MAIL NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2047, 6 April 1907, Page 4

MAIL NEWS.

LONDON, Fob. 17. The Mnrqis of Lansdowno is to bo admitted a member of tlio Grocors’ Company on February 27.

Tlio Princess of Wales lias pur'flinsod several drawings by S. H. Hancock, tlio London postman-artist. “It requires a veritable education to wink,” remarked Professor Stirling in a lecture at tlio Hoy a l Institution.

It was stated that a lithographic printer, into whoso death tlio City coroner held an inquest, drank thirty glasses of beer a day. Bocuuso she owed two weeks’ rent Rebecca Stoker, tlio wil'o ol a Bethnal Green bricklayer, committed suicide by hanging horsclf. An action in Shoreditch County Court concerned injury done to a “freak” pony, which had two heads and an elephant’s trunk. At Messrs Sotheby’s a uniquo collection of books illustrating tlio costumes of the British Army lrom earliest times realised £1503. The Independent Labor Party have unanimously elected Sir Ivoir Ilardio chairman and Mr D. S. Shackloton vice-chairman.

Stealing one penny was tlio cliargo at Stratford' against a schoolboy of thirteen. Ho was bound over under the First Olfenders Act. The marriage of Jlr. Mark Haiilbourg, the celebrated pianist, and Miss Dorothy Muir Mackenzie will tnko place at a registry office on March sth. Thackerny would never havo written anything if ho had not wanted money, said Doputy Judge Bevan, at Westminster County Court recently. Sir Edward Clark, K.C., having given the world his system of simplified stenography, is now known in tho Temple as the “Shorthand Clarke.” At Chelsea Hospital Field-Marshal Sir George White has unveiled a memorial tablet to the late FieldMarshal Sir H. W. Norman, the former governor. At the South-Western Police Court the expense of courting three girls at one time was pleaded by Charles Edward Witliam as the excuse for embezzling his employer’s money. Motor omnibuses in London carried 184,000,000 people last year, against 180,000,000 carried by the tramwaycars, stated Lord Montagu of Beaulieu at a meeting of tlio Society of Arts.

Hundreds of seagulls visited Clapham Common during a rain storm in the week, and tho unique sight was witnessed of a flock of these birds feeding on the grass in the company of rooks and starlings. Lieut.-General Sir John D. P. French, Commandcr-in-Cliief Aidershot Army Corps, has been promoted to tho rank of general in succession to Sir T. Kelly-Kenny, who has been placed on* retired pay. “People become surety, got no advantage thomselvos, tho people who get the money, broak, of course, and then tho surety has to pay. It is sheer, crass, mad folly,” said Judge Bevan at tho Westminster County

Ccurt. At North London a prosecutor remarked: “I wish I was not such a poor man, or 1 would havo employed a solicitor to make tho case more complicated.” He added hastily: “I mean to explain the complications.” Mr. John Burns is said to be writing his autobiography, for which he has already refused an offor of £20,000. Ho does not intend to finish it until he retires from Cabinet rank, which ho thinks will not be for some years yet. London Freemasons arc voting on the principle of dividing tho 605 London lodges into twelve metropolitan grand lodges. The poll will be declared at G p.m. in the Temple, at Freomasons’ Hall, on Thursday, Feb-

ruary 28. Mr. John Sharland, omnibus proprietor, is about to sell 210 horses and twenty omnibuses, having decid-

ed to place motor-omnibuses on the routes from the Elephant 1 to the Angel and Earl’s Court, hitherto served by the horsed vehicles. Subject to the payment of her funeral and testamentary expenses, Mrs, Anna Npwtqit, qf Chiswick House, Chiswick, who died on January 17 last, left the whole of her estate, the gross value of which is £20,300, to St. George’s Hospital. Cook’s temper, her casting silver and china about, her abusive language, and “prancing about the kitchen” were raised as a defence by a lady who was sued in the Bloomsbury County Court for £2 12s, wages alleged by the cook to be due. “He is an accountant,” said a man at Wood Cireen County Court. “And when I say accountant,” he continued, “I should explain that he gets his living by advising people as to getting reductions in their income tax.” “Oh!” said the judge. In order to deaden tho sound of their footsteps, two boys named Grant and Johnston were stated, at the Guildhall, to have used furs as means of oarpeting the stairs at a London furrier’s warehouse, into which they were charged with breaking.

Admiral Sir Archibald Douglas, who lias retired from active service, was the “sea-daddy” of. the Japanese Navy. He was lent by the Admiralty when a commander to the rising Power of tlio East, and spent two years in organising the naval college at Yeddo.

Mr. Jesse Codings, Mr, Henui'ker Heaton, Mr. Hamar Greenwood, and

Mr. Howell Davies, tlio four members of Parliament < who were in Jamaica at the time of the lato earthquake, dined together at the House of Commons to celebrate their fortunate escape. During the hearing of a personal injury case in the Lord Chief Justice’s Court, counsel said, amid laughter, that the plaintiff had been examined by the help of the Ilontgon rays. He was such a big man, however, that the rays would not penetrate him. Southwark County Court sitting recently lasted little more than an hour—a very unusual occurrence in a district which is usually so prolific .in cases, ‘fit’s a very small congregation,” remarked Judge "\Viliis, looking around the nearly empty court, “only twelve disciples.” “King David,” by Guido Rene, dated 1630, ntul “Queen Hesta’s Feast,” by Antony Palamadies, dated 1670, two valuable pictures which were formerly in the Irish House o"f Parliament, but have been lost since 1857, have, it is stated, been discovered by a Kensington gentleman.

Recently a well-dressed man, said to bo a Putney professional swimmer, dived into the Thames at Kingston fully dressed, even to his hat, and for a wager swam across the river and back. After the event the swimmer walked through the town, in his dripping wet clothes, to the railway station.

The council of the Cyclists’ Touring Club has decided to support the appeal from the decision of Judge Bray in the case of Hadwell v. Righton that the owner of a hen straying on the high road is not responsible if the hen should precipitate itself into the wheels of a bicyclw, and so cause damage to the rider.

On the occasion of an ice accident at-Burgh Heath a Bermondsey boy named Harry E. Frater, plunged in to the aid of another lad. No sooner had he brought the drowning lad to the edge than the ice broke again. Pluckily Frater made a second attempt, and was successful. He has since been presented with the bronze medal of the Royal Humane Society. Applying for an assault summons on behalf of two men in possession, the solicitor made the following accusa-

tions against tlio female householder, ill time-table form : 10.45—Attack with a chair and a tricycle; 11.15 Attempt to hack at. their feet with n chopper; I.3o—Quantity of water thrown ; 2.30—A doscont on thorn with a red-hot poker. Tho summonses woro gran tod. Whilo four men were lowering a largo stone down a man-hole in tho area of the new Admiralty Offices, Horse Guards-parado, tho supports collapsed, falling on one of tho men, Harry llowo, aged fifty-live, and injuring his chest. Ho was taken in nil insensible ■condition to tho Westminster Hospital. “Allow me to speak,” demanded a rather fluent motor-bus driver under examination at Cleikenwell County Court. Counsel: Answer my questions. Driver: Will you allow mo to speak, sir? Counsel: When you havo answered m.v questions you can talk as fast and. make as much uoiso as your motor-bus—that is, with his honor’s permission. (Laughter.) Mr. George Meredith, the veteran novelist’ and poet, has just entered on his eightieth year. Messrs. Vasoy, of London, have purchased the wrecked battleship Montagu for £4OOO. For three posts at tho West Ham Union at salaries aggregating £4 5s a week there are 581 applicants. Ho got drunk because it was the opening of Parliament, said a Swiss named Muller, when charged at'Marlborough street. Sovornl redwings have been soon on Clapliam Common. These visitors from Norway and Sweden are seldom seen in large towns. At the meeting of “Ye Ancient Society of Cogers” on February 22 the Lord Mayor will preside and Lord Avebury will deliver an address. Messrs Glendining, of the Argyll. Rooms, will offer for sale shortly a famous Strad violin, which is known to connoisseurs as the “Soames.” Placed in tho dock at Enfield to answer a charge of being drunk and disorderly, a boy, aged 15, unblushingly remarked: “Tliis is the first time, your worships.” Battersea Borough Council have decided by 32 votes to 9 to spend £57 5s on the purchase of a secondhand billiard table for the recreation room in Plougli-road. In an application at Thames Police 1 Court for an order to close tho slum property in Prince-place, Limehousc, it transpired that no owner could be found for four houses. Two hundred and seventy - five guineas was paid at Christie’s for a portrait bust of King Charles 1., : carved in rock crystal, on ebony 1 pedestal, with emblematic mounts of metal-gilt. Automatic machines for tlio supply of penny stamps and postcards have ' been placed outside the General Post Office. The postcards are sold at the rate of oleven for 6d.

Greenwich Borough Council have agreed to purchaso a fifty-guinea brougham for the uses of tho modical officer of health. A coachman and horse are to be provided at an inclusive cost of 3s por hour. Parliamentary papers just' issued contain a notice by Mr. Birrell of the introduction at early dates of Bills for the establishment of an Irish Council and the extension of University education in Ireland.

While tlio Lord Chancellor was reading the King’s speecli in the House of Lords, Lord Sanderson was about to take a seat on tlio third cross-bench, on the first of which the Prince of Wales was sitting, when his lordship stumbled and fell on the ground, slightly stunning himself.

At St. Pancras Coroner’s Court the coroner told of a father—whose child bad died from asphyxia probably caused by being overlaid—that he had better get a cot for any children lie might have in tlio future. He could make a splendid cot in about an hour out of an empty banana box. Tho ancient ceremony of tossing the pancake was observed on Shrove Tuesday at Westminster S9IIOOI. J. Ainger was the boy to win the customary guinea. In a forward rush with some twenty others ho fell upon the dainty, and, in spite of the efforts to remove him, was triumphantly sitting on a precious three-parts when time was called. Dogs valued at £2OO were killed by a fire which occurred at a dog fancier’s at Aberdare.

■Dead congers and cod havo been found floating off Deal. They are supposed to have succumbod to the frost.

At Claxtou, near York, a sow recently gave birth to a litter of 18 young ones, 17 of which are alive and well.

Dr. David Jlohinsou, of Manor Hamilton Co., Leitrim, fell downstairs and broke bis neck at his brother’s residence at- Glenhoy, A prisoner before the Kingston borough justices said that the police “scroffed him as they would a bullock going to Smithfield.”

It has been discovered at Glasgoiv that salt on snow affects the tramway motors, and as a consequence the practice is to be discontinued.

The Capuchin Fathers have just concluded their topiperauce mission in Belfast. The pledge was administered to nearly 10,000 persons.

Eslior and Ditton’s Urban District Council have received petitions for and against the abolition of the Weston Green Whitsuntide Fair.

Mr. Charles Peck, the well-known Newmarket horse trainer, has been fined £8 and costs for driving a motor-car at 40 miles ail hour.

Orders wore' made against 50 passive resistors, including three magistrates, ivho appeared recently before the Weston-super-Mare bench. Apoplexy caused the death of a Yarmouth man 78 yoars old who ate a too hearty dinner of mutton, suet dumpling, swede turnip, parsnip, and potatoes.

Romford Pageant Committee lias received an intimation that the Princess Louise (Duchess of Argyll) has definitely decided to be present at the pageant on June 25. John Neild, a brewer’s drayman, of Macclesfield, somo time ago cut an ingrowing toe nail. Gangrene set in, right leg had to be amputated, and now be is dead.' At the Brewster Sessions the Chief Constable of Coventry complained that several public-houses in the town have machines where the insertion of a penny gives a chance of drawing a ticket for 2d or 4d, which is honored at the bar.

Manx House of Iveys has passed a Licensing Bill which provides for the closing of public-housos at ten every week night throughout tile island from October 1 to May 1, and to restrict country 'houses to six-day licenses in the winter,

Mr. William Whitelaw, Unionist, and Captain Waring, Liberal, - have been nominated as Parliamentary candidates for Banffshire, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Air. Black, who was fatally injured in the Arbroath railway disaster.

Yarmouth Town Council has decided to establish a weather observatory, with barometers and thermometers, rain gauges, apdsiipshipe recorder, one of the chief objects in view being the advertising of the town by wiring weather reports. Israel Goldby (summoned at Wallsadd for shouting continuously in (lie streets): Guilty of shouting, but not guilty of getting my living liouest. (Laughter). Defendant ryas fined 5s and costs, and did not appear to realise that lie had p.erpetrated a joke.