CONTINENTAL CRIMES AND SENSATIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 199, 20 August 1904, Page 13

CONTINENTAL CRIMES AND SENSATIONS.

, NOVEL CORRESPONDENCE DISCOVERED. 1 Owing to the stamp on a post card com ing off in his pocket, a Viennese merchant discovered that his friend was carrying on a clandestine correspondence with bis wife. Messages were written ln a minute hand under the postage stamps on Illustrated post cards. He has obtained a divorce. THE TEKROKS OF LESE MAJESTE. A singuler case of lese majeste ls reported from the province of Hanover, where an old woman of 70 years, named Dorothea Watorstraat, had a reputation as a Clairvoyante. She was also a prophetess, and was in the habit of foretelling that the time wonld come when tbe Kingdom of Hanover wonld be re-established. Sensible people regarded ber as an hysterical old woman, bnt perfectly harmless. During one of her recent seances she uttered some words about the Imperial Family which were immediately reported to the police. The old lady has now been sentenced to one year's imprisonment. SPANISH JACK SHEPPARD. Sentenced to six months' imprisonment for breaking gaol at Oloron, near Pan (Basses Pyrenees), a man named Etchecopar has Just made a second daring eseope from the same prison. Wrenching out the bars of a narrow skylight, he squeezed himself through ana made his way to the chief warder's bedroom, where he stole a gold watch, a revolver, and the prison key. In the office below he stole three more watches, a sum of money, and some Jewellery belonging to the other prisoners, and having packed them in his own bag, pays the "Journal," he left the door open and made off, probably across the Spanish frontier. LIFE WRECKED BY PALMISTRY. When "Cheiro," the notorious palmist, last carried on business in Paris, his card bore addresses In Fifth-avenue, Ne»v York, and Hyde Park-court, London, as well as 5, Rue Clement Marot, Paris, where he "received" daily from two to fonr in the afternoon. In private life "Chelro" poses as a count. In recent years his clients have been almost solely women, and it ls a rare exception for him to arrant an interview to one of the sterner sex. His usual fee is £2, and frequently he charges double that amount.

An American woman, well known ln Son Francisco society, consulted "Chelro" ln Paris In the spring of 11)00, and, imon; other matters, was informed that the two months most prejudicial to ber welfare were those of July and August. Strangely enough, her lover and sister died on tbe following July 4 end August 13 respective ly. Since then she has been a changed woman. Upon one who had previously been exceptionally strong-minded, the apparent fulfilment of the palmist's "prophecy" pro dnced a pitiable elect. Acute hysteria and neurasthenia were the Immediate re suit, followed, later, by the most grotesque eccentricities. Imagining that almost every ordinan occurrence I—d some bearing on the occult, she would immediately seek out "Cheiro," on one occasion even crosaln. to New York for that purpose. Of ample means, she has in turn sough', the advice of the most eminent medical practitioners of London and Paris. Bu: ahe Invariably ceases to persevere with their prescriptions in the middle of th< treatment, with the result that she is now mentally itnd physically - a wreck. , A LADY CONVICT'S ROMANCE. By the resignation of M. Joliat, head of the Berne police, a remarkable scandal which has occupied the attention of the press for some time past Is terminated. Arrested at Berne at the Instance of the authorities at Baden, a young girl,, Mile. Marie M , captured M. Jollat's heart. and for releasing his fascinating prisoner he was severely censored. She was rearrested, and after serving her sentence in a German prison, Mile. M returned to Berne, and renewed her acquaintance with the chief of police. Bnt after their relations had coutlnued for over three months, the newspapers discovered that M. Joliat was trying to hush up a fresh charge against his sweetheart of obtaining jewellery by false pretences. Their vigorous protests have at last had the result of making him vacate his post. ELEVEN YEARS IN A CUPBOARD. In consequence of the receipt of jm anonymous letter, the poUce have arrested a schoolmaster named Bodek and his wife at Pardublts, ln Bohemia, on the charge of keeping the half-witted son of Frau Bodek by her first husband shut up ln a cupboard for eleven years.

On his release from his loathsome prison, which had never been cleaned since he had occupied It, the lad was found to be ln an emaciated condition, and his body a mass of sores. His eyes were unable to bear the light of day.

The schoolmaster declares he waa powerless to interfere, so violent was the hatred the woman bore her son.

LIVELY SCENE AT A LYONS HOTEL.

A couple engaged a room in an hotel near the Lyons Railway Station, France, at eight o'clock the other morning. They had hardly taken possession before a lady arrived armed with a club, crying to th'landlord, "My perjured husband is up there with an abandoned female. Let mc seek them out aud be revenged." A moment later a man ln a fury came to the hotel, also carrying a thick stick, and shouting. "My graceless wife is up there with her profligate lover. Let mc up that I may chastise them." The police had to be called to prevent the two aggrieved partlefrom forcing their way into the hotel. Un able to enter, they mounted guard in front of the house all day, shouldering theishlllelaghs. At Intervals the seared face., of the guilty couple appeared at the win dow, vanishing instantly when the clubwere waved menacingly at them from be low. All the neighbourhood struck worls to watch the siege, and the street at one moment was blocked by the crowd. At ten in the evening the couple on the pavement were still watching, when they were told that their respective husband and wife had made off by a back door, whereupon they departed, also arm-in-arm. TREASON FN ITALY. Gerard Ercolessi, an infantry captain in the Italian army, and his wife were arrested at Messina last month on a charge of high treason. It recently came to the knowledge of the Ministry of War that most important plans for the defence of Sicily had been sold to France, and as a result a strict surveillance was exercised. The action against Ercolessi was precipitated through Information being received that a French military agent waa to meet him shortly for the purpose of taking over further papers.

The arrest was cleverly effected at the moment when both the accused were attempting to commit suicide, Breoiessl with a revolver and his wife with a stiletto. The

weapocj, however, wu knocked from their grasp by the carabineers. Among the documents seized at their residlnce were mobilisation maps for the Sicilian and Calabrian troops, and also th* original plans tor the defence of those provinces, secret instructions ln cos* of the outbreak of war, M 0 photographs of mobilisation papers with the war cypher, and 50 others reproducing railway time-tables for all Italy for adoption In case of war. Numerous Incriminating letters and French bank notes wen Also discovered, besides an excellent apparatus for photographic reproduction.

Tbe husband and wife were led off to prison In the presence of their two little children. Ercolessl was completely tonguetied, but his wife maintained a defiant and cynical attitude. Italian law provides that military traitors shall be publicly degraded and afterwards shot.