ng possession of same, a "Next-of-Kin Agency" was opened in
Burlington Passage at the beginning of 1882. The _modus operandi_ was of
the simplest: the firm advertised that Brown, Jones, and Robinson were
wanted; Brown, Jones, and Robinson turned up, and a good many of them;
they paid the enquiry fees, and called again. They were assured (every
man Jack of them) they were right owners, and all they had to do was to
instruct the firm to recover. More fees, and heavy ones; the Court must
be petitioned--more fees; counsel engaged--more fees; case entered for
hearing--more fees, and so on, as long as the poor patients would stand
bleeding. Several instances were known of people selling their goods to
meet the harpies' demands; clergymen and widows, colliers and
washer-women, all alike were in the net. It became too hot at last, and
Rogers, Beeton and Co., were provided with berths in the gaol. At
Manchester Assizes July 18, 1882, J.S. Rogers got two years' hard
labour, A. Mackenzie and J.H. Shakespear (a solicitor) each 21 months;
and E.A. Beeton, after being in gaol six months, was ordered to stop a
further twelve, the latter's conviction being from this town.

_Novel Thefts_.--A youth of nineteen helped himself to L128 from a safe
at General Hospital, and spent L13 of it before the magistrates (Jan.
15, 1875) could give him six months' lodgings at the gaol.--Three
policemen were sent to penal servitude for five years for thieving July
8, 1876.--Sept. 19, 1882, some labourers engaged in laying sewage pipes
near Newton Street, Corporation Street, came across some telegraph
cables, and under the impression that they were "dead" wires, hitched a
horse thereto and succeeded in dragging out about a dozen yards of no
less than 33 different cables connecting this town with Ireland, the
Continent, and America. Their prize was sold for 4s. 6d., but the
inconvenience caused was very serious. Henry Jones, who was tried for
the trick, pleaded ignorance, and was let off.--At Quarter Sessions,
Ernest Lotze, got six months for stealing, Dec. 12, 1892, from his
employer 87lb. weight of human hair, valued at L300.

_Personal Outrages_.--Maria Ward was sentenced to penal servitude
December 18, 1873, for mutilating her husband in a shocking manner.--At
Warwick Assizes, December 19, 1874, one man was sentenced to 15 years,
and four others to 7 years' penal servitude for outraging a woman in
Shadwell Street.--George Moriarty, plasterer, pushed