South Wales Echo

The Man About Town. I Someone has been good enough to send me a prospectus of the Universal Food and Cookery Exhibition, which is to open in London on April 23, and I notice in the list of the guarantors the name of Mr G. W. Clare of the Park Hotel. The exhibition is intended to carry out and extend the capital idea which had its origin, if I remem- ber rightly, at Brussels-the idea that is of establishing'something like a cult in cooking, by inspiring emulation among the professors of this very "noble art," and familiarising the public with the varieties of its develop- ment and the triumphs of its simple methods. ♦ "In a contented stomach there is peace." You need not ascribe this to Rochefoucauld, or any other ancient you may put it down to me. The one strong and indisputable fact which strikes one on returning from a foreign land is the enormous waste of food in an ordinary English household, caused by the want of knowledge in the kitchen of the very rudiments of the culinary art. The household cookery of England at the present day is an affront to our advanced standard of civilisation. It is not so good as it was in the days of our grandmothers, for they treasured certain recipes for the concocting of savoury dishes which have not come down to our wives or housekeepers, or which have been discarded in favour of imported" notions which the average English man or woman is incapable of putting into palatable form. One can turn into a French country inn, and in fifteen minutes he will be served, as it were in the ordinary course of things, with a repast like unto which your familiar tavern- keeper would require a day's notice to pro- vide. One may turn into the house of a French or German friend to take pot- luck," as it is called, and forthwith there shall be sent up a meal so daintily cooked and admirably served that it might be thought your visit had been expected and prepared for a fortnight befora. For my comparison I will not step across the threshold of the home- at least not for the moment—for I shall find sufficient ground of contrast in describing my experiences of sundry country inns. You turn in tired and hungry—and it is a grand thing to be really hungry. You ask what they have in the larder. The almost invariable answer is that there are ham and eggs. You want a steak? The nearest steak is as far away as the next village. You crave a chop ? If the people can get hold of a sheep to "chop" it off, or in any other way may succeed. in supplying you, it is served up overdone or half-raw, in a mess of greasy gravy, something fitter for man to pronounce an imprecation upon than commit to the sacred regions of his stomach. They tell me that our folk are not such walkers as they were in the old days. It is so, possibly, in this part of the country. There was a time when young Cardiff men would walk out to Barry Island and back without "turning a hair." If pedestrianism has ceased to be a means of relaxation among us, one of the main caases, I venture to think, is the abominable provision, or the equally abominable lack of provison, which attends the v, ay farer at the places he halts at for brief recuperation. It shall call itself an hotel it shall be a pretentious building there shall be a mahogany bar, with a pretty woman behind it it shall announce that it supplies accommodation for man and beast." It is, save in one respect, a delusion and a snare. There is any amount of accom- modation for the man who is disposed to ma.ke himself a beast. There is no provision for, and a distinct reluctance to meet the needs of, the man who wants a well-cooked meal. Fiat Justitia, though every roof in the country around fall on me in my vagrant ways. Let the truth be told, and it is that the people are incapable, not by want of a good disposition, but by want of culinary knowledge, of preparing a hurried lunch or dinner. They could cook you a sirloin to a turn, or boil a leg of mutton to perfection but they do not know how to improvise a meal. Nor does your own housewife, so that things in this matter are as bad at home as abroad. ♦ This brings me back to the subject which I wanted to base an argument upon. This Cookery Exhibition with which Mr Clare is connected—of which I hear he is to be one of the judges—is held in London. All the exhibitions which are likely to do good are held in London. Poor little Walas is never poorer than when she con- templates the advantages which are denied to her and enjoyed by the microbes which inhabit what Cobbet called "the great wen." Why should not we be permitted to share such lessons as the Cookery Exhibition will afford 1 Sir George Elliot and Mr Parkinson, who are on the committee, could do some- thing to redeem us from conventional cookery, if one tithe of their influence in favour of the Knightsbridge show was lent to the institution of a similar exhibition among us. We may never expect to be Brillat-Savarins in the theory of gastronomies, the knowledge of which he likened to a sixth sense we can few of us hope to be artists like Francatelli and Soyer-both of whom, by I' the bye, said that economy in the use of material was one of the secrets of their success. W* could learn much, however, by witnessing something like the clinique of the cuisine; the practice of the professional artist; the way, which Soyer always tried to teach, of making much out of little. It would be a helpful day for Cardiff, if we could arrange some such an exhibition down here, I Saturday was quite a gala day at the Board of Guardians. A new relieving officer had to be appointed, and from east and west and south and north the elected and the ex-officios flocked in to exercise their privi- lege of voting. Most of them were faces quite unknown within the walls of the board room, and it rather reminded one of the House of Lords on an important night, when invalid lords may be seen carried into St. Stephen's to the bewilderment of officials who have never looked upon their faces before. Why should these worthy mem- bers deem their presence so indispensible when a minor post has to be filled up, while they consider it of na importance at the usual business meetings when questions of the gravest import are often mooted ? The fault, I am afaid, lies in the practice of canvassing, which is allowed in the case of candidates for vacancies. If the faithful few are worthy enough to deal with the ordinary business of the board, surely they might be trusted to appoint an officer. Unfortunately, the Guardians are pressed into the service by the candidates, who make a point of securing their vote. I cannot but think this a bad practice in connection with a public appointment. There should be no prejudice or favour dis- played. Considerable dissatisfaction was ex- pressed by a large minority on Saturday that the best man had been knocked out on the second round. I hope this was not the case but all suspicion of such a thing could be removed if canvassing were disallowed. With reference to A Constant Sufferer's complaint," published on Friday, a Canton correspondent writes me I may say that the all-night barking nuisance is not confined to the Roath end of the borough. It is just as grievous here, where, within a hundred yards of my house, there is a dog which bays the moon when there is one, and otherwise bays the darkness until its horrible voice is neutralised by the shrill cry or the noisy bell of the early milk- man. For myself I should not mind, for I am a good sleeper, but for my poor wife I do mind. This miser- able animal keeps her awake night after night. I know the owner but I can- not afford the expense of going to law with him." But what I wished to say was this. In reading the Daily News report of the pro- ceedings between the lord and the colonel, in which, as you perhaps know, the point is as to the means to be taken to secure the quiet of an invalid, I was struck with one of Mr Besley's statements. You said, sir, that magistrates had the power to fine a man for keeping a creature which was an annoyance to his neighbours. Now, it appears that ¡Mr Justice Stephen, in his digest of the law, lays it down that in the case of a man to whom rest is the only chance of life, whin noises are made which cause his death, th(tperson responsible for the noises may be brought into court on a charge of manslaughter or murder-I forget which. Does not the greater include the lesser 2" «. My Canton correspondent omits, or Mr Besley did, a momentous qualification. The "Digests are correctly quoted, except for one all important word. The noises likely "to endanger life must be intentionally made. Therein lies all the difference. The" wind may blow, and the cock may crow," or the dog may bark but you have not, I am advised, good ground of action unless you can prove that A permitted tile noises to continue after B had told him thllëthey were likely to be fataf to C. Still, o Digest supports the presumption that a perpetual annoyance, interfering with a man's natural claim to rest, is an offence under the law. It was, indeed, proved by Mr Babbage as against street organ-grinders; by the late Dean of Carlisle, as regards rail- way whistles; and, if one may be guided by precedents, would have been proved in the case against the Rev H. R. Haweis and his chanticleers, if, when the adjourned sum- mons was called on, it had not been stated that his whole hennery, chanticleers included, had been mysteriously spirited away.

FAILURE OF A NEWPORT CONTRACTOR, EFFECTS OF A MARRIAGE SETTLE- I MENT. At the Newport County-court, this morning— before the Registrar (Mr H. J. Davis)—John McLean, of Rogerstone, near Newport, contractor, came up for his public examination. He stated that he commenced business as a contractor in Sunder- land about 11 years ago. He carried on the business for about three years, and then left Sunderland without having discharged his liabili- ties. He then, so he stated in reply to Mr Abel Thomas, barrister, who appeared for creditors, went to London, and afterwards was foreman on the Hull and Barnsley Railway. He came to New- port three years ago, and commenced business as a builder at Rogerstone. He was successful in speculations, and purchased property at Cefn and also the land known as the Castle Estate, portion of the money being borrowed and obtained on mort- gage. On the 4th Nov., last year, the debtor, on his marriage, executed a settlement in favour of his wife of practically the whole of the above pro- perty, together with the stock-in-trade, plant, and furniture.-Mr Abel Thomas questioned debtor very closely as to this transaction. He said the deed was drawn up by his clerk, and that he understood he was making over to his wife only about, 2200 or L300, and did not become cognisant to the full effect of the deed until his solicitor, two months subsequently, informed him that he could raise no more money on the property. The debtor's liabilities were £1,037 17s Id, and the assets practically nil. The cause of the failure was set down as building speculations. The debtor made no offer to his creditors, and had been, so the Official Receiver intimated, adjudi-, cated bankrupt.

CURIOUS CHARGE OF BIGAMY. At Liverpool assizes David Withinshaw, an elderly excavator, was charged with having at Sheffield, on June 13th, bigamously married Elizabeth Marples, his lawful wife being sti 1 alive. It appeared that the prisoner and his lawful wite lived togetherafter their marriage for about 20 years. They had a daughter who got married about seven years ago when she was about 20. The prisoner and his wife soon after separated, the latter goinsr to live with her daughter at Brighton. The prisoner, while lodging with Elizabeth Marples at a public- house near Sheffield, in the summer of 1887, told her that he was a married man, but he did not know whether his wife was living, as he had not heard of her for over seven years. For the defence it was elicited that a nephew of prisoner's lawful wife had called at the house, and informed her, in the presence of the prisoner, that his aunt (prisoner's wife) had died. The marriage of prisoner and Marples shortly afterwards took place. The verdict was one of Not guilty," and the prisoner was accordingly discharged.

SHOOTING FOXES IN NORTH I WALES. Two foxes having been tracked in the sndw to a cover on the farm of Mr Robert Owen, near Llanrwst, a party of amateur "sportsmen," armed with shot guns, were summoned, and speedfly formed a cordon round the wood, making escape almost impossible. A party of beaters were then sent into the wood to rouse the game. Speedily Reynard No. 1 appeared, and was greeted with a perfect fusillade, but beyond dislodging some of his fur be got clear away. The other fox then broke cover and ran down the .line of guns, and before he reached the end was a corpse, and was carried home in triumph. This, adds our correg- pondent, is the gallant way in which the fox is hunted at Llanrwst. Vulpicide is evidently a favourite pastime,

ANOTHER EXTENSIVE STRIKE IN AMERICA. [CKSTUAL NEWS Ti:LEGRAM.] I NEW YORK, Monday.—A universal strike has been proclaimed by the engineers employed at Chicago, Burlington, and Quincey, and some thousands of men are, in consequence, voluntarily out of work.

SUICIDE OF A CO-RESPONDENT A case of suicide occurred at Herne Bay on Saturday. Mr Hurt, a tax-collector, and a well. known citizen of Canterbury, having been missed from his house since Friday, a search was instituted, which resulted in his body being found at his private residence at Herne Bay, he having bung himself. Deceased was co-respondent in a divorce suit which was about to come off, and this is supposed to have preyed upon his mind.

SUDDEN DEAFH IN CARDIFF GAOL. This morning Mr E. B. Rsece, coroner, held an inquest on the body of John Marshall, aged 30, at Cardiff Gaol. He had been sentenced at Mertbyr to 14 days' imprisonment, and had completed his tenth day, when he died. Dr Hardiman, who was called in, stated that death was the result of natural cause?, and a verdict in accordance with his testimony was returned.

THE CHARGE OF CUTTING AND WOUNDING AT CARDIFF. At the Cardiff police-couit, to-day—before Mr T. W. Lewis (stipendiary) and the Mayor (Aid. Jacobs)—a man named William Griffin (24) was brought up on remand from Saturday, charged with cutting and wounding William Bird, a man of colour.-The evidence was of a very contra- dictory character, and the prisoner was- dis- charged.

CARDIFF PILOTAGE BOARD. The chairman of the Cardiff Pilotage Board attended this morning to cast up the votes recorded for the election of a representative of the shipowners of Cardiff upon the pilotage board as a successor to the late Col. W. H. Martin. The following was the result A. B. Tellefsen 186 Edmund Handcoik, sen 160 W. Trayes 70 Mr Tellefsen was thereupon declared duly elected.

A JUDGE CORRECTED BY THE PRESS. With reference to the summing up of Mr Justice Denman, in a night poaching case at Ipswich assize, the East Anglian Daily Times on Friday drew attention to this ruling, and pointed out that it was in direct contradiction to the law laid down by Mr Justice Hawkins at Ipswich two years ago. On taking his seat on Friday, Mr Justice Denman said he had seen the article. He had given the ruling under a misapprehension. Persons who were at night on land for the purpose of taking game were liable to be apprehended on the spot by the persons finding them.

FRIGHTFUL DEATH FROM HYDROPHOBIA. Yesterday, in the Mater Misericordiam Hospital, Dublin, Mrs Curtis, of Bantry, aged 50, died of hydrophobia. She had been bitten six weeks ago by a strange dog that followed her home, and new at her, seizing her by the lip while she was eating. The wound was cauterised, and apparently healed, leaving a slight cicatrix. On Thursday last she felt pain in the wound, and was removed to the hospital, where the terrible symptoms of hydro- phobia became intensified, and she died in great agony. ■

A CLERGYMAN'S DIVORCE SUIT. I STRANGE CONDUCT OF HIS WIFE. Lord Trayner heard evidence in the Court of Session, Edinburgh, on Saturday, in an applica- tion by the Rev. Wm. Maxwell, M.A., minister of the parish of Cardross, for divorce from his wife, Margaret Russel Service. There was no defence.-Tho pursuer said he was 34 yeara of age, and was married in July, 1882, to the de- fender, whose father was Mr John Service, a retired Glasgow merchant, residing in Cardross. At the end of the year she became unwell, and in December he took her to Madeira. Down to that .time they had lived together on very affectionate terms. He returned to Cardross at the begin- ning of January, 1883, leaving her at Madeira. She returned on 23rd January, and he met her at Liverpool. He then noticed something different in her manner, and thought her reception was cold. She came with him to Cardross, but left house on 22nd June, and went to her father's house at Cardross. He understood that was on a visit, but she afterwards went off in the middle of August to London, and he had not seen her since. At Liverpool, when he met her, her mother and sister were there returning from Madeira, and also a young English clergy- man. After she left him he wrote her several times, and requested her to return. She wrote back declining to return. He had always been desiros to have her back, and was still of the same mind. In the last letter he wrote he said :—"I am still anxious to bring this pain- ful separation to a close. I will do all I can to make it easy and pleasant for you to return." He got no reply to that. —Other witnesses deponed that defender had not been in the manse since 1883, after which Lord Trayner recalled the pursuer, who, in reply to his lordship, said that he never at any time neglected his wife, and never had any complaints from her before she left, either at home or in Madeira, and the statements of inattention in her letter of November 14 were untrue. With- out further remark his lordship granted decree of divorce.

SCANDALOUS LIBEL CASE. I THE AMOROUS FRENCHMAN AND THE PRETTY MILLINER. At the Marylebone police-courr, London, on ( Saturday, Ernest Charles Foubert, a Frenchman, I residing at No. 207, High-road, Kilburn, appeared to answer an adjourned summons, for publishing ¡ a defamatory libel concerning Gertrude Cross, a prepossessing young lady, employed as an assistant in the millinery department of Messrs Owen of Westbourne-grove. A second summons charged him with using threats towards her. There was a third summons for publish- ing a libel concerning Mdlle. Pons. In March last the young lady resided with her parents at Ronasey, Hampshire, where the defen- dant was also staying at a school learning the English language. Without being introduced to her the defendant began paying her attention, and used to follow her to and fro from business. He also used to write love letters to her and drop them on the door step of her parents' house. The complainant came to live in London, and defendant followed her, and she walked out with him four or five times, as she said, to see if she should like him. She did not like him, so she wrote him saying so, and had no more to do with him. After that she received letters from the defendant containing the libels complained of. Some of them were of an extraordinary character. In one he said he had loved her, but she had befooled him, and now he hated her with all his heart, strength, and soul; he hated her as much as he had previously loved her. He cursed her- for ever. In another letter he made abominable accusations of an immoral nature.—Complainant emphatically repudiated and denied the whole of, the defendant's assertions.—Mr Francis, for the defendant, said that through him (the speaker) the defendant wished to express deep regret for any pain the young lady might have suffered in consequence of what he had done. If the court would permit it, the defendant would withdraw the accusation as being without founda- tion, and make all possible honourable amends.— Mr Cross, the young lady's father, who is in the service of Lord Mount-Temple, having given his consent not to proceed further with the case on the conditions named, Mr Cooke said most abominable and scandalous accusations had been made against the young lady, also against Mdlle. Pons, without the slightest cause but under all the circumstances he would allow the course suggested to be taken. —The parties retired, and on returning said terms had been agreed to. The defendant had signed a withdrawal of the allegations against the complainant, had made a complete and ample apology, and had promised to leave this country. -Mr Cooke told the defendant he must consider himself fortunate by the complainants having consented to withdraw the charpei*.

Fearful Avalanches in Italy. -10 23 PERSONS KILLED. [CENTRAL NEWS TELEGRAM.] BKRNK, Monday.—News reaches this town from Milan that ;unong-sl the mountains in Northern Italy tremendous masses of snow have accumulated. The valley through which the little river Brimba runs is almost filled, owing to the descent of vast avalanches from the mountains. On Thursday last the village of Valtorta, near Zogno, and north of Bergamo, was surprised by two avalanches, the first of which descended to the skirts of the village on the north, but without doing any damage. The second, however, buried nearly half of the village, smashing about ten houses as completely as it might have done houses of card. The catastrophe occurred in the very early morning, but it was not until after that the news reached Bergamo, about twelve miles distant. Immedi- ately a relief party started tor the scene of the disaster, consisting of some military surgeons and detachments of carabineers and engineers. On their arrival they joined their efforts to those already engaged in digging a way to the buried dwellings, and during the evening and the ensuing night 23 dead bodies were found and brought out from the ruins of their homes. Ten persons were found still alive, and, though much injured, it is hoped to preserve their lives.

A REMARKABLE PARROT. I I Taught to say what it ought not. I At the Woolwich police-court, on Saturday, Herbert Harold Mackavoy, of 41, Llanover-road. Plumstead, was summoned for unlawfully detain- ing a parroquet, the property of William Harris, of 7, 'Paget-road, Plumstead. The complainant said that he lost the parroquet, a dark green one, on Monday, the 13th June, and heard nothing more of it till the 31st of December, when being informed that the defendant had a parroquet in his possession which had been caught the same week that he had lost his, he went to his house and asked to see it. He was not allowed to see it till the following dav, after giving a description of it, and as to what it could say, but the defendant pooh-pooh'd his claim. It could say Toby," "Pdly wants her breakfast," and such like. 3everaliwitnesses were called, who stated that they saw the complainant s parrot about the gardens between the com- plainant's and defendant's houses, which were only about 100 yards apart, from the day on which it was lost till the following Friday.- William Mackavoy swore that his brother caught the parrot on the 3rd of June. He saw it on the following day, and heard it speak several sentences. The following week witness again saw it, and it could then talk very fluently, and repeated the following distinctly: Oh, dear doctor, Polly is sick— Run for the doctor, quick, quick, quick, D- the doctor, he's gone away- Why the devil didn't he stay "-(I.otid laughter. Witness was present when the complainant's wifa claimed the parrot on New Year's day, and she then admitted that she was only teaching it to talk and that it could only say a few sentences.—After hearing other witnesses, Mr Marsham said he was of opinion that it was the complainant's bird, and defendant must give it up on payment of 10s, the value of the cage. Mr Bryceson (defendant's solicitor)) Another 5s ought to be allowed for the bird's keep.—Mr Marsham He has had the pleasure of its company, and that outsets the keep. He appears to have taught it a lot of things that would have been better left alone.—The defendant gave the 10s paid by the complainant to the poor-box.

A SAILOR AMONG THIEVES IN I CARDIFF, THE WRONG MEN ARRESTED. An extraordinary case of robbery with violence came before the magistrates at the Cardiff police- court this morning. The prosecutor was a sea- faring man named Thomas Mohan, and the accused were John O'Brian (27), alias Skipper," and William Maloy.—The Head-constable, ad- dressing the bench, said the prisoners were charged with stealing 13-1 61 from the person of the prosecutor, and with using violence. The prosecutor came to the police-station and gave a description of the men who had robbed him, and the prisoners were arrested on Sunday.— When. they were in the parade room with the other men the prosecutor identified the prisoners as the men who had assailed him, but half an hour afterwards he returned and said he bad made a mistake in their identity. Having been sworn, the prosecutor said that about a quarter past 11 o'clock on Saturday night, when he was in Bute- street, two men took him by the throat, carried him to a wall near the canal, and, holding him there, ordered him to turn out his pockets. They stole 13s 61 from him and decamped. He said the prisoners were not the men who attacked him, and as this was the whole of the evidence against them they were discharged.

THE DISPUTED OWNERSHIP OF GOLD MINES. Writ on an Envoy Set Aside. In the Queen's Bench to-day, in the case of the New Chili Gold Mining Company versus Blanco and another, Don Guzman Blanco, Venezuelan Minister to France, sought to set aside a writ, of which service out of the jurisdiction had been granted. The action, which has already been before the courts, was to recover damage in respect of the defendant selling in France mines in Venezuela which the plaintiffs claimed as theirs, but which the defendant said were his. It was contanded on behalf ef Blanco that he was free from liability to be served with the writ, being the plenipotentiary of a foreign power to a friendly State, and the case was one for a Venezuelan court. The other side urged that the immunities of ambassadors in England were limited to those accredited to England, and diplomatic relations were now suspended between this country and Venezuela. The court decided there was no reason for the service out of the jurisdiction, and set asido the writ accordingly.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE AGAINST A DOCTOR. At Belfast a Local Government Board In- spector held an enquiry into charges preferred against a local doctor. The allegation made t y the town missionary and othir persons was to the effect that the doctor attended a dying young woman when in a state of drumkenness, and that in that condition sat on the bed. The patient complained to the missionary, who entered the room, whilst the doctor bad insulted her. She repeatly asked the doctor to leave, aud a policeman was sent for. Dr Spedding emphatically denied the charges on oath, and said that the patient became frightened when he told her she was going to die. He read the 51st Psalm to her; but that did not quiet her, but made her more excited. One of the witnesses caused some laughter by stating- she was surprised when the doctor began to read the Psalm, for doctors, as a rule, did not read Psalms. The patient afterwards died. The Inspector said he would report to the Local Government Board.

CURIOUS CUSTOM ON A ROYAL MANOR. Mr Justice Stirling, in the Chancery Division on Saturday, had a curious instance of the way in which the ancient custom of manors overrules the ordinary law. In the present case the question was which of two brothers, named Butler, was entitled to considerable copyhold in the Royal manor of Kennington, the fines and fees of which are the Prince of Wales's property. The custom of the Royal manor of Kennington is that the youngest sou is heir to the copyhold property, and the question for the judge to decide was whether the elder brother, who, according to the common law, was entitled, should inherit the property, or whether the youngest son, who, according to the custom of the manor, would be the heir, should take possession of if-Mr Justice Stirling decided that the youngest sun was entitled to the property in accordance with the custom of the manor, and gave judgment in his favour.

MR CHAMBERLAIN'S RETURN. Mr Chamberlain will leave Washington next Wednesday for Philadelphia. He will be enter- tained at dinner there by the leading British residents at the Union League Club, and a recep- tion will be given afterwards by the Order of the Sons of St. George. Mr Chamberlain will dine with Mr George W. Childs on Thursday, and on Friday go to New York, where he is to dine with the Canadian Club. He will leave for home all Saturday in the steamer Umbria. It is estimated that Mr Cliawberlaiue, mission will cost £ 3.900.

I Terrible Fire in Dublin. I I FATAL LEAPS FOR LIFE. I I A WOMAN IMPALED. I A fire broke out this morning at Mrs Kellys | dairy, Cuffe-street, Dublin. Sixteen occupant* escaped, but an old woman and her niece were killed by the fall of the rooft and an old man was fatally injured. The upper portion of the house was let off in tenements. Sixteen of the 20 occupants escaped by the stairs, but the retreat of a woman called Mary Fitzpatrick was cut off, and in the panic she threw herself from the second storey window, and she met a horrible death by falling on the spikes of an iron railing below. A man called John McGuirk jumped from the back window, and, when he was picked up, it was found that his back waS broken and both his legs fractured. An old woman and her niece occupied the top front room. and the rocf fell in on them before they could be rescued. The firemen made several gallant attempts to enter the room from the escape, but they were driven back by smoke. Another account, telegraphed by the Central News, says:—This morning a fire broke out in aLl eight-roomed teremer- z'ouse, No 23, Cuffe-stresto off Stephen's Greere-, itrh fatal results. Both the fire brigade and tfee police became aware of the fire through seeing the glow. 011 their arrival a woman named Fitzpatrick, aged 45, who had jumped frutu fourth storey window, was found impaled on the area railings, moaning feebly, the blood gushing out. She died almost immediately on being removed to the hospital. In the back yard a man named McQuirk, who bad jumped also from the fourth storey, was found with his leg broken. He stated that in the room from which he leaped a woman named Doyle and her niece, and a girl named Georgina Hegan, were sleeping, and that each room of the house was occupied. The fire brigade found it im* possible to enter the house, which was a sheet of flames, and it is surmised that several persons have perished. The brigade are still working, and have prevented an extension of the fire to the adjoining premises. Three charred corpses were taken from the ruins shortly fter 9 o'clock, making five deaths in all Their names are Eliza Murphy, Nannie Cotgan, and Mary Murphy, two being girls and the other an old woman, all of whom were found on the root, whence they had gone to escape. The fire is now completely subdued, but great excitement prevails in the neighbourhood, and immense I crowds have assembled in the vicinity.

TOO MUCH FOR JOB'S PATIENCE t He Commits Bigamy for Love. [ Job Robinson, a grocer, of 165, Cambridge Heath-road, Bethnal-green, who was charged with bigamy at the Thames police-court, London, on Saturday, said, when arrested, I expected this. I am very sorry. It was stupidity on my part. My wife was very dirty in her habits, neglected her children, there was no comfort at home, and she caused me to drink. At times I did not know what I was doing." Adelina Sarah Bird, the second wife, said that in May, 1886, she went through the form of marriage with the ac- cused at the Registrar's office, Poplar. She first met him in Oct., 1885, when she called on him to tune her piano. He told her he was a single man. She first heard he was a married man about the end of November last. At that time they had been parted since Septemher. About the end of November she went to the hospital, where she saw the prisoner in bed, suffering from the effects of a bicycle accident. She asked him why he married her, when he said because I loved you." On Friday she sent for the accused to come to her house, and he did so, and was arrested. The accused did not bring any of his children to witness. She did not know he had any. The prisoner having been cautioned in the usual manner, said he was exceedingly sorry for what he had done, and would have to stand ttft consequences. He was committed for trial.

PESTERING A JUDGE WITH I'' I LETTERS. On Saturday in the Chansery Court, in dealing with the administration euit of Allerton v. Cun- nington, Mr Justice Kay protested indignantly against the practice which, he said, was often re- sorted toby litigants, of writing privatolatterstothe judge who had their case before him. In this particular action, he remarked, he had been pestered with letters by the defendant. He (the judge) confessed that if he allowed himself to be prejudiced in any way, be should be very much prejudiced against a man who acted in this manner. He was sorry to say that there was a set of ignorant, foolish persons who very often troubled him with private letter. arguing pending cases. He believed the practice was resorted to in most instances simply through ignorance and stupidity, but it was a most improper thing to do, and one which he diseour. aged by every means in his power. The learned judge then banded down to the plaintiff's counsel a bulky-looking letter in a foolscap envelope, which he said he had received that morning from the defendant.

THE COUNTESS AND THE FOOTMAN, A terrible scandal is just reported from Parish Some time ago a I rench count saw an actress at Brussels, married her, and brought her to Paris. For a time all went on well, but presently she fell in love with the count's footman, and began a liaison with him. One day, how. ever, she found that the footman Baptiste had a sweetheart of his own, where- upon, out of jealousy, she secretly hid a quantity of silver plate and jewellery in the footman's room, and, having done so, sent for the police, and gave him into custody on a charge of robbery. Baptiste had little difficulty in proving his innocence, and he then sued the countess for damages, to stop which she made him a present of 5,000 francs. But by this time the affair had come to the husband's ears, and he, learning the facts of the case, has very naturally begun a suit of divorce against his erring spouse.

A JUDGE ON BRUTAL CRIMES. SIXTY LASHES WITH THE" CAT." At Leeds Mr Justice Day, who has already at these asizes ordered the cat to be administered to three prisoners, has sentenced two others to similar punishments. The prisoners, young men named Albert Puddicombe and William Thomas Lawton, were found guilty of a series of robberies and brutalities in and near Bradford, their victims being girls and women who were treated with savage violence. Puddicombe, who was the lesser offender, was sentenced to two concurrent terms of 18 months' imprisonment with hard labour, and 40 lashes with the cat, to be given in two instal' ments. The punishment awarded to Lawton con- sisted of concurrent sentences of 10 years penal servitude, 15 months' hard labour, three for each of five offences, and 60 lasbfs with the cat, to be administered in three doses of 20 lashes each.

A GOOD YOUNG MAN ENSNARED I A middle-aged man applied to Mr Partridge at Westminster police-court for advice on Saturday. He stated that his son, 18 years of age, who up till a month ago was a good young man, had left his situation and ggl5,, from home to live with a woman of itto wal character very much older than himself.' What could he do to get his son back ? Could he not prosecute the designing female ? (Laughter.)—Mr Partridge: I am not aware that you can do that.—Applicant Why not ? If a female under 18 is decoyed away by a man he can be prosecuted. It ought to be the other way as well. (Laughter.) There is no law then to help me to get my son back?—Mr I Partridge I cannot interfere at all. Give him the best advice you can.—Applicant said good I advice was likely to be of no use in such a case, I and left the court vastly disappointed.

WHY MEN WEAR CORSETS. I An enterprising report' -in America, of course —has been endeanvouri:fir cut why men wear corsets. At each of the corset-making establishments at which inquiry was made, con- cerning this freak of fashion, it was ascertained that the male customers wanting corsets called for braces in nearly every instance, pleading a weak back and a physician's recommendation. It was also discovered, to the satisfacSion of the reporter, that three classes of mankind wear corsets, namely military men, mashers, and 11 The last, it should be explained, are men whose likes and dislikes are feminine, ex. pressed in feminine phraseology whose manners are marked by a feminine nicety and whose self is despised by every sensible woman who comes incontact with the sissies in the course of her A J shopping or in the social circle. 1