CORRESPONDENCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 171, 22 July 1870, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

*»* We are desirous of affording every reasonable facility for the discussion of public subjects; but it must be understood that we are in no way responsible for the opinions expressed by correspondents.

. , Brigandage in Chili. — A horrible slory of brigaudage reaches us from Chili. Don Gormzly Lagoberou, a famous bandit captain, who from his fastnesses in the Sierra Profund, has long defied the Chilian authoiities, was recently pursued with the brigands under his command, by a body of troops, -which succeeded in. cutting him off from his followers, aud driving him to take refuge in a cavern situated near the summit of one of the lofty mountains constituting the abovenamed range. In this cavern he had concealed a female captive, whose husband he had robbed and slain, and whom ho had for some time compelled to live with him as his mistress. The soldiers made several attempts to reach the entrance to tin's cavern, to which there was only oue means of access— a mere mountain gcattrack; but Lagoberon, a man of gigantic stature and I-iorculean strength, rolled heavy rocks down upon them, aud succeeded in beating them off, after several men had been severely injured. The officer in command, unwilling to sacrifice his troops uselessly, resolved to starve the bandit out, and "sat down" before the place. After two days' blockade, however, the soldiers grew weary of so tedious and humiliating au expedient, so they improvised an escalade of the robber-chieftain's stronghold, and succeeded in capturing him. To their horror they fouud that Lagoberou had cut off oue of iiis unfortunate companion's breasts and eaten it. The poor woman was discovered in a dying state, having sustained a fearful loss of blood; and she expired shortly after her rescue from the clutches of her barbarous paramour. The butcher was conveyed to Talca, where he was promptly tried and condemned to death by the garotte. Iu South America execution follows sentence with startling rapidity; and Gromez was straightway conducted to the scaffold, guarded by a strong escort "of mounted gendarmes. While the executioner was engaged in adjusting his "toilette de mort" the convict drew a whistle from his pocket, and blew it sharply; whereupon about sixty of his men, who had introduced themselves amongst the crowd surrounding ihe scaffold, rushed upon the gendarmes and massacred them ere they could offer any resistance. They freed Lagoberou and completed the enterprise in a manner not devoid of a certain ghastly humor, by garotting the executioner; after which they escaped, almost unscathed, to the mountains. There they are probably still at liberty, practising their profession to the terror of the whole country round. It should be observed that to facilitate their flight they " annexed" the horses of the fallen gendarmes; and that a good many of them seized women from the throng gathered upon the place of execution, carrying them away, fluDg across their saddle-bows. . Bribery. — The sentences were pronounced lately in the Court of Queen'sßencli upon the Bridgwater and Norwich bribers. Mr. Fennelly is to be imprisoned for twelve months and pay a fine of £1,000, Dr. Kinglake is to pay a fine of £200. Hardiment, £100, and to undergo twelve months' imprisonment ;. and Hulme to pay a fine of £100. : . Some of the best shops in Hokitika, in the best business stands, with dwelling premises attached, including counters, fittings, &c, cannot find tenants at 12s. a week, having formerly been let at frora £4 to £6 per week. Even its local chimney sweep has been compelled to leave and seek his livelihood in Greymouth. Private Malloy ' (goaded to madness by the goose step) : — "Corpril O'Shaughnessy, your honor ! Av I was to call ye a dirty spalpeen o' misery, what would I git?" Corporal — "Faith it 'ud be a round dozen." Private Malloy—" An' av I only thought it?" Corporal — "Divil a harm, so long as ye don't spake it.' Private — " Thin. I only think it Corpril." Mrs. Lincoln has been granted a pension of 3000 dollars a year by the House of Representatives. The Mormons, it is reported, are secretly arming for the purpose of resisting the enforcement of the national laws against polygamy. . . . i There are 300,000 <logs iu the f State of Illinois. '■ ' '