A Burglar Caught by a Skeleton & Other Singular Tales from the Victorian Press (52 page)

A Duel on Bicycles.

Ludicrous Spectacle

A Paris correspondent says a duel on bicycles was fought in the Boulevard Ney late on Saturday night.

A large party of young fellows had been out cycling all day, and were returning home all very hilarious when two of them quarrelled, and decided to settle the dispute by duel with swords on their bicycles.

The two combatants were placed 50 yards apart, and then ordered to charge. They rode at one another at a furious pace, but overshot the mark and failed to meet. Wheeling quickly round they returned to the charge, and this time came together with a terrific shock.

Both were thrown, whilst the seconds who were following behind, also on bicycles, fell in their turn, and were both injured. Neither of the combatants touched the other with his sword, but in falling one ran his weapon into himself and his opponent injured his leg.

The Evening Telegraph and Star
, Sheffield, August 17, 1896

An Incredible Story.

A Mad Mayor Bites Several Councillors

A telegram from Paris states: The newspapers on Saturday morning published an extraordinary telegram, which is received with some hesitation, although it gives the name and place.

The story is that, during the sitting of a provincial town council, the Mayor was suddenly seized with hydrophobia, and bit several of the councillors, who are now on their way to M. Pasteur for treatment.

There is, the telegram adds, no means of saving the Mayor’s life.

The Huddersfield Daily Chronicle
, March 18, 1889

Extraordinary Escape of a Slave

Henry Box Brown, a fugitive slave from Richmond, Virginia, arrived a few days since at Liverpool, by the Constantine packet-ship, from America.

On the 29th of March, 1849, he escaped from bondage in rather a remarkable manner. He was packed in a box three feet long, two and a half feet deep, and two feet wide. Confined in this small space, he was forwarded by railroad and steam-boat from Richmond to Philadelphia, a distance of 350 miles.

The package was directed to one of the leading anti-slavery men in Philadelphia, and was twenty seven hours on the road. The sufferings of the poor fellow may be imagined when it is known that the only accesses for fresh air were through small gimlet holes in the sides of the box; and, although written directions were placed to ‘keep this side up,’ for more than two hours the box was turned upside down, the runaway slave being for that time with his feet up and his head down.

Brown is a fine intelligent-looking man, about thirty-five years of age. Since his escape from slavery he had earned a subsistence by exhibiting, in the free-states of America, a panorama of some of the appalling scenes resulting from the existence of slavery. He also delivered lectures against slavery, and thus rendered himself very obnoxious to the slaveowners of the States.

Under these circumstances it was not to be wondered that armed with the powers of the Fugitive Slave Bill, an attempt should be made to arrest him. Two such attempts were made, and it was with the greatest difficulty Brown made his escape to this country.

The Nottinghamshire Guardian
, November 14, 1850

Yorks v. Westmorland.

Fight on the Border

The Press Association’s Kirkby Stephen correspondent reports an extraordinary scene on the Westmorland and Yorkshire border. A large party, representing the Lords of the various manors, met near Sedbergh to ride the boundaries with a county flag. Certain points were in dispute, and the intention of the Westmorland men becoming known, a party of Yorkshiremen proceeded from Sedbergh and disputed their passage. A free fight occurred at Cautley Spout and blood flowed freely, but the Westmorland men ultimately proved victorious and the boundaries were properly asserted.

The Shields Daily Gazette and Shipping Telegraph
,
June 25, 1887

Extraordinary Scene at the Aberdeen University

An extraordinary and disgraceful scene was witnessed in Aberdeen, on Wednesday, in connection with the inaugural address of the Lord Rector of the University, Dr Alex. Bain.

The students, who had been refused the use of the Music Hall in consequence of unseemly proceedings on former occasions, pledged themselves to be orderly in their conduct, and thus obtained the use of the building.

They broke their pledge, however, and the meeting was the most riotous that has taken place in Aberdeen for a quarter of a century. The students marched in a body from the university, headed by itinerant musicians, pelting the people in the streets with peas and shoes, and singing ribald songs.

They boarded the tramway cars, pelting the conductors and passengers. On reaching the hall they found the door barricaded, and guarded by a number of stalwart shore porters engaged for the purpose.

After a disgraceful
melee
, the porters were overpowered, the doors were smashed, and the processionists rushed into the hall, causing the greatest alarm among the ladies and gentlemen who had gathered in the galleries.

The scene that ensued was one of the wildest confusion. Everything the rioters could lay their hands upon was thrown about. Peas fell like hail, and squibs were directed at the parties on the platform, several persons being burned with them.

The furniture was broken and thrown about, the noise and disorder became if possible more intense when the Lord Rector appeared, and after one ineffectual attempt to be heard he had to hold the address as read, and retired along with the members of the Senatus and others who accompanied him.

The students then rushed to the various outlets, firing crackers and peas the while, and in the confusion several of the doors were smashed. Some members of the audience sustained slight injuries. After leaving the hall the students reformed in procession, and marched through the streets singing, shouting, and pelting persons with peas and flour. The police did not interfere.

The Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser
, November 18, 1882

Stop Press

At Maidenhead on Tuesday, the Mayoress of Henley, Mrs Wanker Simmons, was fined 5s and costs for riding a bicycle on the public footpath.

Reynolds’s Newspaper
, January 19, 1896

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?

Like the claw machine at the fair, newspapers have an unappealing habit of dropping the things they’ve just picked up. For things, read people.

Many of the men, women and children in these articles slipped straight back into obscurity, casual discards of an industry that hadn’t yet got the hang of the art of the follow-up story. But a few reappeared in print, if only because the mechanics of the justice system shoved them back in the public eye.

Susan Cox, whose baby died in her arms as she wandered the streets of London in a fruitless search for her new home (p. 
144
), was reunited with her husband two days later. He had been in Croydon, searching for work, unaware of the unfolding tragedy. Mrs Cox, an inquest heard, had unwittingly walked past her house several times.