with such of the adver- tisers as offered a small capital or a security of a few hundred florins, inducing them to come to Vienna with the money, and then murdering and robbing them. They appear at first to have tried the plan with men, but finding this somewhat dangerous had I p 1-1 resort to servant girls and such like defenceless persons. The first case brought against them is that of a miller's man, named Podpera, who advertised for a situation, and offered five hundred florins security. They induced him to come to Vienna on the pretence of getting him a place in Moravia, They then accom- panied him some distance on his way, partly by rail, and finally on foot, carrying with them revolvers and a bottle of drugged brandy. Passing through a thick wood at night, they attacked Podpera, firing three shots at him. He was, however, a strong man, and vigorously defended himself, succeeding finally in making his escape. Three weeks later they were more successful with a coachman called Bauer, whom they led away on a similar pretence, and robbed of a hundred and seventy florins", leaving him insensible. After this they turned their attention to servant girls, for whom they advertised, or whose advertise- ments they answered, offering them marriage, this plan of match-making being very common here, where such advertisements form a regular feature in the local papers. Hugo Schenk generally called himself an engineer or small manufacturer, and being a hand- some fellow of good address, soon gained an influence over the poor girls, who left their situations at his bidding, bringing with them their savings bank books, jewellery, &c., and followed him blindly. He then led the victim away to some lonely and romantic place, carefully chosen beforehand, his two com- panions accompanying him as relatives or friends. The girl was then stupefied with drugs, murdered, and the body concealed. The first victim appears to have been a housemaid, named Josephine Timal, who was taken to the Gevatterloch, a -romantic spot in Moravia, where her senseless body, bound and weighted, was thrown into the lake, the three scoundrels securing by this 230 florins of savings and a gold watch. Catherine Timal, a relative of Jose- phine's arrived in Vienna a few days after the crime, intending to be present at the wedding. She was also inveigled to a remote spot on the Danube and her throat cut, her body being disposed of in the same way as the last. Twelve hundred florins were secured by this murder. Another case that has been traced by the police is that of Teresina Ketterl, who left her master, Baron Buschmann, and accompanied Hugo and his accom- plices to the Syrian Alps, where she was shot, and her body thrown down a ravine. In this case they secured nearly two thousand florins, besides jewellery. The last charge of murder brought against them is that of Rosa Frenclily, a cook, whom they killed in the Wolf's Valley, near the Danube, and whose body was thrown into the river. The life of one of their victims. Josephine Eder, a ladies' maid, was spared only because they expected to make use of her for further thefts. She was, how- ever seized by the police and sentenced, only a fort- night ago, to seven yeai7, iinprisonmenv-lor stealing her unstress's jewellery. She declared that it was im- possible to resist Scbenk, and that she was compelled to do whatever he told her. The trial was concluded on Saturday, all the accused being found gui'ty and sentenced to death. Schlossareck and Karl Schenk were sentenced lirst. When Hugo Schenk was asked if he had anything to say, he merely said, in a firm voice. I am satisfied with the decision of the Court, and shall lodge no appeal. I am prepared to die." It is rumoured that the death sentence on Karl Schenk will be remitted to penal servitude for life.

EPITOME OF NEWS. BRITISH AND FOREIGN, The police have made a general raid on the Anarchist haunts in Pesth, and have arrested thirty-six persons. Sir Lyon Playfair, K.C.B., has been nominated and has accepted the Presidency of the British Association for the meeting to be held in Aberdeen next year. Intelligence from Sofia states that in spite of the ex- press wish of Prince Alexander that forty-eight, or one- half, of the officers commanding companies in the Bul- garian Army should be Bulgarians, only eight such officers have been appointed. A railway is to be constructed between the Russian island fortress of Cronstadt and Oranienbaum, on the mainland. The cost of the undertaking is estimated at 16,000,000 roubles. The bridge will be on arches re ing on iron caissons, the bridge part being of ce granite, and 7 wersts in length. It of rails and two covered footways. It will be bghte the electric light. nPir "VVolverhamp- On the estate of Lord \V t(! are to be seen ton, numbers of remarkably fine leverets are^ playing about, and, judgi ng h j the early part of them must have been brought lortn January. The representatives of the Russian railways at their late conference offered prizes of 3M00. and 500 roubles for the best constructed goods trucks for use in transporting grain in bulk. The prizes will be given on the 1st October of this year. The Industrial Association of Lower Austria has arranged for all Exhibition, at Vienna, of engines, &c., for the smaller industries, such exhibition to be open from July 24 to October 12. A portrait of the late Lord Melbourne, which is to be presented to the city of Melbourne by Sir Vv llham Clarke, has been submitted to her Majesty's inspection A grotto has just been discovered in the Commune of Cerdon, Canton of Toncin Ain), France, about 20 yards from the high road from Lyons to Geneva. It is some 500 yards long. and full of stalagmites and very fine stalactites there are also stones in fantastic shapes. Skeletons of animals have been found, but have not yet been submitted to antiquarians. The members of the Paris City Council will shortly have before them a proposal by M. Lame, member of the Society for the Protection of Animals. It is nothing less than the creation of a cemetery for domes- tic animals, such as dogs, cats, birds. &c. Owners of pets. if the measure is accepted, will have the right to raise monuments to their memory, recording their names, virtues, and qualities. Subscriptions amounting to £ 20.0^0 has been pro- mised for the erection of churches at Bristol. The statue to be erected to the late General Chanzy, at Le Mans. France, is nearly finished. It represents him in campaigning uniform, with his left hand resting on his sword hilt. It will be cast in bronze, and be 9ft. in height. Upon two sides of the pedestal, groups of soldiers, mobiles, sailors, and troopers will represent respectively the defence of the and the attack." Mr. Charles Frere, the Examiner of Private Bills, and Taxing Master of the House of Commons, has just died at his residence, 11. Porchester-place, London, after a short illness. The deceased gentleman has been officially connected with the House of Commons over fifty years. The City of Hamburg offers various prizes for the plans of a new Natural History Museum. The total cost of the construction of the building must not exceed £ 45.000. Five prizes of each will be awarded for the five best plans further prizes of will be dis- tributed amongst the victors for further work in con- nection with the scheme. Twelve British and eleven foreign owned vessels were reported wrecked during last week, four being Bntish steamers and three foreign. Two (one German and one British) were lost with all hands. Nine, of which eight were British owned, went down off Great Britain. Of the British wrecks, four were over forty years of age, one being fifty-one years old. Total wrecks to date for present year, 449. Gardner, the master of the Guayna. who was brought home from Ascension for killing his chief oincer and a coloured seaman, has been brought before the South- ampton magistrates, and, being evidently insane, was remitted to an asylum. A workman at Seremerston, in Berwickshire, on breaking a lump of limestone discovered a live toad within it. The toad was secured and handed over to Captain F. N. Norman, R.N., President of the Berwick- shire Naturalists" Club. Miss Hastings, of Malvern, a relative of IN-arreii Hastings, completed her 103rd year last week. She was thus ten years old at the time of the acquittal of her illustrious relative. A Government Bill has been introduced in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, forbidding non- commissioned officers and soldiers to vote at elections while they are serving with the colours, and providing that clergy shall only be permitted to vote at the place where they lived before they took orders. The monthly statistics of the foreign commerce of France, just published, show that during the first two months of the current year the imports amounted to 717.053.000f., as compared with 752,232,000f. in 18S3. The exports for the same period were 395,00?,000f., as against 461.641.(W- f. last year. A New York telegram says that the visible supply of wheat on March 14 was 30,500,000 bushels, as against 31,100.000 bushels the previous week. Visible supply of Indian corn Ki.200,000 bushels, as against 15.400.000 bushels the previous week. The export clearances of wheat for Europe during the last week amounted to 640,000 bushels. The export clearances of Indian corn for Europe during the week amounted to S40,000 bushels. Antelopes have recently been so plentiful between Green River and Granger, in V yoming, on the Union Pacific Railway, as to impede the passage of trains at times, a train recently being obliged to come to a full stop. A band of Koraui brigands has been exterminated by the Turkish troops near Monastir. A tablet commemorating the national pilgrimage in January last to the tomb of Victor Emmanuel has been inaugurated on the Capitol, Rome. Dr. Beveridge, Chairman of the Aberdeen Public Health Committee, stated, at a recent meeting, that in a certain lane in the granite city thirty persons lived in one room. According to the Annales de Statistique" there were on the 1st of January. 1883, 137S newspapers and periodicals published in Italy. Rome publishes 200, Milan 141. and Naples 120. There are 159 daily papers, 539 weekly ones, 25S monthly magazines, and no less than 267 scientific periodicals. It appears, from the annual message of the Mayor of New York, that the net bonded debt of the city is 92,510,025 dols., which is a decrease for the year of 3,595,922 dols. Receipts from all sources were 56,908,219 dols., and payments 54,262,086 dols. The total assessed valuation for 1883 were 1,276,677,164 dols., against 1,233.-176,398 dols. in 1882, the increase in property value being upwards of 43,000,000 dols. The amount, of monev to be raised by taxation for educational pur- poses in 1834 is 5,977,938 dols. According to the Report of Public Instruction in Bengal for 1882-3, just issued, the number of schools in the province was 63.8SB, and of pupils 1,311,092. These figures show an increase of 10.889 schools, and 204,447 pupils compared with the previous year. The traffic receipts of the six great French Railways from the 19th to the 25th ult. show a decrease of 244.005 francs as compared with the corresponding period of last year. A special supplement to the" Dublin Gazette, issued on the 14th inst.. proclaims the counties Armagh, Louth, Dern Fermanagh, and Tyrone, under the 8th Section of the Prevention of Crimes (Ireland) Act. The same section is declared in force in the city of Derry. A young factory labourer named Jens Nielsen, who has just been tried at Copenhagen on the charge of having committed several acts of incendiarism, con- fessed to having been the author ofihe nre ar tne Victoria Docks, London, in 1831. The prisoner was found guilty, and sentenced to penal servitude for llfAn important capture has been made at Avgos, Andalusia, of seven Socalists members of the secret society of La Mano Negra, or the Black Hand. Last week's receipts of cotton at all L mteu States ports were 48.000 biles since 1st September. 4.413.000 Vviles Week's exports to Great. Britain. 02.000 bales week's exports to the Continent, 32.000 bales. Total since 1st September. 3,104,000 bales. Stock at all ports. 847,000 bales. On Saturday morning, at DnhEn. a blacksmith named Finlay made a desperate attack with a hammer on the wife of a man whom he called an informer, and said had worked in the informer. James Carey's. shop. He struck her senseless to the ground, and she is now in the hospital in a critical state. The man was arrested and brought up at the police court, where he was re- manded. •, A shocking fatal accident was reported to the i eii- bighshirv ewvuuw on lnni-mu^. Au engineer named John Pattison, employed at the Bershani Col- liery near Wrexham, became entangled m the machinery, and was so seriously injured that he died. The deceased was twenty-nine years of age. About three years since his father, who was manager of the colliery, was killed by an explosion of gas m the • arne PaOver fifty members of the House of Commons have promised their support to a bill, which will, in all pro- bability, be introduced into Parliament this session, for the purpose of revising the Hook of Common Prayer. Advices from Constantinople announce that the German General Hobe has obtained leave to organise a model regiment of cavalry for the Turkish Army, and has already commenced its formation. A merchant named Mar ass has been arrested cbarg_^ with smuggling bombs and petards into I stria, by concealing them in sacks of flour. covery was made by the Custom-house guards. A fatal accident occurred at Clitheroe on A paper mill hand named Sarah 'p when tb'- thirty-five, was putting out a Pa^ r ciothes. which lamp broke and the oil ran ments she was a mass became ignited, and in a few for help, and Uiti- of flames. She screamed houS(, threw wate' mat«ly a man who ,j,esflames. but the woman on her and extinguisnea in a {ev. l10„r,ln -reat was so badly burnt that sne agony. f0 the Zoological Society's Gardens, Tbe/dp £ k 'London, during last week included a Regent s from in(lia. a pig-tailed monkey from T°D oriented by Mr. G. H. Lee two herring gulls, Vew Caledonia, presented by Mons. J- M } W h A! Z S four blue titmice, British, presenteo ov • Hanaeur; a barn owl, British, presented by Mrs. W. Gittens: a Rhesus monkey from India, deposited, Bosman's potto from West Africa purchased ayellow- billed duck from South Africa, r,eived in exchange; a Bengalese cat from India, recer j„n's a collared fruit bat, an emu, bred in the Gardens.