ITEMS BY THE MAILS.

Grey River Argus, Volume VI, Issue 412, 3 September 1868, Page 3

ITEMS BY THE MAILS.

A shocking occurrence, resulting in the death of a woman, took place in Manchester. An Irishman, named John Bracken, went home excited by drink, and commenced to quarrel with his wife. Angry words passed on both sides for some time, after which Bracken suddenly rose from his seat, and made a savage attack upon the poor woman, who was far advanced in pregnancy. A kick on the abdomen, which must have been given with considerable violence, caused her to fall, and death was almost instantaneous. The mau, seeing the fatal result of his brutality, ran out of the house for medical assistance, but before his return he was apprehended by the police. The deceased was about twenty-eight years of age, and has left three children. The Philadelphia Medical Reporter describes the case of the son of a clergyman who has just died insane at the age of eighty-one, having become insane at college at the age of twenty-one. According to this astounding statement, for nearly two years ho was not confined, unlil his father's life had been repeatedly endangorod by his violence, when he was restrained with chains for a couple of years, and then was placed in a strong cage, in the garret of the house, whence he never came forth while he lived. No clothing could be kept on him ; but in severe weather he would allow himself to be covered with a blanket, which lasted only till his propensity for destruction became stronger than his fear of the cold. His cage was not high enough for him to stand erect, and he remained constantly in a sitting posture, leaning back against the timber when he slept. His limbs could not be straightened, his hair was never trimmed, and for cleanliness he received only the attention piven to a poorly kept I animal. In fact, he had lost all appearance of a human being, and had nearly lost his faculty of speech. No official or legal investigation of his case, ov his class of cases, has ever been made by the Government, but he was left in this pitiable, I but unpitied state, in the midst of a highly enlightened and Christian people, to howl, and shriek, and groan, and suffer the unutterable horrors of mental madness for Bixty- years. A Mr Cox has brought an action against a Mr Barnett for having supplied him svith a defective machineformaking champagne, and recovered the sum of L 35, in addition jto L 75 paid into Court. It appeared during the trial that, by the aid of the machine in question, an effervescent compound of porb, sherry, Madeira, Hungarian wine, and sugar can be made " equal >to champagne of the highest brand" — with this slight difference, that it has a cloudy or milky appearance, and that it blisters the lips and throats of the unfortunate individuals who swallow it. A machine of this kind, capable of producing 100 dozen of Sillery champagne a-day, costs L 135, and the champagne can be turned out at the price of ginger beer.