News From All Quarters

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 57, 23 February 1918, Page 15

News From All Quarters

A Sheffield butcher purchased a prize fat Christmas bull for £91—a record price— from a Derbyshire farmer.

Arthur Lewis, a farm tenant of Lord Rhondda, was at Newport fined £10 for refusing to plough land for the 1918 corn harvest.

An average of four grain elevators a day are being destroyed hy fire In North Dakota, South Dakota, and. Minnesota. Investigation has disclosed that the fires ln most cases were started by phosphorus.

Both Sheffield and Cardiff have raised over £1,000,000 during their "Tank" week, while Liverpool, with more than £2,000,000, has achieved a result past aU expectation. "Tank weeks" are now in progress at Manchester, Leeds, Bristol and Portsmouth.

It was stated at a Dartford inquest ou William Bates, a master stevedore, whose body was found In Dartford Creek', that he had been worried because his excess profits amounted to £5,990. In addition he would have had to pay 2/6 ln the £ income tax.

THE OLD MAN'S END.

Formerly a Newcastle chemist, John Charlton Ayers, sixty, who met with misfortune and came down to match-selling in the London streets, was found starved to death in his room in Red Lion Passage, Holborn. At the Inquest it was said he resisted all attempts at help.

"WOMAN SMOKER AT 104,

The birthday has been celebrated of Mary Brannan, wbo attained her 104 th year on Christmas Day. She has been an Inmate of the Poor Law institution at Bradford for many years. Mary, who is very feeble, was able to be present at a tea party, but although sitting smoking a black clay pipe, her interest in the proceedings was passive. She is very tenderly cared for, spending most of her time in bed. She loves a pipe of 'bacca.

RECTOR AND WIFE CHARGED,

Charges of theft from the Church Army canteen at a local munition works against Rev. John Godsell Prentice, Rector of Nottinghamshire Parish, and his wife, Hilda, were adjourned at Nottingham Police Court, ln consequence of Mrs. Prentice's illness. Mrs. Prentice is charged with stealing tickets value over £12, and her husband with aiding and abetting; while Mr. Prentice is also charged with fraudulently obtaining food and cigarettes, and his wife with aiding and abetting.

BODY IN A SACK.

While fishing in the river Suck at Derry Island, County Roscommon, two men saw a sack in the water. They dragged It to the bank, and on opening it found the body of a woman in an advanced state of decomposition. The hands were tied closely to the body, and the legs to the neck. Judging by the appearance of the limbs the 1 woman, who was about 23, was deformed.

At the inquest held subsequently medical evidence showed that the girl was strangled before being tied up In the sack. The sack contained straw and lime. The identity of the victim hasrynot been established.

FATHER ATTEMPTS TO

STRANGLE SON.

There was a sensational scene in the Juvenile Court of the Salford Police Court when two Belgian boys, aged nine years and thirteen years, living in Manchester, were charged with stealing twelve packets of cocoa from a shop.

The father of one of the boys, upon seeing his lad in court, rushed upon him and tried to strangle him. He was with difficulty got away from the lad, and thereupon made an effort to strangle himself with a neckerchief. He struggled very violently to get at his lad again, and it took half-a-dozen men to carry him out of court, and hold him' down. *

INCOME TAX FRAUDS.

At the Old Bailey Mr. Justice Avory sentenced William James Stanfleld (35), Alfred George Edwards (48), and Edgar Boundy (40), partners ln a metal merchants' business in London, to four months in the second division for conspiracy to defraud the King of large sums ln connection with the payment of income and excess profits tax.

It was stated that the revenue would have been defrauded by £5,861, of which £4,290 represented excess profits duty, had the returns been accepted.

His Lordship said that if there was one man at the present time who, before any other wan, ought honestly to pay his taxes, It was the Individual who was making excess profits. A fine would only encourage somebody else who could afford to pay a fine to commit similar offences. He ordered prisoners, in addition to the imprisonment, to pay the costs of the prose-

FATHER THOUGHT THEY WERE

MARRIED.

A singular story with a touch of romance was narrated at the Grimsby Police Court, when Ada Biggs, a smartly-dressed young woman, pleaded guilty tt, making a false statement on a registration form.

Mr. 8. T. Haddelsey, oollcltbr and registrar of marriages, who appeared for the defendant, stated that she was engaged to be married, but the young man's father thought they were married, and when he Invited them to accompany hhn to Cleethorpe, a delicate situation arose.

To keep up the fiction, defendant registered as her lover's wife, and this constituted the offence.

As they had since done their besrt to remedy the matter by being married at the registry, he hoped the Bench would not spoil their happiness by couvfctlng the •bride for an Indiscretion.

The 'Bench told defendant she had been rather foolish, and dismissed the summons on payment of 4/6 costs.

AMERICAN TRAM DISASTER,

At Pittsburg (U.S.A.) tbe Christmas celebration was unfortunately marred by a sad accident. One of the new types of lowbuilt steel tramway cars became unmanageable while filled with belated Christmas shoppers. The horrors of the accident were accentuated by tbe fact that the driver lost control of the car. He was in the tunnel which connects the north or business side of the town with the south hills. The lights went out, and the passengers were shaken like a box of peas as the car- at express speed dashed through the darkness, only to leave tbe tracks as it emerged from the tunnel.

The car was overturned and slid on its side along the street. A telegraph pole shaved off the roof of the car, and dozens of women were shot Into shop windows. Finally the cor crashed with terrific impact Into a confectioner's shop. Eight women, one girl, and five men were'kliled outright, their bodies being mangled beyond recognition. Of the hundred remaining passengers sot one escaped serious Injur;

Some 875 cases of croup were reported in Berlin during November, and the epidemic has agaiu broken out.

"Lightless nights" are to be observed once a week in the United .States, for the purpose of saving coal and as a sign that the country is "engaged ln the conduct of the greatest of world wars."

Speaking on the capacity of women for industrial work, Miss Maude Royden said she had been told by a responsible shipbuilder that he could build a battleship from stem to stern with the labour of women only.

British Army officers are co-operating with the authorities in Washington against impostors ln the United States, Who represent themselves to be members of the British Army. One man, posing as a British officer, registered at a most exclusive New York hotel, and succeeded in borrowing 70,000 dollars -(£14,000) from elderly women.

LAND SEIZED BY FISHERMEN.

Twenty-seven "land hunger men," mostly heads of families, have seized part of the northern border of the island of Barra, Inverness-shire, and they are determined," they say, to hold the land until driven; ( away by force. They are willing to pay a fair rent for the patches they have peggedoff. One of the defiant squatters remarked.

"Since the war we cannot exist by fishing; Hunger is facing us, while our sons are laying down their lives on land and sea."

GIRL RATCATCHERS.

London has two girl ratcatchers. Kitty and Nell Jarvis, are their names, and their ages fourteen and twelve respectively. Their father, Mr Jack Jarvis, of CorK Street, Camberwell, is official ratcatcher to the London County Council, and to most of the Government offices. Seen by a London "Daily Express" representative, the father said, "Nell and I caught between. 400 and 500 rats last week. There are. plenty of uses for live rats, and there lino difficulty in disposing of them. Many are wanted for purposes of which It will be easier to speak after the war."

TRAGEDY OF TIGHT COLLAR.

At an inquest at Bethnal Green on a tailor named Barnett Anderman, sixty-one, who was found strangled in bed, it wai stated by the police divisional surgeon that deceased had his handkerchief tied round his neck, and beneath that was a nightshirt. The collar band of the shirt measured 16); inches, whereas the man's neck measured 16_ inches. The gradnai cessation of the flow of blood to the brain brought about a sense of powerlessness and inability on the part of the man to relieve himself, with the result that lie waa graduaUy asphyxiated. Accidental death was the verdict.

CASKS ON THE SHORE:

At Whitehaven Police Court, 30 defendants, many of them miners, were charged at the instance of the Receiver of Wrecks for taking possession of casks of stout washed ashore on the Cumberland coast, and failing to deliver them to the Receiver. In. one- case five defendants rolled a barrel from, the beach to a farmhouse, and afterwards carted it to Egremont, where they poured ont the liquor and distributed It among the assembled crowd. In another case the defendant, a farmer, admitted taking milk tins full of liquor home. Another defendant told the'police it was the best "do" he bad had. Fines of 40/ and 30/ were Imposed.

M. CAILLAUX'S NERVE.

There is going the rounds in Parts a characteristic story of M. Caillaux (which is given by the "Daily Chronicle.") The other Sunday afternoon he appeared for the last time before the Committee of Eleven charged with investigating his case. He had, as usual, staggered everyone with the absolute coolness with which he met all charges. But when he left the Chamber, in the darkness and falling snow, no cab waa to be found. "Saprlsti," cried the Deputy, as he looked in vain for a friendly "nacre.** Then an idea struck him, and he approached a motor car containing detectives. "Is lf you who are shadowing mc?" he questioned, "Yes, monsieur." "Very well, then, take mc home," said M. Caillaux, as he entered the police car. Few things, evidently, can upset M. Caillaux's nerve.

AN AFTERNOON'S LOOT.

"Cool and deliberate" was prosecut—» counsel's description of the way in which. a woman, Daisy Deacon by name, remanded at Westminster for shop-lifting, went about from one department to another of a big West End store, collecting all sorts of articles on the way

She showed yquite a pretty taßte In he* selection, and when she was arrested her pockets and her attache case were found to contain the following, among other trifles:-

Five pairs of gloves, silk blouse, piece, of silk, silk scarf, pair of slippers, two pairs ot socks, Dorothy bag, silk purse, seaßontlcket case, two and a-half dozen gloves, two botles of perfume, bottles of saccnarlne, silk handkerchiefs, boxes of sardines, oZ tongue, child's overall.

Accused had also in her possession re* ceipts for £100 worth of War Bonds re* •ently purchased, and It was stated that, in her own or her husband's name, she was la possession of £500 worth of bonds. She offered to pay for everything.

CHILDREN'S GREAT BRAVERY.

The "London Gazette" announces that the King has been pleased to award the Albert Medal to Doreen Ashburnham, aged 11 years, and Anthony Farrer, aged 8 years, residing at Vancouver Island, In recognition of the great bravery displayed by them la the following circumstances: —On September 23, 1916, the two cnUdren left their homes at Cowlchan Lake for the purpose of catching their ponies, and when about half-a-mlle from home they w»re attacked by a cougar. They were almost upon the animal before they saw It crouching in a path at a corner. The little girl was flrst attacked. The cougar sprang upon her, and she was knocked down with her face to the ground, the animal being on her back. Th« boy at once attacked the cougar with hie fists and riding bridle, and drove the animal off the girl. It then attacked him. and his companion, getting to her feet, came to his rescue, fighting with her cienched hands and •bridle, and even putting her arm Into the cougar's mouth to try to prevent It frona biting Anthony. She succeeded in getting; It oil the boy, and It stood on its hind legs and fought with her, but evidently it was disturbed by some sound, for presently it slunk away and ran under a log, where.it was afterwards killed. The children, though both badly Injured, were able te make their way home. The cougar measured over 7ft from nose to tip of tin) tail.

(The cougar is an animal of the cat family, tawny brown in colour without spots. It is called also puma, panther, catamount, mountain Hon, and America* lion.]