ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 745, 28 July 1876, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Political discussions now wax so furious in Parisian private circles that several hostesses have determined to taboo all party questions at their receptions. Accordingly, instead of the ordinary formula, “ dancing,” on the cards of invitation, the guests find the intimation “ politics prohibited.” A pair of boots made from human skin are now being exhibited at the Smithsonian Institute, Washington. The boots are the production of an ingenious New York tanner, who has converted the skin of a dead laborer into fairly solid leather. During the first French Revolution it is said, that a tannery was established at Meuden, near Paris, for utilising the skins of tho victims of the guillotine.

An infernal machine of tho Bremerhaven type was last week sent by Parcels Delivery to a Mr Larkin, a chronometer maker, in Clerkenwell. It was enclosed in a box similar to those which Mr Larkin is in the habit of receiving in his business, and, when prised open with a chisel, it exploded with terrible effect. The shop was wrecked, and Mr Larkin was dashed against the wall and badly burnt and shaken. A few bits of springs were all that could ho found of the box. Mr Larkin, who, though 77 years old. is slowly recovering, was not aware that he had any enemy, and tho police have as yet been unable to trace the sender.

A shocking termination to a lovers’ quarrel took place at A.oton last week. A young man whose fianc&e had oast him. off, remained in bed on a day named on the plea of illness, and sent for the young lady to see him. D pen her arrival he appealed to her to renew their courtship, and on her refusing he drew a revolver from beneath the bed-clothes and shot both her and himself. They are both in a dangerous condition. A strange ease of death by starvation occurred in Clerkenwell recently. A single man, aged thirty-six, who some eight years ago was an inmate of Cohiey Hatch Lunatic Asylum, having died from sheer want of sustenance, though there was plenty of food in his possession. He had behaved in a very eccentric way, and for a long time had been in Dm habit of grinding Iris own wheat and making his own bread, for fear that any one should poison him.

The mania in English “high life” for driving coaches is heartily ridiculed by a Gallic “ special” who has been present at the starting of the coaches from Piccadilly. “These strange public conveyances,” says our critic, “ are of no earthly use, and are run solely to show that Englishmen are the first drivers in the world, and that there is nothing derogatory or undignified for the highest in the land to hold the reins of a mail-coach.”

At Exeter a girl who had committed a theft jumped into the canal in order to escape from the constable who was in pursuit of her. The officer followed, and both were drowned.

A farm laborer of Perthshire has been committed for trial for the singular offence of having caused the death of a valuable horse belonging to his employer, by taking it several times from the stables at night and subjecting it to a course of training on the Rarey principle. The remains of a British man-of-war, lost in 1811, have been found off the coast of Lemvig, Jutland. They are supposed to be the vestiges of the frigate Defence lost in December of that year. An old Sevres vase, given by Louis XVI. to Tippoo Sahib, was sold in London lately. The vase was taken at the siege of Seringapatara by Ensign Gordon, afterwards Adju-tant-General of Bombay, and has come into the possession of his grand nephew. It is urn-shaped, with a fluted neck, and stands about 18 inches high, while the ground is gros.bku, with white and gold (lutings and garlands of pink roses in relief, medallions of flowers being painted on each side. The vase is somewhat heavy in design, and is precious rather as a historical than as an art relic. It fetched L 1,459 10s.

An audaohnis fraud has lately been practised at Bangalore. Four impecunious natives, aided by a European, organised a system of tolls on all native vehicles and animals entering the city, and carried out their scheme with success as to pocket L 3 per diem. The swindlers had stations at five different parts of the town, employed peons in livery with official badges, and displayed a series of bye-laws, which, cautiously enough, were dated April Ist, and which wound up with the notice, “ Any one bring merchandise should not make any bother, but read the pass and pay the money, any disturbance being visited with a fine of LI or fifteen days’ imprisonment.” This went on for a fortnight, till the authorities suddenly awoke to the cheat, and pounced on the amateur tax-gatherers.