—At the Central Criminal Court, in the trial of Lord Alfred Douglas for libelling Mr. Robert Ross, the jury disagreed; a nolle prosequi was entered December 10.
29. December 4. The King visited the front in France. (See Eng. Hist., Chap. V.)
30. At the bye-election for Londonderry City, due to the death of Mr. D. C. Hogg (L.), Sir James Dougherty (L.) was returned unopposed. His opponent, Mr. J. P. Goode, a "Federal Imperialist," was disqualified on the informality of his nomination papers.
DECEMBER.
2. At the Cleckheaton Chemical Works, Heckmondwike, seven lives were lost by a lyddite explosion.
3. Riot among interned Belgian soldiers near Zeist, Holland; the guard fired, killing seven and wounding twenty-two.
3-8. Great Austrian defeat in Serbia.
4. Mr. James Cosgrove (N.) returned unopposed as M.P. for Galway (E.), vice Mr. John Roche, deceased.
5. War precautions in the English Channel.
—At Riardo, between Rome and Naples, a passenger train for Naples was partly telescoped by a following goods train; eleven persons were killed or mortally injured, about fifty less seriously injured.