FROM THE WORLD'S PRESS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14301, 22 February 1910, Page 7

FROM THE WORLD'S PRESS

IMPERIAL AND FOREIGN NEWS

"ICE KING" IN PRISON.

Mm. C. W: Morsk, formerly known as the New York " Ice King," and ' once worth 22,000,000 dollars, controller of banks containing deposits to the value of 100,000,000 dollars, has been ; conveyed 10 the prison at Atlanta, Georgia, where he is to serve a term of 15 years' imprisonment. Three years ago Mr. Morse was convicted on several charges , of misappropriation of bank fiinds and making false entries. While the case has been going through the various Courts of Appeal, Mr. Morse, allowed out on bail, has been working to clear off his debts and re-establish his credit. He was perfectly confident of beings found innocent, and the final pronouncement against'the former millionaire was a terrible blow to his family and his many, friends, who believed in his innocence. , ■

FOREIGNERS IN RUSSIA. ' By a recent order of the prefect of St. Petersburg, the police have been instructed to make a register of all foreign residents and arrivals in the capital . A record of them must be kept 'in the various police stations. The tpecial' attention of the police is drawn to foreigners who have taken up their residence in St. Petersburg since the middle of October.

THIRTY-FOUR YEARS A CONVICT. At Newark Borough quarter sessions, 'William Rose, aged ' 72, of. Sheffield, was sentenced to seven years' penal servitude for burglary at' Newark., "When . arrested at Belfast the prisoner had £23 in notes and gold, a receipt for £58 on the Glasgow Linen Bank, and deposits in other banks to the amount of £500. Since 1863. it was stated, the prisoner had had a continuous' career of . crime, having been sentenced in the aggregate to 34 years' penal servitude, and 78 calendar months' imprisonment. . THE OPIUM EVIL IN CHINA. Despite the evident sincerity of .-: the Chinese Government in the crusade it has undertaken, it is evident that the complete suppression, of poppy cultivation and the use pf opium in China will not be easy of accomplishment. - Opium dens , are, of course, forbidden, but a considerable number are still open clandestinely—perhaps about half as many as were 18 months ago. From time to time the native', newspapers mention cases of raids made by the police on such secret dens, the penalty. inflicted on the owners averaging a fine • of 15 dollars, or a month's imprisonment with hard labour. The price of . opium has ' increased greatly, in the . 'case of foreign opium, by 50 per cent. ; ''while; the price of native opium, which comes chiefly from Shansi and Kansu, lias "doubled. ; Opium pipes are difficult to obtain openly, though they can still be bought secretly. . Unfortunately a. great-, deal of opium is now consumed in the form of anti-opium pills. ANTI-SUICIDE BUREAU. T The results of the work of- the Salvation. Army's Anti-Suicide Bureau during the past nine . months show that 770 male and 89 female applicants were dealt ' with . at the Army's headquarters qin Queen Victoriastreet, London. Colonel Unswftrth, who is in charge of the bureau, . has classified . these in five different groups, namely, those suffering from financial embarrassment, including both the hopelessly poor and those who, while hitherto in affluent ;.' circumstances, are, now threatened with; financial disaster through speculation • or J general misfortune ; victims of drink or the drug habit; those afflicted with melancholia, attributable to disease or a sense of loneliness ; those whose suicidal tendencies are due to. incapacity for work through accident, general debility, and other : causes ; and, finally, those- who are afraid of prosecution; for forgery, embezzlement, fraud, as well as those guilty of felonious offences who are brooding, con-science-stricken, over tHeir own wrongdoing, 1 although they have no fear of detection.: Those who have applied at the bureau have invariably benefited by its influence upon their, future outlook on life. .They embrace people in practically every station of life, professional men, tradesmen, working men, and others, including a minister of religion, a professor, a sea captain, several holders of University degrees, besides several military officers. .One of the most interesting cases was that of a colonel, who' was not only diverted from thoughts of suicide, but, as the result of publicity given to his case, found congenial work, and ultimately married a lady of means, with whom he now enjoys prosperity and happiness. :

LOVE TRAGEDY IN ROME. • Signorina Vera Brusati, the 18-year-old daughter of the military commandant of the Rome division and niece of an aide-de-camp to King Victor Emmanuel, committed suicide by shooting herself through the heart with a revolver. The deceased lady was generally acknowledged to be one of the most beautiful women in Rome society. Her tragic suicide is attributed to disappointment in a love affair. ' . ' THE TOTALISATOR IN FRANCE. The pari-mutuel has, in the last 12 months, turned over at Longchamps about £3,000,000, at St. Cloud £1,000,000, at St. Ouen, Enghien, and liaisons Lafitte £3,500,000, at Le Tremblay £1,000,000, and at .Auteuil £2,500,000. " NEW AFGHAN STAMP. Philatelists will be interested in the news from Cabul that the Ameer, has approved of the issue of a new stamp for postal service in Afghanistan. The design is in blue, with a mosque in the centre encircled by stars. It is stated from the frontier that the Ameer intends to order another suspension bridge from India, as that erected over the Cabul River above Jellalubad has been a great success. I NEW'YORK'S ROSE GIRL. There is prosperity in the air in New York, and, despite the high tariff on imported wines and other luxuries, there is plenty of money" always for joyous festivity. In one - great restaurant the New Year revellers had engaged supper tables, at £2 - a seat. •Precisely at midnight., when the lights were. lowered, the electric bells tinkling, and great artists singing a welcome to the New Year, 1 a door in a grandfather's clock opened and there stepped- forth a beautiful young, woman.' costumed in roses, wearing ; a crown of roses, with , a garland of roses around her neck, festooned with roses, and carrying in' her hand a basket of roses, which she distributed as favours to the guests. With all-its Roheniianisni and cosmopolitan population, New York was surprised and astounded at the rose girl, who blushed prettily as she handed the flowers to the. guests and disappeared.

BIG GAME IN INDIA. Calcutta sportsmen in search of big game were, surprised recently by the announcement that they need' go no further afield than the Sunderbiinds. Shortly hefore Christinas (says the Statesman) a lascar was carried; off from among a gang of men who were engaged in attending to navigation marks in the Cattalee River. The European in charge of the work was having his breakfast on a barge moored close to the bank, when a large tiger came boldly out of the jungle, seized one of the lasears, and dragged the unfortunate man into the undergrowth. The animal disappeared with his prey before the officer could get his gun. Not far from this same place the marks of a tiggr were seen in the mud on the river bank, and it is supposed that the cyclone of October 17 by destroying small game has driven the tigers to . display greater boldness ia their search for nrey. • ,