Lionel Brough, who is now seen to excellent advantage in the "Paper Chase," is a native of Monmouth. His father was well known as a dramatic author who wrote under the name of Barnard de Burgh. Lionel began life in the office of the Illustrated London News, but abandoned literature for the stage, and made his first appearance at the Lyceum in a piece, written by his brother, called "Prince Pretty Pet." That is over 30 years ago, but he still continues to make us laugh.
LYCEUM THEATRE. - Sole Lessee, Mr. Henry Irving. - TO-NIGHT, at 9.0, MR. RICHARD MANSFIELD, in DR. JEKYLL and MR HYDE. (Last 10 Performances)
Preceded at 8 by LESBIA. Classical Comedy in one Act, by Mr. Richard Davey. LESBIA Miss Beatrice Cameron.
MORNING PERFORMANCE TO-MORROW (SATURDAY), at 2.0
MONDAY, Oct 1, A PARISIAN ROMANCE. Mr. Mansfield as THE BARON CHEVRIAL.
Box-office (Mr. J. Hurst) open daily from 10 to 5.
While certain organs of the press are expressing in plain, unvarnished terms their opinion as to what should be done with Mr. Matthews, the Home Secretary is perplexing himself to know what should be done with the press. "I do not refer," says the London correspondent of the Birmingham Daily Gazette to the Daily Telegraph, and the Standard, which have indulged in personal attacks on the Secretary of State, but upon those energetic newspapers which have made themselves so busy in connection with the recent murders. The detectives working in the East-end have been followed about by men with note-books. They do not interview officers of the law, but swoop down upon all persons whom they think the detectives have visited and examined."
An inquest was held at Whitechapel last night on Emma Siggers, aged 54, the wife of the landlord of the Hoppole, Hope-street, Mile-end New Town. On Tuesday evening the woman was left alone in the kitchen. On her son going there for some water he found his mother lying on the hearth with her head and shoulders on the fire. Her head was burnt to a cinder, and was past all recognition. Dr. Hume said she must have fallen into the fire while in an apoplectic fit.
The body of a man who was dressed like a foreign sailor has been taken out of the Thames near Tower Wharf. He was found in possession of five pawn-tickets in the name of Meredith, a pipe, and a farthing, but nobody has identified him. An open verdict was returned this morning.
THE CANONBURY MURDER.
The Man Under Arrest Identified - Several Witnesses Can Swear to Him.
The man arrested at King's-cross for burglary has been identified by several witnesses as the man wanted for the murder of Mrs. Wright at Canonbury, and he will be charged at Clerkenwell Police-court this afternoon.
This morning Coroner Thomas held an inquest on Amelia Smith, aged 32 years, wife of an attendant residing at Clifton House, Chaplin-road, Neasden. Some days ago she was taken ill with inflammation. On Monday morning he woke up, and found her lying by his side in a pool of blood, and with a wound in her throat. By her side he found his penknife. She refused to give any explanation. She died on Wednesday morning. It was stated that at times the deceased was much depressed in spirits owing to her husband being an attendant at the Canine Hospital at Neasden. - Dr. Wood stated that the wounds in the throat had nothing whatever to do with the death; they were only of a slight character. A verdict of death from natural causes was returned.
The man who was arrested at Holloway on suspicion of being concerned in the Whitechapel murder, and subsequently removed and detained at Bow Asylum, will shortly be released. His brother has given satisfactory explanation as to his whereabouts on the morning of the murder. It has transpired that the authorities of the asylum would not allow the police to interrogate the patient whilst there, as it is against the rules laid down by the Lunacy Commissioners.
With reference to the statement contained in last week's Lancet to the effect that to the editor's mind the lunacy of the murderer was not yet clearly established, and that homicidal tendency in lunatics was confined to the desire to kill one individual, Dr. Forbes Winslow has replied in their columns:-
Having had extensive experience in cases of homicidal insanity, and having been retained in the chief cases during the past 20 years, I speak as an authority on this part of the subject. I cannot agree with your statement. I will give one case which recalls itself to my recollection. A gentleman entered my consulting-room. He took his seat, and on my asking what it was he complained of, replied, "I have a desire to kill everyone I meet." I then asked him for further illustration of his meaning. He then said, "As I walk along the street I say to myself as I pass anyone, 'I should like to kill you;' I don't know why at all." Upon my further pressing him on the matter, he jumped up and
from his pocket, and to give me a further, more practicable, and more realistic illustration. I was enabled, however, to frustrate him in this desire. Another case in which I was retained as expert was that of Mr. Richardson, who committed murder at Ramsgate (his homicidal tendency was not confined to one individual), and was tried at Maidstone this year, and there are many others that I could mention. Homicidal lunatics are cunning, deceptive, plausible, and, on the surface, to all outward appearance, sane; but there is contained within their innermost nature a dangerous thirsting after blood, which, though at all times latent, will develop when the opportunity arises.
Although (says the Photographic News) we may pretty confidently say that photography of the eyes of the murdered woman would have been useless, there can be no doubt whatever that a series of photographs of the body and of the mutilations ought to have been taken, and in the face of these it would have been far more difficult to conceal essential facts. It is to be hoped that even now the camera will be brought into requisition, especially as there are several experienced anatomists who are also competent photographers. Perhaps a carefully-made series of photographs, and the calling of such scientific experts as have distinguished themselves in the new art of abdominal surgery, might throw light on the extraordinary action of the authorities in neglecting the most obvious means of getting information or of recording facts, and also on the strange action of Dr. Phillips.
At a meeting of the St. Martin-in-the-Fields Vestry last night, the rector, the Rev. John F. Kitto, presiding, the Works Committee submitted a report dealing with the letter received some time since from Mr. D. Irvine calling attention to the dilapidated condition of property belonging to the Marquis of Salisbury, situate on the south side of St. Martin's-court, and to the public nuisance caused thereby. They also reported the receipt of a letter from his lordship's solicitor, which did not deny the existence of the nuisance, but stated that the delay caused in renovating the property was through "circumstances beyond their control," but the matter would be seen to without any further delay. The Committee recommended that a copy of this letter should be transmitted to Mr. Irvine, and the recommendation was agreed to.
Yesterday morning, a little after midnight, P.C. 732 A found H. Hindle, school teacher, Adys-road Board School, Peckham, lying in the roadway of Vauxhall-bridge, insensible. On the unfortunate man being dragged up, his senses were somewhat revived by pain, and he explained that he had been knocked down and run over the lower part of his body by a cab. An ambulance was fetched, and he was conveyed to the Rochester-row Police-station. Here the poor man was compelled to stand up until, as it happened, an inspector noticed how ashen grey his hands appeared. Then the surgeon was sent for and he found serious internal injury. The man was carried to Westminster Hospital, where he is now lying in a most desperate condition. The nurse says he complained to her that he had been roughly treated by the police.
The Churchill branch of the Primrose League had a grand demonstration at All Saint's Institute, Priory-road, Clapham, last night. None outside of a very polite and influential circle were admitted, but friends holding constitutional views were invited, so a Star reporter was there. The hall was bright enough. The strains of pleasant music floated on the air, the platform was decorated with as many bilious-looking flags as would have made the sails for a man o' war, and altogether the scene was lively. Strolling about the room were young ladies in pretty white dresses, and with them chatted young gentlemen with white waistcoats and much younger moustachios. There were stalls, too, attended by
from whom you could purchase anything from coffee or a bunch of flowers to a bust of Lord Salisbury or the Earl of Beaconsfield. Every gentleman purchased something, and had explained to him the glory of the Conservative cause, the wickedness of Mr. Gladstone, and the tyranny of Mr. Parnell. A damper was thrown over the proceedings by the arrival of Mr. Gent-Davis and Mr. Darling. Mr. Darling was the first to arrive. On his appearance, the gentlemen became quite enthusiastic, though the ladies did not. He looked upon the assembly with a gracious magnanimity and senatorial gravity. Mr. Darling served up the usual dish of Tory well-statements about Ireland, blinking fiercely during his speech, an example which the gas-jets closely followed. Then came Mr. Gent-Davis. He did not intend making a long speech, he said. "Hear, hear," shouted someone, interpreting the feelings of the audience. He attempted to make
He spoke of Mr. Labouchere going to Ireland in search of truth. Mr. Davis laughed, and everybody else looked on in amazement. But Mr. Gent-Davis is nothing if not a prophet. Last night he assured his hearers that The Star would not live long, and so the Tories must be up and doing. The Star must be put out of the field - the Echo had no influence, and even the Evening News did not come quite up to Constitutional expectations. So a new paper must be started, said Mr. Davis, and he gave it to be clearly understood that he was the sort of man who could run it as it ought to be.
Dr. Danford Thomas has been asked to become a County Council candidate, but he has pointed out that the Act expressly debars coroners from standing.
