ITEMS OF GENERAL HEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17651, 11 December 1920, Page 2 (Supplement)

ITEMS OF GENERAL HEWS.

DIED While AT PRAYER. : The Westminster coroner * recorded a verdict of death from natural,causes in the case of Sheringham Alfred' Shepherd, retired banker,-who;was found dead by his valet in Queen Anne's Mansions, don. When the discovery was made Mr. Shepherd was kneeling fat his bedside in an attitude of prayer; the light in his room was burning, and his bed had not been occupied. Death was due -to heart disease. A WOMAN MARVEL. The strange case of a woman who is still alive though she has a bullet in her brain, was described at the Old Bailey, when Horace Russell, caretaker of a bank, was charged with attempted murder and attempted suicide. In the early morning (, daughter of the accused was awakened by hearing a crash, and on going into the scullery found her mother lying on the floor, and her father standing by with a revolver in his hand. Counsel said that a bullet was stiE in Mrs. Russell's brain, and it was marvellous that she was alive. The man had two bullet wounds, and two bullets were still in his head.

■ A. PSYCHIC MYSTERY. , • r .What is regarded as an unusual psychic j demonstration is v engaging the attentionof New York- medical men. Clarence j Marsh, of Akron, in the State of Ohio, I became ill recently, and was placed under an anaesthetic to be operated upon. ' At"; that identical instant his twin sister Clara, who- lives with her parents in the town of Frederick, in the State. of Maryland, 275 miles" away, • was seized with nausea and .fever. The family say that Miss Marsh, a short while ago, bled copiously from the nose. > A few days later a letter from Clarence Marsh mentioned incidentally that he had been troubled with an obstinate case of nosebleeding, and it was ascertained by inquiry that it occurred at the same tipns as his sister's. The parents say tbjat whenever the girl catches a bad cold they know that her brother is similarly affected. HELD 38,000 INQUESTS, By the death of Mr. Wynne Edwin Baxter, London loses its oldest coroner. For over 35 years he was coroner for East London, and before that he held a similar office in Susses. Among' the ' 38,000 or more inquests which Mr. Baxter held in East London were most of the Jack-the-Ripper murders, and many I

THE DAVIS CUP LAWN TENNIS CONTESTS TO-BE PLAYED'-AT AUCKLAND THIS MONTH: THE AMERICAN 1 {TOP .PICTURE) AND AUSTRALASIAN REPRESENTATIVES "WHO. WILL COMPETE. V _ . ,' ■ x -

/ The Davis Cup contests -will take place aft the Auckland Domain, on December 28, 30, and 31. • The contest is for the best of'five matches, four; singles and. one double. Australasia at present holds the cup. The names of the American'representatives (top group),- from left to. right are :—W.M.' Johnston, Samuel Hardy. '(captain), W. T. Tilden,. Watson Washburn, The names of the | Australasian team ; (bottomJ group), "from left to right /are :'—P. O'Hara Wood/ .=R. W. Heath, Norman; E. Brookes (captain), Gerald Patterson. . - r°;

court of justice, and many of them, do not even know the meaning of elementary legal terms. They have got to know, and so they must be taught. ) For instance, it is-important that women should know what value to place upon v counsel's remarks, both -, when; he • is j cross-examining and when he is addressing the i jury.",. Barristers -sometimes try, to- flatter the- jurors. They may try even harder when 5 there are women on the jury. , I , do not know. But women must be on their, guard against this sort of thing,, and not allow; it. to influence their decision." 6000 ASK FOR DOG'S REPRIEVE. Although 6000 people signed, a petition for his reprieve, the sentence of death passed on " Onkie," a Swibiton dog, has been confirmed. A, further appeal, however, is to be made to a higher Court, and the sentence will remain in abeyance. " Onkie," a black and white terrier, had been ordered to be destroyed on account of his ferocity. But the National Canine Defence League took up the case, with the result that the appeal ; was hejard. During part of the proceedings the -dog was allowed to take a seat beside the counsel for his defence, Mr. Cecil. Whiteley. " As a lover of animals," declared the latter, ** I put: the character -dogs on; a , higher level than ; the character^ of men." - ,Mr. Whiteley contended that-the dog was not dangerous, /but only playful —p. view supported by several witnesses. He suggested that, the- Court should' order the, animal to? be kept tinder proper. centreV •> .'■ ...

l other well-known crimes. He also held I inquests on all the spies who were shot in the Tower of London during the war. On one day • alone he held inquests on over >60 of • the* victims of the Silvertown explosion. Mr. •. Baxter * was always a hard.worker- ~On the day- on which he was taken - ill, September 15, he i had six inquests- to' hold: : -He had .finished ' three of these when he was suddenly seized with - heart trouble, - and- was' removed! " by motor-car to' his home. .!{' " *" •" •A SCHOOL FOE STEEPLEJACKS. " Aldershot : has the ■ distinction of- being the first town to possess, a school for training steeplejacks. All * the pupils are young men between '17 and 21 years of age, and among them • are youths ' who have just completed engineering or building apprenticeships. " Since I have started my school." said Mr. Ager, the founder, ''I have been struck by the difference in temperament of the pupils. Some of them cannot .master the terrors of height for days, while others will scale a 130 ft. f chimney stack immediately they see it. A man who shows no fear whendoing what we call • ' straight climbing' often loses : his nerve ■ when the big •; tests are i given 'him. These tests consist of a pupil -climbing to av height of 180 ft. and swinging ' round: the * chimney on a > platform suspended from .the.- summit.. The most exacting test for the young steeplejack, however, is for him "to run round the top of a chimney j only 9in. ins width, It rts r 3 impossible .* to walk- owing -to the smoke, and gases, •-. and- : sometimes the r chimney -too. hot to. -'v -ii