NEWS OF THE WORLD

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7271, 26 September 1933, Page 5

NEWS OF THE WORLD

A SLAP ON THE BACK BUS CONDUCTOR COLLAPSES A friendly slap on the back knocked a man out at Folkestone, England, recently, and for a time held up a bus. A bus conductor, Robert Gillett, of Cheriton, was collecting fares when a friend boarded the vehicle and greeted him with a hearty smack on the back. Gillett immediately swooned and collapsed on the platform of bis bus, which was pulled up by one of the women passengers ringing the bell. After first-aid had been rendered by a policeman, Gillett was taken to hospital. During the war, when serving with the King’s Royal Rifles, he was severely wounded in the neck, and the slap opened his old wound. Later in the day Gillett was able to g° home.

THIRTY PILGRIM TRAINS CROWDS TO SEE HOLY COAT Thousands of pilgrims arrived at Trier, recently, for the rare event of a public exhibition of the garment believed to he the seamless Holy Coat of Christ, for which the soldiers cast lots at His Crucifixion. This Coat is the greatest treasure of Trier, the oldest German city. It is only exposed to the light once in a generation, so that it may be preserved. Last century ,it w'as shown in 1810, 1844, and in 1891, when nearly 2,000,000 pilgrims venerated it. Since then it has not been shown. It is by the Pope’s special wish that it is shown in this Holy Year. An immense throng filled the cathedral when fhc. Archbishop of Cologne celebrated High Mass, and there was a wave of emotion when the pilgrims first saw tiic Coat. More than 30 special pilgrims trains arrived daily from all parts of Germany during the seven weeks when the Coat was shown.

HOLIDAY TRAGEDY DOZEN CHILDREN DROWNED Twelve children and a priest were drowned on a holiday trip recently when their frail boat capsized in the large Puits Pond, near Argent, on the Snuklre Canal, France. Sixteen children, between eight and 12 years of age, from a church school were with the priest, the Abbe Burette, in the boat, which was made to carry only 10, and was propelled with one pair of oars. Suddenly one child leaned over and fell into the water. Instinctively the remainder moved to one side to assist him, and this proved fatal. The top of the boat, already almost level with the water, dipped and the craft filled instantly. The priest desperately dragged at a couple of boys to straighten the boat, hut it capsized and the whole party fell into the pond at a spot 200 yards from the bank. The four children who escaped clung to the overturned boat until rescued by fishermen. Bereaved parents rushed to the scene, and helped to search for the bodies.

FIVE-YEAR-OLD REPROVED SHOULDER STRAP SLIPPED Mothers at Aldershot, England, are up in arms against the action of an official at the Corporation swimming pool, who took exception to a child of five playing while one of the shoulder straps of her bathing costume was off. When the matter was discussed at a meeting of the Town Council, Councillor Mrs A. Williams said people had been told off for allowing their children to appear with their shoulder strap removed. The Deputy Mayor, Alderman R. W. Edwards, said a tremendous responsibility rested on the shoulder strap today. He instanced an evening function at which the majority of women had only one shoulder strap. Defending the officials, Councillor W. A. Hewens said if they allowed small things to creep in undesirable things might follow. He had known of cases of women undressing in public. The mayor remarked that they had rules and' regulations which must be observed; and the matter —like the shoulder-strap—dropped.

EARL’S SISTER FINED

NINETEENTH CONVICTION

Lady Aline Barnett, of Sopwell, St. Albans, England, a sister of the Earl of Verulain, was fined £2O recently for driving a car without reasonable consideration for other persons, and £2O for failing t 0 give her name and address after an accident. Lady Aline did not give evidence. Through counsel she pleaded not guilty to the first summons and guilty to the second. In a statement to the police she alleged that the accident in which she was involved was due to the other motorist not keeping a proper look-out. On the second charge, she said she was unaware that she had to give her name and address in a case where no persons were injured. It was stated there were 17 previous convictions against Lady Aline for motoring offences, including two for dangerous driving. Announcing the decision to impose the maximum penalties, the Mayor (Mr H. K Gibbs) said that if it had been possible under the summonses to suspend Lady Alines licence they would have done so.

£SOO IN HANDKERCHIEF

VANISHING THICK

An alleged disappearing trick '"'as described at North London Police Couit recently by Barnett Sharpe, tobaccom and confectioner, of High Road. Finchley, N.W., who told Mr Pope, the magistrate—while wiping tears from his eyes—that £SOO of his money, was placed in a handkerchief and conjured *'Vartan Bagerianz and Jefime Aizokovitch, dealers, of Hackney were committed for trial on charges of stealing £SOO from him by means of ati<-k, and attempting to steal .£9OO fr .°™ {} Mintzman, of Stoke Newington, by the same means. -. . ~ >,•_ Mr Sharpe said Bagerianz told him that he and Aizokovitch had dug up a pot of gold. He arranged to buy some of it for £SOO, and Aizokovitch produced an attache-case. Inside it was a tug from which Bagerianz drew several gold coins, apparently with mould on them. “My wife produced 50 £lO notes, Mr Sharpe continued. “Bagerianz counted them and wrapped them in a coloured handkerchief, which he put in the case. He told Mr Sharpe he would leave it in the case while they fetched the rest of the gold. He apparently replaced the handkerchief, the case was fastened, and the door was locked while the men went away, Bagerianz taking the key. Mr Sharpe became uneasy, and, with a policeman, entered the room through a window. Inside the case was a coloured handkerchief containing, a roll of paper and a sack of nails. The men did not return.

HOSTEL FOR RUSKIN-LOVERS

USE OP FORMER HOME

About 70 members of the Canadian Author Association, who visited Collision during a recent tour of Great Britain, learned from Mr J. Howard Whitehousc, president of the ltuskin Society, that Brantwood, the home of John Buskin, had been acquired by the society, and they intended to turn it into a hostel for people interested in Buskin’s life and work. Mr Whitehousc said it was also proposed to have a Buskin memorial library and museum and a permanent host and hostess. A pilgrimage was afterward made to Buskin’s grave.

ATTACKED BY LION STRUGGLE IN MENAGERIE An attendant at a wild animal exhibition at Blackpool, England, recently, was attacked by a full}' grown lion, and was taken to hospital with leg and hand wounds. The man, Joseph Leslie Hatch (.HI), was leading the animal by a chain to sleeping quarters when it turned ferocious and gripped him by the leg with its claws. Other attendants rushed to Hatch’s assistance, hut the lion then attacked the attendant’s other leg. Hatch straggled with the lion, and, clenching his list, struck it in the face. The animal then seized his hand and hit his thumb. . Eventually the lion was overpowered and taken into a cage.

MAN DIES TWICE SURPRISE FOR PARENTS An amazing story of a man who died twice in 24 hours is reported from the Hungarian town of Kecskemet. 1 heodor Forgacs, a bookseller’s clerk, left Ins father’s home in a taxi to join the train for Bucharest, where he was to undergo treatment in a sanatorium, \\itlmi a short while the taxi-man returned, saying that his passenger had died. Doctors certified that death was due to heart failure. , In the morning Forgacs s parents went to an undertaker to arrange for the funeral, and on their return they were dumbfounded to sec their son repairing a tricycle. Forgacs breakfasted anc! went to work as usual in the bookseller’s shop, but at midnight lus mother entered his room and found him lying dead from a second heart failure.

“GHOST” CHARGED

ASSAULTED BUTCHER

After placing £56 in the safe of a butcher’s shop in Long Acre, AJtred Henry Dieppe, the son of the proprietor, said at Bow Street. London, recently, that lie heard a noise and went hack to investigate. A man, whose face was covered with a white muslin cloth, sprang out on him. There was a straggle. He afterward found that the man was Arthur W. Huskisson, of Bedford Row, Bromley, Kent.. Huskisson was charged with assaulting Dieppe with intent to rob with violence. A constable said he chased Huslusson, who tore the veil off and threw it. away. Huskisson said that he did not get on well with young Dieppe, and he decided to play a joke on him. For that purpose, he covered his head with a meat cloth. .. The magistrate: To give you the appearance of a ghost?—Yes. , The magistrate dismissed the charge.

BOY MAULED BY LION - MOTHER DRAGS HIM FREE “I was terrified to see my boy on the ground with a lion standing over him. said Mrs Henry Fry, of Burton Hill. Wiltshire, describing how her two and a-half-years-old son was mauled by a lion at the Malmesbury Hospital fete , |t Cowbridge House, the residence of Sir Philip Hunlokc, muster of the King’s yacht, and suddenly the crowds in the grounds were startled by cries of “The lions are loose. Two lion cubs were being shown in a marquee, and between the shows the animals were allowed exercise inside the tent. During an interval Mrs Frys son crawled underneath the canvas and was badly mauled, on the head, face, and neck by one animal, 10 months old. Mrs Fry, whose screams brought assistance, said, “Another lion was loose and came towards me.” She rushed into the tent and dragged the boy away. Dr Battersb.v put 13 stitches into the boy’s face, and he was stated to be progressing .%vourably.

THIRTY PERSONS GASSED

AMMONIA FUMES IN STREET

Thirty people were slightly alt’ected bv fumes in a. London street recently when a gauge glass carrying eoncen{.rated ammonia burst in R. Marks and Sons ice works, Amberly Road, PaddingWomen and girls in tlieir night clothes stood huddled outside the factory gates with coats flung round their shoulders awaiting instructions to leave the danger zone. The fumes rapidly grew less, however, and it was not necessary for anyone to leave tlieir homes. Six members of the Salvage Corps entered the factory wearing gas masks and refixed the gauge. Mr Michael Lacey, the foreman, who with Mr John Woodruffc, his assistant, was working beside the ammonia plant, said: “The first whiff took away our breath and made our eyes stream, we rushed out and turned off the. supply tap and then ’phoned the fire brigade.”

BEACH DEATH TRAP DISUSED PIPE Steps are being taken to remove a disused pipe which forms a death trap for bathers on Brighton (England) hcacli, following revelations made by the corner, Mr W. d’A. Peskett, at an inquest recently on Horace James Philcox, a bandsman of the Ist Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.

Mr Peskett said that the water on one side of the pipe was shallow and on the other side 12ft deep. Philcox was drowned while bathing where the pipe runs into the sea on the west side of the West Pier.

Mr Peskett, returning a verdict of death from drowning, said that Mr Hatton (the proprietor of the bathing huts on the neighbouring beach) and Mr Paul Grafton, a lifeguard, had had to rescue 30 people who had been caught in that way. “Possibly the authorities, now that they know the danger of this pipe, may have it removed,” he added. “In fairness to them, it should be mentioned that there are two. noticeboards warning bathers and stating that bathing is prohibited. I hope something will be done in order to save lives.”