GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15504, 10 January 1914, Page 5 (Supplement)

GENERAL NEWS.

INTOXICATING i SNUFF*?',. '):, [ SNtTF- that- 'produces' effects/like .intbxlca tion led to a firm-of Birmingham'chemists being, fined ;..20s ".- for. -selhrig';: - poisbn s ;iibt labelled in ; accordance' with 5. the "statute. It-'was stated "thaVa • ! of -snuff tained. per cent, of cocaine,*'; and-that the article was extensively'sol'd by licensed victuallers and tobacconists. "I Counsel .for the prosecution 'alleged; that the i effects amongst working men • were -most", pernicious. Frequent use, of the; snuffs produced results ' which. were easily mistaken for intoxication, and there > were cases where workmen'had been'' discharged in consequence, ■ . ■' :■■ ■ SHOT: BY SENTRY. V . Recent. advice from Braila, 'Rounianiai stated that a British ship's engineer;: was killed there by a sentry in unusual circumstances. The engineer, who wsss.in an advanced state of intoxication, landed from his ship. and made a disturbance in the streets of the town. ' He was taken before j the.Chief Commissioner : of Police, 'who, however, set him at 1 liberty, - but - placed him in charge of a police-sergeant who wao to conduct, him back to his ship.. - Th» engineer succeeded in ■ disarming his escort, and fled, brandishing "the sergeant's sabre.; He ran to the quarters of' an ,"infantryvregiment, where a*sentry,. failing to receive .any reply' to 1 his -challenge, .'shot him dead." •• ■'• • 1 'SDrCIDE-IN^'CHUROffitS-r. ! An inquest, was lieM at Greenwich i recently , on .the. body, of' Abraham .] Arthur Ascoh, aged 52, a.pensiioned;metropolitan police-constable, who . cbmmitted, suicide by- hanging at St. George's'Church,' ; East Ureenwich, where' he 'was' employed as verger. The Rev., Thomas Price,"vicar of St., George's, said when? he .went ' to. the church he found the verger .hanging by a rope from a curtain-rod. just- behind the west door. . On a: table,, in .the -vestry he found.an envelope,bearing the words,' '«On His Majesty's. Service," : on, which' was written: "Head so bad could;not face train. Oh, my-head! ~1. have come! home. .Y. e ; , The jury, returned ..verdict of suicide.during .temporary insanity.' •,:■

i EXPLOSION .IN A. SEWER " •• The serious risks which sewerinen-incur through-petrol being allowed to -pass:into the drains were, exemplified by an explosion which> occurred recently in i NorWicfc. A foreman named Havers, in the employ of the corporation, had been- engaged with a. number of. other men in cleaning the sewer. All except the foreman had left, when a violent explosion, caused, by the" lighted candle which. Havers was carrying coming into ; contact f with petrol vapour, shook the neighbourhood. . Havers,' who was near a manhole, was quickly rescued and removed to hospital, suffering from burns. The force of the explosion lifted off a heavy manhole, covering, and considerable damage was done •to property in the district. ■ The lower windows of a public house were blown into fragments; those of a butcher's shop adjoining were smashed, as also were the large plate-glass windows of a warehouse, -thirty* yards away. • . '

" KOEPENICK FAILURE. ■• " Commissioner Smith/' ~a' man who seems to have commissioned himself to act as. a. very, important, officer of the Boy Scout Corps, was unsuccessful''in an attempt to impose upon the credulity,of naval officers at Dover. He had visited Faversham, Ramsgate, Deal, ' and other towns, where he had got,.into touch with the boy scout and sea" scout authorities and in some cases had carried out inspections. He wore scout dress, with the ribbons of the Victoria Cross and various war medals. Two mine-laying ' cruisers, the Jason and Speedy, were in Dover.Harbour, - and the "Commissioner," ■ proceeding to the coastguard station, requested that a signal should be made -to the Jason's commander that "Commissioner Smith" wished to come aboard,- and asKed j that, a boat should be sent ashore -for. him. The signal was. made, but 'the »warship officers- . were dubious. about their visitor, and after being questioned the. man was given in charge. The police found by telephone inquiries ■ that " Commissioner Smith" is unknown to the scout -authorities. It is said he obtained his scout uniform at Faversham. Thepoljce/lafer » the day released; him' ami "sent Turn to Fsversham s ~ <- ~~ "—" "■■;