The Pontypridd Chronicle and Workman's News

yMORAL INSANITY." At Margate Quarter Sessions, onMonday, William Radcliffe, formerly a clergyman in Birmingham, London, Shorncliffe, and other places, pleaded guilty to stealing three rings, value jB52, the pro- perty of William Castell Woodruff, jeweller. Evi- I dence was given that the accused obtained the rimrs on approbation and kept them, and that In various parts of the country, and in Paris he had adopted the same course in one case he pledged jewellery so obtained for £ 100.—The de- fence was that he was suffering from moral insanity.-The Recorder (Mr. H. B. Deane) sec- tenced him to 18 month's hard labour, and said he had traded upon his Position as a clergyman to commit a deliberate fraud.

Moltke has probably made more prisoners of wai than any other general of recent or mediaeval times. In the Franco-German war he captured 180,000 at Metz and 120,000 at Sedan-a record of 300,000 for one year. Not a bad performance, that. A specimen of one of our rarer British vieitants- the bee-eater—is at present to be seen in the insect- house at the Zoological Gardens. Although fairly common in many parts of Europe, it has only been recorded from England on about 30 occasions during the last 100 years. These stragglers wers of course promptly shot, which is the usual way in which a rare and beautiful bird is welcomed in this country. The bee-eater at the Zoo is fre- ouentlv provided with humble bees, which he care- fully Dinehes before swallowing. The humble bee is supposed to be one of those insects which adver- tise their possession of a dangerous weapon to their bright, conspicuous colouration. But tms danger Hag is totally disregarded by the bee-eater. The toad, also, will capture large humble bees in the ttOtt unconcerned manner.

LARGE ELEPHANTS. Mr. ROnd Ward, the well-known naturalist, writes to- Field: Some weeks since you recorded bhe death t solitary mate elephant in the South Arcot disti said to be the largest elephant ever killed in b. The skeleton of the beast was, fortunately, cure(j for the Central Museum of Madras. I now the foot of this identical creature at vvhere I shall be happy to shew it to sPvnen who care to call; and I am able to give Jsome particulars about the animal that have not*Uppose, been yet published. This elephant was VnWn to shikaris of South India, and they lions about the solitary old rogue. He was declai^ 200 years old, and his existence was r,de(I from generation to genera- tion in their sto He was believed by them to have been thear elpeliant of Tippoo Sahib when that poten niarcjieti from Mysore to the coast against the lish and that the monster then escaped to the Uv jie lately, so much abused. If the n^ ag j^s a^,e true he had enjoyed, or pract his uceuce for a century, and must have be ]_Q0 years old when he escaped. The tra nQ ,joubt exaggerates the age. The best au g jjmjt p0SSjble age of an elephant to 1 when in a wild state. Captivity shortens :uration of its life. It may be conceded that thI..ticular rogue was of very I exceptional stature an Asiatic. He was not measured in the nes 5jjejt0n, now set up at Madras, gives him 6in. at the shoulder. I I- I xne nesn ^"Uiu mething to that. The foot I have now has imferenco of more than 5ft., and, no doubt _j.jie full m;eight of the animal was on it, is 0 vou](j be considerably augmented. ISow tne « ference of the foot, accurately arrived » ,Je index to the height of the beast at shoulde one.}^f the height; so that if we conclude £ 00 £ wouj(j under the conditions measure,, t &in^ the height of the elephant at shouldt haye beeQ 10ft_ lOin.; an immense an q jrCeptiona.1 stature for an Asiatic elephant. ^^nderson gives the maximum in his experien Asiatic elephants in the flesh as 9ft. lum igphant was a very vicious brute, and at °»ct {or any man he caught sight of. Waen Jled, his head was found marked by many r The African elephants are vastly superior tQ fche Asiatic> .and Sir Samuel "J'aker on his personal •experience, that niany, m ,d gtatej attain "12ft. or more. But ;urious example within our own c0«"ls*?5e in !0untrv, that if captivity shortens the life ot ai doeg nQt always check its growth. wag reare(j jn our Zoological Gardens trom jje measured lift, at the shoulder, g>tooafhad | girth of 5ft. 6in. as he stood. African> Sir Samuel Baker observes .about havg seeQ very much larger animals in ftrV;ut there is nothing in India to approach ti Jumbo." 1 This dictum gives importance to iaaaurement of the gigantic rogue of ooutn note- worthy specimen of the African sp ^a3 shot by the Duke of Edinburgh in 1 rafced then as one of the largest was 10ft. at the shoulder, had a girtn g. from tip of trunk to tip of tail he • 23ft. 5in. His magnificent bead (from fof end of trunk, lift. 3in.) and his foot House*

Letters received from the East Indies particulars of a clever capture of a ?n give containing between 40 and 50 slavesjP^w, cruiser Cossack, Commander John slaves were brought to Zanzibar, and w, it is stated, shipped on board the dhow ie.r[e» very eyes of the authorities. the

HINTS FOR THE HOME. TO REMOVE PAINT FROM WINDOW PANES. A very easy way to remove paint marks from window panes is to smear the glass with turpen- tine. After leaving the turpentine on a few minutes, you will find, on rubbing, that the paint will come off easily. SALT FOR MOTHS. Salt is the best exterminator bl' moths. The nuns in one of the hospital convents have tried every- thing else without success, and their experience is valuable, as they have so much clothing of the sick who go there, and strangers, when dying there, often leaye quantities of clothing. &c. They had a room full of feathers, which was sent there for pillow-making, and they were in despair as they could not exterminate the moths, until they were advised to try common salt. They sprinkled it around, and in a week or 10 days they were alto- gether rid ot the moths. They are never troubled now. In heavy velvet carpets, sweeping them with salt cleans and keeps tnem from moths, as particles of salt remain in the carpet and corners. GAULISHES. 1. Parsley is the most universal garnish for all kinds of cold meat, poultry, fish, butter, cheese, and so forth. Horseradish is the garnish for roast beef, and for fish in general; for the latter, slices of lemon are sometimes laid alternately with the horseradish.—2. Slices of lemon for boiled fowl. turkey, and fish, and for roast veal and ca6£" shead. -3. Carrot in slices for boiled beef, hot or cold.- 4. Barberries, fresh or preserved, for game.—5. Red beetroot sliced for cold meat, boiled beef, and salt 1ish.-6. Fried smelts as garnish for turbot.- 7.Fried sausages orforcemeat balls are placed round turkey, capon, or fowl.-8. Lobster coral and pars- ley round boiled fisIL-9. Fennel for mackerel and salmon, either fresh or pickled.—10. Currant jelly for game, also for custard or bread pudding.—11. Seville orange or lemon in slices for'wild ducks, widgeons, teal, and so forth.—12. Mint, either with or without parsley, for roast lamb, either hot or cold.-13. Pickled gherkins, capers, or onions, for some kinds of boiled meat and stews. EARLY BREAKFAST AND HEALTH. Breakfast should be eaten in the morning before leaving the house for exercise or labour of any de- scription those who do it will be able to perform more work, and with greater comfort and alacrity, than those who work an hour or two before break- fast. Besides this, the average duration of life of those who take breakfast before exercise or work will be a number of years greater than those who do otherwise. Most persons begin to feel weak after having been engaged five or six hours in their ordinary avocations; a good meal reinvigorates, but from the last meal of the day until next morn- ing there is an interval of some 10 or 12 hours. Hence the body, in a'sense, is weak, and in pro- portion cannot resist deleterious agencies, whether of the fierce cold of mid-winter or of the poisonous miasm which rests upon the surface of the earth wherever the sun shines on a blade of vege- tation or a heap of offal. If early breakfasts were taken in regions where chill and fever, and fever and ague, prevail, and if in addition a brisk fire were kindled in the family room for the hour including sunset and sunrise these troublesome maladies would diminish in any one year, not ten- fold but a thousandfold, because the heat of the fire would rarefy the miasmatic air instantly, and send it above the breathing point. A HOUSEKEEPER SHOULD KNOW That the surest way to have a clear jelly is to let the juice drain through a flannel bag, without squeezing it. That if a little salad oil is mixed with mustard for the table, it is greatly improved. That horseradish may be kept nice and strong for winter use by being packed in sand in a box. Olean and grate for use when wanted. That a ham well packed in pulverised charcoal, after the usual smoking, will keep for years. That butter put into clean pots and well surrounded with charcoal will keep good for 12 months. That a little petroleum added to the water with which waxed or polished floors are washed improves their looks. That the inside of a tea or coffee-pot may be beautifully brightened by filling with water, adding a piece of soap, and boiling for about 45 minutes. That a small box filled with lime and placed on a shelf in the pantry or closet will absorb damp and keep the air in the closet dry and sweet. That stale breadcrumbs and plaster of Paris mixed with water to the consistency of dough and then left to dry, make a most effective preparation for cleaning old wall-paper. CHEMICALS FOR HOUSEHOLD USE. It is surprising, considering how many women have been instructed in chemistry in their school days, to find how few housekeepers make any use of chemicals in various household processes. Especially is this the case in cleansing processes. The washing of clothes is usually wholly accomplished by rubbing the clothes on the washboard, and with no other detergent than soap. The rubbing of the clothes wears then! out far more than use, and if house- keepers only knew, or if knowing they would take advantage of, the fact that many washing com- pounds will almost entirely cleanse clothes which are soaked in them over night, and thus almost en- tirely do away with the labour and wear of the wash-board, wash day might be robbed of half its terrors. Receipts for washing fluids, the principal ingredients of which are soda-ash, ammonia, and lime can be found in nearly every household receipt book and are very cheap and harmless. All such washing compounds are useful and convenient for cleaning woodwork, paints, and carpets in a house; also in washing dishes and securing that de- sideratum of housekeepers, clean dish cloths. Ammonia is a simple, cheap, and harmless chemical that should be bought by the quart and kept in every family. A few drops added to water will cleanse children's hair and make it soft and sweet; it is a admirable disinfectant to remove the odour of perspiration; it will remove grease spots from clothing and of £ en restore colours to stains. Its common and frequent use cannot be too frequently urged. Borax is another chemical that should find a common use in every family. For cleansing the teeth and sweetening the breath a few grains of the powder in water are unexcelled. It also softens and whitens flannel. Salicylic acid is a perfectly odour- less and harmless yet powerful disinfectant, and for many disinfecting uses in the household is valuable. NICE DISHES. PORK CAKE.-One pound of pork chopped fine, one pint of boiling water poured upon the pork, one pound of raisins seeded and chopped, quarter pound citron shaved into shreds, two cups of sugar, one cup of molasses, two eggs, one teaspoonful each of soda, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, and flour enough to mix well. COTTAGE PUDDING.—One cup of sugar, one table- spoonful of butter, two eggs, one cup of sweet milk, three cups of flour, or enough to make tolerably stiff batter, one-half tablespoonful of soda, one tea- spoonful of cream of tartar sifted with flour, one teaspoonful of salt. Rub the butter and sugar together, beat in the yolks, then the milk and soda, then salt and the beaten whites, alternately with the flour. Bake in a buttered mould; turn out upon a dish, cut in slices and eat with liquid sauce. FISH MOLL-Fry four onions in butter for about 10 minutes, then add a tablespoonful of flour, and about a saltspoon of turmeric powder. Fry for a minute or two, then add the milk of a cocoanut. Boil for a few minutes, add the skins of half-a- dozen green chilies cut up, a few slices of green ginger, one small clove of garlic, cut up, and two or three soles, filleted. Let it gently cook from 15 to 20 minutes and just before serving add half a teaspoonful of salt and a dessert-spoonful of vinegar. Serve plain boiled rice in a separate dish. CoRN FLOUR CAKE.-Take half cup butter, half cup sweet milk, half cup corn starch, one and a-half cups flour, one cup sugar, half teaspoonful soda, one teaspoonful cream tartar, one teaspoonful salt. Last, add the whites of three eggs, beaten stiff. Flavour with vanilla. Bake in sheet. As icing for same, take enough pulverised sugar to make the desired amount, and flavour with vanilla. Add a little cold water to moisten the sugar, then add a piece of melted chocolate, size of a walnut. Spread on the cake with a broad-bladed knife. CREOLE PANCAKES.-This is a delightful supper dish, and may be eaten with either butter or sugar. Some persons have called them quire of paper" cakes, as each cake, when properly made, is as thin as a sheet of writing paper. Sift a pint and a halt of flour; salt to taste. To a cupful of right sour milk put half a teaspoonful of soda, and beat till it foams. Pour into the flour, add four eggs, slightly beaten, and enough cold water to make a thin batter. All milk makes the cakes hard to turn. Grease the griddle well and cover it with a thin coating of totter. Turn quickly with knife in eacfc hand. Serve hot and cut like pie.

| FACTS AS J J IW OUNDS OF { :■ \r,s IN ACTION. A oil inim"- nity^ from wounds in action of some generals, jJiiu the ill fortune ot oi li<>rs in becoming billets e.r bullets. No commander w.is ever more forward, m^tae fighting line than ^heridin,-yet he never ?* a snatch. Skobeleff, who many a time weak 1.1 wit.1 his own good sword, and in his. white coat, on ins white charger, headed ewrv charge with a recklessness that men called madness, had as complete immunity as if lie carried the cliarmed his soldiers ascribed to him. and was wounded only in the quiet trendies by a chance builet fired into the air a mile away. Wellington was but once hit, the bullet that carried away his bjot-heel scarcely giving him a contusion. Grant was never struck, nor was Napoleon. Of Sir Nevilie Chamoeriain, again, one of the most dis- tinguished officers in our Indian armv, the saying goes that he never went into action without receiving a wound. Bazaine was a man to whom fortune was not stingy in the matter of wounds. At Borney there came to him the leaden reminder that he was mortal. though this feme it. was but a gentle hint. The frigment of a shell hit him on the left shoulder; but it had been well spent, and. because ot the protection of the epaulette, gave him. but a contusion, from which he had pain several days, especially when on horseback. "THE ESUENES." P:.e Essenes," says Mr. Bettany in "The World's. Religion (Ward, Lock. and Co.), were a remar- kable body of ascetics woo iiecame numerous in the century before Christ, and who endeavoured to. fulfil the injunctions of the law by withdrawal from the world, celibacy, and austerity of life. Tney resembled the monastic orders of Christians and Buddhists rather than a sectarian party. In their strict regard for the law, and their extreme care for ceremonial purity, they were like the Pharisees, only aiming at carrying out their views. to an extreme degree by forming separate com- munities with meals in common, conununitv of goods, and a long novitiate. They wore white garments like the priests, bathed before meals and at other times, repudiated marriage as a state of less purity than celibacy, and in all things sought to lead a simple, natural life They held no slaves, swore no oaths, did not anoint themselves with oil, and only used the simplest food and drink. They carried on notrade, but worked on the land and at handicrafts for the common benefit. One of the most striking distinctions between them and the rest of the Jews was their giving up of animal sacrifices, though they still sent incense to the Temple at Jerusalem. It is said that they even, turned towards the sun when praying, as emble- matic of the Divine light, a very un-Jewish custom, and that other points shewed religious regard for the sun. Various students and divines have traced several features of the Essenes to Buddhism, Zorrastrianism, and the Greek philosophy of Pythagoras. ♦ A GIPSY'S CHILDHOOD. The gipsy father and mother are themselves types. of good health and spirits, and therefore healthy and spirited children are born to them. From the moment the child is born until it is upon its own. legs for good, it is constantly rubbed, stretched, and kneaded, that every muscle may have proper action, and development. Gipsy women attend. each other in chiid-birth; and that one who should venture to suggest the presence of a physician, would be mercilessly ridiculed out of Romany life and societv. Giusies of EncHsli and Scotch rlp.!I. cent are fond of "christenings, although they attach no ethical or spiritual value to the office whatever. But these festivities may be regarded as the one occasion in the gipsy child's life, where it attracts general attention. There are no "tootsy-wootsies" among gipsy children. The babe is nursed and laid upon the bed of blankets and leaves within the tent. It seldom ails, and there is always an herb tea for any particular ailment. If it cries,it cries until it tires of an occupation which yields a no more gratifying retupi than a thorough spanking. It is not permitted in any particular to occupy the entire attention of the universe, and gradually grows into a consciousness that there are other affairs in. the world besides its own. When it begins to crawl, it has already precautionary proclivities. It is allowed to crawl into the fire and burn its fingers, if it wishes. Nobody has hysterics over this, and it seldom does any of these things the second time. Indeed the entire practice of child-training among gipsies, if any may be said to exist, is that the child shall itself learn by its own experience. And one of its most rugged experiences of learning is that it is about worth its life to disobey an elder, a. superior, or a parent. + ABOUT OLD OCEAN. The sea occupies three-fourths of the surface of. the earth. At the depth of about 3,500ft. waves- are not felt. The temperature is the same, varying only a trifle from the ice of the pole to the burn- ing sun of the equator. A mile down the water has a pressure of over a ton to the square inch. If a. box 6ft. deep were filled with sea water and allowed to evaporate under the sun there would be 2in. of salt left on the bottom. Taking the average depth of the ocean to be three miles, there would be a layer of pure salt 230ft. thick on the bed of the Atlantic. The water is colder at the bottom than at the surface. In the many bays on the coast of Norway the water often freezes at the bottom be- fore it does above. Waves are very deceptive. To look at them in a storm one would think the water travelled. The water stays in the same place, but the motion goes on. Sometimes in storms these waves are 40ft. high, and travel 50 miles an hour- more than twice as fast as the swiftest steamship. The distance from valley to valley is generally 15 times the height,hence a wave 5ft. high will extend over 75ft. of water. Evaporation is a wonderful power in drawing water from the sea. Every year a layer of the entire sea, 14ft. thick, is taken up into the clouds.. The winds bear their burden into- the land, and the water comes down in rain upon. the fields, to flow back at last through rivers. Th& depth of the sea presents an interesting problem. If the Atlantic were lowered from 6,564ft., the dis- tance from shore to shore would be half as great, or 1,500 miles. If lowered a little more than three- miles, say 19,680ft., there would be a road of dry land from Newfoundland to Ireland. This is the plain on which the great Atlantic cables were laid. The Mediterranean is comparatively shallow. A. drying up of 660ft. would leave three different seas, and Africa would be joined with Italy. The British. Channel is more like a pond, which accounts for its choppy waves. ■ ♦ How FAR CAN WE SEE ? There is absolutely no limit to the normal vision if the sight be unob-tructed. Yet we can see the- stars, which are trillions of miles away, while we, cannot see a tree 20 miles distant. Why ? It is true thatallobjeetsdiminish in apparent size to. an extent proportionate with their distance, but that is not the only reason. The chief one is that our vision is obstructed by the curvature of the earth. It is often a matter of interest and impor- tance to know how far we can see from any given height, or, conversely, how far one must be above the earth to see an object at a given distance. The exact calculation of these figures would require the use of very complex formulae, but for practical use two very simple rules will suffice. The distance in miles at which an object upon the surface of the earth is visible is equal to the square root of one and a half times the height of the observer in feet, above the surface, and, conversely, the height in feet at which an observer must be placed to see a distant object is equal to two-thirds the square of the distance in miles. For instance, the observer is in the rigging of a ship 100ft. above the water;, how far distant, is the horizon ? That is, how far could an object floating in the water be visible before being hidden by the convexity of the earth? One and a half times 100 is 150, and the square root of 150 is, approximately, 12'; therefore the horizon is 12-1 miles distant. As the deck of 2 smaller vessels, like pleasure ya fits, is rarely more than 10ft. above the water, it follows that the limit of vision from that point is less than four miles in every direction. An illustration of the second rule maybe given as follows: A building is 33 miles away; how high a hill must one climb in order to be able to see it ? As th square of the dis- tance equals 1,089, and two-thirds of that number equals 726, it follows that we must climb a hill 720ft. high before we can see tne building, even with the most powerful telescope. Usually, how- ever, the height of the object, as well as that of the observer, must be taken into consideration, but this simply requires the duplication of the problem. ♦ THE FOOD OF SOME BIRDS. The lesser whitethroat, blackcap, and some other warblers are fond of fruit; but not the nightingale. It is extremely fond of the larvae of the common wasp. Greenfinches feed on the seeds of many so-called weeds. On the other hand they have been seen gathc. nig turnip seed almost as fast as it was sown. Thrushes are deadly «nemies of garden

SMART CAPTURE OF BURGLARS. William Shaw, 24, general dealer, of Craven- street, Hoxton, was clurged before Mr. Bros, at North London Police-court, onMonday, .with being concerned with two others, not in custody, in breaking and entering No. 107, Graham-road, the residence of Michael Weitzman.—The prosecutor, a jeweller, said he and Ms family left his house on Sunday afternoon, and on returning in the even- ing found that the front door had been broken open and the place in the possession of the police. He found, also, that boxes and wardrobes had been broken open,and several silver-plated articlesput out as though for removal.—Congtable Russell deposed that on Sunday evening he "as in Greenwood-road, Dalston, and saw the prisoner and two others come over a garden wall. They s'w him and ran away, but he gave chase and captured the prisoner. Witness asked the prisoner questions, but these were not satisfactory, and witness locked him up. Further investigations shewed that prosecutor'* house had been broken opeh and ransacked.- Detective Knott asked lor a.nd obtained a week's remand.

INCIDENT AT WHITEHALL, About 11 o'clock on Sunday morning an extraor- dinary commotion was caused at the Foreign Office by the overflowing of an enormous water-tank which surmounts the tower of the office facing St. James's Park. Some weeks ago plumbers were engaged to repah the tank, and flked in it 51 me new ball-floats, which it appearr, were placed so that they could not rise anq fall freely. This, it seems, caused the overflow, and the water entered almost every room in the balding. Some of the officials were telegraphed for directly the accident was known, and a messenger was de- spatched to the office of works where a. plumber is always on duty. The latter succeeded in turning off the water and the flow soon ceased, but not until great damage had been caused to papers and furniture. The Tower-room was flooded, as was another apartment between it and Lord Salisbury's room, and many valuable State papers end b. oka were soaked. The promptness and exertions of the officials alone averted much mOte serious damage.

A HISTORIC*" VIOLONCELLO, The members of the .Edinburgh Pen and pencil Club, at their opening dinner the other evening, examined the construction and tested the Quality of a violoncello of great antiquity and historical interest. It belonged to Peter the Great, who attained some distinction in music, and who, when studying shipbuilding on the Clyde, presented it to a"member of that old family, the Grants of Elegies. The instrument was long retained in the hous$as an heirloom, but afterwards found its way into the hands of an auctioneer, from whom it was Pur- chased by an ancestor of Mr. W. Campbell Muir, f local amateur, who ultimately acquired it. Ort A recent occasion it was brought by that gentleman under the notice of Herr Gall rein, the celebrate^ 'cello player, who has now obtained possesssion of ,t, and has had it put in thorough repair, in* >ioloncello is exquisitely purfled. back and iron* alike, there being on the former the Russian 1m, ferial arms richly painted in oil, and other em- bellishments, and on the latter the initials i r. G. C. R." (Peter the Great, Czar of Russia). Instead of the usual scroll, the head consists of an elaborately carved lion's front and mane. The ribs are composed of four, strips of satin wood, ana poplar alternately, with purfling between. It is evident that the instrument must have originally been a Viola di Gamba, and that it must have been converted into its present shape many years ago. The name of the maker cannot be traced, but the shell contains the ticket of "Wilnie Baltasar Dank- wart Stuga, 1601," who probably effected the transformation just mentioned. Herr Gallrein de- monstrated the richness and volume of its tone by playing a piece by M.. Paderewski, who was tha guest of the club, and who supplied the pianoforU accompaniment.

SHOCKING TRAGEDY AT HAMJf- STEAD. MOTHER AND CHILD MURDERED. On Friday evening between 7 and 8 the dead body of a woman about 30 years old was found lying in Crossfield-road, South Hampstead, with her head nearly severed from lier.body and the skull smashed in, evidently with a heavy, sharp, penetrating in- strument. The police were soon on the spot, and the body was removed on an ambulance to the mortuary "and carefully examined by two doctors, one of whom said that it was evidently a case of murder of the most brutal character. The woman had been dead but a very short time, and the wounds which had caused her death were probably those at the bacli of the head. In all probability the woman's throat was cut after she had been killed by the terrible blows from behind. The knife used in cutting the throat must have been not only large but sharp. About an hour after the tragedy was discovered, a policeman in Hamilton-terrace, a mile from Crossfield-road, discovered on the pavement an empty bassinette perambulator, in which was a. woollen rug stained with blood. Detective Brown found near the spot where the woman was dis- covered a nut, and one is missing from the perambulator. On Saturday two women named Hogg and Piercey called at the Hampstead Police-station and reported that the sister- in-law of the former, of ;Prince of Wales's- road, Kentish Town, was missing. They immediately taken to the mortuary, and identified the deceased afterwards at Portland Town police- police-station recognising the perambulator. It seems that Mrs. Hogg left home on Friday atter- noon to go for a walk, taking her only child, Phoebe, aged 18 months, with her in the perambu- lator, and did not return. The murdered woman has a niece in service in St. John's Wood, and the police communicated with this niece, who thereupon visited the mortuary and identified the body as that of her aunt, Mr. Hogg also identified his wife. At night the police apprehended the woman named Mary Eleanor Piercey, aged 24, of Priory-street, Kentis1 Town, married, and charged her with the wilful murder of Mrs. Plioebe Hogg, and on suspicion with mur- dering the child of the deceased woman. The accused went to Hampstead with Miss Hogg to see the body in the mortuary, as has been stated. Subsequently detectives visited the apartments of the accused and searched the house. It is said that a blood-stained carving knife was found, windows were smashed, and other things were discovered that made the police officers feel justified in taking the accused into custody. Mrs. Piercey has been for some time on intimate terms with Mr. and Mrs. Hogg and their relatives. It is stated that Mrs. Piercey's hands when she was arrested were cut and scratched, while her clothing shewed stains, to remove which an attempt had evidently been made., It is thought that jealousy may have furnishe some motive for the crime. The body of the child was found on Sunday by a gipsy named Smith in a field just off Finchley-road, the body lying among some furze bushes. The clothes were saturated with rain. The body was removed to Hampstead mortuary and placed beside its mother. A post-mortem examination of Mrs. Hogg's body revealed, in addition to the injuries of the wom-m which had caused death, abrasions on the wrist, which might have been caused in a struggle or 10 breaking a window. The child's body shew^M mark's of violence, and its death is believer to have been caused by suffocation. PRISONER BEFORE THE MAGISTRATE.. At the Marylebone Police-court on Monday, Eleanor Pearcey, 24, married, was brought up>y Detective-inspector Banister, of the S Divisi^ before Mr. Cooke, charged with the murdejf Phoebe Hogg, at 2, Priory-street, on the 24th int j She was further charged on suspicion with kila and slaying Phoebe Hanslope Hogg, aged 18 month r —Frank Samuel Hogg, of Prince of Wales's-roai Kentish Town, a furniture remover, said tt deceased was his wife. The child Phoebe was hi daughter, and was 18 months old. He last sav them on Friday morning, about 9 o'clock, when th( I witness left to go to his work. When he returned home at 10 o'clock at night, he found that his wife] was not at home. His wife was 31 years of age last May. He went to the house of the prisoner, who had been friendly with his wife, to know if she had seen her. The prisoner's house was about six minutes' walk from his house. The prisoner was not at home and he did not see her that nigiit- He had not seen and spoken to her since the Wednesday before. To his knowledge there had not been any quarrel between his wife and the prisoner. He carried a latch-key of the prisoner's door, and had been in the habit of visiting her. He did not think his wife knew that he went there. Inspector Wright, S Division, said he was at th« Hampstead Police-station at 8 o'clock on Friday night, when, from information received from a policeman, he proceeded with an ambulance t» Crossfield-road, and there fouund the body ot a Crossfield-road, and there fouund the body of a murdered woman. It was opposite a partly built house, and lying on the pathway The head was towards the road, and her right arm was straight and the other bent. Her right arm was extended, and her hand clenched. The other was drawn up I at an angle, and the hand was clenched. The face was partly covered by a Cardigan jacket minus the sleeves and buttons. A Mr. Fox, a medical student, came up and he examined the body. Prior to that Dr. Wells, of Belsize-park, had been sent for,and he soon arrived. They made the examination together. The witness saw the woman's throat was cut; but it was dark at the time, and he saw no more. The body was removed to the Hampsteaa j Police-station, where it was placed in the court- room, and further examination was made by Dr. Cooper, [the divisional surgeon. Afterwards the body was conveyed to the mortuary.. Inspector Banister, S Division, said that on Sat- urday morning the prisoner came to the mortuary j at Hampstead with Clara Hogg, the first witness's sister. He took them to see the body, and the prisoner at once said, "That's not her." Clara Hogg examined the clothes, and said, "That's her clothing," but she could not identify the features, Witness took them outside, and said, "Surely H j she is a relative and you have been living together you can form a reliable opinion as to whether it is the person or not." The witness took them back into the mortuary to look at the body again, when Clara Hogg expressed a doubt. The prisoner tnen caught hold of her and dragged her away. Clara said, "Don't drag me." Witness asked them to allow Dr. Bond to wash the blood off the face. Clara looked again, and at once said, "Oh, that s her." The prisoner again tried to pull her CMC* panion away, and she said ''Don't drag me." Alter some iui tlier evidence, the prisoner was re- manded for a week. CORONER'S INQUEST. The inquest on the bodies of the deceased was opened at the Drill Hall, Hampstead, on Tuesday morning, before Mr. Danford Thomas, coroner. Mr. Frank S. Hogg, husband of the deceased, was the first witness. He repeated the evidence giyen on Monday before the magistrate, adding that, shortly before 1 o'clock on Saturday he saw an account in a newspaper of a woman having been found murdered at Hampstead, and he felt sure it was his wife. He wanted to go up to the mortuary to see if his fears were correct; but his sister and mother dissuaded him. As he left home that morn- ing to go to Chorley Wood he saw Mrs. Pearcey at her door, and asked her if she had seen his wife Vnd child. She said she had not. Only on one Qccasion, about eight months ago, had there been *ny difference between his wife and himself. It was owing to his wife receiving and sending letters which she refused to shew him. That was all con- doned afterwards, and since then he had had no faut to find with her. He had not thought about the matter since. So far as he was aware his wife anQ the accused never visited each other The wit- ness added: I am going to speak the truth, sir; it's best. I confess that I was intimate with Mrs. fearcey I don't think my wife kneyt about it." The witness went on to explain the cause of the difference between j himsqf and his wife. After the dispute about the letter, his wife said, "I will have these letters. I will hwe them sent to Lizzie." This was a niece of hers, who he thought had been the cause al1* the differences between them. He could not think of any possible object that could have induced his wife to renew the intimacy with Mrs. Pearcey. His reason 1,4r thinking of going round to Mrs. Pearcey was that he had never heard his wife say a cross word abtjut her, and he was so confused that he hardly knew what he was doing. There had never been any quarrel between himself and his wife con- cerning ttye accused. About last February his wife was unwtil and stayed about a week at her brother's, but they were on the most friendly terms. Mrs. Pearcey nursed her. At no time did his wife make any statement about the accused, except that she had nursed her very kindly.—Replying to Mr. Freke Palmar the accusal'* solicitor, the witness said he was sure the gold ring round on the j accused's finger was not his wife's wedding ring. His wile's ring was of 18 carat gold, whereas that in the possession of the police was only of 9-carat gold. Mr Macdonald, a gentleman residing at Belsize- park, spoke to the finding of the body of the de- ceased, and a police-constable gave evidence of being called by the last witness to the body. Mr. Hogg, recalled at the request of the jury, said lie had made inquiries at the railway-station to ascertain if his wife had left the perambulator I there and bad gone to Chorley Wood without it. He | was informed that it had not been left. When j the perambulator was wheeled into the room for the perambulator was wheeled into the room for the husband to identify lie threw his arms over it and sobbed. He was assisted by two officers to another seat. The cardigan jacket never had been his. Detective-inspector Wright described the body as he saw it on the ground. Dr. Wells deposed to being called to see the body. The deceased had been dead for about two I hours. The throat, was completely severed, the head being attached to the body by only a piece of skin. I Dr. Pepper, who made the analysis, said that the skull was smashed on the left side from the back, and two or three pieces of bone had penetrated the brain, which alone would have caused death. There must have been at least three blows struck. A sharp instrument had passed be- tween the second and third vertebrae, and had cut a small piece off the lower part of the second ver- tebra, shewing that great force had been used. He did not think the knives produced could have severed the bone. He was not prepared to swear that they could not have done so, but he thought it was almost impossible. The wounds must have been inflicted during life, though not necessarily while the deceased was conscious. The wounds on the head must have been caused by some blunt, heavy instrument. The poker would have produced the fracture on the skull. He had also examined the infant. Death might have been due to exposure. More probably death was caused by suffocation. Oliver Smith, living in a caravan, now staying at Wild Hatch-lane, near Hendon, told how he found the child's body. Detective-inspector Banister stated that from in- formation received he went to the house ot Miss Mary Eleanor Wheeler, who had been known as Mrs.Pearcey. The witness described the condition of the kitchen. He produced one of the knives found in the kitchen. The whole of the clothing of Mrs. Pearcey appeared to be stained. Dr. Thomas Bond, lecturer on forensic medicine to Westminster Hospital, corroborated the evidence of Dr. Pepper. John Charles Pearcey, a carpenter and joiner, who had at one time lived with Mrs. Pearcey, said -.ie cardigan jacket used to belong to him. He left it off about four years ago. Mr. Charles Crichton was called. He said he was independent and resided at Northfleet. He had known Mrs. Pearcey for about three years, and he last saw her on Monday, the 20th inst., at her house. She wore several rings, but he could not identify either of these (produced) as the wedding ring she wore. On Friday he received a letter from Mrs. Pearcey concerning his health. It was one of many such letters. He could account for all his movements. Martha Styles, sister to the murdered woman, was then called and said that last Thursday Mrs. Hogg shewed her a note in her niece's house in Albion-road. She said that she had received a note which she believed had come from Mrs. Pearcey. She was surprised at this, because she (the deceased) had not had anything to do with Mrs. Pearcey since last February. The note was written on an odd piece of white paper. It was in pencil. The witness could remember it, and only had doubt as to one word. There was no date and no address in the letter. The envelope was addressed Mrs. Hogg, and there was one word un- derneath. The deceased said that a boy had given her the letter, which was as follows: "Dearest,— Come round this afternoon, andAbring your (or our) little darling. Do not fail." There was no signature at the end. Witness had seen Mrs. Pearcey's handwriting, and about three weeks ago a boy brought her sister (the deceased) a similar note in the same manner. Witness continued: When my sister got there Mrs. Pearcey crossed the road and asked her to go a trip with her to the sea- lide. My sister did not decide then, but arranged go round and tell Mrs. Pearcey whether she ould go or not. My sister went and saw her, and ,ld her she would not go. My sister said that rs. Pearcey informed her in conversation that the ta of the trip was to go and look over an empty ise; I think she said at Southend. She was to /e her baby in London with Mrs. Pearcey's Inie. My sister (the deceased) further said to me, .A had gone to Southend no one would have ?~»ht of looking for me down there in an empty t." She offered no further explanation, but I galed that she had suspicions of Mrs. Pearcey. P oman who lived in the same house as Mrs. eav spoke to seeing the perambulator in the on Friday afternoon, and another witness 5 saw Mrs. Pearcey afterwards wheeling it awaYith something heavy in it. p who had formerly been intimate with Mrs. the cardigan jacket which was ? ow^ver the murdered woman's head as one T?avi Mrs. Pearcey. ■ iV returned a verdict of wilful murder against,8 Pearcey.