NEWS FROM ALL QUARTERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 307, 28 December 1929, Page 3 (Supplement)

NEWS FROM ALL QUARTERS.

BOMB ON OLD WATERLOO BRIDGE. A man walking across old Waterloo Bridge • found two aerial' torpedoes and a Mills bomb near a seat. He called a policeman. v. ho found they were harmless. The projectiles, apparently, had. been left by someone wishing to rid himself of these war souvenirs. NEW IDEAS IN THEFT. A strange form of theft is being practised in France. It is the stealing of shoes from famous racehorses. It is supposed they are coveted as souvenirs. In Long Island a still stranger form of theft has been brought to 'light. It is the stealing of golf-greens. Three hundred square feet of velvety turf was stripped recently from the fifth green in the North Hills Golf Club. The police believe that this and similar thefts are the work of a "turf gang" who sell the turf to cemetery authorities for burial purposes. HEIR ELOPES AT 22. New York society was stirred_ by the romance of Mr. William Willock, jun., the 22-year-old heir to millions, who eloped with Miss Adelaide Inglebret, a 20-year-old chambermaid at the summer home of the young man's parents, at Syosset, Long Island. The couple ran away and were duly married at Oyster Bay. They have now left on their wedding trip in the south. The bridegroom is the grandson of the late Mr. B. F. Jones, who was head of the Jones-Laughlin Steel Co. He had a workshop in his father's estate, where he carried out electrical experiments. BRAINS OF BRASS. "Great Brass Brains," robot which does the work of 75 expert mathematicians in calculating two years in advance the normal rise and fall of'the tides all over the world, has completed 20 years of ser- •\ ice at the United States coast and godetic survey. Calculations made by the robot show directly the predicited time to the minute and the height to the nearest tenth of a foot of every high and low water in the year at most of the principal seaports of the world, and give indirectly, by means of an auxiliary table, the same information for more than 3000 intermediate port stations.

CHERTSEY'S CURFEW BELL. On a recent Sunday night the Surrey village of Chertsey heard once more the tolling of the curfew bell, which, in accordance with ancient custom, is still sounded there every evening from September 29 till March 25. Chertsey has interesting curfew associations to maintain. The original curfew bell in Chertsey Abbey tolled for the funeral of Henry VI., murdered in the Tower of London and hurried to Chertsey to be' buried. It figured also in the legend—once so popular with elocutionists—which tells how Blanche Herriot, to save her lover, who had been condemned to die at Curfew, climbed the tower and seized the clapper of the bell, determined that "curfew shall not ring to-night."» 32 YEARS FOR REVENGE. An attack on a man arising out of a 32 years old quarrel was described at the Old Bailey when William Bishop, aged 52, a street trader, pleaded guilty to wounding John Collins. He was sentenced to two year's hard labour. Mr. G. D. Roberts, prosecuting, said that Collins was wounded with a razor. It was almost a miracle that he was not killed. Bishop said afterwards that he had been waiting 32 years for Collins, who had "put him away" for eight months. DetectiveInspector Simmons said that 32 years ago Bishop was sent to prison on a complaint made by Collins. He was wounded in the war ,and had a good character. Collins was a man of persistent bad character. Mr. Justice Talbot said it was only by a fraction of an inch that Collin's life was saved.

MORTUARY RECOGNITION. At an inquest at Esher, Surrey, a Poet Office electrician, the father of Leonard Clark, aged 13, of Cobham, who was killed on the Portsmouth Road when his bicycle came into collision with a motor car, said that he had not seen the lad for five years until called to view the body at the mortuary. Evidence was given that young Clark had lived with bis mother at his uncle's house. At the conclusion of the inquest the coroner (Mr. - Wills Taylor) aeked the father if he would take the burial certificate, and Mr. Clark replied, "I have not been informed of any of the funeral arrangements." He, however, accepted the certificate. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death, and added a rider, from which one of the jurors dissented, that the motorist concerned, George Pollard, a Woking chemist, was going too fast at the time of the fatality. BEST MAN FOR EACH OTHER. News of a romantic double wedding •at Pattingham, a Staffordshire village, seven miles from Wolverhampton, recently? became known. The bridegrooms were Sergeant Leslie William Dunton, •home on leave from India, and Mr. Gregory Ainsworth Trow, of Great Barr, who had been staying a few days with the vicar to secure residential qualification. The brides were May Louie Tongue and Lily Stokes, both of West Bromwich. They entered the church in every-day costume, passir" through to the vicarage, where the vicar's wife helped them to change into bridal array. Each bridegroom acted as beet man to the other. The brides shared the solitary bridesmaid. The wedding had been kept secret, but the news leaked out, and the shy couples had to rua the gauntlet. A HORROR OF THE BARRIES? REEF. Though beautiful to look at, Neptune's gardens are full of tragedy. There the struggle for existence is keener and inore violent than on land (writes a contributor who describes the wonders of Australia's Barrier Reef, in "Tit-Bits.") The stonefish is a dreadful thing inhabiting the coral gardens, and so closely does it blend with its surroundings that it is difficult to distinguish it. But the lightest touch causes 13 horrible, poisonous spikes to discharge a deadly venom into its victim, who endures an agony that is only relieved by delirium or death. In 1915, Dr. J. L. Wassell, quarantine and health officer for Queensland, trod upon a stonefish while walking on the barrier. The spikes penetrated his boot and went into his foot. He lingered in torture for three days and died. Before tliat time little was known of the stonefish except by the natives. They always held the creature in horror. So greatly do they fear it that they make models of it in wax, and teach their children to watch for it and avoid it.

"WALLFLOWER WIFE" REBELS. America, land of weird reason* fotf divorce, has found another original ground for a suit. A woman in Nebraska « petitioning because lier husband allowed her to be a "wallflower" at dances. The home town of this couple is named Alliance. A BURGLAR-PROOF WINDOW. P.C. Jarman, of Eastbourne, has invented a window claimed to be burglar* proof. On the edge of each sash is a strip of corrugated metal. A press stud engages with the corrugations _ for ordinary use, and when locking is required hidden locks in each sash case coma into use. The device is invisible. BAT STOPS A BROADCAST. A bat seeking refuge from the sunlight crawled between two antennae condenser plates at the wireless broadcasting station WEAF, Belgium, putting the station out of commission for eight hours. The station .began losing power shortly after 10 a.m. The short circut caused by the bat's body fused two of the condenser plates. Only a wisp of hair and a few bones remained of the bat. The station resumed operation at 6 p.m. BEETHOVEN'S DEATH IN PENURY. How many people know that Beethoven! actually died £100 in debt to the Phil« harmonic Society, who had sent him the money on his death-bed in the hope that they would be able to play his Tenth Symphony, He acknowledged the advance bv telling them that his new symphony was lying in his desk "completely sketched." But the work was never destined to be finished. It was only eight ■■days later that Beethoven died. PERILS OF PETROL. A scheme to educate the public in the danger of fires is to be launched in the near future, in England last month damage amounting to £1,250,000 was caused in this way. Preliminary discussions have resulted in the formation of a committee of people interested in the prevention of fire, and it is hoped that a definite plan of campaign will be decided upon. The increase of the number of fires is attributed largely to the growing use of inflammable materials and spirits for cleaning purposes. TWO-YEAR-OLD GIRL DIVES AND SWIMS. Few children will contest the claim that Marjorie Best is "the world's youngest swimming champion." Marjorie is two years and ' two months old, and the daughter of a professional swimming instructor, Mr. Jack Best, of Detroit. On the voyage from America she swam the length of the liner's swimming pool, 45ft, every day. She goes, into the water off the diving board, preferring that' to walking in. Her father was formerly champion of Lincoln, his native county. "DRY" U.S. IRONY. Paradoxical as it may seem, the biggest beer-bottling plant at the Brewing and Allied Trades Exhibition, which opened at Islington, came from "dry" America. "We have similar plants, which can flood the country with soft drinks," explained a U.S; official, who added rather wistfully: "But in countries where beer—real beer—is drunk our plants do their stuff." This plant weighs 20 tons, can turn out quart or pint bottles of beer from the dirty "empties" to the clean, recapped, relabelled "fulls" at the rate of 120 a minute. Near the exhibit _ were 7000 gallons of the best of Britain's beer. "YOUR LORDSHIP."

Mr. F. O. Roberts, the Minister of Pensions, has just received an inscribed grain of rice in a glass tube, accompanied by a strong magnifying glass, from . the Darnlfalah Sadar Bazaar, Delhi. The inscription on the gift reads: "May God bless a long, happy and prosperous life." ; A letter sent with the present says: The staff of the museum respectfully beg to offer a wonderful rice as a humble curio of our museum, hoping your lordship would I very kindly be pleased to grant its acceptance. The letter adds: "We are submitting above wonderful rice with expectance of your lordship's patronage." COOK LOCKS OUT HER MISTRESS. Commenting "This is an impudent action," Judge Hogg dismissed at Tonbridge County Court a claim brought by two servants for £6 each for alleged wrongful dismissal by Mrs. Richardson, oi; Dry Hill, Park Road, Tonbridge. They were named Tidy and Dutson. Tidy, a cook, admitted locking her mistress out of the kitchen. When the judge asked "Whose kitchen was it?" she replied: "My kitchen." Judge: I should have thought it belonged to your mistress. . Tidy: A cook looks upon the kitchen as hers. The girls agreed they went out for the evening, though they had been told not to, and, when they returned, were requested to leave in the morning. A young man at the back of the court rose to protest at the decision. He was silenced. BOY HERO OF THE HOME. How a boy of 15 keeps a family of ten was revealed to the "Sunday Chronicle." "He is Sidney Abbott, of Edmonton, N London. His wages are only 18/ a week. "Night after night," said his mother, "he has come home dead tired after working overtime so that his little brothers and sisters mitrht have a little treat. Many people have told me that they can see that it is hard for him to hide his difinnnointment when he sees others going to the dirt-track and football matches, both of which he loves. Without him I do not know what I would do." Mrs. Abbott has been used to having £4 a * eek for food, and now that her husband has been taken to hospital she has a terrible struggle to keep her little ones from starving. She has even had to pawn the bedclothes to provide bread. FLOATING SCHOOL PLAN. The Grand Union Canal Companv is to equip a floating school for bargees' children. A suitable vessel has been obtained and is now being refitted. When the reconstruction has been completed it will be anchored at West Drayton, and the children will have a grassy field as a playground. Captain Thorley, of the Church Army, who has worked among the bargees at Paddington for some years, will be the first master. "This effort will only touch the fringe of the problem.", a canal authority tftld a "Sunday News" representative. "A comprehensive scheme lias been suggested by Mr. P. Fane de Salis, the president of the Canal Association. for a large central school between London and Birmingham, where the children could be boarded during the school terms. In the holidays they would return to their barge homes."

DOG SOLD BY ATLANTIC PHONE. Wycollar Diamond Merchant, which has been judged the best wireliaired terrier in England, lias been sold to America for £1090. The deal was negotiated byAtlantic telephone conversations between Mr. Homer Gage, of Welwire Kennels, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, and the representative of Mr. J. W. Turner, of Wycollar Kennels. Blackburn. "I have only shown Wycollar Diamond Merchant five or six times," said Mr. Turner, "but each time lie came away with prizes, his best performance being five firsts and seven seconds, both at the Brighton and Worcester shows." Wycollar Newsgirl, a bitch, has also been sold to Mr. Gage by the same method, but the price is not so large. Wycollar Diamond Merchant is a son of Hall-Lea Major by Herwain Wire Girl. Hall-Lea Major was later sold to America, and is now champion dog there.