AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Evening Star, Issue 14784, 27 January 1912, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Travellers by tho pasßCtwr train to Dubbo on Monday, the 15th inst., had a thrillinjr experience. When three mil S from OTange a blinding Hash of lightning enveloped the train, followed by the shattering of the windows en one side of two of the carriage.". It is suppos-xl thatthe electric current struck some near object and jumped to the train. The passcng-T-s had a sensational cx]>crienei\ but suffer ;-d no injnrv. —Church Raffles.— Tho, current issue of tho ' Church Chronicle/ the official organ of the BalJurat Anglican diocese, dculr, with the question of ialike in eonm-clton with church undertakings. "The leerudtsccnco of ihi evil of ralllos in this dioee.se,'' it. ?;.>>:, "is causing much perplexity and d'fitros:--. Ti. was hoped that the definite resolution of th" Synod would safegua.rd the diocese iroin ihe Jiuniiliation connected with doubtful means of raising money. It seems, however, that the matter has to bo fought over ],again. Meanwhile it may be pointed out t that laxity on the part of the Attorney-Os-noral's office in granting permits in bo way conveys justification for violation of the diocesan tide ; :Jso that money which is known to have been raised bv "methojs in. contravention of tho expressed conviction of the Synod will not he received 'n furtherance of ,-:r.y diocesan object."' —Hie Dangerous Hatpin.— At last the protruding hatnin is to ocme under the ban <-n far ,-s Sydney is concerned. At a. meeting of the Health and By-laws Committer .if the Cite Council a recommendation was made thai, th'.; use of this_ kind of hatpin bo prohibit-;] hv a, special by-law. The matter was referred to the city solicitor, who advised that the council had power to make a by-law dealing with hatpins worn in the rArctjU which may be. dangerous to tho public ; but tho re-gn'aiioa-? concerning the -.waring of th' m in tramcars rested with the C'Mof Commissioner of JLiihrjyv 'Ph.- Chief Ccmmis-6-.oner was pro oared to nssi-st the council in the matter, but doubted whether he had power. If, howevej* a draft of a proposed by-law war, submitted it would be c.-vrcfully considcrcd. Th.' City Council adopted ih'a committee's recommendation th:::, a nv-3aw be prepared to resulnto tho use of hatpins when wont in city streets, and it w<?s d"cided to endeavor to obtain th-- tv>-opera-tion of the Chief Uailway Commissioner m connection with hat-phis worn in trained s. 'There was no discussion at all on th" subject. —Unexpected Fortunes.— Inquiries made ir. New South Wales by a detective from America- have resulted in four persons resident In New South Waka, all in rnib-v humble circumstances, being informed thai, thev have Lccoms joint inheritors of ahcut £30.000. A few" months ago the de-id body of a man r.rimed Alan Cunningham was found in hi* room in a lodping-bocs-? in the poorer wrtkm of S.tr. Francisco. Although it had' been believM thaiCunningham was .--, pn-apcr, ajid obliged to lead a- very -narrow existence, a cca-rc.h by the police showed that ho hn<\ been possess-*] cf largo stun:; of money in hanks, and also held mortgigt". over very vah'sble properly. Inquiries for next of kin resulted in an Australian clue being obtained. This was followed up successfully by a de> tcetive, who has found at Itayraond fen-ace tv.xj brothers, Patri'.-k and '?vljeh,i<'l Cunningham, :i,nd tvro fiisters, >.lts of Berry Park, -near llaymond terrace, and Mrs Kaihcrinc Kane, of Surrey Hilk, Sydney. —Encounter With Burglar.— Mr P. A. StTrngiVHov,-, of New South Wales, had an exciting >-xpcric-nce on the 10th inst. On the previous day [lis stock and furniture liad been '..o.'d at auction, and Stringfellow was sleeping on the premises for the last time. About half-past one he heard footsteps approaciiing the side door, and he slinped into the shop. 'The intruder came in, and made a rush for the bod, as if to overpower anyone npoii if. Stringfellow, seizing a rilie from the .shop counter, Itnockwl the mail down twice, and then secured a r-volve.r. Armed with this he made the visitor liokl up Irk hands. The man was dicased in clotlK-fi wliich were almost while he did -not have anything in his pockets. Mr St-ringfeJJow jiow found himself in a di.'hculty. Owing to tin- cf ihcj ahum Ik> Irad not been able to put on his clothes, and wa.s clad only in hir> thiit. yo \ he nia-.-ched the man into the main etrcef ! and whistled for assistance. Thcr:- was? j nobody about, and as it was imjiossible for : iStringfcll-ow in his .'-canty garb to la!;e, the man to the police station, ho adopicd the r-dtoriiativo of hitting him full i:i the f.-i-c;? with ids revolver held in the pxlm ol hi> han:l. The man fclJ, and then ir.ic ami j ran icr hk life. 'J he jiolicc were inforiiied. liut so far no arrest has b -en made. StringfcUow says the man cortiiidy beari? on hj:» face the marks of th.? encounter. —Burglars 1-inconnlc-r Brave Women.— A sensational case of burglary noeurre'l at Nailsworth, a suburb of Adehude (S.A.), j early on the morning of Sunday, tho Kth inst., when the inmates of the xe---id"::ce of Mr S. .1. Blitz, a v.eil-Uuown dental surgi»m, imrnediVeK opp-<:ii.o the police .nation, were held up by three masked ln-.igiars between o and 3.30. The l.urghrs j jiriM.-il cpon th? <lini:;c- room wtndosv, i- 1 j «-bile two of them entered the dwelling the third Lent gi;:!!:! outvie. The hv.-n----«.vns ix-:upi«l by Mr and Mrs W'Vz, wh.o j were sleeping in ih:: front bedronin, ,'iid j tlieir daiiditei-s Sophie. Jeaimic, S:i:a!i, j

and K.nU.'. who occujiied three beilroji;'.-' in the i.iaok part of the lwasc. The :";- tn'ders entered the rooms of the young ladie.--., fv.o of whom, on Ulp-j: awakened, found thcmsvlvcf confroiite.! i,y r.rmed and masked ir.vu. Mir-a ]v;,t'.! w;.-s not amused by the u/iwchxinie .hit:-;j- : ..r! and the buTirlare respeeUvd the plea that she should not be distuiheH, as she v,t.-; in deliejte. health. .Miss Sniali lilit/ screamed loudly inr j.e.li), and one'of the men. poi.'it;:i._' a revolver at her. ordered her to be quiet ;■.:■•; tell him where a U.i<r w:..■■. .')-■••- cries .aroused the father aivl nvit!i":\. :::' • wiiose. room onn of the inLi-j'.hus v,-;!!-(d, and, pointing his revolver at ~ ill!;.;.,. betßiii a eeai-ch for money. Mi*.-, S«;-:h Blitz eontimiod to call for help, .v.:d -.';'!' (Jir> burglar, who ha<l seize:! her 7'V.'h'y by the -arms, was trying to si'eV'.e .';,■;. Kuphie and Jeannie ran from the h-■"•■•' to summon assistance. Mi.-;.-, So]»hie w-i.-* ia-ld up by thv" vnan on g;iai<l, wiio t.l>i<;a-ti.;n-'. : to shoot her if she did not co back. S'-a-promised to do so, and U> make no iu...e if he would take an oath i-> le-.ee i.< r j:aronts alone. Tin: promise was, in vie:. ;.n<l she retan-ed to the hoeie. ''.■.- gi;ard, and scalinc; the fence (rave the alarm to the police. The while keoni '._- i'.: 1/ covered Avith th.eir levolvcls. scur.iiid the drawers of the ir,i;di( I,'e ior ico ,ry, l-:ii. without success. 'i h.ey the.n nprne 1 the frunt dtxjr, aud while they ,to.;.i otnwivinjr on the step Blit/. seized his loa-led revolver, which he had eo:ice«leJ nude: ju; pvj-'tmn:-, and procwdhic (o tho open dor.; said to the men: " Look here, old i'..il.c.'/.s.

tou need nnl fenr. It i? over v-(.w, ;i:i'.! v<>n will l;n:ir no moii' it." He t Im-.-i drew his revolver and fm'<l .slio:/; ;r. hr-ih rncit, cacli of <rlio7/i \vr.<- i.oi ir.rr.i- lhr:i a yard away. Ho nrirrip.diaiely jiinspv-.i .jj:r~*- 1 - t,ho ha.ll towards the draw in i; room, rui.i as he did so the l)ur.:l;us iireil llmv two of \rhii.:ti lotiged iti t!ie pla-ior </!' iho wall, t::e third jriazitig lii:; pyj;!;i.;i . .;; ; ; and pcrforatjntr the hall ciirUiiiis, l]n.J!y Iwrgiucr.in tliu wall. Tiiev t-hoii deianij-.-'-i. >Liss Kate Blitz; slept" llnnngl: the whole disturbance.