CLIPPINGS FROM THE HOME NEWS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 66, 7 March 1876, Page 2

CLIPPINGS FROM THE HOME NEWS.

Tbe fire in the crater of Mt. Vesuvius is gradually increasing in strength The instruments of the Observatory are in motion. A new travelling club, on tbe pattern of the Alpine Clubs of Europe, has been founded in the United Stages, to be called the Rocky Mountains Club. A letter from Florence states that a Pole, named Maczueki, has just accomplished the feat of playing eimultaneowsly five games of chess, at the Philological Club, without in any case seeing tbe board. He had offered to sustain six contests, but five competitors only presented themselves. These were an Amerioan lady, an Italian; an Englishman, a Mexican, and a German. The play lasted from half-past one io the day until eight in tbe eveniDg, and resulted in M. Maczueki winning thtee games and losing two. Tbe lady wbb one of the successful combatants A woman, about sixty years of age, named Marguerite Grieumard, has been convicted at the Tarn-et-Garonne Assizes of poisoning her husband, daughter, grandson, and daughter's father in law. She had always been of a quarrelsome and violent disposition, and tormented her husband and ill-treated her daughter when a child, more than one* urging her husband to kill her. In September, 1874, Grieumard resolved to leave her and live with his daughter and son in law, a purpose which he persisted in, notwithstanding bis wife's persuasions and threats. In the followiug December, before he had carried out hia plan, tbe son in law and grandson went over to St. Vinceut to help Grieuraord on his farm. Marguerite Grieumard cooked for them, and they all complained of severe pains. On a subsequent visit in May the same symptoms were repeated, and in June, a few days after Marguerite Grieumard had left her daughter's house, the whole household, five in number, were attacked with violent vomiting. One of the grandsons first died, then Jean David, the son in law's father, and afterward Jean Grieumard and his daughter. An autopsy showed that ! they had been poisoned by lend and phosphorus. The crime has been traced home to the prisoner, aod ehe was convicted and sentenced to death. Her apparent motive was to inherit the properly of her victims. An act of carelessness produced very tragic results in Sheffield. Two families, named respectively Howard and Jones, caught typhus fover from clothes which had been incautiously removed from a relative who died a few days before of the fever. Mrs Howard was taken ill, and died in a very short time; her husband followed in three days, and her mother was attacked, and after a short illness also succumbed. Mrs Jones was the next victim, and a brother of hers also died in delirium. Finally, Mr K. B. Jones, in a fit of delirium, escaped from bis attendants, rau up the garret stairs, climbed on the slates, and crept to the ridge, and then threw himself headlong into the street, a height of fifty feet. Death was instantaneous. A pauper inmate of Horsbam Workhouse died in the union on Christmas Day from tbe effects of gluttony. He attacked his Christmas dinner so ravenously that in a few minutes he was choked. At the inquest which' was held on the body, it was stated v that he had Bwallowed, without masticating, several pieces of beef the size of walnuts. Reports of large diamonds found at the Cape are telegraphed from Madiera, one being said to weigh 300 carats, and \ another, found at Beeri, 103 carats, producing tbe finder £3350. A silver mine ia alep reported to have been discovered in the TransvaaJ. An immense quantity of human remains have been discovered in the hollow walls of one of the wards of the old San Andreas hospital at Lima. Betweeß 4000 and 3000 skeletons ba.Y9 '

been-. counted, and it ia supposed that the banes belong to victims of the Inquisition. Intelligence received from the Philippities announces that a terrible hurricane swept over the Pjovnces of Albay and Camarines, in the southern "part of the Island of Manila, on the 30th of November. Two hundred and fifty persons are stated to have beeu killed, and 3800 inhabited houses, the crops, and a considerable number of auimals were destroyed. General consternation prevailed in Manila. A German pedlar sold a man a liquid for the extermination of bugs. "' And how do you use it ? " inquired the_ man after he had bought it. " Ketch de bug, and drop von little drop into his mout,'' answered the pedlar. " The deuce you do ! " ex claimed the purchaser, " I could kill it in half that time by stamping on it." " Veil," exclaimed the German, " dat is a good vay too."