Death from Electricity.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3338, 18 October 1889, Page 2

Death from Electricity.

A death has recently occurred at Brighton from the accidental contact of the conducting wiro of tho electric lighting apparatus with the neck of one of tho employes at a brewery, The deceased was "found dead "in the neighbourhood of the fatal electrical conductor, and we arc told by a report in a daily newspaper that a post mortem examination revealed perfectly healthy organs, the only abnormality in this ciso being "a mark half-way round tho neck as if grazed by the wire," With the extension of electric lighting occasional fatalities of this kind are to he expected, and the number of deaths from this cause has already been considerable, In tbo case recently reported there was, it-is to lie observed, a slight mark upon the body, and in a case which occurred in 1884 a blister was found upon ono of the fingers of the deceased with which contact had been accidentally made by the machine. In other cases there has been no mark whatever, so that wo may conclude that the pathological evidence of tho cause of death in such cases is almost nil. It seems to us of tho greatest importance that these accidents should be carefully studied, and it would almost seem to bo the duty of the Local Government Board to send a-trained pathologist to attend the post mortem examination of every case which occurs, in order that a careful comparison might be established between the cases, and any points which they might present in common be duly noted,—Lancer.

Extraordinary Rehwous Fanaticism.

Somo remarkable revelations were made recently in the Brighton Police Court in an assault case arising out of the proceedings of tho Army of the Lord, a so-called religious' organisation which has attained considerable notoriety in Brighton. Tho complainant was James Bavilions, formerly a tailor of Wandsworth, and the defendant, tho leader of the m,ovCmonat, Jamea William Wood, who is also known as King Solomon, It seems, that the complainant had been in tho habit of coming to Brighton, and having attended some of the services of the Army of tho Lord he was induced to join them. Ho was informed that a message had been received from a prophet directing him to dispose of his business and to lay all tho money at the feet of the Apostle Caleb, one ot King Solomon's lieutenants. That injunction complainant complied with, and ho handed tho apostlo the sum of £305. From that time complainant and his wifo and six children went to live with tho Army, tho understanding being that in return for his offering, which comprised ovory farthmg he possessed, he and his family were to pass tho rest of their days with the Army. The main part of their dietary consisted of vogetable soup; but, added the complainant, amidst much laughter, King Solomon was allowed eggs and custard by order of tho Prophet, After remaining with tho Army for several months complainant ventured to openly criticise King Solomon's doctrines. Ho began to be auspicious when prophecy after prophecy remained unfulfilled, and was confirmed in his doubts about his leader, when after sitting night after night waiting for the appearance of the Ark, it failod to manifest itself. At length a letter was given to complainant purporting to como from Jehovah" through my servant, King Solomon," telling him he must leave the Temple. As ho refused to go, a aocond lotter was handed to him. The Lord had decided that Bavilioas was polluting tho Tcmplo, and that until he left tho Lord would heal no moro children (one branch of the army's operations consisting of faith healing). Tho assault consisted of King Solomon pulling him roughly out of bed, seizing him by the throat, and thrusting him in the passage to eject lijm, _ Complainaut ovontually left with his family, when ho was sheltered by a Menu, and proceedings wero taken on his behalf by a committee of gentlemen. A fnio of £5 and costs was imposed, and as King Solomon was without means ho was removed in custody,

THE CALLIOPK. 'A great many people have oxpressed their dissatisfaction with the tardiness oi the English Government in rewarding the splendid pluck and bravery of Captain Kane and the officers and cvw of the Calliope during tho late hurricane at Samoa, It is true that the engineer has been promoted to the office of Meet ■Epgjnepr, and, as the cable now advises us. Captain Ifyne is down for jiext ff good servico pension of £l5O a year when it becomes vacant" {sic), but very few will bo inclined to admit that this is anything like adequate compensation for the salvation of a splendid ship, worth at least 4800,000 to say nothing of the hundreds of lives on board. ■ There js $ sarcasm about this ponsion business, which well accords with the decision of My Lord of the Admiralty and Lord Georgo Hamilton, that as suqh instanoes of skill and bravery were by no means rare in the British Navy there were no special grounds for recognition, It i 6 true that tho pension will iiltimately revert to him—that ig, of course, if he lives long enough, ami tho present holder decides to navigate the ethereal instead of the briny at an early date, but there is a beautiful vagueness about it that has done much to allay the public feeling that some special 'mark of approval was deserved- and should- be bestowed, What recognition the -crew were accorded has never' transpircdprobably an oxtra ration of Jamaica rumor asecoikl fig'of tobacco was considered sufljeient.

A Good Young Man. I had a frieud once who passed in society for a remarkably sober young man. Ho belonged to the church, ho taught in Sunday school, he was a perfect pack mule in regard to prayer-books, and all the ladies of the congregation loved him and hold him up as a model youth. It was predicted that a religious heiress, who had a religious papa, was enamoured of my friend, and that the papa favoured the penchant becau6o of the youth's religious principles and irreproachable character. I chanced to meet him at the gato of the adored one's mansion one day. Wo passed in together, greeted the ladies, and sat down. .Now, for the first time, I noticed a deep and settled gloom on my friend's brow. I thought somo calamity had befallen him, and whispered asking if he wero ill. "No, sir," ho roplied, regarding me sternly;" do I look ill ? Confound it. Do I?"

" Hush, hush!" I said," you do not. It is all right. . I know his secret then, My religious friend was full to tho muzzle, and was struggling most manfully to conceal his plight from the ladies, by a mournful, downcast air, as tho greatest contrast to the hilarity produced by tho bottle. His sweetheart sang a merry air from ono of the comic operas.- It affected my friend to tears, and' he sobbed bitterly. " For goodness sake, dry up," I said, " this is not a melancholy air; you are mistaken. Laugh, or the ladies will drop at once to the fact that you arc plumb full." Ho gavo me a look of gratitude, and burst into a roar of laughter that actually rattled the glasses on the refreshment table, and brought tho tho song to a close. Still no.one suspected the true condition of the unfortunate accident. We made our adieux, he moving carofully, and without a stagger,but with a tendency to crowd too many bows into his farewell, and to back out after the manner .of a courtier leaving the royal presence, This was his ruin, for ho tripped backward over an ottoman and came heavily to tho floor, I rushed to raise him, and , found that ho could not stand, and would make no effort. He damned the father of his prospective bride from tho soles' of his feet to the crown of his head, and while the ladies stood palo and horrified about the wretched inebriate, he began a song which compelled rre to stuff a napkin in his mouth, and call for the hackman's help to bear him to the carriage, A fellow who never made any pretensions to piety-and consequently was received without suspicion—carried off the heiress.

A Mad Schoolmaster. Whoever uses Webster's dictionary will find on tho early pages tho name of Morriam. Two brothers of. that namo inherited tho copyright, and for many years they wero the sole recipients of tho immense profits of that remarkable work. One of tho Merriams, a crusty old bachelor, settled on Long Island and became a schoolteacher, and dying a couplo of years ago left all his fortuno to the N United States Govesnment, though he had lots of relatives, who are now industriously trying to break the will. In his lifetime Mr Morriam was not a particularly pleasant neighbor, and one of his most pronounced antipa- ■•» tines was redheaded women. Tho 1 sight of those rich amber glories that |aro invariably accompanied by a white horse,- affected Mr Morriam I like an attack of plouro pneumonia, and he found no peace till the hated, object was removed from his sight. One of the teachers in Mr Merriam's school had this distinguished fomalo • glory, and tho sight of her acted on him like a bad caso of malaria, so he determined to get rid of her or die, He hired boys to pelt her with spit balls, and one big country lout was bribed with twentyfive cents to kiss her before all the scholars, in hopes that after suffering this public disgraco sho would (ly tho school for very shame, But the toachor had boon there before many a time, and she didn't scare for a cent, and would have kissed the wholo school, including tho janitor, rathor than resign her lucrative position of , forty-five _ dollars a month. Then Mr Merrian brought a tin dinner horn about six feet long, and ho >£ seronaded hor for throo weeks about ■fl| two o'clock in the morning. Though the young lady was not fond of that kind of music she refused to budge. At last he made himself such a nuisance that the wholo neighborhood was against him, when, fortunately, one morning ho was found dead in his bed, and it was then discovered that ho had revenged himself on his relations by willing nil his property, some eighty or ninety thousand dollars, to the United States Government. Thore is not the slightest doubt but Morriam was mad as a March hare for ton years before his death, and ho was only kept out of the lunatic asylum by a lot of miserable panderers who submitted to his vagaries and kept him in his position as principal of tho school, in hopes of sharing in his wealth when bodied. It is a pleasure to know that they all were disappointed, and now lotus hope that the United States will do the graceful thing and turn the money ovcr\ to the lawful heirs whom tho stingy'* old beggar ignored in his We, and whom ho hoped to cheat in his death.

Royal Deadheads. ' Much preparation is mado at London theatres when members of the Eoyal Family are to attend, A writer in the Pall Mall Gazette explains that " first the manager prepares tho best box—if necessary knocking a couple of boxes into one for the uso of tho Royalists—while anothor is prepared for tho people in attendance, If the boxes should happen to be taken, notice is sent to those who have engaged them to the effect that they arc wanted lor the lloyal Family, and the money is returned, About half a dozen programmes are printed on coloured satin by the regular printers, several large boquetsare purchased for pre-' sontation to the female members of the party, and a large stock of scarlet ~•• - cloth is used for decorative purposes! W A carpet is laid down at tho entrance, tho visitors are received by the manager and conducted to their box, 1 ' or, in the case of the new theatres, to tho royal apartment; the rising of the curtain is delayed till their arrival, and on their appearance the band plays the National Anthem. In the intervals refreshments aro sent up, the whole being done at the expense of the manager or lessee."

A German saloon keener says tho ,' letters ';WO.T.U.» (Women's Christian '< 'Teui|ioranco Union) moan "wbinoii'coiit'aritly'fqrm'eiit'u's,'' ' " -