ITEMS BY THE MAIL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1103, 25 August 1871, Page 2

ITEMS BY THE MAIL.

OUTRAGE ON A LONDON BARRISTER. Sir Robert W. Carden went on Saturday, June 10, to Dr de Meschin’s chambers, No. 5, Figtree-court, Temple, London, to take his depositions. William Frank Gosney, the former clerk to Mr Henry Wildy Wright, No. 5, Figtreecourt, was brought to Dr de Meschin’s chambers in custody of Detective-sergeant Brett on the charge uf striking that gentleman on the heal with a hammer with intent to murder him.—-Dr de Meschin said he was a barrister. The prisoner had been an office boy in the employ of Mr Henry Wildy Wright, another barrister, who occupied part of the same chambers. On the afternoon of the 25 th May he arrived at his chambers, having been absent since December last. Soon after his arrival he wanted to go into the back room, and found it locked. He sent the prisoner’s brother for the key, and on his return went to open the door of that room. While doing so tiie prisoner struck him from behind with a large hammer, the blow taking effect on the right side of the back of the head. Being under the impression that he had received an electric shock when he got the first blow, lie put his right hand to the back of his head and looked up to see where the shock came from, whereupon he revived another blow from behind on the

CtJIVcU ciiiutiici Ul'-' YV liWtu vu i-ww right temple. The handle of the hammer came in contact with his right thumb, and considerably broke the force of the blow That blow knocked him down, and rendered him insensible. While on the ground insensible he received another blow on the bach: of the neck, on the right side, about two inches below the ear. The pain of lit it blow restored him to consciousness, and he then saw the prisoner with the hammer in his hand. He jumped up and faced him, and then went to the window and called lor the police. When he did that the prisoner ran out of the chambers. His brother was standing by all the time, and did not give any alarm. Sir Hubert asked if he had seen the prisoner since Decemberlast until the assault occurred. Dr de Meschiu said he bed seen him, but not spoken to him. When he returned he saw the two boys in the passage, and ts-.iid “Hand morninff. bovs.” and Massed

olliUj UiUliiH.gj yj J auvi jjarjowu on. After the prisoner’s brother came back with the key, and before he went to the back room door, he had missed two large books from a shelf, and he told the brother that some of the books had gone, and that a box containing deeds had been broken open. After he was struck, Mr Bristowe and Mr Pickering, Q.C , came in, and sent for Dr. Brookes. He had since ascertained that lie had lost during his absence upwards of 1,000 valuable books, many of which could not he replaced, He could not replace the books fur M") 000, Besides those, he had lost a large quantity of manuscripts, the labor of 15 years. A boxful of deeds had also been taken from a room downstairs. He locked up two rooms, all bis boxes, and all his cupboards when he went away ; and when he came back he found the two rooms had been broken into, and the boxes taken out and forced open, and six cupboards broken into and emptied of their contents. —James Brett, detective-

sergeai t, said that in the room downstairs he had found baskets full of the covers of the prosecutor’s books. —The prisoner declined to ask the doctor any questions, but said : —“ My brother said, ‘ What are you doing, William ?’ when I was striking the doctor, aod I then ran away. I did not bring the hammer myself, but told my brother to bring it with him in the morning.” —Sir Robert asked Dr de Meschiu how he felt, and he replied that he felt getting better, bat his medical man said he was not. The frontal bone was becoming diseased, and would probably have to be taken away. —Brett, in reply to Sir Robert, said they were tracing the property. Sir Robert then remanded the prisoner. RELIGION OF MINORS. A curious case has just been decided by the Irish Lord Chancellor. An application had been made by the guardians of five minors that they should be brought up in the Roman Catholic religion. The minors were the children of a Roman Catholic father and a Protestant mother. The father is dead. They are all boys. Edward, the eldest sou, was born on the 26th February, 1856 ; -Frank Henry, born 26th November, ISSB ; William,

born 26th July, 1860 ; Patrick Edgar H born 22nd March, 1862 ; and James, born 21st July, 1864. Tha* children, it appeared, had been baptised* Roman Catholics ; but their father, during* a portion of bis life, seems to have allow*l ed them to be instructed and brought up I in the Protestant religion. On his re*B turning to Ireland from Australia, shortly * before his death, bis religious feelings ap. I peared to have been aroused ; and, I although iu his will he simply directed I the children to be brought up “ piously I and religiously,” the Lord Chancellor I held that he meant them to he Romaa I Catholics. But the Court, although it I usually ordered that children should be I brought up in the religion of their father, I recognised the principle that circum. I stances might arise which would render I such a course injurious to the religious I interests of the children. He (the Lord I Chancellor) had seen the children, and he I found that the two younger had formed I no definite religious opinions, and there* I fore, in their case, the father’s opinions. I must prevail. The other three had, uu- I questionably, farmed Protestant opinions, I Their mother, having been left to act as I she pleased, had exercised control over I them from their birth, and they hud I formed opinions adverse to Roman I Catholicism. When the religious prim ciples of the children were settled, the Court could uot allow them to be shaken to their foundations by interfering with them or endeavoring to force another religion upon them. As to the apparent hardship of separating the children, all he could say was that he had no discre-. tion, the law being imperative. A WILD BEAST EIGHT AT HARLECH. Mrs Womb well’s Royal N j. 1 Menage* rie was thrown into a state of great excitement the other evening at Harlech, Shortly before the “'feeding,” a leopardess, confined with three other performing hyseaus, her next door neighbors, dashed through, and made a terrible onslaught on the three. These gentlemen were not disposed to submit without a murmur, They in turn played their part —two of them remaining in deadly combat with the leopardess, whilst the third escaped through the hole by which the leopardess had entered, only to find itself surrounded by three leopards. These appeared at first sight quite amazed at the unexpected visitor, and for some seconds held consultation by crouching and growling at the farther end of their den. A policeman gave the alarm \ and Lorenzo rushed into the hyaenas’ den, inviting two keepers to follow" him. Three human figures could be seen in the midst of the combatants, whicji by this had redoubled the fioht. Sooner than we cau write, one hyro-u’s corpse lay dead. It was then incumbent to bring the leopardess to a sense of duty. No sooner had the leopardess satisfied herself mat No. hymn a was dead than she quietly released her captive, only to make another attack upon the other. By this time Lorenz) had laid d.iwn his plans Rushing at the neck of the leopardess he made an appeal to his two human comrades to reach the leopardess’s tail to Mr Fairgrieve and three other gentlemen that had come up to the outside of the den. Then there was a sight worth seeing. The leopardess doubled and redoubled, plunged and replunged, but was safe so long as 1 .1 i . . 4 L /\ L i’i « '! ;* if O fIQ

the tail was m the Hands oi its capaves. Self-preservation then became the first law of her nature, and, with the assistance of Lorenzo and bis friends inside, the gasping hyaena was released. During the scene within the hyaenas’ den, other keepers managed, by shifting doors, to separate the fugitive hyaena (No, 3} from the other leopards. A YOUTHFUL PATRIOT. The hospital at Vincennes is occupied

chiefly by wounded insurgents, including a great number of boys. A lady who visited the hospital was attracted by the appearance of a lad of thirteen or fourteen years of age, who had been wounded by a splinter of a shell while fighting at 3 barricade. The boy was of agreeable countenance and intelligent expression. The lady, moved to pity, asked bow he had become involved in the dreadful tragedy? f! Que voulez vqus” replied the lad, with that hoarse voice and drawling accent peculiar to Parisian street boys. “ My father and my mother said to me one day, I ‘ Ton, who will never do anything, y ol J 1 idler, will now have to work.’ Weil, *

followed them carrying a heap of. cartridges. When my father got killed I took his musket and did like the others, firing icto the lot. As to mother, the last time I saw her she was carrying a tig pail containing something [petroleum], .but what has become of her I don't know ; D o doubt she has had her business settled in some corner. A shocking incident of the famine is -told in the most recent news from Persia. At Yt'zd fifty children have b-jen killed and eaten by the starring population. It is understood that in the event of the Pope's death the Sacred College will remove to Malta—a determination arrived at in a secret meeting, held in consequence of the health of Pio Nono. A correspondent of a contemporary ros&ips as follows:—The Princess of Wales is about again and drives in the Park as usual, but she louks exceedingly ill, and unfit even for such exertion as that. When I saw her she had on a costume of what appears to be be her favorite color, a very paie shade of brown, trimmed with mauve. She wore a high bat, coming low upon the forehead, and trimmed with purple and white flowers. Two of her children were with h-r, in the half Knickerbocker, half sailor costumes, so fashionable for Utile boys. The group in the carriage, did not look a bit royal, only maternal and duuustic. It is sad to see our lovely Princess looking so ill. The Prince of Wales looks as bluff and hearty as ever. When he walks or rides in the Park he seems to have a word of hearty for every one, and to be on speaking terms with half the notabilities of the Low. Sunday, 28th May last, was the fi:st. Suuday on which the Jews in England were legally relieved from observing the .day as one of rest. Sir D. Salomons' Act had received the Koyal assent on Tuesday, 23 rd May. New Hampshire is said to be getting alarmed at, the decrease of her agricultural population. The New Testament Company of lie risers concluded their tenth session in Loudon on Friday, May 26, having sat, iu the four days, rather more than twentyjf'jtfht hours. The attendance of the u»tinl»ers was very good, there being on .an average, about twenty three each day. Tae company have now arrived at the second chapter of St. Mark. The aunuui of work was up to the usual average, in spite of the many critical variations requiring careful consideration that are found in the text of the second Gospel. The Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol presided during the session.

There is nothing so reasonable and cheap as good manners.