belief that his abominable charges were entirely fictitious. But to-day (the 13th), at the time the case was to come before Mr. Benson, Mr. Poland, after some delay, entered the court and said, "Since I was here yesterday Lady Twiss has determined not to appear again in court" (sensation), "and she has, I am informed, left London. I am therefore regretfully compelled to abandon this prosecution, as it would be useless to proceed without her evidence."

The public curiosity was not destined to be satisfied by further definite revelations. But Sir Travers and Lady Twiss did not reappear in London, and shortly after this date the former resigned all his appointments, holding, amongst others, that of AdvocateGeneral.

Mr. Benson animadverted severely on the conduct of Chaffers, who was further charged with a similar attempt to extort money from one Henry Williams, by accusing him of bigamy. But this charge too was abandoned.

22. THE ABERDEEN ROMANCE.-The House of Lords sat this morning as a Committee for Privileges, Lord Redesdale in the chair, to decide on this claim. The fifth Earl of Aberdeen had issue three sons-first, George, born in December, 1841, whose death, without issue, was now in question; James Henry, born in October, 1845, who died in consequence of an unhappy accident at Cambridge in 1868; and John Campbell, the petitioner in the present case, born in August, 1847.

George was a young man of remarkable but of a singular and romantic turn of mind, desirous of seeing the world. Under these circumstances, in spite of his rank and station, he went abroad in the year 1866, sailing from Liverpool about the end of January in that year, and he never afterwards returned to this country. He went to New Brunswick, and then to the United States. It was in May, 1866, while staying at Boston, that he last used his real name, with the exception of one occasion in February, 1867, when he drew two cheques for 1007. each, at New York, upon his banker in Scotland. After the latter date he never drew upon his funds in Great Britain, preferring to live on his own wages on a perfect equality with those with whom he was associated in his seafaring life, for which he qualified himself by passing the regular examinations in the United States. He took regular service in small ships belonging to Ameri- . can owners, first as mate, and then as captain. He passed as G. H. Osborne, a name which he appears to have assumed as early as the 22nd of May, 1866, and by which he was known to all persons with whom he came in contact. He kept up a correspondence with his mother, who was residing in this country from the time of his departure until 1869, since when all communication with him had ceased. The correspondence not being continued, the family became alarmed, and his mother requested a Mr. Alexander, who had been chaplain and tutor in the family since the year 1861, to go to America, to follow up his traces, if it were possible to do so. It was

not until Mr. Alexander had been in New York for six months that he obtained the clue. The young man had sailed from Boston for Melbourne in a small sloop called the "Hera," on the 21st of January, 1870, and on the 27th of that month he was washed overboard by a wave which struck the ship.

The evidence established beyond a doubt the truth of this singular story.

23. THE UNIVERSITY BOAT-RACE.-It is impossible to imagine a more hopelessly wretched day than this, and perhaps the weather was at its very worst just as the University Boat-race was taking place. Fog, sleet, snow, and hail all struggled their hardest for the mastery. Fortune had steadily set her face against the Dark Blues throughout. They had an inferior boat, a comparatively fresh stroke, within the last three or four days they were compelled to put a new man at No. 2, and, to finish their catalogue of misfortunes, they lost the toss, which on this occasion, owing to the bad mooring of the stake-boats, gave the winners an advantage of nearly half a length. Cambridge had only to paddle in front for the latter part of the journey, and won by two lengths (which might have been twelve at pleasure) in 21 min. 16 sec. The steering in the Cambridge boat was bad, and would have lost the race had the crews been evenly matched; but in all other respects the Dark Blues were terribly inferior to their rivals.

A novel experiment in telegraphic reporting was made in connexion with the race. Arrangements were made by the proprietor of the Central News to pay out a cable from one of the steamers which followed the racing boats. There is no novelty in telegraphing through cables as they are being paid out; but there is no precedent for performing such a work at the pace of the racing boats. The difficulties of the work were much increased by the fact that the whole of the final arrangements and reporting had to be done in the midst of an unusually severe snow-storm; but, in spite of this difficulty, all the leading facts connected with the race, including the varying positions of the crews and the times at which they reached well-known points, were telegraphed before the race was concluded. By this means it became possible to transmit throughout the kingdom, and to place before readers hundreds of miles distant, more inforination respecting the race than was known to the spectators on the banks of the Thames.

27. THE FARNHAM STABBING CASE.-At the Kingston assizes William Rodway, described as a labourer, of the age of fifty-two, was indicted for feloniously and maliciously cutting and wounding Rose Helen Carrington, at Farnham, in August last, with intent to murder her.

Mrs. Carrington is a woman of personal attractions, but of low origin, and she avowed that she could not write. She had become acquainted with the prisoner some years ago at Bristol, where she lived, and they afterwards lived together. In March, 1868, Mr. Carrington, a gentleman of property, became enamoured of her, and

B

she lived with him about a year, the prisoner passing as her brother. The prisoner was then without means of support, and she supported him out of the money she received from Mr. Carrington. Mr. Carrington becoming very much attached to her, and having no idea of her connexion with the prisoner, proposed to her to marry him, and promised to make an ample provision for her. To this she assented, and in August, 1869, they were married. The prisoner was well aware of this, but continued to use the hold he had over her to coerce her at different times. Thus, on one occasion, when she was about to follow her husband to Scotland, he caused her, she said, to miss the train, and then positively refused to leave her and compelled her to stay with him that night at an hotel. They had been accustomed to meet at a public-house, and on one or two occasions she met him there. Mr. Carrington at length became aware that the prisoner was not her brother, and was of course desirous to prevent any further intercourse between them; and, upon her husband going to live near Farnham, though at first she continued occasionally to see the prisoner when she came to town, yet by degrees she ceased to send him money or have communication with him. Two days before the event the prisoner wrote a letter in these terms:

"This is to certify that Rose has taken all my money, and that I could not bear her deceit longer. May God bless her and me."

He then, on August 18, went to a public-house not far from Mr. Carrington's, and there put up for a night. Next day, August 19, he went to the house. He knocked at the door, and Mrs. Carrington opened it. After a few words he turned as if to go from her, but turned round again and stabbed her in the arm. She turned and tried to run away, but he followed her, and stabbed her again in the back, and she fell, the knife sticking in her back. He raised her and took out the knife, saying to her, "You've been a bad woman to me." She seized the knife and tried to take it from him. He began to cut himself with it. She said, "Don't! don't! throw it down." He said, "It will soon be over, and we shall meet in heaven."

The suspicions of the servants had been aroused, and one of them was watching and listening, and saw the struggle, but though her mistress turned round and begged her to go for help, the woman did not do so. She saw the prisoner stoop over her, and heard her say, while he was over her with the knife, "Forgive me!" and he said, "I will, and God bless you." The servant stood there passively during the struggle, intent upon seeing and listening to all that passed. Mrs. Carrington at this time, bleeding from her wounds and covered with blood, finding no help in the house, rushed away towards the public-house. On her way she was met by a man, who assisted her there; and while he was supporting her, the prisoner, who had followed her, passed them, and they both went into the public-house and sat down. She begged the men present to go for a doctor. The prisoner asked her to take some brandy, and said,

"I have done all there is to be done, and if I have injured her I am very sorry for it. I never intended to hurt her; but she treated me with such contempt that I resolved to kill myself before her eyes."

The jury found the prisoner guilty, and he was sentenced to twenty years' penal servitude.

28. COLLIERY EXPLOSION AT BOLTON.-An explosion of gas, attended with the loss of twenty-eight lives, and severe injury to eleven men and boys, took place in the Lover's Lane, or Old Chain Pit, at Atherton, near Bolton. Immediately on the alarm being given, Messrs. R. and H. Fletcher, the proprietors, accompanied by a large party of miners and volunteers, descended into the mine, and carried on their work until all those who were injured were brought out; and they did not cease from their dangerous task until the last man was brought out of the pit.

APRIL.

1. EXECUTION AT LINCOLN.-On Easter Monday William Frederick Horry, a young man, aged twenty-eight, was executed at Lincoln for the murder of his wife, Jane Horry, at Boston, on January 15 last. The prisoner was married in 1867, and for some time he and his wife appear to have lived together on affectionate terms. Last year, however, the prisoner became so jealous of his wife that he broke up his business at Burslem and separated from her, and she, with her children, went to live at the house of the prisoner's father at Boston. On January 14 the prisoner went to Boston, having previously purchased a revolver at Nottingham. He was allowed to see his wife on the following day, and had no sooner come into her presence than he shot her dead. The prisoner, it is stated, had fallen into intemperate habits, and he had suffered from delirium tremens. His wife's friends assert that there were no just grounds for the suspicions which the prisoner had formed respecting her.

He left behind him for publication a lengthy homily on the subject of his crime, and so impressed were his townspeople with the amiability of his character, that they issued the following" memorial card" after his execution:-"Sacred to the memory of William Frederick Horry, late of Burslem, Staffordshire, who was born Dec. 17, 1843, and died April 1, 1872. His native place was Boston, in Lincolnshire, and he dwelt in Burslem for six years and upwards, where he was held by his fellow-townspeople in the highest respect for his sterling qualities and excellent talents. He died as a man, a Christian, and a martyr. He was more sinned against than sinning. Peace be to his manes."

2. JUSTICE'S JUSTICE.-A charge of alleged assault on a young woman, tried at the Ashford Petty Sessions, has created great excitement both in that town and Folkestone. The defendant was Mr. George Braham, landlord of the Market Hotel, Ashford, and the complainant was Ellen Kingsland, of Canterbury, one of his barmaids, who had been in his service only nine days. On the part of the defendant it was contended that the girl's statement was false, and that the case had been got up to cover her own improper conduct, she having been reproved by her master the same evening, and told that she must leave his employment for disgraceful conduct with a young man in the fields. It was also affirmed that an attempt had been made by her parents to extort money, and the following letter was read in support of the allegation:

"SIR,-I have been counselled by Mr. William Kingsland, of this city, wheelwright, as to your conduct towards his daughter Ellen. You well know the nature of the offence you committed towards her; and I am instructed by him to inform you that, unless you forthwith make arrangements in the matter, he will take such proceedings as he may be advised. Yours obediently,

"G. PAYN."

The girl's parents denied attempting to extort money, but admitted placing the matter in the hands of Payn. The evidence disposed of the charge in the clearest manner, and on the second day the complainant's agent refused to act, as he was not likely to be paid; whereupon Colonel Groves, one of the justices, said "the Bench would protect her." He examined and cross-examined the witnesses at considerable length, threw doubt on one man's evidence, and finally told him, in a loud voice, to "Stand down," and "Get out of the box." At the close of the evidence Colonel Groves said the Bench had decided to convict the defendant under the Aggravated Assaults Act, and to sentence him to two months' imprisonment with hard labour. On hearing the sentence defendant, whose face marked in the strongest manner the intense mental agony he was suffering, said, "My God! oh, my God! my poor wife! Is there no appeal? nothing that I can do or say to convince you that I am innocent? Won't you allow me to appeal?" In answer to a question, Colonel Groves said, "We have considered whether we should send this case before a jury or not; we feel bound to deal with it on its merits; we feel bound to do as we have done." The prisoner was then removed, exclaiming, "Oh, my poor wife! I am innocent. Is the character of a lifetime to go for nothing?"

After the conviction meetings of the inhabitants of Ashford and Folkestone were held, and a memorial to the Home Secretary was agreed to. Some days later the defendant's agent made a statutory declaration that the complainant had stated to him that her evidence on the trial was false. The case came under the notice of Mr. Knatchbull-Hugessen, M.P., who took it up warmly. He wrote to a friend :—" I am anxious that you should know that at least one member of the Bench, though not present, was not content that