EQUINE DETECTIVES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1281, 23 December 1884, Page 1

EQUINE DETECTIVES.

A piece of detective work, rivalling in professional acumen and dramatic effect some of the- most astonishing achievements of Yidocq, has just been done in Philadelphia by Detective Hauser in connection with a recent murder. The body of the victim was carried out of town in a waggon, and disposed of under a covered bridge. It occurred to the detective to drive an intelligent grey gelding, belonging to the butcher accused of the. murder, over the ground hat must have been taken. . The horse arrived at the spot where ne different remains were found, stopped voluntarily at each place, and gave the most unmistakable evidence of perfect 'amilianty with them. The detectives were perfectly convinced by his singular behaviour that he knew all about the affair, and that, they had arrested the right man. How bis evidence is to be introduced into Court it is difficult to <ay. Ibis is not, however, the first time that a horse has proved a valuable assistant in the detection of crime, A gentlemen attended a church meeting, and left a valuable black horse tied up under a shed. When he came out ■if the meeting he found that his horse had been changed for a worthless old nag. He referred the matter to the detectives, who searched the' neighborhood in vain for the missing animal. At length some one suggested that the old nag should be allowed to go his way, which he did, and went directly to i barn some distance out of town, were he original steed was found. Dogs have frequently played important parts n conueo'ion with criminal jurisprudence. In one celebrated . case, the Iramatisen version ofwhiclTis doubtless familiar to mauv, a dog proved the principal witness for the prosecution.

THE ADVANCE OF THE PEOPLES. “‘An exceeding trreat army’ was,” nates the Pali Mall Budget of August 1, “ the keynote of the sermon of ; the Archbishop of York, in Westminster Abbey, m Sunday evening last. He applied it 'o the peoples of the word. The phenomenon of modern history, lie said, was he degree in which the people of the earth were coming forward to assert fhemselves, and to take their part in a thousand movements. On every side hey were beginning to rise—truly a mighty army. How should we regard it ? Should we regard it with mere terror? Let us observe the demeanor of those we •all the lower classes, and see whether they, too bad not been inspired , in some legree with ‘ the breath’ of Heaven. Study their patience in the ’ unequal division of the state of things of this world which bad been foiced upon them, Study the way in which they would abide by the law in times of great distress, even of positive hunger and want. Look it tiie way they helped one another, the poorest obtaining from the poor much solid help and succour. Seeing these things, we recognised that they had become bretlnen who also loved one another. But in the future, accordii g to several eminent writers, such as Buckle, and Spencer, the advancements! the masses of the people was to be brought about by material progress, and intellectual growth —the moral element, sentiments of religion, philanthropy and the like, being rather dangerous than otherwise, and quite needless. Tln-se writers pointed to the mischief which in the past philanthropy hud done, and which the ignoiant might do with the b-st possible imemions. By-and-by we were to entef into a golden ig> in which at organised , morality -houl t take the place i f religious Sanction, ■ and in which moderation of desire and consideration for others would make a life pleasant. In no mythology was there a conception more groundless or more likely to mislead. Civilisation, after all, was but the storirg up of blessings which had come from the Giver of All Good ; tint its forces were relative, they altered this and that about us, but the question would remain when the golden age came, How was man himself to be altered 1 The scheme of material progress, the advantages of which it would take centuries ,to realise,, made no provision for the region behind the emtain of death, and it would leave men amenable to the same passions as now. It was assumed by philosophers that religion had played a great part, and that the part was now over. It was, confessed that the Christian scheme of brotherhood was a beautiful thing ; but it was said not adequate. Reason, however, was not the first thing by which men were guided ; and the most powerful influence in the world had been the example of a complete fife,”