NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 221, 23 February 1875, Page 3

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

THE BARODA POISONING CASE. (From the Times of India.) Baroda, December 29. Although the strictest secrecy is erjjoined by the Government of India, it has oozed out that satisfactory evidence has been obtained implicating the Gaekwar in the attempt to poison Colonel Phayre. His Highness's old courtiers are also concerned in the plot. Mulharrao's dethronement is considered imminent. Mr Souter has fortunately succeeded in obtaining more evidence than it was at first anticipated would be forthcoming towaids unravelling the mystery that had shrouded the attempt to kill the late resident by means of poison. Mr Souter and his clever detectives return to Bombay by to-day's mail train. They come back to Baroda on Sunday next to complete their inquiries. Luxmaebae's husband has, it is said, made several ineffectual applications to Sir Lewis Pelly, the Resident, for a warrant against the Gaekwar, on a charge of unlawfully detaining his wife. Colonel Pelly has declined to interfere in the domestic affairs of Mulharrao. Bombay, January 13. Yesterday evening four companies of the 7th Fusileers and 120 men and six guns of the Royal Artillery were despatched to Baroda. The measure is entirely precautionary. No disturbances are expected. All quiet up to midnight last night at Baroda. The Governor of Bombay returns to Bombay to-day from Kattyawar, the critical state of affairs at Baroda rendering his presence here desirable. January 15. The Times of India states that the Gaekwar was arrested to-day, without opposition, on his own territory, and is now confined under a European guard of fifty men. The native town is occupied by Sepoys, under General Devine, and the Gaekwar's army is held responsible for any distuibance. The Gaekwar's troops are quiescent, but the rabble may rise. The Gaekwar will be tried publicly, by commission. The Pall Mall Gazette thus explains the origin of the quarrel between Colonel Phayre and the Guicowar or Gaekwar, of Baroda : " Not long ago the Guicowar took to himself a wife who had been previously, it is alleged, somebody's else's wife—by name Luxmeebaee, a lady more remarkable for her personal attractions than for stainlfssness of reputation. Luxmeebae* has lately borne a son to Mulharrao, and his Highness is impatient to have his offspring recognised by the suzerain of Hindostan as the legitimate inheritor of the principality of Baroda. Colonel Phayre, however, declined, or at least delayed to recognise the child as the lawful heir ; and the Guicowar consequently appealed to the Supreme Government. The grounds of objection to the recognition are understood to be two : first, that, as the marriage of Mulharra with Luxmeebaee was bigamous, the issue cannot be acknowledged; and, second, that Luxmeebaee not being a Mahratta by race, her children could not be accepted as rulers by the people of Baroda. On the part of the Guicowar, the charge of bigamy is (repudiated, and the cavil at the purity of the infant heir's blood is put aside as irrelevant and unsuatained by precedents." We take the following from the Times of India of the 21st of December last:—" The man who has so successfully personated the Nana for some time past has been identified as one Juma Khan. He was transferred to the care of the civil authorities some days since, and although he cannot be prosecuted as an impostor, he will be detained in custody during the Viceroy's pleasure. It is generally believed that the prisoner knows more about the Nana than he cares to confess, and it is apprehended that if proper precautions are taken we may obtain through him definite information as to the Nana's whereabouts if he is still living, or some particulars of the manner in which he ended his miserable life if dead. It appears that the present is not the first occasion on which Juma Khan has personated the Nana Sahib. Nine years ago he told the same story to some sepoys of the 39th N.I. But how comes it that we hear of this now for the first time ?" GREAT HURRICANE IN JAMAICA. Full intelligence has arrived, says the Argus, of the terrible hurricane by which once again the island of Jamaica has been devastated, but which is described as one of the most dreadful visitations experienced in that region of storms for forty years. It appears that the rain, which had been falling in heavy intermittent showers for eight or ten days before, at length, on the 31st October, accumulated into one continuous downpour, which began at about 2 p.m.,

lasted throughout the night of Saturday, and kept on, with but a slight interval of an hour or so, the whole of Sunday. " On Sunday, about 1 p m., the wind began to blow in Kingston from a point nearly north-west, with great violence, but within an hour afterwards it had veered round to the east and south. The indications of the barometer had given warning of the impending visitation, and several vessels took the necessary precautions by striking down superfluous spars and rigging, letting down anchors, getting well out into the stream, and making everything fast, to ride out the coming hurricane in safety. At between five and six o'clock in the evening, the storm burst in all its fury on the city. The appearance of the sea at this time was truly graud. The whole harbor, and outside as far as the eye could reach, presented but one vast sheet of foam. After raging for three hours the storm began to subside and gradually died out by midnight. The phosphorescence of the sea immediately after was truly wonderful. The whole surface was alive as if with liquid fire of various hues, now presenting distinct zones of color, now commingling in the most curious and beautiful manner.". On the morning of the 2nd the picture of desolation presented was heartrending. Accounts from the northern parts. of the island and from the interior speak of loss exceeding proportionately what Kingston and its environs experienced. The rooting up of growing produce, especially the total destruction of the plantain trees and yams, which supply a great proportion of the food consumed in the island, will probably cause serious suffering, if not famine. ABOLITION OF SLAVERY ON THE GOLD COAST. The results of the Ashantee war are gradually, says the London correspondent of the Argus, transforming the relations of the native tribes. Governor Strahan recently assembled all the Kings and chiefs of the western and central districts of the Gold Coast to a grand palaver at Cape (Joast Castle, He pointed out to them what the Queen had done, and asked them in return to show their gratitude by setting free their slaves. " The Queen's general and army fought your battles for yon. ... In this way you were relieved from defeat and misery. . . . Her Majesty sent out these men in ships from England at a cost ten times greater than all the gold there is in Ashantee, Akim, and Wassau. Some of these officers and men died in battle, and others from disease." So pleaded the Governor, and he asked them, in return for the benefits they had received, to lend their aid in putting an end to a state of things which the Queen and her people abhor. " I have pointed out to some of you that the English people buy sheep, fowls, and other live stock, but not men, women, and children. The Queen is determined to put a stop at once to the buying and selling of slaves, either within or without the Protectorate, in any shape, degree, or form ; and she will allow no person to be taken as a pawn for debt. The Queen desireß to make you as happy as her own people. This buying, selling, and pawning of men and women and children is wrong, and no country where it exists can be happy." But the kings asked time for consultation, and while agreeing to cease from buying or selling slaves, objected to the slaves being permitted to go free without cause being shown, and likewise to pawns not being allowed. According to the intelligence received from the Gold Coast, it was finally settled that no slave should leave his master unless there was proof of cruelty or maltreatment. But Lord Carnarvon at once made known that this was a mistake, and that in the view of the home Government no such arrangement could be accepted even as a temporary measure, and that no slave could be retained in service if he desired to leave. A movement is on foot for the consolidation of the South African colonies. Mr Froude is travelling through them, making inquiries. Griqualand has been annexed, and it is urged that one strong confederated government should be established from the Cape to Natal. FALL OF A RAILROAD BRIDGE UNDER TWO TRAINS. (From the New York Times.) _ As two passenger trains were crossing the small iron bridge spanning Lake Rowland, on the Northern Central Railway, six miles from Baltimore, on November 30th, the bridge gave way under their weight, breaking at each end, and the whole structure falling into the water. The momentum of the two locomotives carried them safely over, but the tenders, two baggage cars, and the passenger cars fell into the lake. The passenger cars were crowded with people, whose shrieks were heard at the station, several hundred yards distant. The scene was most remarkable. The baggage cars fell straight down upon their trucks, and the passenger cars stood upon one end, resting against the baggage cars and the abutments of the bridge. The passengers hurried out of the cars that had not reached the bridge, and commenced to rescue the unfortunates who were struggling to escape from the water that half filled the fallen cars. All were got out safe except Apton Young, who was in the baggage car, and was crushed to death by freight piling on him. George Wesner was badly crushed, and will die. Four or six others were injured, but none seriously. The escape from many deaths was marvellous. A STRANGE TRIAL. (From the Home News.') A trial, which represents the administration of justice in Bulgaria, in a curious aspect, has taken place at Missivria, terminating, contrary to public expectation, in the acquittal of the prisoners, two brothers, who were accused of the murder of their uncle, a rich old Odessa merchant. The old man having retired from active life and wound up his business, returned from Odessa some years ago and settled down in Missivria, his native town. Here he gave much in charity to the poor, and behaved handsomely to his nephews, with whom he lived, and whom he helped out of poverty into a respectable position in local trade. Three years ago the old man suddenly disappeared. No serious inquiry, however, was made to ascertain what had become of him. His nephews made liberal donations to the churches, and inherited the old man's wealth. On a certain day in the early part of this year, however, an old woman asked for an audience of the cadi, and on being admitted made a deposition as follows: —"lt was a dark stormy night," she said;

" the wind had several times blown in my window-sash, puttiDgoutmylamp,and causing the embers of my fire to fly about the room. Suddenly, amidst the howling of the storm, I heard a shriek, then a moan. Strange sounds followed, which seemed to come from the house of my neighbour, the Odessa merchant. I crossed myself and drank a little raid to keep up my courage, and then [I remembered that there was a crack in the wall of my closet through which I could see into the house of my neighbor the merchant. Thither I went, and applied my eye to the crevice in the mud wall, and this is what I saw. Two men were pressing down a pillow upon the face of another man, whom they kept prostrate, and a woman was holding a light. The old man—l recognised him—was very strong, for he overthrew his nephews, although his throat was cut, and blood gushed from the wound. He would have escaped, but the woman struck him in his face with the chair. His head was bent backwards, as though he could not keep it in its place on account of the gash across his throat. Still his eyes flashed fire. He staggered towards the window, but there he was again struck down by his nephews. Then they sawed away at his throat till the head was separated from the trunk." The accuser went on to say that she threatened the murdejers with a disclosure of the crime which she had witnessed, but thatjthey promised her " hush money." That as she was poor she agreed to hold her tongue, and that she washed the blood from the floor of the room where the old man had been put to death. The " hush money," however, had not been paid, and, as she was starving, she determined to make known her story. The story was told in March or April, but no proceedings were taken until August. The accused parties were then arrested and confined in the Zaptieh " Oda." The old woman, too, was put in prison, and was flogged and half smothered between mattresses night after night, until the trial ended, and the persons whom the vox popnli still stigmatises as the murderers were declared innocent.