News by the October Mail.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 6, 15 December 1869, Page 6

News by the October Mail.

One of the largest Sunday schools in San Francisco is composed of Chinese children. Blondin re-appeared at the Crystal Palace on September 27, in a tight rope performance. It was not, however, of such a dangerous character as that which was witnessed some years ago. On September 8, at the Birkenhead \ Police Court, a gentleman’s son was convicted of gross cruelty. Sitting on the wall of his father’s garden and cracking his whip, ho deliberately pelted a pet greyhound to death. His father said the boy was not there at the time, but the magistrate said he believed he was, and imposed a penalty of 31. for the cruelty, 21. the value of the dog, and costs, in all 51. 9 s. Lady Mary Hamilton, sister of the Duke of Hamilton, was married at the Chateau do Marchois on Sept. 21 to the Duke of Yalentinois, son of the Prince of Monaco. The daughter of a Scotch Duke lias thus become a sovereign princess. The Emperor and Empress of the French presented the bride with a brilliant bracelet and a thistle brooch as a souvenir of their regard on the auspicious occasion. The Duke of Edinburgh is now talked of as a “ likely young man” for the throne of Spain, Gil Mas, the Punch of Madrid, represents Senor Olozaga leading onr sailor Prince forward, and pointing out to him the empty throne, over which, after the story of Damocles, there is a sword suspended by a hair. The Prince is in the altitude of eyeing it through a glass, and remarking, “Yes, it is very pretty, but for my part I don’t like upholstery with such hangings ! ” The inauguration of the Scottish national monument to Sir William Wallace took place on Sept. 11, The monument is situated on the Abbey Craig, a commanding position near Stirling, and overlooking the field of Bannockburn, A terrible thunderstorm, the most violent known for years, burst over Mullingar and the adjacent country on September 30. It fortunately lasted only an hour, but during even that short time it did a great deal of damage, killing numbers of cattle, sheep, pigs, &c. A poor woman, wife of a labourer residing about three miles off, was struck by the electric fluid, which passed down the chimney of the cabin, killing her on the spot. Her body was reduced almost to cinders, and the cabin, with all its contents, destroyed. Several cases of hydrophobia have recently occurred in Yorkshire. In one case the victim was a boy named James Henry Boothroyd, five years of age. He was bitten by a rabid dog in July last, and his wounds were attended to by a surgeon, and it was hoped he would recover ; but symptoms of hydrophobia made their appearance, and the sufferer died on September 20. On September 29 a young man named Alfred Norwood was attacked by a leopard in Messrs Bostock and Wombwell’s wild beast show, while putting some of the animals through their performance*, at Sunderland. He was dragged to the ground by the back part of the neck, and held by the fangs of the brute for about a minute before the attendants could beat the furious animal off. Norwood, on being released, was at once conveyed to the infirmary, where it was found that his injuries were of rather a serious description, A report comes from Yorkshire to the effect that one William Tracey, an attendant at the North Riding asylum, had charge of a lunatic to give him a bath, but instead of doing this duty himself he left it to be performed by two patients. These unfortunate persons turned on only the boiling water, and put the other lunatic into it. The man’s legs were shockingly scalded, but the attendant failed to report the fact, and the patient died of his injuries. At the inquest the jury returned a verdict censuring Tracey, who his been dismissed. A melancholy suicide has just taken place at Camberwell. A German watchmaker and his wife, being hard pressed for money, took counsel how to cut down their expenses, and it was agreed to drown their little dog, the keep of which cost 7d per week. It was a great pet, but the wife throw it off Southwark Bridge. The loss of the dog seems to have preyed upon her mind, and a few days afterwards it is supposed that she drowned herself, as her body was found m the Thames at Horslydown. At the inquest a verdict of temporary insanity was returned. Mr George Wheeler, Her Majesty’s fisherman at Virginia Water, died at the Fisherman’s Cottage, Flying Burn, on the 11th September. He had been in the service of the Queen twenty-eight years, and was previously a waterman in the employ of Mr Hester, boat-builder, Eton. He had taught the young Princes of Cumberland and Cambridge the art of swimming, and was a great favourite of Her Majesty and the royal family, on whom he always attended when they went fishing in any of the waters of the Great Park. Mr Wheeler wan about sixty years of ago. Very serious rumours are afloat as to the condition of the Emperor of Russia. Mental alienation -melancholy madness—is attributed to him. He secludes himself for days, refusing to see any one whatever.