THE LONG ARM.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 1 December 1924, Page 2

THE LONG ARM.

ROMANCE OF COINCIDENCE. If you ar© interested in the happenings around you—more particularly if you. read newspapers—you must be struck over and over again by the extraordinary part that pure coincidence plays in real life (writes T. C. Bridges in the Pictorial Magazine). Take such a case as this:—One. winter a few days ago two injured men were brought to London Hospital. Both were named George Lee. Both were window-cleaners. Both were injured by falling from windows. Both accidents occurred at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Both men died the following day. Both had their skulls fractured.. The inquests on both wer© held on the same day, by the same coroner and the same but the two men were not in. any way related. Coincidences of dates are frequent/ There was the ease of George White, the well-known one-armed swimmer and rupner, who in his time won over'lso prizes in athletic contests. His unlucky day was April 14, 1875, when he felt over a pole and broke his right arm. A year later to a day he .broke his left leg. On April 14, 1877* he fell off a station platform, injuring his arm so badly that the limb had to be amputated. Ten years later, on April 14, 1887, his wife was badly injured. Then on April 14, 1889, White had still another accident in which he broke three ribs.

For a coincidence in dates of birth the following would be l hard to beat: — In a family living at Woodford Green the grandfather was born on October 27, 1780, the father on October 27, 1810, the present head of the family on October 27, 1840. The coincidence then slipped one generation, but the youngest member, a grandson, was born on October 27, 1910. In the family of the present Queen of Spain there is another .remarkable coincidence of birth dates. The children were born respectively on June 23, 1908; June 22, 1909; June 21. 1910; and June 20, 1911. - ‘ Coincidence of names are endless, and many of them most amusing. Some years ago, when the Rev. G. Hand was curate of St. John’s, Bethnal Green, it was resolved to form a deputation for the purpose of laying some' grievance before a Government Department. Two clergy were chosen, a lay resident, and two working men. It was then discovered that- the roll of the deputation read as follows: “Head, Boddy, Hand, Legge, and Foote.” The Philadelphia Ledger contained another most peculiar instance. A Miss Death was taken to. the hospital to be operated on for appendicitis. The surgeon’s name was Mr Dye, and the two nurses in charge of the case were Miss Payne and Miss Grone. Happily, Miss Death did not die, but made a good recovery.