THE TSAR'S HEIR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 194, 15 August 1904, Page 4

THE TSAR'S HEIR.

The Tsar is reported to have felt keenly the long series of disasters that have overtaken the Russian army and navy in the Far East. But a.t the moment when his fortunes seem to have reached the lowest ebb, the prospects <rf the royal house of Russia are brightened by the event which the whole nation has long most ardently desired. For the immense majority of Russians, the Tsar is still the "Little Father," and in their unreasoning inarticulate fashion they conceive that the hopes of their country are entirely bound up in the prestige of the royal house. The lack of an heir male has alwaye been regarded in the Romanoff family and by all true Russians ns a misfortune that might almost be termed a disgrace; and the s&ntiment that naturally attaches to such a subject i≤ in the case of the Tsar strongly intensified by the special circumstances of his position. The intrigues of the Grand Duke Vladimir and other malcontents who despise alike the -weakness and the virtues ol the Tsar axe reckoned by loyal Russian* a serious source of danger to th" throne, and there have been chat the Tsar's rival might not shrink even from a revolution to achieve his ambitious aims. While the Tsar's children weTe all girls, the reigning Prince could not hope to appeal with entire success to the loyalty of his sub jects. But now that a son is born tc him, he can be sure of commanding the enthusiastic support of countless thousands who before this happy event •egarded him almost as though he were nark-ed out for degradation by the do■iared will of Heaven. The deeply re i.gious but superstitious Russians " "

-ure to be immensely impressed by tb ,, idvent of an heir to the throne; ■-me- , ■specially as it has come at the momai when the outlook toward the East I r nore threatening r t<l gloomy than ever A3 to the Tsar and the Tsarina, it i impossible to avoid feeling a aort r personal gratification at aoi event which niist mean so nrich for them. Th:Tsar, a weak bni v.ell iintentioned man. iaj always V ■ .>n- af the mov T.ithetic figures ji.o3g European royal lies. The the hapless Princes Mix of Hesse Tai.ostadt, has ofte T ieen described as "the most misera.bK•oman in Europe." An alien in a Grange land, she has had to face do! -nlv the jealousy and hatred of thr .i-.-al court factions, but the contemp' iad dislike of her subjects who 'five visfted upon her their disa.ppoint nent as each successive daughter wa> licrn. The new "heir of all the Rus u'3" ■will at least give hope and happi ic.-'s to what has hitherto been a ve--'rngic life. But he will do far njor: 'hon thJ3 by restoring stability to t], Mi rone of the Tsar, and oonfidencs In •he destiny of their country to bViyal and patriotic people.

The following is Captain Edwin's weaher forecast for 24 hours from 9 a.m. his day:—"Moderate to strong westerly ■ inda, glass rise, tides moderate." To-day being the Feast of the Assump Mon. special services were held in al! ."stholic churches. At St. Benedict's the congregation have eommencad fhp '-tligious practice of the forty hours' ;■ syer. \t the ssme church " to-night ;r ; s Lordship Bishop Lenihan will preach. The Management Committee of the Auckland Rugby Union has decided to further increase the seating accommodation at Alexandra Park for next Saturliy's match against the British team by placing a single row of seats round the in--ide of the boundary fences. This, it is istimated, will provide for 1000 people, <nd a charge of 1/ per head will be made. Seating accommodation has thus been provided for 6000 people. A cordon of marines will be placed round the field of •:lay to assist the police. The Governor has given his consent to allow the AuckKnd representatives to practice on the Metropolitan grounds during this week.

A bricklayer named F. S. M. Scon has filed a petition in bankruptcy. A statement which he has presented to the Official Assignee shows that against no assets there are liabilities amounting to £87 3/7. At about 1 pan. on Saturday the Fire Brigade received an alarm from a residence in Grey-street (owned by Mrs Nerheny, of Grey-street, and occupied by Mrs Capney). The fire had been caused by the curtains which had caught fire, but by the prompt action of the brigade the damage was limited to a lew shillings. A team of five horses driven by Mr Archie Marks, was proceeding to Wairakei, and when about four miles from Waiotapu the leaders shied, with the result that two of the horses fell into a creek close by and were drowned. Mr Marks was thrown under the waggon to which the team was attached, and had a very narrow escape. Our correspondent at Birkenhead writes regarding the strawberry crop that very little growth has taken place luring the past two months. The indications are thaJ; the season will be rather late. At the Devonport Borough Council neeting on Tuesday nest Cr. Logan will move: "That the resolution passed on 19th July (1) 'That in view of the action of the Municipal Conference the Council take no further steps to acquire the gas works,' be rescinded; (2) "That the Council's solicitor be instructed to forthv/ith prepare local bill empowering this borough to acquire the g*as works .it Devonport." In her extreme old age—she is over 90 —Mrs Mary Ann Alexander is a familiar figure at the Police Court. She was charged before Mr Kettle, S.M., this morning with drunkenness, kut declared that she had not tasted drink for 20 years. Being deal, she got close to the magistrate, to whom she curtsied, though a suspicious policeman feared the eccentric old lady was going to become aggressive. She confided her troubles to the sympathetic magistrate, the principal grievance being that the matron of the Door of Hope Home would not let her smoke, so she left. "You should go back," suggested Mr Kettle. "They will take care of you." "I'll not be taken care of by anybody except my own self," replied the independent old lady. The police representative stated that Mrs Alexander appeared to be slightly impaired mentally, and medical treatment would be advisable. His Worship therefore remanded her in. custody until Wednesday. The Railway Department announce special excursion rates to Auckland next Friday and Saturday for the Britain v. Auckland football match. A meeting of the Women's New Zealand Natives' Association will be held to-morrow evening to deal with important business.

The remains of the late Mrs Hugh Henry were interred in the Symondsstreet cemetery on Sunday last, the service at the grave being conducted.by Rev. C. H. Garland and Rev. W. Gittos, old friends of the deceased. Arriving iii Auckland from the North of Ireland in the year 1848, deceased had seen the growth of .this town from its infancy. Her long colonial life of 56 years was marked by many acts cf kindnes3. and her death at the advanced age of 81 years is regTetted by a wide circle of relatives and friend"

On Saturday evening, at the Theosophical Rooms, His Majesty's Arcade, Mrs Draftin lectured on "The Inner Life of the Japanese," basing her remarks on LafcacGo Hearn's interesting book, "Kokoro." Mrs Draffin contrasted the colossal power ot the West with the brightness and sympathy of the people of the Land of the Rising Sun, people whose fortitude and endurance in the present war with the Slav are largely due to the two great religions of Japan —to Shinto, which teaches the individual to think of his Emperor and his couptry before thinking either of his own family or of himself; and to Buddhism, which trains him to master regret, to endure pain, and to accept as eternal law the vanishing of things loved and the tyranny of things hated.

Mr. T. Gresham (Coroner) conducted an inquest ot Saturday at the Criterion Hotel on the body of ingeborg Madsen, a Danish woman aged 38 years, who yesterday fatally shot herself with a revolver. The deceased was the wife of Hans Deans Madsen, a gardener, and had lately been very depressed, and wanted to return to Denmark. Dr. Jas. Hardie Neil stated that he was called to the house of Mrs. Tubberty, in Grafton Rd., early yesterday ir.orning, where he found the decease: lying in a bedroom with a revolver in her left hand, and a bulelt -wound in iipr head. He attributed death to the rfl'ect of the bullet on the brain tissues and to excessive bleeding. There was nothing to point to the fact that the wound had been other than self-inflicted, and the body exhibited no signs of previous violence or ill-treatment. Miss Mar garet Tubberty deposed that she had .nown the deceased for a period of five weeks, and that she appeared to fret

-cry much about being in a foreign coun try; but she did not otherwise seem to be mentally affected. About 7.30 a.m. m Friday morning she was in the rear mrt of the and while there sho u-nrd a loud thnd like the bang of a vindow. A few minutes later she saw Mr Madsen go round the side of the house and enter the front door. Shortly after he gave a cry and ran out of the Vdroom. On she and her mother going to see what was wrong they saw Mrs Madsen lying in the same position as vas described by Dr. Neil. Mrs Mary Tubberty confirmed her daughter's cviand further stated that on the Thursday the deceased remarked to her 'hat life was not worth living in thir -rmntry. Hans Dines Madsen, the huMnd of the deceased, said that he haci 10 reason to think that his wife wa~

ere depressed than usual, and she hn rl leveT made any threats about siiioid" 'o him. The jnrv after a short considf ntion of the evidence returned thn v»r 'ict, fnrrn self-in^icS-*- 1 ■'■1-iiis-fc tpmjiorfirilv mpntallv dpran^P'V' A special meeting of the Birkenhend md Northcote Fruit-growers' Association is called for next Thursday evening to consider, among; other matters, a petition from the Hawke's Bay fruitgrowers re infected fruit. A half-caste Chinese boy named Frank Sing, the son of a Chinaman - living in Wakefield-street, has been missing for a .veek. When he left home he was ■without boots and stockings, and was dressed in a suit of dark tweed. Rev. Charles Hargrove, M-A., lectures to-night in the Foresters' Hall, Newton, on "Cathedrals and Abbey Churches of the Old Home," with, lantern illustrations. Messrs Watson and Murray's brewery, in the Great North-road, with the plant and allotment included, was offered for sale at Messrs Samuel Cochrane and Son's auction rooms this morning. The bidding was slow, and the brewery was withdrawn at £ 1950. Messrs Kahn Bros., pleture-framers, of Victoria-street, had their shop window broken on Saturday afternoon by a boy who wa3 leaning against it, and who, it is alleged, was pushed by two girls. The girls and the lad have agreed to make the damage good betweeo them.

An expert will be in attendance at our show-room on Thursday, Friday, •and Saturday next to fit and demonstrate the celebrated "La Vida" and "W. 8." corsets. A corset in stock to suit every figure, and fitted free of charge. —Smith and Caughey, Ltd.—Ad. We have much pleasure in announcing that an expert corsetiere will be in attendance at our showroom on Tuesday and Wednesday next to fit and demonstrate the celebrated W.B. and La Vida corsets, and who will instruct, free of charge, in the correct number most suitable to your figure. McCullagh and Gower. See window. —Ad. Business suits, up-to-date styles, 69/6. —Smith and Caughey, Ltd.—Ad. High-class tailoring, at prices abreast of the times.—Smith and Caughey, Ltd. (See Monday's ad.) r—Ad. Clerical garments a specialty. Extensive variety of materials for selection. Smith and Caughey, Ltd.—Ad.