TOPICS OF THE DAY (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) PRECIS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 359, 13 April 1889, Page 5

TOPICS OF THE DAY (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) PRECIS.

Tine Mkktixg in the Snowstorm— " A Frost — Tijk Truth Out at Last Ahout tiik Crown Prixck's Death— How urc Died and Wiiy-Lk Cakox, alias Beaoii-Ekfect ok HisEVIDKXCE OX POULtC OI'INIOX— BICAOn'S Anteckuioxts and Boyhood -His Motive FOR SI>YING-THK FUTUKF— TiI 13 PRICE OK Lrc Oaron's lOvidexck— Nothing Fixkd— ])a\ht D::olixks to Cross-kxamink -The Jlajor Retirks— Cot-oxkl North sKxemiks — T\Fr Stkads Latest— The vtuical No nss — Tub Kbmial's Nrw Pviccks— The End ok T uss \u d's - Liteiia u v Notes.

Loxpox, February 15. Another injustice to Ireland ! Fino weather was essential if the people's mammoth meeting in Hyde Park to protest against the unbrecching of OBrien were to bea success; yob \ull it, can it bo be'ievod that the Bloody Balfonr, by unhallowed dealinq-3 with his master, the Devil, persuaded the heavens to decree a heavy snowstorm ? The result wa3 naturally " a frost. '" A few thousand shivering social democrats (assisted by nearly as many policemen and detectives) did ceitainly assemble round the Reformers' tree about 4, and make a feeblo attempt to protest. But the driving snow and biting north-east blast soon drove them all home again. One gentleman, speaking from a waggon and waving 1 a cap of liberty, was understood to suggest an immediate revolution and the sacking of the West End, and another b'ustered for some time about the unemplo3 T ed, but O'Brien's name, a '"Star" repoiter tells me, was hardly mentioned. I can quite imagine that if the protestors thought of the imprisoned patiiot at all they piobably reflected that ho was far more comfortable sitting by the hospital fire in Clomnol Gaol and consuming the chicken and jelly which an accommodating physician finds are essential to a political prisoner^ well-being than they were — hungry, wet, and half frozen in Hyde Park. The snowstorm proved the heaviest known in London for twoyetrs, and despite the thousands of scavengers turned on to the streets, their state all week has been deplorable. I hope, though, now the worst is over.

The Trctii About the Choun Prince. I am now in a position to tell you the real truth about the Crown Piince's deatk, or perhaps I ought to say the version accepted at the various legations in London and retailed sub rot>a to the Club?. The Prince's behaviour had for some time given great offence to his father. Not only was he constantly getting into discreditable scrapes with women, but he drank far more than he should, and affected low societj 7 , particularly that of a cabman, an amusing dog named Bratfisch. On the Sunday before H.I.H. died there was a tremendous family row, brought about through the Emperor's discovering an intrigue between his heir and a Court lady. In the course of the scene the Emperor threatened to appeal to the Pope and get the Crown Prince divorced from his wife and disgraced in the eyes of Europe. He cursed Providence for giving him such a disreputable son, and bade the young man go aod never darken the Palace doors again. The Crown Prince, angry and sulky, betook himself to Meyerling,and began a boozing with Bratfisch. On the Tuesday eveningheshouldhavegoneinto Vienna to dine with his father, who wished to heal the temporary breach, but Count Hoyos couldn't persuade him to do so. The young man sat a1!a 1 ! evening drinkinsr with his two boon companions, the count and the cabman, and then pretended he was {roing to bed. Instead, however, he betook himself to a chalet on the estate, owned by one of the gamekeepers, with whose wife he had an intrigue. The husband returning unexpectedly, the Prince had to leap from a window and make off. He was running when the gamekeeper let fly and sho6 his Imperial Highness in the seat of honour. Mad with pain and drink, and fearful of a public scandal, the unfortunate Prince a few hours later blew his brains out. The gamekeeper hung himself.

Le Catiox, alias Beach. The fact that Sir Charles Russell (the greatest cross-examiner in England) failed altogether to shake, or even materially modify, the damning evidence of the informer Le Caron has had (as might be expected) a serious effect on public opinion in England, The Parnellites themselves realise this, and have sent to Tsew York for counter evidence. Mr Parnell. as said, h very ill, and may have to give up public life altogether. That he has lost much of his old nerve was painfully apparent on Friday afternoon, for he simply glared at the informer ; indeed, if glances could ha\ c killed, the Major's shrift would have been short. T. P. O'Connor noticed this, and tried several times to divert his leader's attention, but in vain. The " military spy " himself seemed to me the coolest man in the Court. Sir Charles Russell lost hit own temper in the vain attempt to irritate and flurry his adversary. The Major was imperturbable. "Either he possesses a phenomenal memory, or he's telling the exact truth," said a barrister near me, " and I incline myself to the latter alternative." The Major is the son oE a Colchester ratecollector named Beach, and his real name is Thomas Billis Beach. Old folk at Colchester remember him as a wild troublesome lad, who ran away from home at sixteen. People speculate in the wildest way anent the motive which induced Beach or Le Caron (as he prefers to be called) to "spy" for long years on the Fenian?, etc. I must say it seems simple enough to me. The man is a born detective, subtle, foxy, alert, and impenetrable. He enjoyed the feeling of power and the excitement which his secret profession gave him, just as he now enjoys the sensation he is creating and the damage he is doing. The little man has plenty of pluck. He was asked on Tuesday whether he didn't feel a trifle nervous, apprehensive perhaps, of ending ala James Carey. He said no, not particularly. He had carried his life in his hands tor years. All sorts of stories were afloat as to the amount of remuneration the " Times " promised Le Caron for his services, Mr Lucy even going so far in one of his London letters as to fix the precise sum at ten Ihotisand pounds. On Tuesday, the Major himself put an end to all speculation by denying emphatically that any promise of payment had been made. "Has anything been arranged as to your future?" asked Mr Reid, Q.C., who took the Fenian spy in hand when Sir Charles Russell gave up cross-examination in despair. " There — has — never— one — word— been — said — on — the — future," replied Le Caron, stopping deliberately batween each syllable, and gazing fixedly at counsel. Mr Davibb, to everyone's surprise, concluded discretion would be the better part of valour, and declined to cross-examine Le Caron. Sir Richard Webster thereupon proceeded to work up this portion of the case by supplying a few missing links. Amongst other things, he quoted from a specclTof Parnell's at Cincinnati, in which tho Irish* leader indiscreetly avowed his party would not be satisfied until Ireland took her proper place amongst the nations

of the earth and they had destroyod the last link which riveted her to England, A few minutes after tliree on Tuesday, Major Le Garon's lengthy examination came to an end. Ho lefb the witness-box, as he entered it, effectively : bowed profoundly to the judges, thanking them for their courtesy ; smiled graciously afc counsel ; buttoned hi& coat, straightened his logs, and then, tripping alertly down the steps, was lost in the body of the ha'l.

A Dangekous Enkmv. Air Harry Marks, of the "Financial News," is nob the port of man I should caie to make my enemy woio I in Colonel ' North's place, and if the Nitrate King has f not to pay heavily in more ways than one for the libels he published abroad al the Liverpool banqueb on Friday evening anenb bhc Hebrew journalist*, I &hall bo much surprised. Mr Marks has never yofc come oil" second bost in his litigious enterprises. Colonel Norbh dislikes the " Financial News," because ib has nob piostraled itself before him like other City papers. Mr Marks was nob actively hostile to the Colonel, bub simply hyperciitical on fche nitrate question. lie wanted to know this and lie wanted to know that, and the great man didn't like ib. At Liverpool he (needless to f-ay after dinner) called Mr Marks names. They were instantly wired to that gentleman, ■who promptly issued a writ for libel, damages £20,000, and piomised (us solici bor.s £1,000 if they could serve it whilst bhe (Jalicia was in British waters- A tugwas chattel cri and pursued the big vossol, but in vain. She call=, however, at Libbon, and an attempt will bo made to seive the Colonel on boaid " under the British flag." In any case Mr Marks is now ihe Colonel's open and avowed enemy, so if he has a j weak place in his financial armour let him beware.

Wuo Wrote It ? Whether Mr Sfcead with the assistance of Madam Adam and Mrs Crawford (of tho " Daily News ') did or did not write " The Bismarck Dynasty, ' there can be no doubt he is for some reason or another much interested in "puffing" it ; as a matter of fact, only Iho " Pall Mall Gazette's " sensational " pars" and "interviews" could have kept the subject so long alive. The "St, James's," of course (as Bismarck's organ), is deeply interested hi proving the article an ill-natiued fan ago of "flimflams " arising from Stead's personal pique, but the best-informed club-men still credit it to Sir M. Grant-Duff.

Theatrical Not*>. Unless a desire to see how the heroine of the latest divorce case (Miss .Marie Tempest) looks should give a fresh impulse to the run of "Dorothy," that tuneful operetta will shortly be withdrasvn from the stage of the Lyric, and Mr Alfred Cslliei's long-promised " Denisc '' substituted. I fancy none of the company will be very sorry, as they are by no means a happy family. Both Mr Hayden Coffin and MiBen Davis have had quarrelb and crossaction3 -with their manager (Mr H. J. Leslie), and that gentleman himself figures at the Law Couits this week in a most unenviable role. Crowded houses fill the Opera Comique twice a day, and lucky Mr Bcringer is simply coining money. The present cast of "Little Lord Fanntleroy " i-= not in my humble opinion nearly as strong as the one which played at Terry's Theatie last year, but it suffices, and some admirable new effects have been added. '• Tares" jutt misses being a good plaj', though the central idea is natty. Hero and heroine are just about to marry, when the latter raises a scandal and excites her lover's suspicion by adopting a mysterious infant. He as-ks for an explanation, which i& lcfu.sed. and the pair part. Years pass, and again the young man suspiciously asks his sweetheart whose the boy is. This time the real mother, a gipsy, appears on the s>cene, and satisfies his curiosity. She is an "old flame," and the child is his own. Moreover, the girl he has po basely suspected has always known it. A nice situation, truly ! Mr and Mrs Kendal commence their farewell engagements at tho Court Theatre (prior to a tour of the world) next week, when Pineio's " The Weaker Sex '" will be produced for the first time in London. Mrs Kendal plays the part of a handsome widow with a lovely daughter of sweet 16, and the plot turns on the conflict which ensues, in the widow's mind whan she finds that the old lover, to whose return she ha:^ for long j'ears looked forward with wearing hope and sickening anxiety, is her younsr daughter's affianced husband. The Kendal's will also produce Gundy's " White Lie" before their departure. In this, Mrs Kendal, in order to shield a beloved but erring sister's reputation, allows her jealous husband to suspect her wrongfully, and even to go the length of turning her out of doors. Madame Tussaud's famous waxworks are about to be turned into a limited liability company and the exhibition remodelled bo suit present day requirements. A syndicate has purchabed the concern (as it stands) from Mr Henry Tus?aud for £170,000. The original Madame Tussaud was a Swiss, and earned a livelihood by teaching modelling in Paris. In this way she came to know Rousseau, Lafayette, Mirabean, Robespierre, and many other famous personages. In 1802, Madame TussauJ. migrated to London, bringing with her a large collection of the notorieties of tho Great Revolution in wax. She had been imprisoned for some time herself, and only by great good luck escaped the guillotine. Travelling about the countr j with a caravan of wax figures was troublesome work in those "good old times," and, many and various weie the adventures the indomitablelittle Swiss woman encountered. Once her whole collection was lost at sea. Instead of despairing she sat down and carefully remodelled every figure. In 1833 Madame Tu3saud settled down permanently in London, and ever since the exhibition has been growing lavger and larger, year by year, The relics of the Great Napoleon are now of themselves worth a small fortune, and as a portrait gallery of great criminals the Chamber of Horrors is unequalled.

Literaky Notes. The veteran "Times" war correspondent, Dr. W. H. Russell, accompanies Colonel North on his semi-regal progress through the Nitrate country, and has been engaged to write up the hi&tory thereof for publication in book form. The doctor's honorarium is fixed at the modest sum of three thousand guineas. The publishing business of Tinsley Bros, was once second to none in London, but the Tinslev who really made it is dead. Mr William Tinsley is now reminiscing in one of the magazines. Black's first, novel, "Love and Marriage" (ncverre-published,bytheway),wasafailure, and his second, " The Monarch of Mincing Lane " only a succes d'eslime. The young man persevered, however, and "Kilmeny " (published anonymously) hit the mark. Tinsleys gave Ouida £50 for her first book, and Mr William Tinsley promised the lady the same terms for "Chandosr" His brother Edward, however, took up a prejudice against the lady, whom he described as a feeble imitator of George Lawrence (author of " Guy Livinersbone "), then at the zenith ot his fame — such as it was. Tinsloy also mentions that his firm sold 2,00 C

copies of " The Moonstone" in threevolume form, and that this was considered very good indeed. He also says this novel and "Great Expectations" were the only ones published in "All the Year Round " which bustled up the circulation at all. The publishers of that capital Australian story, " Robbery Under Anne," aro much disappointed that Mr Gladstone has not mentioned it (as they fully expected he would) in his paper on " Noticeable Books" in the cm rent '" .Nineteenth Century." I told you sometime ago the 0.0. M. voluntarily sent Remingtons a post-caid expressing the gratification reading the book had caused him, and that they meant to fac dmilc it in the cheap edition. It was fins-fa intended to bring out the 6s issue at onco, but the three-volume copies continued to sell so well tho publishers havo postponed it. Another Australian tale, " Uncle Piper of Piper's Hill," by " Tasma," lias been favourably reviewod in the course of the last few days. Mr Philip Mennell's collection of tales by Fai'jeon, Haddon Chambers, "Tamia," and Edwards Jenkins is also just out. Mr James Stanley Little has dedicated his new shilling shocker to Mr Haddon Chambers, the Australian dramatist. Messrs George Routledge and Sons have taken advantage of tho " sensation " anenb Mr John Boyle O'Reilly to publish that worthy's clovor novel of Australian life, '• Moondyno." 0 Reilly, jou may remember, was one of tho Fenian prisoners sent to Western Australia, whence he escaped in an open boat. After drifting about for a clay and a night, he was picked up by the rescuing \e«sel ?ent to .save him, and bafely landed in Toston. He is now a paitnerin and editor ot tho Boston "Pilot," and woith £40,000 or so. Besides being a Fcniin, O'Reilly is a poet, editor, novelist, boxer, politician (Amciican), and leader of society. Ho is equally well acquainted with J. L. Sullivan and Oliver Wendell Holmes. The "large paper" copies of the new edition of Ruskin's "Modern Painters" published last week at ten guineas aro already .selling at sixteen guineas. "N"o moie can by any possibility be issued, as tho plates have by themaestro's own orders been destroyed and the typo distributed. (Jeorge Meredith's new novel, " Tbe Journalists," will bo published next month. On dit it contains portraits of Mr ll u lkon of the " .Spectator," Mr Greenwood of the '• St. James's,' 1 and other well-known pressmen.