SPORTING.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2468, 4 March 1882, Page 3

SPORTING.

HUEUNUI BACES. These races took place yesterday, with the following results: Hurdles Kosciusoo, 1; Hope, 2; Beer Tax. 3. District Hurdles —Nobby, 1 ; Traitor, 2. Cup— Canard, 1; Norman, 2 ; Kosciusco, 3. District Back—The Lad, 1; Peacock, 2; Montrose, 3. Waitoha Plate Maid of Honor, 1 ; Canard, 2; Trompado, 3. CAM ABU RACES.

OAMARU, March 3. The following are the weight# for the handicap# at the Oamaru races : O.J.C. Handicap—Chancellor, Bn4 121 b ; King Quail, Bst 21b; On Dit, 7st 12ib; Adamant, 7at 101 b; Tasman, 7st 71b; Coldstream, 7st 41b; Legerdemain, 7st ; Rocket, 6at 101 b; Oitana, Oat 31b ; Ooai, sst 121 b. Loudon Handicap —Coldstream, 9st 41b; Wild Boy, 9at; Biugleader, Sat; Little John, 7at 121 b; Robb, 7st 7ib; Eedcliffe, 7st 61b ; Mokarakara, 7st 41b; Nanmai, 7st; Bryan O’Lynn, 7st; Spray, 7at; The Miller, b'st. Trotting Rack—Zulu, Sentor, and Charlie, 7aec ; Agent, 10.ec; Darkey, lOsec ; Mavourneen, lOaec; Little Wonder, 15seo; Nellie, ISaco; Crook, 2<Jsec; Shiblicb, 25b00 ; Countess, 25seo; Whitefoot, 25seo; Dry Hash, 25seo; Mr Manning’s Charlie, 25sco. Hurdle Handicap.—Sailor Boy, 12at 31b; Quamby, Hat; Rocket, lOst 111 b ; Lavant, 10st 101 b; Littlejohn, 9st 61b ; Trovatore, 9st; Milo, 9st; Dandy, Set 101 b; Mokarakara, Bst 101 b; Thorntop, Sit 91b ; Wanwiai, Bst. St. Patrick’s Handicap.—Chancellor, 9at 11b; King Quail, Sat 3lh; On Dit, Sat 21b ; Adamant. 7st 111 b; Tasman, 7at 101 b; Goldstream, 7st 71b ; Legerdemain. 7st 41b; Rocket, 7st 21b; Whitehall, 7et; Brenda, 6at 71b; Gitana, 6st 7ib; Eadoliff, 6st; Goal, sst 101 b,

HAWKE’S BAY RACES. [PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM, I NAPIER, March 3. The Hawke’s Bay Racing Club’s Autumn meeting, postponed from Wednesday on account of the rain, was held to-day. The attendance was only moderate, doubtless owing to the postponement. The weather was fine, but warm. The sport was pretty good, some of the finishes being close and exciting. Two totalisators were on the ground, one in the saddling paddock and one outside, but tbe former was but little patronised. The police allowed no sweeps. Maiden Pla .e, 40 sova; li miles. Mr Jones’s A. Q 1 Mr Martin’s The Laird 2 Mr Macintosh’s Harakae 3

Hoebnck, Marrow, and Lecturer also ran.

Won by halt a length. Flying Stakes Handicap, _ 40 sovs ; three quarters of a mile. Mr Martin’s Mavis, 5 yrs, Bst 71b 1 Mr Broughton’s Novelty, 4 yrs, sst 101 b ... 2 Mr Walters’s Grand Duchess, 5 yrs, 9st 3 Captain Russell’s Sydney (Bst) also ran. Won pretty easily by a couple of lengths. Hack Race, 15 sovs ; 1 mile, Banqipo 1 Lady Bab 2 Kuni 3

Hawke’s Bay Cup, 150 sova ; 2 miles. Mr Tatham’s Romeo, Bst 41b... ... ... 1 Mr Donnelly’s Soukar, Bst 51b ... _... 2 Mr Walters’ Slander filly, Sat 71b, including 71b penalty Kincraig, 7st 71b, also ran. Mischief was scratched. Won after a capital race by two lengths ; the Slander filly, on whom the weight told, being beaten by four lengths for the third place. District Handicap, 50 bovs ; H miles. Mr Broughton’s Hero, fist 101 b ... ... 1 Mr Martin’s Mavis, Oat 2 Mr Donnelly’s Cmsage, 7st ... ... ... 3 Captain Russell’s Sydney. 7st 121 b, also ran. Won in a canter by about five lengths.

DARGAVILLE RACES. AUCKLAND, March 3. These races were well attended. The following are the results Maiden Plate, 30 sovs. Rnkau 1 Hard Times 2 Bushmen’s Puebe, 55 sovs. Hathaway 1 Harold 2 Maiden Hurdle Race, 30 sovs. Cook Robin ... ... ... 1 Hard Times ... 2 Dabgavillk Cur, 120 sovs. Bandwick 1 Dewdrop 2 Kenilworth 3 Maid of Honour was scratched. Tim Whifflor, N or M, and Langatono also ran. It was a good race, and was won by two lengths. One length divided the second and third. Betting—Level on Dewdrop, 8 to 1 Randwick. Publicans’ Purse, 30 sovs. Kenilworth ... ... ... 1 Maid of Honour 2 Vampire ... ... ... ... 3 Kenilworth won by a length.

THE DUNEOHT OUTRAGE.

A retired physician, resident in London, has communicated the following singular story to the “ Daily Telegraph” : “About forty years ago, I was called upon to consult respecting the case of a certain John Crawford, who lived in one of the side streets of Crawford street, Marylebone. Subsequently I attended this patient for a month or more, ho being a sufferer from a bronchial malady which from my first introduction to him was regarded as hopeless. This Crawford was a Scripture reader, in the employment of a missionary society, and it is unnecessary to add, was a man of small means. With him were his wife, daughter, and son, a lad of fifteen or sixteen, with a couutenanoa indicating firmness and tenacity of will. In my attendance at the bedside of my patient this boy was usually present, listening with close attention and evident interest to our talk. Crawford wan very communicative respecting a pedigree and three or four large parchments, which he seldom omitted to bring forth while I remained with him. At that time the Earldom of Crawford and Unlearns was in abeyance. It was one of the dormant peerages of Scotland, which not unfrequently give work to the House of Lords, and a claimant to the title and estates was reported to be even then gathering documentary evidence wherewith to enforce his plea. I advised Crawford to relinquish these parchments if, as he repeatedly told us, Lord Lindsay was buying up all such writings. But the invariable reply was, ‘lam John Crawford, of Balcarres, with as good a right to this peerage as any man living. If I were not so poor and so incapacitated by illness I should myself prosecute the claim. Though I cannot do this, I shall, for the sake of this boy here ’ —pointing to his son ‘ retain these documents, whatever price may bo offered for them.’ The claim had not then been brought before the House of Lords, nor was it publicly heard of till some time after the death of this John Crawford. One remarkable expression, which fixed itself upon my memory from the earnestness with which it was repeated by Crawford, was, ‘ Let him die whenever he may, he will not rest in his grave.’ The boy who heard these words again and again, and who, as I have said, was an attentive and interested listener, is now, if be be in existence, a man of five-and-flfty. I have not the smallest knowledge of bis career, having entirely lost sight of him when bis father died. But the circumstances are as vividly imprinted on my memory as if they were fresh and recent. Of course lam only theorising when I say that the lad was, by appearance of physiognomy, just one of those determined plodders, common enough in a northern race, who, settling themselves to a difficult end rarely failed to reach it. He may be at this time a prosperous merchant; but if this be only vague speculation, it is more to the point to say that those parchments are probably still in existence somewhere; and that as they can bo discovered and authenticated they may possibly aid in solving this painful mystery.” On January 9th the Aberdeen police authorities received a letter requesting the police to communicate with a certain number at the Stirling post-office, with a view to entering into an arrangement with the writer, who admitted that he was an accomplice of the parties who removed the body of the late Earl of Crawford and Baloarrea from his tomb at Dunooht, and that he is prepared to reveal the names of the principals, and also to indicate where the body will be found, upon receiving satisfactory guarantees that be will be granted a free pardon, and that the joint reward of £6OO will be given to him. The police believe that this is a lona fide proposal, and that the negotiations will have the desired result. In the meantime an offioer has been despatched to Stirling, in readiness to communicate personally with the writer of the letter the moment the latter is satisfied that he will be safe.

HOME POLITICS. The London correspondent of the" Argus ” writes :—The majority of the Cabinet are said to favor the cloture by a simple majority of the House. The importance attaching to this particular project was forcibly insisted upon by Mr Chamberlain in one of his Binning bam speeches last week. His words have been construed to mean that the Government will dissolve and appeal to the country if defeated on this point. Speaking of various reforms to which they were pledged, Mr Chamberlain said :—“ I do not conceal from myself and from you that the struggle will be a desperate one. I think very likely before the issue is decided the:e may be another appeal to the constituencies. The first fight, and I am not certain it may not be the chief fight, will come over that question about the reform of the House of Commons. The Tories are so afraid that they should he caught napping, that they have already declared their intention to oppose our proposals even before they know what they are. But I am bound to say that I think they are quite right from their point of view. They do not want to da anything themselves and they do not want to let anyone else do anything. Obstruction suits them to a ‘ T.’ ... If this sort of thing is to go on, it appears to me that representative Government will become an absolute farce. The primary object of a Parliamentary assembly is, in my oninion, to carry out the decisions at which the nation has arrived ; and it is not! chiefly or solely to re-echo and reiterate discussions by which the nation has arrived at those decisions. The House of Commons at the present time is simply unable to perform its primary duty.” Mr Chamberlain urged that “this question of Parliamentary procedure was the real question of the moment, the question of the greatest importance. It was a mere work of supererogation for Liberal meetings, Liberal associations, to pies resolutions inviting the attention of the Government to reforms which they thought to be urgent unless they were prepared to pat their gloves on and do strenuous battle in order to secure a reformation of the Honse of Commons.”

Mr Bright, speaking at the same meeting, gave an emphatic contradiction to the “ nonsense” written about divisions in the Cabinet. He spoke also of the county franchise, and other schemes of reform; but the most notable passage in bis speech was one bearing upon the House of Lords : “ The real reason why the House of Lords has so little to do and does so little is because unfortunately it is not on a line with opinion in the House of Commons or with opinion

in the country. ... I do not blame individual members of the Homo of Lords—they are what they are, brought up as it wore in the purple, often in great riches and with especial honors and consideration, and I dare say that their position is on the whole so satisfactory, so admirable, that they don’t feel the necessity of changes which humbler men think necessary for the country. Nobody denies that they are very patriotic and honorable and honest, and perhaps wishful that the country should be well governed, but it should be well governed according to a pattern of their own, and not according to a pattern of the great mass of intelligent people. Well, when the House of Lords has brought itself to be more on a line with the House of Commons, and on a line with the constituencies—which means on a lino with the country—then they will be in a position to have more work offered them to do, and to do more work in a satisfactory manner.” A CORNISH ENOCH ARDEN CASE. [From the “ Qlobe.”J An episode in domestic life, having a resemblance in some of its more romantic and painful details to Tennyson’s story of “Enoch Arden,” is at present engaging the attention of the inhabitants of Helston. A woman named Lavinia Allen was married about twenty years ago to a man named George Lory. After a time some unpleasantness arose, in consequence of which Mr Lory left home and went to New Zealand, leaving behind his wife and four children, the issue of the marriage. In March, 1860, advertisements were inserted in the Australian, New Zealand, and American papers, with a view of ob'aining some information as to his whereabouts, as an order had been made by the Court of Chancery for the division of certain freehold property among members of the Lory family, Mr George Lory being one of the members entitled to a share. These advertisements resulted in establishing the fact that Mr Lory was not dead, but alive, near the town of Launceston, Tasmania. In the meantime, however, Mrs Lory had formed an attachment with a man named James Oolenso Arthur. About five months sgo the pair left Helston, and after an absence of two or three weeks returned to the town and announced that they were married. Arthur went to live with Mrs Lory, or Mrs Arthur, whichever name she may prefer to be

known by, at the New Inn, and presumably with a view of strengthening his poeition in the house, an effort was forthwith made to transfer the liceme to him. The case was adjourned more than once, but eventually Mr and Mra Arthur attended the Oourt and. produced their marriage certificate, upon which the liceme wai granted to Arthur. On New Year’s Day a child was born to the landlord and landlady at the New Inn, and, singular to relate, on the eame morning as the child was born letters wore received by a Mr Dale from Mr Lory and his solicitors, Messrs Douglas and Collins, Tasmania. In the letter written by Mr Lory he mentions that he has instructed his solicitors to attend to his interests in the Chancery matter, and intimates that he will send to Mr Dale a power of attorney to act for him. At the same time he asks to be informed whether his wife Lavinia and the children are living, as he has not heard from home for years, adding that he had written to his wife and other relatives several times, but had not received any answer. He concluded by stating his intention to come to England this year. Thus matters have become very com* plicated, and the difficulty that has arisen has been increased by certain monetary considerations.

THE WIMBLEDON POISONING CASE.

[Prom the “ Daily Telegraph,” Dec. 30th.] Further progress was made yesterday at the Wandsworth Police Court with the Ministerial investigation respecting the death of Percy Malcolm John. Mr John, it will be remembered, was a young gentleman of small fortune, whose decease occurred on the 3rd instant, under suspicions circumstances, at Blenheim House School, Wimbledon. A student there under Mr Bedbrook, he was particularly well known in the locality from the circumstance that, being paralysed in the lower limbs, he was in the habit of wheeling himself about on a machine constructed specially for his use. On the evening of the day named, being up at that time in good health, he was visited by his brother-in-law, Mr Lamson, a surgeon, from whom he accepted some kind of chemical capsule, which he swallowed. He was afterwards seized with vomiting and other painful symptoms, which in a few hours terminated fatally, Mr Lamson, who bad left for the Continent, returned to London a few days later, and was on presenting himself at Scotland yard detained on the charge of murder. The evidence given when he was originally taken before the magistrate, and again on Thursday last, showing that the death of Mr John to all appearances resulted from poisoning by some such agent as aconite, and that aconite had been recently purchased by the prisoner, has already been published. Yesterday, shortly after midday, Dr. Lamson was removed from the House of Detention at Olerkenwell, where ha has been confined sines bis arrest, to the Police Oourt at Wandsworth to undergo further examination. His wife, the sister of the deceased, was allowed to see him in the presence of a constable in one of the rooms attached to the Oourt. The lady Is said to have a thorough conviction of her husband’s innocence. The prisoner is a spare, rather thin-faced, dark-complexioned man, with black hair, short whiskers and moustaches, and about sft. Sin. in height. He appears to be about thirtyfive years of age, and has an intelligent, and, but for a certain heaviness about the eyes, open countenance. As ho entered Mr Paget’s oourt he leisurely doffed a grey overcoat and stood revealed in a suit of black. As on previous occasions, he was accommodated with a seat, and, being seated, he immediately asked to be supplied with writing materials, a request which was promptly complied with. Occasionally during the proceedings he made notes, and once or twice conversed momentarily with his solicitor, Mr Mills, who was within reach of him. For the rest, os he bent forward with his cheek on a gloved band, and eyed the witnesses calmly, his aspect was that of an ordinary listener. If whilst new and damaging facts were being stated he experienced emotions, they were suppressed beyond recognition; and, bat for the place he occupied, a spectator would not have discovered in the prisoner’s bearing or visage aught to indicate a suspected criminal. Mr Wontner, who is oonduotiEg the prosecution on behalf of the Crown, announced at the outset that the analysis of the deceased’s stomach had furnished positive traces of poisoning by aconite, but the evidence of the analysts themselves remains to be given. The first witness to enter the box yesterday was Mr Stilling, from Messrs. Bell and Co., a firm .of chemists in Oxford street. He proved having supplied the prisoner in November with a solution of morphia and atropia for hypodermic injection, and stated that Dr. Lamson also applied for five grains of pure digitaline (the active principle of foxglove), which, however, ha was not served with. On a subsequent day he asked for a grain of aconitine, but was told that be had better procure it from some chemist to whom he was better known. He mentioned to this witness that he had left his practice in Bournemouth in charge of his partner. The next witness was one whose testimony bad an important bearing on the motives which the prisoner, in the view of the prosecution, may have had for desiring to got rid of the deceased. Mr Ormond, the guardian of Percy John, proved that by the latter’s death his sister, the prisoner's wife, would be entitled, conjointly' with fanother sister, to his property, which consisted of about £3OOO in India Four per Cents, and Consols. Next Mr Chapman, a civil service clerk, husband of Mrs Lamson’s sister, was called to show that the prisoner went to America in April last for two or three months ; that in August he visited the deceased in the Isle of Wight j the deceased being attacked by illness directly afterwards ; and that after the witness was made aware of the deceased’s death he exchanged telegrams with tre prisoner’s father at Florence, and made certain communications to Inspector Butcher at Scotland yard, Mr Montagu Williams, the prisoner’s counsel, reserved his cross-examination, and the inquiry was again adjourned, not, however, until Mr Wontner had intimated the discovery of another startling piece of evidence. This, it seems, is to the effect that in the box of the at Blenheim House there have been found pills and powders corresponding with some which are believed to have been procured by the prisoner, and which on analysis have been found to contain aconite. [The prisoner baa since been committed for trial.]