250 Years Ago:

THE Grand Destroyer of Rats, which has killed millions of the vermin in London and most parts of England, as thousands who have experienced this remedy can testify, is now available here as a never-failing measure to destroy those devouring vermin which are so very pernicious to all farmers, masters of vessels and others in town and country.

This stuff is ready prepared with printed directions on how to lay it, done up in paper which is sufficient to kill more than a 100 of them, and is available at the Golden Lyon in High Street, Worcester at one shilling per paper.

You need not fear for your cats or dogs - they will not touch it. You will find it to be the best shilling you ever laid out in this way.

* To be let. A very good house situated in Newport Street in this city, next door to Mr Powell's, barber, and fit for a glover, chandler or baker, being a large roomy house with lofty garrets. For further particulars enquire of John Soule, ironmonger, in the same street.

200 Years Ago:Much alarm having been excited by an appearance of madness in some dogs in the neighbourhood of this city of Worcester, and a person having been bitten by a mad dog, all persons having dogs are desired to keep them tied up or otherwise secured, as proper persons are employed to destroy any which are found in the streets - by order of the Mayor.

* A man in St John's was this morning bitten by a mad dog and a surgeon being immediately called in, thought it necessary to cut the bitten part out to prevent the fatal consequences which might otherwise happen.

We are sorry to observe that notwithstanding the Mayor's notice to people to keep their dogs tied up, several are still to be seen in the streets. It is hoped the evil will not spread further.

150 Years Ago:Madame Bosco, said to be the only female magician on the English theatrical circuit, has been giving a series of entertainment at the Natural History Society's room in Foregate Street, Worcester during the week.

The audiences, however, have not been so good as the performances have merited, for the lady undoubtedly possesses much talent.

Many of her tricks are quite new and are executed with admirable deception.

She is prolonging her stay in Worcester for the ensuing week.

* William and Luke Pember of Dolday, Worcester, were charged at the County Petty Sessions with having stolen a quantity of potatoes from a patch of land belonging to JP Smith of Wick near this city.

The prisoners were met by two of the city police in the meadows by Severn side, by whom they were taken into custody.

Their shoes corresponded with footsteps found on Mr Smith's land and the evidence being complete against them, they were each ordered to be imprisoned for three weeks' hard labour.

100 Years Ago:A terrible disaster occurred on Saturday afternoon at the public hall in Barnsley where, as a result of a stampede, 16 children were suffocated or crushed to death and a large number seriously injured. A matinee of a exhibition of cinematograph pictures had drawn an extremely large crowd, mostly of children and mainly for the one penny seats in the gallery.

There were soon at least 1,000 children in the gallery, which has seats for only 400, so an attempt was made to move some of them downstairs to the pit.

However, in the attempted transfer, the descending children, eager for better places which they were told were being provided in the pit, met with an upcoming stream of those still making for the gallery, and a jam ensued and, in the dire panic, the tragic disaster occurred.

The dead were laid out on a pile of straw in the yard at the foot of the gallery staircase and afterwards conveyed to the hospital mortuary.