In 1879 it was L354,000 or 18/3 per head
" 1880   "     343,900 "  17/5    "
" 1881   "     361,500 "  18/0    "
" 1882   "     374,000 "  18/4    "
" 1883   "     385,000 "  18/7    "
" 1884   "     385,000 "  18/3    "

The bachelors who live in apartments will surely be tempted to begin housekeeping when they see how low a sum it takes to pay for all the blessings conferred upon us by a Liberal Corporation; but what the Pater of half-a-dozen olive branches may think about the matter, is altogether a different thing, especially when he finds that to the above 18/2 per head must be added 2/7-1/2 per head for the School Board, and 1s. 2d. per head for the Drainage Board, besides poor-rates, Government taxes, gas, water, and all these other little nothings that empty the purse.

Murder and Manslaughter.—­It would be too black a catalogue to give all the horrible cases of this nature which the local journals have chronicled in past years, those here noted being only such as have a certain historical interest.

“Tom and Jack.”—­“See Executions.”

Sergeant William Cartwright, of the Coldstream Guards, was killed in Townsend’s Yard by a deserter, September 13, 1796.

A desperate attempt was made to murder a young woman in Bull Street in the evening of a fair day, June 9, 1797.

Philip Matsell was hanged August 22, 1806, at the bottom of Snow Hill, for attempting to murder a watchman.—­See “Executions.”

A Mr. Pennington, of London, was murdered at Vauxhall, Feb. 6. 1817.

Ashford, Mary, May 27, 1817, murdered at Sutton Coldfield.

F. Adams was murdered by T. Johnson, in London ’Prentice Street, Aug. 5, 1821.

Mr. R. Perry was killed in Mary Ann Street, by Michael Ford, December 6, 1825.  Execution, March 7, 1826.

J. Fitter was tried and acquitted August 11, 1834, on a charge of having murdered Margaret Webb, in Lawley Street, on 7th April preceding.

Mr. W. Painter, a tax collector, was robbed and murdered in the old Parsonage grounds (near what is now the bottom of Worcester Street), February 17, 1835.

William Devey murdered Mr. Davenport in a shop in Snow Hill, April 5, 1838.

Mrs. Steapenhill shot by her husband in Heneage Street, January 7, 1842.

Mrs. Davis killed by her husband in Moor Street, March, 1848.

Mrs. Wilkes murdered her four children in Cheapside, October 23, 1847; also committing suicide.

Francis Price was executed at Warwick, August 20, 1860, for murdering Sarah Pratt, April 18.

Elizabeth Brooks was shot by Farquhar, at Small Heath, August 29, 1861.  He was sentenced to imprisonment for a long term, but was liberated in April, 1866.

Thompson, Tanter Street, killed his wife, September 23, 1861; hung December 30.

Henry Carter, aged 17, who had killed his sweetheart, was hung April 11, 1863.