THE EVIL EYE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 29 March 1913, Page 9

THE EVIL EYE.

On December 30th last a young flaglieutenant Ernest Berode, an officer with a particularly brilliant record, was killed by being struck with the propeher of an aeroplane. As he was picked up mortally wounded he murmured to those around him, "It had to happen. 1 knew 1 was doomed." lhe explanation of his last words have a curious significance (-says the Paris correspondent of a London paper). Lieutenant Berode was second in command of the submarine Floreal, and it was ho who on June Bth last received the last salute of Lieutenant Prioul, the ill-fatod commander of the Vendemiaire, which was sunk a few minutes later with all hands. Since then Lieutenant Berode seemed to be pursued by evil chance. During the recent naval manoeuvres,-while he was in temporary command of the Floreal he and his men escaped death by a hairs breadth. A sudden gale sprang up and dispersed the flotilla of submarines. The Floreal was isolated from the rest of the fleet, and it was only after hours of battling with the elements that Berode, by skilful sciinanship, managed to take his vessel mto Havre. When they reached port the crew declared with tears in their eyes that it was due to hiin_alone that they were still alive. No matter where bo was, the evil eye seemed to pursue rJerode, who previously had had a career of uninterrupted brilliancy I.wice within a month of his fatal accident he narrowly escaped death, and in a letter to friend he declared, "I w-ill be glad when this year of misfortune is ended. I wonder what is in store for me in the New Year " He never hy e d to see it, but died on the moniiiiKofAciv Year's Eve after ternbJe suffering.