BREVITIES

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LIX, Issue 10615, 13 July 1931, Page 4

BREVITIES

From Far and Near. ATLANTIC FLIER WILLING TO “HAVE A GO” •‘A quiet, reserved chap, hut always willing to have a go at anything,” is how Mr Harold. Gatty, Australian member of the crew of the Winnie Mae in her transatlantic flight, is described by Mr J. A. R. Patrick, of James Patrick and Co., shipowners, Sydney. Mr Patrick \vas best man at the flier’s wedding in Sydney. They were both pupils at Jervis Bay Naval College in 1919. “He was a good athlete in his Sydney days,” said Mr Patrick, “but he showed no special interest in flying while he was here. He had an inventive turn of mind, though, and during his apprenticship he invented a signal halyard system designed to save labour and time, which deserved more notice than it got. He had a young family—how many I am not sure, but I do know that the latest one has been named after me!” SIGNALS SIT AT DANGER SIGNALMAN DEAD AT POST Practically the last act of a signalman before he had a fatal seizure while on duty was to take precautions to prevent an accident. Five minutes before a train was due the signalman. Alexander Hornsby, 52, of Alnwick, Northumberland, was found dead on the floor of his cabin. The alarm was raised by the signalman in the next cabin, who, failing to get an answer by telephone from Hornsby, called Alnwick Station office to find why there was no response. Honrsby was then found dead by a porter named Whealans. He had just cleared three trains, and all the signals he controlled had been set at danger. Hornsby, an apparently healthy, robust man, evidently had a seizure while poking the fire when preparing to leave for home, and collapsed and died without being able to summon assistance. A FARMER S ESCAPADE. WOMAN KNOCKED DOWN BY CAR Having been in custody for a week in consequence of his refusal of bail, John William Kilpatrick, 30, farmer, of Forde Place Farm, Wrotham, Kent, was fined £2O, at Tower Bridge the other day, for having been under the influence of drink while in charge of a car. His licence was suspended for three months. It was stated that his car knocked down and injured a woman, who was crossing Old Kent-road, and she was still in hospital. The magistrate, Mr Oulton, questioned whether ho ought not to send Kilpatrick to gaol, but he took into consideration that the man had been in custody for a week and had determined never to place himself in such a position again. A charge of driving to the danger of the public was withdrawn.

DIED ON SAME DAY. LEFT SIMILAR WILLS

Two wills, details of which were disclosed the other day, recalled the deaths of His Honour Sir Francis John Greenwell, of Greemvell Ford, Lauchester, Durham, and his wife, Dame Constance Frances Sybil Greenwell, which occurred on February 2 last, within a few hours of each other. Judge Greenwell, who was 78, was for 40 years Recorder of Durham. For many years he was chairman of Quarter Sessions, and he was County Court Judge of Circuit No. 1 (Northumberland and parts of Durham) since 1895. He left estate-in his own disposition value £20,603, with net personalty £19,314. He left all of his property to his wife for life, subject to a number of bequests. Dame Greenwell was a daughter of the late Judge Bradshaw, County Court Judge for Northumberland. She left unsettled property in her own disposition value £7,209, with net personalty £254. After de-

li ICKING A KING HARROW BOYS RARE TREAT

By a curious coincidence, on the very day that King Alfsono vacated his throne the death occurred of auother prince who, as far back as 1868, was invited to rule over Spain. This was the Duke of Genoa, who died at Turin aged 77. He was a Harrow schoolboy of 14 when regal honours were offered to him, and all his school-fellows promptly kicked him, not because they resented royalty or had any ill-will towards him, but simply that they realised that this was the chance of a lifetime to be able to boast that they had really kicked one of the crowned heads of Europe. The Duke of Genoa, however, never ascended the Spanish throne. A German prince was then proposed, and this caused trouble between Napoleon 111. and Prussia, leading eventually to the France Prussian War.

KING ALFONSO SHORT OF READY CASH It is an old story that some of the world’s richest men often find themselves without sufficient cash in their pockets for the small needs of daily life. It is stated that even King Alfonso when he decided to leave Spain discovered that the privy purse was nearly empty and that there was certainly not enough to cover the expenses of the journey of the Royal Family to France. The tale goes that the King had to call in the aid of a personal friend who hastily collected £2,000 in clubs and private houses to meet the unexpected emergency.