THIEF CAUGHT BY TURTLES.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 697, 13 October 1909, Page 6

THIEF CAUGHT BY TURTLES.

The Snappers Grabbed the Man'* Hand and Held Him a Oioae fr Priiioner, The pickpocket who tried to "pinch" a likely looking man's pocket book and found his fingers in the grasp of two snapping turtles was a Japanese. A native traveler in Japan had bought the turtles, and. being afraid that he would be charged heavily for their transportation as live animals on the train, he placed them in a small portable trunk which he carried. When he got on the train he held the trunks'* carefully under his arm that a thief who was in the crowd was sure the man had something valuable in th>Iwrx. So he got into the same car and took an adjoining seat. Taking the first opportunity, he cut a small hole in tke trunk with a sharp knif« and slipped in his hand. About this time the turtles concluded that there was "something doing" and they took hold of his fingerin a hearty way. (iritfing his teeth, the thief tried to withdraw his hand, but he couldn't. Then he howled ar.T the owner of the trunk seized him and turned him over to the train peopl?. who at the next station gave hint to a policeman. The incident, however. wasn't closed until the traveler was punished for violation of the railwav regulation*.

Cannon a« a Teacher of Science. M. Maurice Levy, the president of the French Academy of Sciences, remarked in a recent address that the canncm ia one of the most instructive laboratories that science possess:-*. Tt was the modern cannon, he said. which suggested the application of explosive gases to the driving of engines. The experience of the immense pressures obtained in cannon also led to the use of pressures in steam machine*, which a few years ago would have been regarded as impracticable. Thus experiments intended primarily ft r the purposes of war had resulted ji: the advance of the triumphs'of peace. " Ptognii in Aerial XariKatlon. M. Santon Dumont. who more nearly than any other aeronaut has approached a solution of the problem set by the founder of the Deiitsch prize of £4.000 for the most successf;;,' navigable airship. has been awarded ii ir>« by the Aero club in recognition of his efforts during IW'.fl to fulfill the conditions of the competition, writes- • I'.tris correspondent. The coiti -: .luring the corning summer promts* ~ to oe especially interestina*.