British and Foreign Items.

Hastings Standard, Issue 428, 17 September 1897, Page 4

British and Foreign Items.

GHASTLY DISCOVERY IN A CHURCH.

A horrifying and mysterious discovery has just boeu made in tho church of Saint Peter at Seville. A choir boy chanced to find open the door of a disused room in the tower of the church, and entering saw protruding from under a pile of straw the end of a wooden box. At the same time he was almost overcome by a dreadful stench, and, afraid of what he might discover if he searched further, he immediately went and communicated to the warden what he had seen. The latter was much annoyed at the boy, and forbade him to again enter the room or to mention the subject to anyone. Some days afterwards, however, in the absence of the warden, the boy again made his way to the room and succeeded in dragging out one of the boxes, of which he found there were sixteen, and, forcing off the top, discovered the body of a male child of about five years of age. He went and informed the rector, who communicated with the police, and a search party visited the scene and discovered the bodies of no fewer than twenty-six children of different ages, some of them in an advanced state of decomposition, and others which appeared to have been dead only a few months. Suspicion has fallen upon the churchwarden and his wife, both elderly persons, but up to the present it is not known what explanation can be given of the affair. None of the bodies show signs of violence, and it is thought possible that they had been previously buried and afterwards transported to the vaulted room in the tower of the church. Meanwhile the church warden, Jose Orellana, and his wife have been arrested, and the public, who are greatly excited over the occurrence, impatiently await the unravelling of the mystery.

TAPPING WIRES. Some extraordinary allegations of tapping telegraph wires were made in a case heard at Liverpool County Court in which plaintiff sued defendant, the secretary of a small local club, for ,£2 10s in connection with a bet on a horse race. The claim was resisted on the ground that the race was over when the bet was made, and it was alleged that the result was not received in the club in proper time owing to the telegraph line connected with the Exchange Telegraph Company's tape machine having been tampered with. The foreman lineman in the employ of the Exchange Telegraph Company gave some startling evidence. He said on two occasions, one being the day of the race in question, it was found that a fine copper wire had been attached to the tel. graph wire serving the club, and that the end of the copper wire had been led into a cistern of water. The result was interruption. The interruption was wilful, and said witness, " I only wish I had been smart enough to catch them." The judge held that the action was in respect of a betting transaction, and plaintiff could not recover.

BRUTAL MURDER. The Seine Assize Court has just sentenced to death a man named Bruyere for one of the most brutal murders committed in France during recent; years. The victim was a young woman named Ernestine Vauvert, the proprietress of an hotel .at Petit Colombes on the outskirts of Paris. Mdlle. Vauvert was desirous of getting married, and Bruyere, who was a frequent customer, became aware of this fact, ingratiated himself with the young lady, and an intimacy sprung up which it was understood was to end in marriage. Things went on smoothly for some months, the man meanwhile living in clover at the hotel. When Mdlle. Vauvert was apprised of the fact that her lover was a married man, in her great indignation she loaded her deceiver with reproaches, and he left her presence abruptly. After a few days' absence Bruyere suddenly reappeared at the Petit" Colombes armed with a revolver and an enormous knife. Mdlle. Vauvert, alarmed by his appearance, left her house and sought shelter for the night with some friends. Returning "to business early next morning, however, she was attacked by Bruyere, who had waited all night for her, and seized the opportunity of entering the house. When she opened the door he pursued her upstairs, firing three shots from the revolver, all of which took effect on the poor woman. He then brutally mutilated her with the knife, cutting her throat in a horrible manner and inflicting various other wounds. Bruyere was captured, and at his trial set up the defence that he had committed the crime in an excess of jealous fury, and saying that he wished to kill iiimself when he saw the results of his murderous rage. His plausible tale, however, availed him nothing, and he was found guilty, without extenuating circumstances.