MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS BY THE MAIL.

Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 918, 6 July 1871, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS BY THE MAIL.

The most damnable outrage heard of for a long time, was perpetrated oh May 20th, at Chocoville, Arkansas, America, a qniet and flourishing village in the southern part of this county, near the Indian line. On Saturday morning, as the Rev. Mr De Champ, of the Missionary Baptist Church, at Chocoville, was about to open religious services, and while the congregation was still gathering, a ruffian named Handley entered the meetinghouse, revolver in hand, and, approaching the minister, asked him his name. On being told, Handley levelled his re^ volver at Mr De Champ and fired four shots at him, three of which took effect in, the head, and one in the arm, killing him instantly. The assassin then wheeled round, and levelling his revolver at the congregation, 'drove them out of the house with curses and imprecations, and threats of death. The affrighted people, of course 1 hastily fled in b very direction. Tho murderer then leaped upon his horse, tied close to the building and galloped off. The man Handley, who had previously -borne a notoriously bad character, some Jyears ago interrupted) in the most scandalous manner, a religious meeting at which the unfortunate De Champ officiated, for which offence the latter had him indicted before the Grand Jury, tried, and fined 50dol. Handley went off to Texas soon afterwards, where he made it too hot foe him, and from whence he returned, *V cently, to imbrue his hands in the blood of a good man in the appalling manner: Btated.— American paper. In conformity with the programme, a demonstration of match makers, numbering between two thousand and three thousand, took place, in order to protest against Mr Lowe's tax on matches. The men met at the Bow road, and having organized themselves, marched uninterruptedly in pro. cession until they reached the Globe bridge, Mile-end road, at which place a force of constables was stationed, and intercepted the progress of the processionists. A kind of general melee ensued, in the endeavor to force the way of the procession over the bridge, but after soine rough horseplay, the match makers were

compelled to break up into sections, and in this manner they pursued their course alone the intervening streets to the Farringdon road, and thence by way of the Thames Embankment to the House of Commons. An unusual state of things was to be seen outside the Houses of Parliament. The police cleared Westminster Hall, and the crowd, composed in a great measure of women and girls employed in the manufacture of matches, and who, on the imposition of the tax, would, in all probability become denizens of the unions and burdens on the poor rates, took up a position in the vicinity of the Houses of Parliament, and discussed the probabilities of the passing of the Act with evident signs of anxiety. They amused themselves by applauding and hooting the different members as they passed on their way to the House. At naif-past four Mr Gladstone walked leisurely down Parliament street, on his way to the House, followed, as usual, at a distance, by a sergeant of police. The Bight Honorable gentleman, who was extremely pale, and appeared absorbed in deep thought, wan evidently not recognized until he entered Palace Yard, and then some men, who were standing outside the gate hissed and groaned at him. A few minutes after this, Mr Disraelli, accompanied by a gentleman and two ladies, drove up in an open carriage. He was recognised long before he reached the House, and received from the crowd of match makers who lined the roadway on either side with repeated cheers. It was now twenty minutes to five, and no Mr Lowe appeared. He very wisely preferred to make an exception to the rule, and arrived by way of the underground line, passing unobserved through the tunnel into the House. When it became generally known that there was no likelihood of seeing the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the match makers began to disperse.