LATE CABLE NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 16 July 1931, Page 7

LATE CABLE NEWS

REPLACED BY COAL

ALLEGED THEFT OF GEMS. LONDON, July 4. That diamonds, emeralds and aquamarines were extracted from a parcel and replaced by coal is alleged by Mr Harry Morsel', diamond merchant, in suing the Eagle, Star and British Dominions Insurance Company in the King’s Bench Division for £5938. The defence denies the loss, and alleges that the claim is fraudulent. Plaintiff’s counsel said that Mr Morser, in 1928, made up two parcels of rings, diamonds, emeralds and aquamarines, and sent them by registered post to Tunis. When he applied for them at the Customs house he saw a native official with a number of rings, A parcel was open, and the official was admiring Mr Morser’s rings on his fingers. When the parcel was ' handed over, none was missing; hut when Mr Morser asked for the diamonds parcel, he was told that it had been opened and filled with coal.

MANY EXPENSES. SIR T. BEECHAM BANKRUPT. LONDON, July 4. The creditors of Sir Thomas Beecham, the famous conductor, who unsuccessfully appealed against a receiving order in January last, have accepted a proposal ensuring unsecured creditors 10/- in the £. His liabilities total £194,532, and his assets £lO9. Sir Thomas gave evidence that he had received £20,000 a year after his life interest in his father’s property had been converted into cash. He sacrificed lucrative engagements, and organised the Imperial League of Opera, which he financed with £15,000. Other causes of his trouble were the expense of the flotation of the companies to administer the estate, and the fact that he was prevented from reclaiming supertax.

AWFUL ROAD CRASH. DRIVER DAZZLED BY GLARE. LONDON, July 4. It was revealed at the inquest on the unidentified victim of the Elstreet car smash, that she was a 21-year-oitt girl, secretly married to a medical student,' 'Charles ■ Brown, who .also. '.was killed. Shaigaio Jllegata, the driver of the big car, was the only one .uninjured. He gave evidence that he was travelling at 25 m.p.h. He admitted that he was going for a joy ride, after the pyjama party, which he had attended with the other occupants of his car, three of whom were girls, but said he was sober and keeping a care.ul lookout, when lie was temporarily blinded by the lights of a baby car, and applied the brakes. The coroner instructed the jury that there was no question of manslaughter. They had to decide whether Megat.i was negligent, or dazzled by the glare. A verdict of accidental death was returned. The collision occurred on the Watford by-pass road. The cars burst into flame, and two girls and two medical students were burned to death, and three girls and a Japanese were ser iously injured.

BRIDGE WAR, NEW SYSTEM OF BIDDING. VANCOUVER, July 4. The old masters of the American auction bridge world have gone to war and a million devotess to the contract variety of the game are taking sides for the card battle of the century. The fight followed the announcement of 12 experts who combined to form a corporation called “Bridge Headquarters,” which will shortly present to the puzzled bridge world a brand''new official' and “perfect” system of contract bidding. “But I shall tear down their house of cards,” announced Professor Ely Cuthbertson, whose system of bidding has been accepted by countless players. On the other side are massed Whitehead, Work, Lentz and other veterans of the game. The keynote of the new system is the so-called intermediate birl. Professor Cuthbertson’s forcing two-bid, demanding game in contract, does not strike his opponents as sound. They intend changing the two-bid into a three forcing bid. They will also name the minimum strength of a one-bid and the required strength for a gamebid. It is the hope of advocates of the universal system that hcrealter con tract players may meet anywhere to play “pleasantly. harmoniously and successfully.”' That Utopian era «.t bridge, however, seems to be extremely visionary to the great- mass of mediocre players.