CONTINENTAL SENSATIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 287, 2 December 1911, Page 17

CONTINENTAL SENSATIONS.

■ - » GRANDFATHER'S RIGHTS. The right of a grandfather to see hi» grandchild has been legally established, Eaya the Paris "Journal," by a decision of the j First Chamber. I M. Ferdinand Perier, a banker and cousin of the late M. Casimir-i'ener, ex-President i of the Republic, asked the courts for an | order enaoiing him to receive a regular visit from his daughter's child, a three-year-old girl. There had been some difference be- , tween M. Marchal, his sou-la-law, and himself, and they were not on visiting terms. The court decided that the father of the , child had no reasonable ground for his action, and 11. l'erier will now be able to sea . Mile. Denise Marchal unaccompanied by a , third person, once a fortnight, from 2 to 4 , In the afternoon. ESCAPED CONVICT'S SANGFROID. A. burglar and plumber named Louis Eomeuf, who removed a lightning Conductor from the roof of the National Library, csi caped from prison in Paris recently by i jumping on to the back of another prisoner ' and leaping on to the wall. Reaching the roof of the Palace of Justice, he smashed a skylight and let himself , down into the "Prisoners' Gallery," where the only witness of his act was a sleepy attendant. With great BCtf-composnre, Ilomeuf said, "Oh, it's nothing. I'm all right," as If he had Just been the victim of an ' accident while working on the roof. He ' calmly brushed himself, walked down the, • staircase, nnd out Into the street, passing . on his way policemen, attendants, advocates, and magistrates in the corridors. BOLD SICILIAN KIDNAPPERS. Signorina Laura Abbatte, the twenty- ' year-old daughter of a wealthy merchant at > Palermo, has been kidnapped by brigands in broad daylight In one of the main thoroughfares of the Sicilian capital. While re- . turning home from Mass in the company of her aunt the girl was suddenly seized by a powerful, middle-aged ruffian, who had - i several accomplices, and bundled Into a cab ; which was waiting hard by. The aunt and | most of the bystanders were dumbfounded, ; : aud two eye-witLesscs who sought to rc«cue the victim were beaten off with knotted , ' whips by a couple of coachmen. , Tho police managed to keep the affair secret for a whole week, but on Sunday the , i family published a poster relative to the . ; outrage, wherein they offered £400 reward ,' to anyone giving Information that may lead , to the discovery of the girl's whereabouts , | within three days. Kidnapping is becoming an alarmingly common crime at Palermo. THE COLD DOUCHE. There was much excitement in the little village of Brloude. near Le Puy, over the trial of a young woman, Marie GrenlerBcrtrand, on a charge of "humiliation caused to a public officer." It was ou July 14. A fire broke out In the village and was burning furiously before the nearest fire station, some miles away, even heard about it. There was no time to be lost, and in a few minutes all toevillagers were at work on the blaze. Maria Bcrtrand was very prominent in this Improvised but numerous fire brigade, and worked like a Trojan, both at using the > hose and In urging her fellow-villagers to - get on with the work. All obeyed except , i one severe-looking gentleman, who eon- - j tented himself with watching operations. . { This was too much for the lady, and she ] Immediately gave him a bit of her mind, i which the onlooker secrnfully resented. i ru.ible to contain her feelings. Mavis I turned the hose upon the phlegmnt'c porI sonage. and then, selling a bucket rilled | with water, she jammed It on his head The ! fit was rather too exact, for It took thr»e ' I gendarmes half an hour to get It off. n-,1 I i during this time the Procureur of ihe Ite- ! public, for It was no other than he. wns :i subjected to a volley of Ironical comment. ■ . nmM fits of laughter, from the highly -, amnscd onlookers. Thus, wounded In his dignity, t v .p enraged . . Procureur bad the woman arrestpd She has just been tried, and when a sen:i tencp of three months was passed, trouble' i ' was expected from the crowd In court-, hr.*' las the magistrates added that the sentence i I will only be served If the lady Is aenlu ivroiirbt up for any other offence, and therefore meant acquittal, no disorder oeenrre-I. [ j SWINDLER HOAX'S FRENCH . TOWN. The French tows of Granville, which has . 'regular stearubcm communication with \ ' Jersey, has been th 'roughly hoaxed by an lmpudir.i rulventurei Accoitipauicd by two young girls, he ' arrived one slay at a quiet hotel aud durub- ' fonuded the host by presenting a card on ' which wis tbe following;— "Angnste Duiand ■ de Hellefciid de Gouraey, Colonial Administrator of the First Class, Doctor of Law, 1 Knight of the Legion of Honour, charged - with a mts--.lon en disponlbilite." He said I cue of the gins was his wife, the other his . slster-ln-lav. Next day the great one uppearej In the 1 street In a wonderful uniform, which dazzled i the towusfo k. The principal iahabltnn's i > fell over each other In then anxiety to be . come Bcqc.ilntcd with the exi.lted personage , who had honoured their tewn. . I Anpusie bonght a house and 3fry acres of , land for TO.ocor., which he did cot pay, end t proceeded to give lavish orders fo.' the fur- . nlslilii!; and fitting up of th? n»;w colm.ial I establishment. The shopkeepers of Gran vllle vied with each other to secure, the patronage of M. Duraud de nell.ito.'id de . (Journey. " : Augiisie had one rare stro.V> of lack. A ' oonple of <ars containing gunpowder bad 1 arrived at Granville addressed to the Ad- ' mlnistrator-Gciicral. There was no such ' person in the town, and no oue snow what I !to do with tin consignment until a postman , - bethourht him of the great Anguste, and . ; took blm the letter. I i ; Augnste eagerly seized the golden opnor- j ' tunlty and rot n detachm-i't of soldiers to ' - guard the cars, nnd when the p-Ter- official , appeared at th" station he was there to receive tils ackniwledeir.-'iits. Tb!s epl=ode , . served as an Introduction to the officers of . the regiment, whom be joineil while It wns ' , engaged on miinceurves, and he n'-tusHy ■ , rode in state t>y the side of .i General. i Tie was Invited to dine at the officers' 1 mess, and the guard turned out and pre senled arms every tim" he approached the ■ barracks. ! Everything vnip<ht In-re gone all rlsr'-'t. '. only that one of hi* creditors, bflnrr pre'serl 1 for cash, became somewhat suspicions. - This person very unltlnd'y w-ote to the Prel feet of 1.(1 -Mnnche. ssl.-lng for some Irfor- ' matlon nbent M. rAdinlnistr-'t-nr. and a ; detective wns sent to mike Inquiries, the resi'U of which ts that M. Dr"-and de Belle. i fond de Gonrnev. for nit his titles and pnri tieles and crosses nnd uniform, was mnrc'-el ! off to the lock-up. There it was speedily found out tlmt be had no official position, • and, what wn« worse, no money. I He snvs he belongs to a good family In , La Vendee, and they wIU pay for everything, |