LONDON GOSSIP. ASCOT SENSATIONS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 28, 1 August 1907, Page 3

LONDON GOSSIP. ASCOT SENSATIONS.

THE THEFT OF THE GOLD CUP. GATHERING OF ROYALTY. (FBOM OUIt OWN COEHESPOXDENT.} LONDON, 21st June. Ascot week ! That no doubt means a good deal in the way of financial excitement to those who are concerned or interested in sporting matters. But as a rule the prevalent tendency is to regard Ascot as a big spectacle and State function as ■well as being one of the four great "dress-and-beauty shows" of the year, the other three beinft Henley, Goodwood, and the Eton-Harrow cricket match at Lord's. But this- year Ascot provided three distinct sensations of .its own which •will render the meeting of 1907 long memorable in racing history. First of all came an absolute record — in sheer irnrmdence ! I don't suppose that so sensaubnal and barefaced a theft was ever before committed in so utterly cold and calm an absence of fuss nud flurry. The Royal Ascot Gold Cup was stolen in full sight of everybody, and in j the presence and right under the eyes of its guardian and the police. It Iras been the custom for many years for the three gold cups, namely the Gold Vase, the Gold Cup, and the Royal Hunt Cup, to be placed in/view upon a table at the corner of the grandstand near: the main entrance from the gardens to the lawn.The spot is described as /'one of tht> busiest on the whole course, always surging with people going backward aiid forward." A constable stood by in charge of the trophies and one of the manufucturers's representatives was also there. Two well-dressed and gcntle-mcnly-looking men strolled up to the table and each asked one of the two custodians, at the same moment, the way to a particular part of tho grandstand. The queries were politely answered, nothing was seen to happen, ljut "the next moment the cup had vanished. Nobody was seen to take it, and it was as if the beautiful vessel had melted into thin air, or, as the custodians re"marked, vanished as if by a conjuring trick. • People generally suppose the Cup to havo been taken "to be shown to the King and Queen in their Koyal box, and this was co entirely taken for grantpd that nobody bothered any ntoro about it, excepting the two custodians, who promptly initiated steps for its recovery, or at any rate, fot its pursuit. > Nothing has been found up to tho closnjg ol to-day's mnil, and everybody who know* »nuch of the ways of" the* Cup captor* are quite convinced that the 1 really beautiful work of art found its way immediately intol the melting-pot of somo' «afe "fence," or, in other words, professional receiver of stolen goods. The locs falls upon the makers, upon whom will rest the ' responsibility of providing ■a fresh one, the original Cup not having been formally delivered. So that ■was Ascot sensation No. 1. ANOTHER SENSATION. -♦Sensation No. 2 was provided^ by the race .itfcelf. After the mysterious and sjhostly disappearance of tho Gup, for which the race was to bt- run, it appeared 'almost a necessary seqnel that the actual race should be, as the Scotch say, "by-ordinar," and it- wae! ' The favourite was a jet black horse, which had btcn facetiously named "The f White Knight," but at the last moment a French horse- named "Eider" sprang with a bound into equal favour, and at the etart the betting was even, upon the two. From first to last the race between these two magnificent steeds was almost a neck-and-neck one, neither ever seemed to get more than a head* in advance of its competitor, and in the, end the two horses passed the winning-post, uot merely side by side, but absolutely touching one another apparently locked together. That the resu»* < r os a ' dead heat was manifest to all, and this conbtitutel the second sensation of the memorable race. But a third was to come, which consisted in the fact that the Fiench hoioe, Eider, \ras immediately disqualified for a "foul" en the ground' of "boripg," the horee pressed, against White Knight, forcing the latter partly off -his course, but for which "boring" it was held that the English horse would have 'won. A NOTABLE GATHERING. /It is almost unnecessary to mention tiiat King Edward was daily present, at Ascot, tho Queen accompanying him on each of the great days, as well as, a host of other loyalties, as also of nobilities and notabilities. TQ-morrow- an.other of the great Royal-social functionsof this very vivid season is to take place, the great Royal garden-party, , for whjch the grounds, of Windsor Castle have undergone a complete trans>-' formation, an army of men having been employed in putting up tents and bunting, and placing thousands of chairs and tables in position. Two , special marquees have been erected at the further edge of the East Lawn facing the castle. In these the King and Queen, the King of Siam, tho Duke and Duchess ' of Hesse, and the other Royalties will ' take tea. The royal ensigns of Great Britain, Germany, Greece, and Siam will be hoisted over the marquees. The interiors ,\vill be lined with palms and liliqs, and the tables will be decorated -with roses. Tho toa services will be of pure gold, and the china priceless Sevres. Thousands of ' pounds of remarkably fine strawberries and quantities of- peaches, pine-apples, grapes, and other fruit from Frogtnoro will bo served. -At 4.30 their Majesties and the members of the Royal Family, conducted by the Great Officers of State, and attended by the ladies arid gentlemen of the Household, wjll enter the gardens and go in procession through avenues of guests to the Royal tents, where tea will be immediately served. After tea, the King ard Queen will sit under an Indian tent, where they .will receive the principal guests. The King of Siam left Paris to-day for London, and will arrive here this evening: King Chulalongkorn, whois to be one of tho guests at Windsor to-morrow, will remain at the Castle until Monday." On Tuesday he will receive an honorary degree of Cambridge University. During his visit to London tho King will stay at the SiameseLegation, Kensington, where in accordance with ( the custom of his country he will sleep in one of the attics, as the nearest room to heaven. A top-_ floor suite has also been reserved for the. Royal visitor at Windsor. On his last visit to England, in the Diamond Jubilee year, he was splendidly lodged in the Round Tower, but it soon became evident, that he was not pleased, and when questions were asked it was found that he was unhappy because' he was given the "best bearoom" ( in-, stead of thr attic. The mistako .was' at once rectified. SCENE IN PARLIAMENT. A scene occurred in tho House of Commons on Tuesday. Some Nationalist members were badgering Mr. Morley as usual, about the deportation of Lalaj Patrai, the Punjah agitator. Mr. Morley declined calmly, but firmly, to bo "drawn.! 1 During the persistent heckling, Sir Howard Vincent kept up a sort of grumbling protest. When one of the Irish members was piteousljj lgmejibinji tfag ili-treatmeat si jjqojc

Lala, Sir Howard was distinctly overheard to mutter, "Oh, shoot him!" Thereupon a frightful din arose from Mr. M'Neill, who declared that Sir Howard Vincent was openly inciting to murder. The Speaker, when appealed to, declared that he did not hear the remark to which exception was taken. Sir Howard being in turn appealed to, said he only made it "to .himself." So the Speaker pointed out that the matter did not come under his cognisance, but he took the opportunity of rebuking Sir Howard for his bad habit of making frequent inter jectional interruptions while another member was speaking. And so that breeze blew by. But immediately afterward Mr. Corbett raised another breeze, indeed, a perfect hurricane, by introducing a Bill for a Royal Commission to enquire as to the need for the inspection of monastic and conventual institutions. The Nationalist members shrieked themselves, hoarse against this Bill, declaring that the introducer's object was "to inflame bigtory and sectarian animosity." Mr. Corbett, however, decleared that his object was "to prevent the . detention of men and women, against their will, in monasteries or convents. The introduction -of the Bill was ordered by a majority of 4, namely 125 to 121, many Liberals voting with the majority. This again infuriated the Nal--nalists, who shouted angrily, "This puts an end to the Liberal alliance."