LECTURE PREVENTED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20989, 28 September 1931, Page 8

LECTURE PREVENTED.

DAMAGE TO LANTERN.

MYSTERIOUS OCCURRENCE. DELIBERATE ACT SUSPECTED. An unfortunate experience befell the well-known lecturer, Mr. E. Headlam Greenhow, in the Town Hall concert chamber last, evening. He had arranged lo deliver an illustrated address on "Egypt, the Land of Mystery," but on arrival at the hall ho found that his lantern slido projector had been tampered with and seriously damaged. .All the screws had been removed from the fittings, the condensers had been stolen, and the lenses scratched and loosened.

When the lantern was set in position in the hall yesterday morning it was in perfect order and ready for immediate use. The mischief apparently was done some time in the afternoon. The intruder, or intruders, presumably gained entrance to the building by means of the stage door, which was left open for a short period. Mr. Greenhow is one of the few holders of a City Council permit to conduct lecture entertainments on Sundays and he is of the opinion that the harm done to his lantern was a deliberate attempt to prevent him from lecturing. "It is nothing moro nor less than spito on tho part of someone to stop my lecture," lie said.

Piactically every seat in the concert chamber was occupied in the evening and the large gathering was most sympathetic toward Mr. Greenhow. As soon as the damage to the lantern was discovered a search was made for an electrician among tho audience, but none could be found. Ultimately the assistance of an expert was obtained from a city firm and at 8.20 p.m., more than an hour after the advertised time for the starting of the lecture, the lantern was partially repaired. Several scenes were shown, but owing to the imperfect reflection and the danger of harming the valuable slides it was decided to abandon the lecture.

Throughout the evening Mr. entertained the audience with classical pianoforte music, recitations and songs. The address, the net proceeds of which are to be devoted to the Mayor's relief fund for unemployed women, will be delivered next Sunday evening free of charge.