BRITISH AND FOREIGN EXTRACTS

Dunstan Times, Issue 1114, 7 September 1883, Page 4

BRITISH AND FOREIGN EXTRACTS

The perpetrators of the murder and robbery on Whit Sunday, 'at a jeweper’s simp in the Palais Pova'. have been arrested at Brussels, Their names are Per r ddn and Plain. The former is the husband of n woman •employed at the jeweller’s, the very came, in fact, who was first back at ■the shop on Sunday evening, found "the murdered woman’s bodv lying Iticide the door, and summoned the police and doctors. It. is, however, right to add that she has been sepa rated fiom her husband, who has already suffered several convictions for various offences, for many years, and "it may therefore fairly Vie presumed that, she is innocent of participation in the crime. The murdeiers have made a full confession. Perghin, it seems ■strangled the unfortunate woman whi ! e Plain held her legs. This took "20 minutes. They then took their ■time to seVct their spoil, and at nightfall withdrew with it. The same ■night tbev set out Tor Belgium, their Native country. Their detention is fhe consequence of their ha ving placed the stolen jewels in a case of remarkable appearance. A description of this was sent to all the custom home ■officers, and those on the Belgian frontier recognised it, and put the police on the track, who soon pounced upon both prisoners and their plunder. A remarkable and highly interesting 41 find,” both to historians and Archaeologists, has lately been made In ifche out of-tbe way but picturesque ’little village of Tintinhull, in Somer•set. In a garret in the house of the present churchwarden was discovered a great pile of parchments, letters, =and books of various descriptions, and amongst this pile of much that was weles" were found the church books, •carefully bound -and well preserved, ■written in various but clerkly hands, and giving a concise account oi the dii-rory of the church from the year 167k back to 1432 Many of the entries a.re highly curious, and illustrate the ■village life of the period. The relics of another unfortunate Exploring expedition—that of La Peronse at the end of last century—have just come to light. A French '•missionary to the Samoa or Navigators’ Islands iu the Pacific informs "the French Geographical Society that "theremains of De tangle and several •other of La Peronse’ companions have been found, together with dates proving that they perished in December, 1787. French search expeditions in the early part of this century lead already proved the destruction of the ’two vessels. Baron Nordenskjold’s expedition to is under the command of faptain Nilsson, and a crew of 13 hand-s. Baro.i Nordenskjold is accompanied by Dr Na'horst, geologist; Dr Berlin, surgeon and botanist, Dr Foisstrand, zoologist ; Dr Hamnerg, ■hydrographer ; two Laplanders, two Norweigan ice masters, one harpooner, and Herr Kolthoff, as assistant zoologist, with Herr KjelLtrom as typographer and photographer. The ■Sofia cairies provisions sufficient for a sojourn of 14 months on the inland i<e, assuming that the interior of Greenland is covered with ice. 'the Sofia has as passengers to Iceland—■fount Stromfeldt, Dr Arpi, and Herr Flink, who intend staying in the island for some time for the uueposes cf study and colled iug. Befoie the Select Committee on the Manchester Canal Bi 1, Mr header Williams, the engineer, stated that the length of the propo ed canal •would be 21i miles, rather less than one-fourth of which would be entirely tidal. When the canal will enter the Mersey before Runcorn, space will be provided for four goodly-sized vessels to pass to and fro. The supply of "water from the two principal river feeders would be consideiablv beyond the requirements. The total length ■of the quays would be-about 54 miles, and the cost of the entire work about six millions sterling. Sir Auckland Colvin’s functions as Commissioner-General of the Egyptian ■Credit Foncier, enable him to he almost as absolute in that institution as he is supreme in the Egyptian Exchequer in his capacity of Financial Adviser to the Khedive. It is to be hoped that Sir Auckland Colvin will not find that the union of the two functions incapacitates him for the efficient discharge of the duties of either post. It is hardly desirable that the Egyptian Chancellor of the Exchequer should be so closely identified with a financial institution, which, however indispensable, should not be regarded as a Government department. The designs submitted in the first ■competition for a memorial to Alexander 11. of Russia, not having satisfied the jury, invitations have been sent out for a second competition. The monument is to he erected in the Place d’Arrnes, Kremlin, Moscow. The material may be gaanite, porphyry, marble, or bronze. Foreign artists will he permitted to compete with those of Russia for the work. The cost of the monument is not to ■exceed 1,000,000 ‘roubles (£15 n ,000). Four prizes, ranging from 2000 to 6000 roubles, will be given for the best designs.