CONTINENTAL CRIMES AND SENSATIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 197, 18 August 1906, Page 13

CONTINENTAL CRIMES AND SENSATIONS.

PEISONER'S DRAMATIC ESCAPE IN A MOSCOW STB__l_T. The remarkable escape of the political prisoner M. Vinogradcff took place In a crowded street in Moscow on June 30th. M. Vinogradoff was being conducted by a gendarme to prison in a droschky. Two men drove rapidly past in another carriage and killed the gendarme with revolver shots. M. Vingradoff leapt from his droschky, and the two quickly disappeared, undeterred by the crowd, wliich was hopelessly surprised by the incident. EJi.TKAOKDLNAK._- KAI-nSXOKM LN "X&IZUjS. A severe thunderstorm, accompanied by a terriflc downpour of rain, swept over Berlin at 7 on Friday morning, June 27, the sky becoming black as night and the low-lying portions of the city being speedily flooded. Extraordinary scenes were witnessed. Crowds of people going to work were compelled to fade through water up to their knees, and. train * traffic was considerably interrupted. At Gross i-lchtertelde, a suburb of Berlin, a sunken road was flooded and two horses attached to a cart fell and were drowned. The Ughtning struck the gun of a battery on the Great Parade ground at Doerbritz, near Berlin, and the horses bolted Into a niaxsh. A gunner was kliled, and the captain, and a man were severely Injured. Iteports have reached Berlin from all over the Empire of heavy damage done by thunderstorn__ and rain. TKEA-SL'KE KKOM THE OCEAN BED. A despatch from Genoa announces the sailing of two specially equipped salvage steamers with a number of professional divers from that port for (Jreek waters, where, under the auspices of the Hellenic Government, attempts will be made to recover pieces of ancient Greek sculpture

which are supposed to be lying at the bottom of the sea near the Island of Certgotto. About 100 years B.C. a vessel, laden witn valuable Grecian works of art, bound for Home, was wrecked near the Island, then called Antlcythera. The spot where the vessel went down was discovered some time ago by a tireek diver, who, in his qnest for sponges, accidentally came upon a valuable antique statuette, and this has given rise to the hope that more treasure may be yet recoverable after the lapse of -O centuries. SMUGGLING Br AUTOMOBILE. An automobile from Belgium approached the Custom-house at Guinonpout, a small hamlet on the tTench frontier near to Roubaix, on Wednesday night, July 4. Instead ot stopping c-n the summons of the officer, the chauffeur increased his speed and dashed past, the barrier. The officer and a colieugue went In pursuit on bicycles. One of these tired at the rubber tyres of the car, which lie managed to pierce. The result was that the car had to stop for repairs. As the officers drew near the two occupants took to their Heels, one of them dashing through aa adjoining house, and getting over the roofs into another street. The car. valued at £*i4O. of -4 h-p-. and its conteats were seized by the Customs authcritlcs. In the car were 22 packages, which were found to contain l_"0O!b of tobacco, worth £272, and IU6 boxes and 21 parcels of cigars worth £40. In ail the Cnfitotas made a haul of aDout £5(30. THE DiVOKCir'G OF MEBEULL Madame MereLll has at last got clear of her husband, M. Sohet, and can continue to. go on doing exactly aa she likes. The divorce between the couple has been pronounced, and in favour of the- husbaml- 'l'he affair was long pending, but the decision was given promptly ou Monday, July 2. Counsel for M. Sohet said thax it was unnecessary to recall the life and adventures of Madame Merelii, who went with Gallay, the aDacoiHiliig Dank clerk, to South America. The president of the Divorce Court concurred in this and granted the decree. Madame Merelii is still attracting attention as a music-hall number. A FAKISIAN LOVER'S DIFFERENCE. A typical Parisian tragedy happened In the Rue de Klvoll ou Sunday evening, the Ist uit. Faul Gerson, who has been performing his service in the Colonial infantry, has been rewarded with the sergeant's stripes. Fired with ambition to become an officer, he derided to adopt the army as a profession, and serve abroad. On Snnday night he Informed his Berthe of his projects. The pretty modiste, wn& is only 13, turned pale, and said, "So you do not love mc any more?" "Oh, yes, I do," replied the young sergeant: "but I must make some sacrifices in order to mase my way In the world." "You are a wretch," retorted. Berthe, passionately. And seizing her long hatpin she flew at her lover, and drove her weapon into his right eye, blinding him. WOMAN'S DARING ATTEMPT TO ASSIST CONVICT. A daring attempt to release a convict waa made recently at the Paris Liw Courts. A man named Negro, sentenced to five years' imprisonment for burglary, was crossing a corridor on the way to the police depot, accompanied by a warder, when a woman suddenly ran forward and clasped Negro in her arms. The woman kissed the mah and sobbed over him, and at the same time secretly handed him a large open clasp knife. The warder in charge of the prisoner interfered, when suddenly the convict dealt him a terrific blow with the open clasp knife, causing a deep wound in the face. 3efore the convict had succeeded in getting a dozen yards he was recaught. The woman ran away, but was captured on the steps outside the law courts. • WEDDING DAY MURDEE. A terrible tragedy marred the recent wedding of a young and beautiful widow near Messina, Sicily. The bridal party had just returned from church, and the bride had left the room for a moment, to see ber children by a former marriage, when a toud shriek was heard. The bridegroom ran upstairs followed by the guests, and found his wife unconscious on the floor. The two children, a boy and • girl, appeared to be playing, but closer examination showed that they were both dead, thai .throats having been cut, and the bodies placed in a natural position. A former sweetheart of the bridegroom was arrested, and confessed that jealous hatred of the woman who had robbed her of her lover had driven her to ail the children. It is feared that the mother -***H1 lose her reas*—-.