INTERESTING NEWS

Manawatu Standard, Issue 7059, 19 July 1901, Page 4

INTERESTING NEWS

A daring safe robbery was perpetrated at the Empire Theatre, Sydney, early on Sunday morning, July 7, but fortunately for the management, Messrs Fuller, nearly all the takings had been banked, and they were in consequence only victimised to the extent of 17s in copper. The theatre has been attracting good Louses for some time. Of that fact the thieves were, no doubt, well aware, and following a Saturday's matinee and ovening performance evidently anticipated a good haul. Fortunately, however, about £10 had been banked, leavina only the 17s in copper in the safe. The theatre was securely locked, as usual, by two of the employees, who sleep on the premises, but some time after midnight, when everything was found in order, an entrance was effected, the intruders having loosened a chain on the main ornamental iron entrance gates, and then got through the small opening. Once inside, they clambered through the ticket box into the office, where the safe was kept. When the burglary was discovered, the safo was found on a pile of doormats, one side having been cut right out. The cops of the rivets were chiselled off. The inner steel plate was also cut in the vicinity of the drawer, and the work was undoubtedly that of experts. The robbery wasdiscoveredbyMrLowe, one of the employees, about half-past eight am., and ho telephoned to the central police station, whils'6 his companion went to the residences of Messrs Ben. and John Fuller, and informed them of the theft. The top floor of the theatre was also occupied.by Mr P. J. Malleyand his family, and considering the presence of so many in the building, the robbery was a most daring one, and was carried out very cleverly. Nothing likely to lead to any clue was found, with the exception of a lantern. ■

A curious puljit reference to the elections was made at the Presbyterian Church, Queanbeyan, JS T.SW l )y tile Eev. Mr Moffitt. This clergyman denounced the See Government, and urged voters to put them out of oißce. Tho entire. sermon was a repetition of the indictments made by the Opposition and Mr Moffitt concluded with the statement that tho recent droughts and other calamities were proof of Divine anger against the See Government. Many will (says the Northern Luminary) remember a smart young 'Wiiangarei "boy" known as Johnny Wilson, starting as a solicitor at Kaeo some yearsago. ; Now he has just been made a lieutenant of the Commander-in-Chief's bodyguard in South Africa. Going to Westralia at the beginning of the gold boom, he made several successful coups, amassed a fortune, and became the first Mayor of Kalgoerlie, being that year the youngest Mayor in the world. On the declaration of war, Mr Wilson joined the Light Horse as a trooper, and- after being invalided twice, lias received his present appointment. ;

A. sad tale of poverty conies from bydney. Emily Harriet Taylor, aged 62 years, and her sister, Mary Taylor, two years younger, rented a small room at Arundel terrace, Glebe. They had formerly held good positions as governesses, but being in necessitous circumstances had applied for old age pensions, lhesisters retired to, rest at'their usual hour one night recently, and not making an appearance next morning, and no reply being made to tho knocking at the room, the door was forced open. The elder sister was found dead in bed, and had apparently been dead several hours. MaryTaylor wass unconscious, but after: treatment ■at the hospital she was to-

night on a fair way towards recovery. The medical man detected the odor of chloral in the room, but a search failed to discover any trace of it.

Ie is often said that ono must go from home to loam homo news. The Post London correspondent sends an instanced An excellent Frenoh magazine, Lectures Pour Tous, gives an interesting account of the marriage methods of New Zealand girls. I venture to translate it:—" In Now Zealand (says the writer) where the young girls are as robust as the men, a serious struggle takes place between the lover and his sweetheart, and it is only after several hours of conflict, during which the clothes aro torn to shreds, that the would be husband succeeds in carrying away his consort into his hut. If ho should bo worsted in the desperate fight, the wedding is ' off'—never will a New Zealand girl consent to marry a man who lacks the bravery and the strength to be victorious in battle." Evidently (adds the correspondent) the ways of New Zealand "lads and lassies" have materially altered since I was last in the colony. It would be rude to suggest that the French writer may have confounded New Zealand with some other Paoific Island I