English News.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 2 January 1892, Page 2

English News.

At the Edmonton Petty Sessions, * . during a trial for extorting money, a mysterious liberality on the part of certain meat-salesmen was proved, which may tend to account for the unprofitable returns at times received by sellers. The defendant was their clerk and the meatsalesman. In cross-examination stated another clerk named Glassborrow left his firm's employ voluntarily in May, and the defendant left in June. About July Btn, 1890. A cheque for £2,000 was drawn by the firm. j Witness cashed the cheque himself, and handed half the money to Glassborrow and half to the defendant to give them a start in life. They had been with the firm so long. The firm had never done that before or since with any of their clerks on such a scale. — Mr Avery : Was there no other reason than to give them a start in life? — Witness: Y6s^ they asked for it. — Mr Avery: Do you mean to say they named the sum they' wanted ? — Witness : Yes. — In further cross-examination the witness said that in exchange for th 9 money certain papers were handed over to the firm, and those papers were burned. He did not apply for a summons on the letter of June 28rd until October 24th; the summons was taken out because the demands ■ were repeated. The case was not concluded in this report.

A curious lapse of memory is recorded in London. The police and * workhouse authorities of Islington are endeavouring to trace the friends of an old lady, who ha£ come into their hands and cannot remember where she came from. She- was found wandering in 'Upper-street, and, as she appeared not to know where to go, she was taken to the police-station. She said her name was Ellen Cooper, and this was practically born out by the name in a book which she carried in her gr hand-basket. She said she had »v husband, but could not remember ■ what he is or where he is employed, though, she remarked, " he goes out to work in the morning like other ||| men." Several parishes were sug- * i gested to her in an endeavour to refresh her memory, and she replied that she had lived at Hackney and also at Tottenham, but she did not reside there now. As the police could get nothing out of her, she was sent to the workhonse, and the papers have published her description. ' What about the husband ? He has ;; perhaps had a lapse of memory and | forgotten his wife ! .' "

Tn Mr Charles Nesbitt Frederiok Armstrong says the World the Duo d' Orleans would find an adversary worthy of his steel. While in Bras* sels he carried every thing before him in matches with duelling swords, and finally won the champion foils. He was also a formidable boxer, and beat all the members of the club which assembles at the well-known Salle Dupont, except one. His hostile intentions towards the duke have been an open secret in Brussels for some time past, and a month ago he wrote to one of his former adversaries asking for his services as second " whenever he succeeded in finding the duke." Mr Armstrong's feats of strength astonished the Bruxellcis. almost as much as his wife's (Madame Melba) singing. *