Iftniuriat
In consequence of some legal doubt, en church-rate was attempted to be levied last year at Kingston-on-Thames, but a voluntary subscription was made—it produced much more than the usual rate did, and none of the usual bitter feeling. On Thursday, the Vestry resolved to try the like plan this year.
A church-rate has been refused, on a poll, at Winlaton, in Durham.
Her Majesty the Queen on the occasion of her recent visit to Stone- leigh Abbey was graciously pleased to command that a week's additional holiday should be given this summer to the boys of Leamington College.
The coalmasters of Tipton, Oldham and West Bromwich, have announced their intention to reduce the wages of the colliers—the thick- coal miners ls. per day.
A painful disaster has occurred near Cheshnnt. Miss Sarah Jane Butler has been murdered by Henry Arnold, a lunatic who had escaped from Hoxton Lunatic Asylum. Miss Butler was walking home at night with her ,sister, when Arnold, without saying a word, assailed the young lady with a .bludgeon, beating her frightfully on the head, so that she died a few hours after. Some men secured the assassin. There is 110 doubt of his insanity at the time he committed the murder.
Great damage was done by floods last week in the Peak district, stream* having been converted into torrents or overflowed their banks in consequence of the great storms of hail and rain. The conservatories of Chatsworth were greatly injured by the storm.
A fatal accident occurred on Sunday evening on the London and South- Western Railway—really an accident, which cannot be accounted for. The usual excursion-train from Portsmouth to London approached the Bishop- stoke .junction at a low speed—probably eight miles an hour. When nearly the whole train had passed over the points, a third-class carriage, the last but two, left the rails, while the succeeding carriages got upon another line of rails ; the coupling of the third-class carriage broke, and it was overturned on the space between the rails. There were about thirty persons in this vehicle. One, William Helsey, a printer, was killed on the spot, his head having struck on the iron lever of some points—the head was frightful!), crushed. Sarah Lovell, niece of the deceased, a young woman, and EuOrie Perin, a basket-maker, sustained fractures and other hurts, endangering life. Other passengers were less seriously wounded. Mrs. Helsey was in the carriage, but she escaped with bruises. After the disaster the points, the rails, the roadway, were examined ; there was hardly an indication that any mishap had occurred: the wheels and axles of the third-class carriage were in good order. There was nothing to indicate how the accident had arisen. At the inquest these facts were proved; no one made any complaint against the railway officers ; and the Jury pronounced a verdict of " Acci- dental death," at the same time expressly exonerating the railway corneal). and their servants from blame. In opening the proceedings, the Coroner remarked on the freedom from accidents of the South-Western lines ; and it has been stated that this was the first fatal accident to a passenger for fifteen years.
At Rimpton, near Sherbome, a mower, during an interval of rest, went to sleep in a swathe of grass ; when the other mowers resumed work; the sleeper was not noticed, the point of a scythe was driven into his neck, the jugular vein was severed, and he soon died.
Three deaths of labonrer3 from sun-stroke are reported—two near Rom- ford, and the third near Mayfield in Sussex. Many animals have been killed by the great heat.
Previous page
