151r.'Simmons, the aeronaut, in a letter to the 'Times of
Friday, -furnishes an odd postscript to a paper we publish elsewhere on the Hanley dog-fight. He had gone up. on Thursday in his .1htlalloon with, a Mr. G. "F. Hawkins, and was -floating between Southall and Harrow, enjoying the scene below him, "when we -distinctly heard the whizzing of three rifle-shots in very close. proximity to the ear of the balloon, and the conse- - quent report of the rifle or rifles." Mr. Simmons offers a reward of £100 for evidence as to the perpetrators of this outrage, who, supposinglis statement correct—And he. appeals to his companion to confirm it---.-raust have -been tempted by the opportunity of murder in, a sensational but safe form. Obviously he or they wanted-to,enjoy the excitement-of seeing the balloon burst, and -the persons in the car dashed to pieces, without danger of evi- denceleing produced against them. Balloons are expected to ‘burst, and nobody but Mr. Simmons or Mr. -Hawkins could have given evidence as to the bullets.
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