STRANGE STORIES FROM AMERICAN PAPERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 244, 12 October 1907, Page 13

STRANGE STORIES FROM AMERICAN PAPERS.

LATEST DIVORCE STORY. A nonagenarian named Cooper, ol Brownsville, Texas, has divorced his wife, Sarah, who is eighty-three years old, because she "flirted" with an old —in named' Wells, who is ninety-two years old. Cooper ■ and his wife had been married for sixty y_xs. GIRL CYCLES IN HER SLEEP. Clad iv a thin night dress, a young girl has been startling the citizens of Fort Dodge, Oh_, by flitting about the streets like a ghost at midnight on a bicycle, while in a somnamtjuiistic trance. At last her machine struck a brick, and a policeman found her sitting in the road, rather bruised trying to grasp the situation. A FATAL EXPERIMENT. From New York the death is announced of Dr. Seneca Powell, professor of chemistry. His death was due to an experiment which he made in the presence of his medical school class. He swallowed some carbolic acid and then took some alcohol to prove its virtue as an antidote. He had made the same experiment before without harmful results. LADY FINED FOR STEALING KISS. For kissing a man against his will Mrs Kierney, a handsome lady of thirty, was fined 3dol. at Pittsburg. She was in a street car when her eyes lighted upon a handsome young man who sat opposite her. Before he could realise what had happened Mrs Kierney had flung his arms about his neck and kissed him soundly, to the wild enjoyment of the entire car. The man did not take kindly to tne woman's strange tribute to his good looks. He jumped off the car and gave her in charge. "I couldn't help it." said Mrs Kierney in court. "He looked just too cute for anything." The impulsive lady paid her fine, and blushiagiy promised, that such a lapse woud not occur agaiu. DRFN—ARDS TARRED AND FEATHERED. A message received at New York from Bayard. lowa, gives a detailed account of extraordinary scenes witnessed there on J Saturday night. August 24, in connection with the inauguration of a campaign Against druukenness. j Stirred by fiery addresses on temperance | the women of the place met together with j their faces heavily veiled and set out on a ! round of the saloons. On thei round thoy | found seven drunken men, whom they seized and tarred and feathered. Five of ■ the victims were Inconspicuous citizens addicted to habitual inebriety, but two were rich and prominent men of the district, to whom such an ordeal was degrading in the extreme.' The women have sworn to repeat the treatment ou any future offender against sobriety, and they uave constituted themselves the guardians of the community so far as the indulgence in liquor is conI cerned. WEDDING TRAGEDY. Two men. father and son. lost their lives on Monday. August 28. in the defence of the honour of the bride of the younger. The tragedy took place in the East-side of New York, and followed on the marriage of John Polletroric with Alice Bandino, the handsomest girl In the Italian quarters. After the ceremony Henry Green was boasting of the close friendship which he I had enjoyed with the young bride, and as- I serted that she was willing at any time to elope with him. I'eHetroric, sen., angrily demanded that he should repeat his statements in the bride's presence. Green objected, hut father and son dragged the braggart to her apartment, and flung him at her feet. '-This man says you are not a good woman." he observed. "Tell h.m that he is a liar." With flashing eyes and head held high, the bride said. -I am a good woman. I love my husband." Green broke away from the crowd .assembled in tb« room to witness his humiliation, drew his revolver, and shot the old man dead. Instantly the bridegroom leaped ! at him. only to receive two shots, from the effect of which he elieii. The murderer was flying downstairs when the frenzied bride \ literally sprang on his shoulders and held his throat as in a vice till the police arrived and arrested him. MILLIONAIRES' FIGHT. The bitter feud waged for years past between Mr. E. N. Harriman and Mr Stuvvesant Fish, two of the railway magnates I, of America, developed into a fight at the . monthly meeting on August 28 of ehe directors of the Illinois Cent-sol Railway. Mr. Stnyvesant Fish was ousted by Mr. j ria.rri.~ian last November from the presidency of the hoard of directors, a position he had occupied for over 30 years. His mortification was intensified hy the appointment as hi? successor of Mr. John T. Harahan. a man whom he himself promoted from i humble beginnings, and who until last year , | invariably sided with him in his combats | i with Mr. Harriman. Since his deposition !, [ Mr. Fish has carried on relentless warfare ! against Mr. Harriman. Mr. Fish appeared at this meeting with I a resolution denouncing the management j of the railway under Mr. Harriman. The meeting was attended by nine millionaire I directors, including Mr. Cornelius Vantlerbilt. Mr. Charles A. Peabody. and Mr. I, Robert Goelet. Accounts differ wisely as to I, how this dignified assemhly degeuerated into a disorderly fight, but it is generally agreed that Mc» Fish stigmatised Mr. Harahan and his associates as "tools of Mr. Harriman," that Mr. Harahan branded him , as a "liar," and that Mr. Fish thereupon i , rnshed at the president, striking him twice. The altercation, with the sequel of twolbiack eyes for Mr. Harahan, was the ont- i come of an attempt by Mr. Peabody to I • burke Mr. Fish's resolution by moving the adjournment of the meeting. Mr. Van- ii derbiit and the others are said to have I fled from tbe room. A few minutes later Mr. Fish, after gazing at his opponent, who is said to have been lying prostrate, left . with the muttered word ■'Traitor}" 11 1 LION CAUSES PANIC. A woman named H"eke was attacked at ' Pittsburg on Tuesday, August 27, by a large Numidian lion from a travelling menagerie, and died later. The lady's lung was , penetrated by the tooth of the lion, and . severai of her ribs were broken. The beast had been in captivity only a short time, and was very savage. An a: -. tempt had been made to tame him. but was , abandoned, and the lion was used as a free attraction in front of the show. A lecturer was telling about the untamed Hon t when the animal threw his weight against _. the iron bars of his cage and got loose. \ The bi-ute sprang towards the crowd, and alighted beside Mrs. Hucke, brushing ( against her with sufficient force to throw . her to the ground. Then, with one blow , of his paw, he crushed every rib of the wo- s man's right ?ide, and. before anyone could interfere, sank his teeth into ber hip. tear- , ing out a piece of flesh. _ Policeman Downey came to the rescue , and fired a revolver shot at the lion, hitting him In the side. The brute then turned on •, Downey, who fired more shots and also used £ his club vigorously. The lion finally aban- ( doned Downey, eneared a path through the i horror-stricken crowd, and rushed np a i long flight of stairs to the music pavilion, j s

Mean-while other policemen, armed with big revolvers and clubs, appeared. A dozen of them shoulder to shoulder advanced bravely to the attack, emptying their revolvers. But the bullets were of small calibres, cmd had little effect, and it was not until 100 shots had been fired, and plans for getting the local militia into action had ' been discussed, that the lion, riddled with j bullets, toppled over dead. While the fight I i was in progress the people were in a state of panic, and many women fainted. I