Untitled

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 41, 17 February 1881, Page 4

— — » ' I T - Quite recently, between nine and ten o'clock one Sundey morning, a young miner, named Morr&n, residing at Upper Ballo'chriey, near Airdrie, died in terrible agony' from hydrophobia. About two months before, Morran was bitten cn the mouth by a dog which was running about tbe country in b rabid state, but he paid little attention id the wound as it speedily healed up. He was able to attend to bis work, and appeared to be in hieusuftl health until lately, when pains in tbe head, accompanied with spasms, began to manifest themSelyeß, and as they increased in intensity medical aid was obtained. Drs Rankin and Cullen, from Airdrie, visited tbe unfortunate victim of the terrible malady several times, but so malignant bad tbe disease become that nothing could be done but to administer ibothibg medicaments, which was accordingly done. Morran at length got bo 'outrageous that be rose from the bed and: smashed all tbe furniture in the room, and ultimately it took seven or eight men to bold bim down. His Struggles were of the moat frantic description, and he barked and howled like a dog in the moßt painful manner. During the course of Saturday- night he began to vomit, and his system ebowed signs of extreme weakness, as Be had* taken no food for three days pnd his agonising struggles would have

weakened the strongest frame. A few hours before he died he recovered consciousness, and recognised his friends. He said that he knew be waa dying, but Bpoke in a hopeful manner. At last a heavy shudder ran through his frame, a deep convulsion overpowered him, and he gasped his last in | great pain. What odds still further to the painful nature of the death of the young man is the fact that he was nearly tbe whole support of a widowed mother, the' rest of the members of the family being married. England is becoming an unsafe as Ireland for anyone who has the misfortune to forfeit the confidence of Irish conspirators, whether they be Fenians, Home &uler_, or Land Leaguers. Several cases of cruel outrage have been reported during tho past few weeks frotn different localities inhabited by Irishmen ; but a deliberate and coldblooded assassination took place last Sunday afternoon in the neighborhood of Birmingham, which there is every reason to believe was instigated by the vengeance of a secret society. The victim was a young Irishman named Gately, about twenty-six years of age, and a native of Athlone. The last five years of his life had been spent in England, with a brief interval of residence iu his own country. Latterly he bad been employed on the farm of a horse-breeder at Yardly. On Sunday he walked over to Solihull, a village not far from Birmingham, to meet an Irish acquaintance, and being too late to attend mass at the Catholic chapel, he went to the Gardeners' Arms beerhouse where he remained drinking lor more than an hour. Among the company pr(S3r_t were several Irishmen, strangers to the district. In compliance with the invitation of one of these men Gately went into the yard at the back of the House, followed by two or three otherp. A pistol-shot was immediately heard, and the murderer of Gately quietly, returned through the house, replying to the landlord's inquiry as to what was the matter that a shutter had blown down. In the confusion that ensued, the stranger escaped, the other Irishman refusing to go in pursuit. Gately lingered till Monday evening, and professed his inability to assign any reason for the outrage. Since his death, however, it has been discovered that he belonged to the Irish Land League. A book had been found containing entries of subscriptions received by him on behalf of the organisation, and he had been heard to say that he sbould cease his connection with it: No clue has yet been discovered as to the identification of the murderer. One of the latest reports is that. he bears a strong resemblance to the man. who perpetrated the recent Sheffield outrage, which was characterised by nearly the same amount of cool premeditation. Tbe electric light has again taken possession of the public mindj says a telegram from New York, of Deoember 1. Edison, the well-known icventor, gays :— " I am preparing a test for the subdivision cf the electric light, and will soon bave it ready. lam already satisfied, and wish to show the gentlemen who f.re to put tbeir money io thie ; thing its practical working before they take further steps. There is to be no i guess woik about it. We will know \ exactly tbe cost of everything before we go a-hGsd. Because I have been a few mon<h_ perfecting this thing the \ public said I had failed, They forgot I tbat there are millions of dollars in- | vested in gas, and tbey must not expect lone little Jprsey-man to revolutionise | tbe light of the world, and render all this capital useless. The light produced is bettsr and cheaper, and these nre two qualities that will kill gas Besides there is no dirt from my light, no danger from escaped gas or combustion. The light is en incandescent, simple light, produced by the impact of electric particles upon carbon. It is a clear, steady unflickering blaze, and does not posses those disagreeable I properties which the publio have come Ito associate with the idea of the electric I light, gained from those distressing j scaring balls which you see suspended lin front of theatres and other buildings. jThe difficulty has hitherto lain in the [subdivision. A great many writers j upon the subject have declared this (impossible, but it is not. I have proved this. Electric light may be furnished at a cost of something like 300 000,000d01., less than it would have cost by the original method. I calculate that New York city can be lighted Ibv my method at a cost of something jlike 2,000,000d01e, which is a very reasonable amount. My light will b. perfected before a great while. lam working very hard now." Recently two of Mr. Duffy's neighbours determined to abduct a pet calf belonging to that gentleman, and Mr. Duffy became aware of their scheme. Therefore he quietly removed the calf from the box in which it was confined, and introduced in the place of it a goat of the William gender, and of a very vicious disposition. He also fixed a spring on the door of the stall that would • cause it to close unless held open, and attached to the door a spring lock that would fasten, and could only be unfastened from the outside. Then he went to' bed, but not to sleep. It was at the witching hour of midnight that the two marauders entered Mr. Duffy's barn. They had examined the premises the day before, and knew exactly where to go, • Each of them carried a dark lantern. They entered the stall and the door closed' behind them. Everything was still. One of them opened the slide of his lantern. ,, There was a clatter of hoofs, and the man ■ with the lantern found, himself, piled up in a corner, very : much, surprised. He thought that it was. the queerest' calf he had ever met. Then the other man opened the slide of his lantern ' to sep what the matter was, and the next instant the breath went out of him witl^ a "yah," that made Dqffy laugh all over. Then all was still again except the. faint profanity of the. men, and, finally, tho mau who .was hit first recovered enough to paw round, and find his lantern. It was extinguished, bnt he got out a match and lighted it again. The goat's blood 1 then being aroused 1 , he didn't wait for further lights, but began to butt around promiscuously and the robbers concluded it was time to get out. But that didn't prove so

easily done. . Then they began to yell for help, and Mr. Duffy could tell when the goat hit them, because, instead of yelling " Help !" they cried " Oh !" and after he had laughed till his sides ached he went and let them out, on condition that they wouldn't try to carry off the goat, and when, they stepped out of the barn he jumped, and stamped, and yelled that tho goat was after them, and they screamed " Murder 1" and ran ran three miles down the road before they stopped for breath. Duffy still keeps the calf, __e___rr_rr—-7- , „ „i-pr^»