EVEN the Standard is down upon Warren. "It would have been better," thinks our matronly contemporary, "if Sir Charles, having resolved to enter upon his own defence, had said less than he has done about what he calls 'the mob.'" Public opinion seems so unanimous on that point that even Sir Charles, doubtful as he seems about the advantages of a free press, can hardly help learning that he has made an egregious - well, let us say exhibition - of himself.
BY the bye, the Standard says that "allowances may of course be made for him." Why any "allowance" should be made for a man who has lost no opportunity of going out of his way to make himself obnoxious we do not see in the least. Sir Charles Warren is a grown man, and, so far as we are aware, in his right mind. There is therefore no excuse for him whatever.
In addition to the meetings announced by the Socialists to commemorate "Bloody Sunday," the Clerkenwell Radicals intend calling a demonstration on Sunday, 11 Nov., most likely on Clerkenwell-green.
Two More Murdered and Mutilated.
Another double murder and mutilation is reported from Hungary. On Thursday night a man and his wife, residing at Magyar Szakos, were found murdered in their own house, their bodies being frightfully mutilated.
For several years the unemployed difficulty has cropped up every winter at Norwich. The corporation have already opened an unemployment bureau, and the Mayor has proposed a scheme of relief works.
The two prisoners, Gower and Dobell, who are awaiting their trial for the murder of Lawrence, have made some singular statements to the warders. Dobell says that frequently he stood liquor to some of the policemen in the town, and laughed to himself that the "bobby" had no conception of the scoundrel with whom he was talking. When the reward of £100 was offered for the discovery of the murderer, he states that it so amused him that he occupied his off time in chaffing his acquaintances as to what they would offer if he gave them
to obtain the reward. Referring to the prisoner's visits to the meetings of the Salvation Army, he says the Captain's kindness and earnestness fairly "floored" him. Gower, however, got more impressed than he did, and it was this which caused him to "split" to the Captain. He should not have done this himself, but Gower having once "peached," he pulled himself together, and, like a brick, stuck to his chum. Dobell, in an emphatic manner, says that his first idea of doing something to
was obtained from reading such illustrated trash as "Dick Turpin," "Varney the Vampire; or, the Feast of Blood," and "Sweeny Todd." Dobell adds that as he has caused his name to be known in the land he is now prepared to meet any fate which awaits him. The defence will be impulsive insanity generated by the reading of sensational chronicles of crime.
William Seanan, who went into the shop of Mr. Simpkin, a chemist, in Whitechapel, and attacked him with a hammer about the head, inflicting such injuries that his life for some time was in danger, was sentenced to seven years' at the Old Bailey yesterday. His defence was that Simpkin refused to weigh some alum, and in consequence they had a quarrel. He did not know he had the hammer in his hand when he struck Simpkin, and did not intend to strike him with it.
Even Matthews Interfered.
At Woolton last week a respectable tradesman named Atkins, of Old Swan, near that town, was brought before Sir Thomas Earle and Mr. Bingham, county J.P.'s, for trespass in Court Hey Park on suspicion of poaching. Notwithstanding his protestations of innocence and request that the case might be adjourned for production of evidence in his favor, he was summarily sent to gaol for a fortnight without the option of a fine. Mr. Matthews has ordered Atkins to be released.
It is well-known (writes Mr. Danvers Power, on the subject of flogging) that in Lancashire the judges have for some years past made special efforts to put down robbery with violence by inflicting numerous sentences of flogging. The figures from the judicial statistics show that during the past five years there has been a steady general decrease in crime in Lancashire amounting to over 18 per cent.; but the cases of robbery only show a decrease of under 3 per cent. Indeed, there has been an alarming increase since 1885, the increase being 34 per cent. in 1886 and 32 per cent. in 1887; while in Liverpool, which was supposed to have been the centre of the raid upon robbers, shows an increase of over 13 per cent. on the entire five years.
