The Pontypridd Chronicle and Workman's News

t A (TTTuSl^ON THE GALLOWS. The following singular story comes from Birming- ham, in Alabama: On the 22nd of last December, George Williams, who had murdered a fellow convict, was executed in the gaol-yard, and the gallows, with the rope hanging in the air, was left standing for future use. The prisoners, 150 in number, crowded to their cell gratings to witness the final plunge of their friend George. A few nights later, two or thref inmates, who happened to be looking out at the mid- night moon, were horrified to see George again ascend, adjust the rope to his neck, and fall through the trap with realistic effect. The prisoners told the story as soon as they recovered from their fright, and the next night others witnessed a repetition of the dreadful spectacle. Since that time the ghost has been a nightly visitor, to the terror of the inmatej, who have gone to psalm-singing and praying. The gaol officials are not very anxious to disabuse the minds of the believers in the ghost, as it has the effect of making them more tractable."

WESTMINSTER ABBEY. Two years ago the Ecclesiastical Commissioners were authorised by Act of Parliament to advance £ 10,000 to the Dean and Chapter of Westminster for the restoration or repair of the Abbey. Of this sum they have handed over f 7500 and have agreed to pay the rest. But the Commissioners have satisfied them- selves that the Abbey revenues will not suffice to re- pay any of these advances. Accordingly a bill intro- duced by Mr. W. H. Smith proposes that the whole of this £10,000 be regarded as a grant instead of a loan. This sum will, however, it is said, be insufficient for the proper restoration and repair of the Abbey and some further provision has to be made. The bill goes on to provide for the Dean and Chapter making over their property with certain exceptions to the Com- missioners in exchange for an annual money payment. The scheme for carrying this out will establish a fabric fund "of such annual amount as appears suffi- cient to keep the Abbey and the buildings attached in good substantial repair; and this fund is to be a first charge on the revenues, before the dean and canons receive anything for their own use. The scheme will then apportion the annual income between the stipends of the dean and canons and the main- tenance of the services and the other expenses. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners are also empowered by the bill to suspend a canonry on a vacancy occurring whenever it appears expedient for the purpose of maintaining the fabric fund. On the security of this fabric fund money may be borrowed by the dean and chapter for carrying on the work of restoration and repair. Moreover, power is given to the dean and chapter to amend their statutes with respect to the other members of the collegiate establishment for the purpose of reducing the charges on the revenues, vested interests being preserved. For these amend- ments the approval of the visitor and the Com- missioners is required. And all officers of the abbey appointed in future are to repair and pay rates and taxes for their official residences, save with regard to portions of historical and antiquarian interest, for tha preservation of which it would be considered un- reasonable to make the occupant bear the expense.

EGYPTIAN FINANCE. Reports by Sir E. Baring on the finances of Egypt have been issued, and will be found highly instruc- tive. The principal paper is dated February 11, 1888, and in the commencement Sir E. Baring notes that though the revenue was less than the estimate by £E.58,889, thd surplus at the end of 1887 was £ E.424,875, the estimated surplus having been £ E.46,875. He shows, however, that much of this was only apparent, being caused by a new mode of paying salaries at the beginning of the month, so that those for December were paid on the 1st of January last. Analysing the receipts, he gives his reasons for believing that the revenue is steadily improving not- withstanding unfavourable harvests, and is likely still to improve. His remarks upon the importance of maintaining the services of European employes will be read with interest, and his views regarding the Soudan are also important. He draws attention to the fact that the JEE.500,000 of the guaranteed loan to be used as a working balance is still avail- able. There is, however, a temporary deficit in the loan of JEE.500,000, which it is proposed to borrow, and he shows how the saleable lands are good security. The Domains Loan has been diminished during the year by £E.444,380, principally by com- mutation of pensions into Domains land. Proceeding to the estimates for 1888, he says they are-revenue £ E.9,600,000, expenditure £ E.P,576,000, leaving a surplus of £ E.24,000. The estimates he considers very moderate as regards receipts, and as to the expenses, he thinks they are likely to be larger tha.n the estimate, and that probably JEE.150,000 may be required to balance them unless the new law of registration be speedily passed. He thinks some JEE. 300,000 might yet with great advantage be borrowed for productive works to develop the resources of the country. In a telegram, dated the 12th inst., he says that steps have been taken to carry out changes which he thinks will suffice to ensure financial equilibrium for 1888, and that the financial prospects for 1889 are considerably better than those for the current year.

BAD BOOKS. The Rev. G. A. Bennetts, B.A., minister of the Wes leyan Chapel. Mildmay-park, has been conducting a vigorous crusade against novels and the works of some of the poets, which he holds have a very bad effect on the morals of the readers. After a recent sermon Mr. Bennetts produced a large bundle and placed it on the pulpit cushion. He said the parcel contained a number of bad books, which had been sent to him to be destroyed by a person to whom they had been a great snare. He wished they could have had a big bonfire of the books in the middle of the chapel. That was impossible; but he would see that they were destroyed. In India and China the people who were brought to a knowledge of the truth rejoiced in the burning of their idols. They wanted some idol-burn- ing in England, and he hoped the example of self- sacrifice by the person to whom he had referred might be followed by many others who were being led to destruction by bad books. At the close of the service the books were destroyed by Mr. Bennetts and the chapel officials.

HAPPY Mdlle. Sigrid Amoldson I Mademoiselle has been singing at Monte Carlo. One night last week she received a beautiful bouquet. On examining it 1 she found it to contaiu a aptondid bracelet, valued srt 15,000 francs.

i V INHUMAN WRETCHES. Ada. M'Geogh and Peter M'Geogh, a labourer, have been charged at Preston with brutally beating Edwin Young, a child of the female prisoner by a former marriage. The boy is eleven years old, and was sent out each evening to sell newspapers. On his failing to earn 9d. on any occasion his mother beat him cruelly on his naked body with the buckle-end of a leather strap, whilst his stepfather choked him to pre- vent his screams being heard by the neighbours. The heavy snowstorm the other day prevented him disposing of his papers,^uid being afraid to go home hewanderedaboutin the^orm, wet to the skin, until he was found at four o'clock next morning, and taken to the police-station by a constable. The doctor who examined him stated that he was literally covered all over the body with bruises, and the shape of the buckle was so distinct that he must have been terribly flogged on the naked flesh. All his injuries, including several scars on the face and head, were evidently the result of violenoe used witliin the past week. It was also given in evidence that after one beating the stepfather dragged him out of bed and threw him naked, except a shirt, into the backyard, although snow was falling heavily, and a bitter cold wind was blowing. The Bench characterised the assault as "most outrageous, unmerciful, and in- human conduct," and committed both prisoners for trial at the sessions. At the Liverpool Police-court, before two of the borough magistrates, a woman name Sarah Ann Keefe has been charged with cruelly ill-treating an orphan child named Mary Conroy, aged 13 years. The child, who had been an inmate of the Kirkdale Industrial School, was taken out by the accused, who was then a widow named Guthrie, and kept a tobacconist's and newsagent's shop. The evidence went to show that the woman frequently beat the child, and when a neighbour handed the latter over to a police-constable it was found that she had an arm broken, two black eyes, and several bruises on the ,head and body. The only excuse the defendant made was that the child was of dirty habits, but no proof was given of this. On the "husband of the de- fendant, to whom she had been married since the occurrence, paying JE5 compensation to the child and costs, the magistrates allowed the defendant to leave the Court.

AN UNFORTUNATE ADONIS. A remarkable adventure has happened to a hand. some potman, or wine-seller's gargon, living in the Square-Montholon, in Paris. He was beloved by all the bonnes of the locality. His name was Cerisier, and his acquaintance was cultivated assiduously by one honne in particular, Eugenie Carrette, who occupied a room near him on the sixth floor of the housft|in the basement of which he diurnally distributed mojwwtes of wine to thirsty customers. Eugenie was, however, af a certain age," and Cerisier manifested a marked predilection for. a younger servant; whereupon Mademoiselle Carrette vowed revenge. She burst into Cerisier's room with a carving-knife, but was dis- armed in time by the Adonis of the Square-Montholon. j After that she purchased a revolver, and practised shooting both in her room and on the roof of the house. The police, in fact, aver that all the furniture in her room was pierced with bullets. When she deemed her aim perfect she "made" for her man. While Cerisier was talking near a lamp-post in the street to her rival Eugenie fired at him. C«?:sier staggered, knocked his head against the lamp-post, and fell. He had not been wounded, however. De- spite considerable practice Eugenie had missed her mark. Her bullet hit the lamp-post, and Cerisier, fearful of what was coming after the report, tottered and stumbled. The melodrama was terminated by the arrest oÍjMdlle. Carrette, who after delivering her attack had retired to her room and barricaded herself therein.

FARMERS' RATES. A proposal to divide rates between the landlord and the tenant in agricultural holdings is set forth in a bill introduced by Mr. Seale-Hayne, M.P. for the Ashburton Division of Devonshire. On payment of rent to the immediate landlord a tenant is, accord- ing to this scheme, to be entitled to deduct a half of all sums paid by him during the current year, or half- year, in respect of poor rates or other rates of any description leviable on the tenant. The landlord would then have the right of voting on all occasions possessed by a ratepayer for all parochial or local purposes, just as if he were assessed to the rates at half the amount at which the tenant is assessed. The tenant's right of voting, on the other hand, would be diminished, he being then deemed to be assessed at half of the amount at which he actually is assessed. One right of voting, however, that is not affected by the bill is that under the Public Health Act. To all future contracts of tenancy the bill is intended to apply from their date and to all current contracts as from the first day on which the landlord could deter- mine the tenancy by notice. Contracts made with a view to evading the bill are to be void; and a penalty of X50 is imposed on any one who refuses to allow the authorised deduction out of the rent.

NUMBEHS of frostbitten eels were recently picked up in the British Channel between Sandgate and Dymchurch—the result of the severe cold on our southern coasts. Some were huge congers, weighing fully 70 pounds, being seven feet long, and 24 inches in circumference. Old fishermen say that no similar occurrence has been known since the Crimean War. COSTUME oratorios are to be the fashionable Lenten distraction for pious Parisians. Morning perform- ances will be given at a principal theatre, when Haydn's Creation," Gounod's Tobias," and similar compositions will be represented with scenery and appropriate costumes. SNOWDROPS are the favourite flower of the season in Paris. The blossoms appear on the dinner-table, grouped in banks as if grdwing out of moss, and the artificial flowers are especially worn by young girls, arranged as floral fringes or garlands across a tulle dress, tied with pale green ribbon A PAIR of suspenders—The Brooklyn briflge cables. ROCKLAND (Me.) has a business man who has mimimized travelling luggage to one collar, carried within the sweat-band of his hat. Of a seedy guest at a summer hotel it was said that he arrived without any luggage except the bags in the këtM of his trousers.

OUR CORN SUPPLY. At the offices of the London Chamber of Com- merce, Captain F. Warren, R.N., has delivered ae address on The Corn Supply of England in Case ot War." The chair was taken by Colonel Sir Charles Warren, Commissioner of Police for the Metrovx>lis The chairman said they were met to di-cu-s a very important matter connected with the vitality anet safety of our Empire. The author of the paper had had very varied opportunities of looking into and understanding the subject, and had devoted a greao deal of thought to it, and he would chiefly direct him- self to two points-first, the want of recogrnitinn of thfo. social dangers arising from an intercepu-u 1, j,r .:I,. ply; and, secondly, the necessity of making .pri>. vision by storage of wheat to prevent SOC;,¡ border Captain Warren, in the course of his sai,l that the condition of the United King. !o:i, was at. the present time without parallel in the h;str.rv of any great nation. Strengthen fortifications .-is \ve nvght strengthen the power of defence as wr ■ but our weakness would still daily increa.- with the increase of population, owing to our depenri^uoe on foreign supplies of food for the people. This great Empire resembled a pyramid on its apex. If the supplies of corn failed for a short time, the crash must come. Our wealth and prosperity n ade us the envy of other nations. They knew onr weakness, and would turn it to account when the opportunity came. Taking our population at 37,00(>.n :11, and the consumption at 5 6 bushels per hea< Sir John Lawes estimated that the home-grown wneat in 1886 j (after allowing for seed) available for food was 8,000,000 quarters. The total quantity required was 2 4,500,000 quarters, so that we had to import 16,500,000 quarters. The annual increase in our population was 350,000, and therefore we required an additional 220,000 quarters annually. We needed a land settle- ment which would give to agriculture the fair play it so needed, by putting it on an equality with that of other nations. Some of them would record how, not; the time of the Crimea, there was a chmnur for a scapegoat in the person of the Prince Consort, on account of his temperate remark that Constitutions Govern- ment was on its trial for the purposes of war, which was alleged to be an insult to the nation. If there should be a check to our arms to-morrow the same. passions weuld be aroused, and if accompanied by hunger might even shake the Throne itself. He believed that the true remedy was to rn vide for- the storage of corn. A great W3.r would send up the price of corn 20s. per quarter on the points of freight and insurance alone; and. there, fore, he contended that the Government ought to establish granaries to hold 24,000,000 quarters* or at least one year's supply, during which the soil might be broken up, and cropped with wheat. The statesman who seized the opportunity of ensuring to his countrymen one year's certain supply would earn. the gratitude of every one living in this country, and if the Government would not do this, could not the millers of England form themselves into a syndicate, and buy up and hold sufficient quantities of grain to meet such an emergency as he contemplated ? The stocks could be constantly renewed, and he suggested that a corn trust might in this case be established, which, he estimated, would cost £ 300,000, to be borne by the Government in consideration of the advantages which such a store would give them. (Hear.) A discussion followed, and the meeting closed with the usual vote of thanks.

MR. BLUNT. Mr. Blunt has issued the following address to the Gladstonian electors at Deptford :—" Gentlemen,—I have allowed myself a week's reflection and rest before taking up the threads of political life. In neY long absence you have fought a great battle, and obtained for Deptfofd a name memorable in the his- tory of elections. It is not too much to say that if you had won the figbt Lord Salisbury's Ministry would have fallen and English annals been enriched with one- more example of the popular justice meted out to those who trifle with the laws of right and wrong. As it is, the largeness of your vote against official lawlessness has been a noble effort, and will help to put a term to those huge excesses of misgovernment against which my canaidature was a protest Let us, therefore, if we cannot quite rejoice, grieve for the full victory missed, rather than for the trifling kss sustained. We stood to win a kingdom, aud we have lost nothing but our time and trouble. My own pal t in the struggle has been a passive one, but that I could not help. Had there been a spark left of chivalry in public life I should hays been released at the close of my ei ii aetir-n- at Dublin, when 11 out of 12 jurors were found in my favour. But generosity has lost its place in Tory politics, and I was denied the privilege of striking a blow for freedom with you on the day of polling. II refrain from inquiring into the local causes of our failure to obtain a majority. In lost elections there are always reasons in plenty to account for ill-success. But of one thing I am sure-it was from no lack of zeal in those who led the contest. Never, I suppose, in the record of elections was there a larger poll or a more enthusiastic band of workers. To these and to you my heartfelt thanks are owing, and in expressing my gratitude for your 4070 votes I can only hope that the seed of liberty you have sown this year may be reaped by you later to an abundant harvest. I shall not, I fear, myself be able to share your triumph, but teiumph for the Liberal cause is assured at Deptford whenever the general elections come. That these may be soon should now be all our prayer. I beg to assure you in my own name and in that of my wife, who to many of you must have seemed your real candidate, that we are deeply touched at the thought of all that has been done, and that we grieve with your grief at the defeat as we shall rejoice next time with your joy in victory.-I am, gentlemen, your obedient servant* WILFRID SCAWEN BLUNT." ■

A FEMALE FIEND. At the Thames Police-court the other day, Teresa Smith, aged 20, of 88, Catherine-buildings, Cart- wright-street, Whitechapel, was charged with terrible: cruelty to her illegitimate child Henry, aged five. The principal witness was a neighbour named Annie Edwards, and some of the cruelties which she deposed to having been perpetrated by the mother are unfit for publication. On Wednesday of last week the witness stated the mother made the poker red-hot. and stripping the child applied it to the lower part of his back, and burning him severely. She then knocked the child down, kicked him, and jumped upon him. Further, she knocked the little one's head against the door in such a violent way as to bring in one of the neighbours, and the same day bit a piece of flesh from his arm. Witness confessed she had seen the prisoner assault the child every day since, but she had been afraid to say anything about it. Mr. D. Macinish, surgeon, who had examined the child, described it as weighing a stone less than it oughjj to weigh. It only weighed 26!lb. On the, 2 right side of the head there was a large blister, and to all appearances hair had been pulled out. On the. left side there was another large sore, and the head was covered with smaller scars. There were sores on both ears; a large scar on the left shoulder, a cicatrix two inches long at the bottom of the spine on both elbows large ulcerating sores; on the right hand a blister, and the legs and feet were covered- with burns and sores. The poor child had to be carried into court. Its appearance was shocking, at it seemed starved. Mr. Saunders ordered the pri. eoner to be remanded.

THE revenue received from April 1 to the 10th inst; amounts to £ 83,852,642, or JE1,250,743 less than tha £ 85,103,385 received in the corresponding period, ending March 12, 1887. The expenditure up to the 10th inst. was £ 79,760,572, being JE2,322,716 lesf than the expenditure for the similar period of 1886-7. The balances on the 10th inst. amounted to £8,985,533, and on March 12,1887, to £7,923,129. AT the Warwick Assizes George Timms, 63, labourer, was indicted for the wilful murder of his wife at Warwick on January 18th. Counsel for the defence applied that the case should be allowed to stand over until the next assizes, in order that certain medical experts in insanity cases might be instructed br the Weasury to make inquiries into the prisoner's state of mind. The prosecution offering no objection* Mr. Baron Huddleston acceded to the request. THE Admiralty have purchased for JB8000 the steam yacht Lady Aline, which is to be fitted up for the use of the Admiral Superintendent of Naval Reserves. They have also agreed to give JMOOO for the steam yacht Hiawatha, which is to be placed at the disposal of the Commander-in-Chief at the Nore. THB Lord Mayor of London presided the other day at the Mansion House, where a public meeting was held to take steps for collecting funds for obtaining North Woolwich Gardens as an open space for the East of London. Alderman Sir R. N. Fowler, M.P., the Bishop of St. Albans, and Alderman Cotton were among the speakers, and resolutions in favour of acquiring the gardens were adopted