LABOUR TROUBLES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3778, 6 April 1891, Page 2

LABOUR TROUBLES.

WARS AND RUMOURS OP WARS. New York, April 2. Four hundred strikers at Pittsburg made an attack on the coke works in that city. They also fired upon the sheriffs who were endeavoring to quell the disturbance. The fire was returned, with the result that seven of the strikers were killed, and many wounded.

Auckland, April 3.

Another difficulty in the bootmaking trade is threatened. The machinists and fitters in that trade have submitted a statement to the masters for an increase of wages, and a diminution of the hours ot work, but the masters have rejected it. Paris, April 8.

At the Miners' Oongreßs it was decided to vote by nations. Pears were expressed that if a general strike took plaoo it would end disastrously for the men, who are unprepared for a strike at present, London, April 3.

Mr Matthews, Home Secretary, speaking at Birmingham, said it would be folly for the State to interfere with wages paid to workmen, Pabis, April 8. The Miners' Congress has arrived at no decision on the question of n genet al strike to enforce the eight hours' system. Brisbane, April 4. Nearly four hundred free shearers from Victoria, New South Wales* and Queensland are expeoted to reach Rookham ptoa next week. An Extraordinary Affair, A profound sensation was caused at Newbury, on January 16,! by a terrible tragedy involving the shooting of a young man named Heath by his sister, Mrs Chamberlain, the wife of a cattle dealer, and the death of the woman by the explosion of another barrel of the gun during a struggle with her husband for its possession. Originally it was supposed that Mrs Chamberlain, after killing her brother, committed suicide, but her death was caused as staled above. The tragedy occurred at Warren Farm, Wash Common, situated on the outskirts of the borough. It appears .that between Sevan .and eight o!clock on. Thursday evening, Jan. 15, Mrs Chamberlain, her brother, and her husband (Mr John Chamberlain) were together in the front room, wbeu she requested her husband to leave the room, as she wanted to have a word or two with her brother, Sidney. Mr Chamberlain immediately went into the back room, but had hardly reached the door of that apartment when he heard the report of a gun. He ran back, and saw that bis brother-in-law had been shot by his wife, who had the still-smoking gun in her grasp. He closed with her and endeavored to wrest the gun from her, when the weapon went off, and she was shot in the body, dying almost immediately. She fell in the passage which they had reaohed while struggling. A man named Thomas Smith, a laborer on Mr Chamberlain's farm, was in a stable adjoining th&house, and startled by the'discharge of a gun, ran into the house, and was horrified to find bis mistress lying in a large pool of blood. Mr Chamberlain went into the road and called for help. Smith, in the meantime, lifted the woman up on bis arm, and she seemed to grasp once or twice and then died. Sidney Heath, who had been playing on the piano, was discovered leaning on the front of the instru ment, presenting a horrible spectacle, his brains being soattered over the keys and front part of tffe piano. He had apparently been, shot in the back of the head whilst he had been playing. It was a breech-lcading gun, the property of Mr Chamberlain, and two empty cartridges were afterwards found in the barrels. The man Smith immediately went for medical assistance, and two doctors were soon on the spot, but they found that Mrs Chamberlain and her brother were quite dead. The two deceased were well known in the district, their family connections and personal friends having been residents in the neighborhood for many yeaas. Sidney Heath was about 28 years of age, and leaves a wife and' three children. Be was a quiet, steady young fellow, and was much respected. Mrs Chamberlain was 25 years of age, and the only daughter of Mr Heath senior, of Boames Farm, Emborne. She was a very amiable woman, and regarded as the last person who would commit such a crime. She carried out her domestic duties in the usual way on Thursday, appeared in good health, and was not in any respeot strange in her manner. She and her brother appeared to be on good terms, so that the tragical occarrence startled everyene who knew them.