GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10407, 3 April 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

GENERAL NEWS.

MASCBESTKR POLICE SCANDAL. The police scandal at Manchester, which aff3ct« a force of over 1000 men, has developed another phase. Some months ago a superintendent of one ot the divisions was charged with being interested in tho keep, ing of a disorderly house, the owner of which, on hearing that he was " wanted " fled from the city. While a warrant was ouS for , his arrest, the superintendent was seen in Ills company at Liverpool. Subsequently the man was taken, and the superintendent, Who would otherwise' have been entitled ill a fort 1 months to n surfer, emulation of neatly £200 n year, tendered his resignation, which was accepted, and he was refused a pension. Subsequently a section oft lie Watch Committee moved for a Home Office inquiry into the wholeadfninistration of the police force, but the motion was lost by the casting vote of the chaif* man. The chief constable of the city has now publicly expressed his desire for a public inquiry, and suggests that it should be conducted by tho city stipendiary.

IBSEN AND BJOEKNSO.V QOAKREL.

A quarrel between Ibsen and Bjoernson is oausing a great sensation in Norway and elsewhere. When "John Gabriel ijnfk. matin" appeared, it was said that Bjoefnsob' was much vexed, because in the relations between the lawyer Hinkel and Borkmand he had recognised allusions to his disUtite with tho deceased Norwegian Minister Hichter. He found these allusions so itnproper that he determined to answer thedi in an open letter to Ibsen. According to the Frankfurter Zeitutig, it is further as. serted that tho whole description of the relations between the Hinkel and Borkmann families and of the son Ehrhard, who meet; Mrs. tt ilton in the enemy's house, corttaiiij a series of bitter attacks upon Bjoernsoo and that iu the opinion of the latter , , the whole drama is only a sort of revenge on the part of Ibsen. Although they art closely related, their relations have been for some timo very strained.

cuusoe's island.

Some time ago it was declared, on the authority of the captain of a Chilian merchantman, chab the island of Juan Fernandez, tho reputed original of Defoe'.. creation in " Robinson Crusoe," had dieappeared. Captain Slocum, of tho United States Navy, who recently reached Sail Francisco from a cruise round the world, has shown the report to be baseless, and ht has also explained how it arose. In the first place he found the island precisely where it always was, and also the thirty. five families constituting its population, safe and sound. In the second place, Witt regard to the origin of the report, he states that tho captain of a Chilian barque sent from Valparaiso, with storea for tlioislanders, broke into the wine and spirit cages, and became so intoxicated that he could no longer navigate the ship, and as there was no one on board acquainted with nariss. tion, the ship went adrift, and after soma time turned up again at Valparaiso. To pereon himself the captain then invented the efcory that the island of Juan Fernanda had disappeared. ANOTHER PRIXCESS ELOPES. The Uauloie states that it is authorised to deny the report of the elopement of tbi Archduchess Stephanie. The journal sayi it was not the Archduchess Stephanie who eloped, bub the Princess Louise, eldest daughter of King Leopold of Belgium, and wife of Prince Philip Kohary of Cobnrg. Gotha, che eldest brother of Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria. The Princess, ib it alleged, lived very unhappily with her husband, who frequently used personal violence to her. King Leopold refusing to allow Princess Louise to live in retirement in Brussels she eloped with Captain M ,an officer in a hussar regiment. The Princess and her lover are now in Spain. SENTENCE ON Till! PLVMODTH QUACK DOCTOR. At the Devon assizes Mr. 3 ustice Vaugkao Williams had before him Edwin Alfred Cormack, aged 59, who was indicted for performing an illegal operation on Edith Hobba, a domestic servant, at East Stone, house, on December 14. The prisoner «m described as a doctor, of Devonport, ana had practised as such, but it was alleged that his diploma was nob a genuine one. &• herbalist, who was originally charged witi participation in the offence, and wan allowed out on bail, absconded. The jury found thi prisoner " Guilty." Tbe judge said there could be no doubt that the prisoner and tin herbalist had carried on a nefarious practice in Stonehouee and Devonport, and hi sentenced him to five years' penal servitude. A COBIOUS MATRIMONIAL DIFFICULTY. All extraordinary matrimonial romance has been disclosed at Manchester. William Sixton, a Harrogate contractor, was summoned for the maintenance of his wife, and he disputed the validity of the marriage. The sexton of the church where the ceremony took place admitted Sixton was not sober at the wedding, and that when asked if he would have the woman for his wedded wife, he snid he would " if she would cleai his shoes." Defendant left the bride at tn altar rails, and did not go into the vestry to sign the register, but left the church to havi a drink. The bride then explained to the clergyman that defendant left because he had not the money to pay the fees. Shi said in court that the remark about cleaning shoes was mads as the result of a bet between the bridegroom and n friend who dared him to say it. Defendant married another woman subsequently, and hit counsel pointed out that if the first marring! was nob invalid dofendant is a bigamist. A maintenance orJer was made.

THE CASE OF SIR. PETER KENSHAW.

The following extraordinary message il sent by the Standard's New i'ork corre* pondent :—" A norel law case is reported today. Peter Renshaw i* a beneficiary to the extent of over 70,000 dollars under hu uncle's will, payable to liim if he is of good character, but to be held in trust' while he is drunken, rakiab, or vicious.' Mr. Renshaw has led a strictly upright life throughout until within a few weeks, when he began sedulously leading a dissipated life to convince the trustee?, under leg;il advice, that they should withhold the fortune, which would otherwise be applicable to Ml creditors, who have demands upon him of nearly 100,000 dollars, which Mr. Renshaw does hot feel morally bound to pay, since the debt arose from his partner's misconduct. Counsel argue that Mr. Renshat must lose his Inst resource if ho resume) leading a correct life."

TUE PAN-ANGLICAS CONFBRKXOii.

The programme for the great PanAnglican gathering of bishops is already assuming form. It is now known that there are coming to England, from all part* of the Empire, no fewer thnn 186 bishop*, apart altogether from the 76 members of the Episcopate holding office in England, Scotland, and Ireland. The arrangement is that n journey shall be niado to Ebbsfleei and Ricbborough Caatle on July 2, and that they reach Canterbury the eame evening. On July 3 there will be a great service ab the Cathedral, at which the Archbishop will address the bishops from the patriarchal chair of St. Augustine. Luncheon will be taken at St. Augustine's College, and a re« ception held in the afternoon.

ANNOYISG A JUDGE.

A Bournemouth druggist found himself in an awkward predicament a few days ago. Hie shop adjoins tho hall where Judge Philbrick was holding a county court, and his boy was hammering at a window screen. His Honor sent to stop the noisa under a threat of committal, when the hammering was again started. A few minutes later His Honor sent for the druggist »nd committed him to Dorchester Gaol for 48 hours. Overwhelmed by his misfortune, the druggist pleaded hard for leniency, and eventually the judge relented and told him to go.

SEARCIILNQ FOR A NOVELTY.

The Paris Exhibition of 1900 is stilli" search of a striking novelty. Some 25( schemes have been submitted, but not one of them displays any marked originalityEven the idea of building three new Biffol Towers in proximity to the old one, connecting their summits by a platform, and rawing upon this a 6fth structure 600 ft high, impresses the mind with nothing but a weary sense of bulk. Another gentleman propose* to moor a real live whale in the Seine. A third project is, at least, more capable of realisation. It is proposed to make wax figures of all the most famous actresses and courtesans of ancient ana modern times, and display them iu •PP' o ' priate costomn.