Clippings.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 209, 11 September 1875, Page 7

Clippings.

CIRCUS LIFE

(Menageries form also an attractive part of some travelling shows, and the she-tamersof wild beasts are prominent among circus celebrities. Van Amburgh, in answer to a question put by the Duke of Wellington, said that if lie ever felt afraid he should retire “from the beast line.” The greater number of lions in this country have been bred in cages, and are more readily tamed than those purchased, in a wild state. It is said that the Sangors own a lion which is so tame that it is allowed to roam at large in their house like a cat. Lion tamers must lie strictly sober men. Macomo, one of the most daring of the fraternity, never drank any. beverage stronger than coffee. “ Many stories of his exploits are told by showmen. One of the finest tigers ever imported into this country, and said to be the identical beast that escaped from Jamraeh’s possession and killed a boy before it was recaptured, was purchased by Mandcrs and placed in a cage with another tiger. The two beasts soon began to fight, and were engaged in a furious conflict, when Macomo entered the cage, armed only with a whip, and attempted to separate them. Botli the tigers immediately turned their fury on him, and severely lacerated him with their sharp claws, but covered with blood as he was, he continued to belabor them with the whip until they cowered before him, and knew him for their master.” Like Van Amburgh and Crockett, Macomo died a natural death. Macarthy, the successor of Macomo, was less fortunate. He was of intemperate habits, and often turned liis back upon the animals, though cautioned not to do so. He died a horrible death at Lolton, as some of our readers may remember. The exhibition of wild beasts is rarely very profitable, so great are the expense and risk ; but it appears that tlie animals will sometimes render their keepers essential service when in pecuniary difficulties. “ A sheriff’s officer was one day about to arrest a debtor when the man ran under an elephant’s belly, and took up a safe position on the other side. The officer, trying to go behind, was prevented by a sudden movement of the elephant’s hind-quarters ; he then tried to dive under the animal, but the beast gave him a slap with his trunk. ‘ I’ll have you if I wait here all day,’ said he, as he drew back hastily. ‘You had better not wait

till I unfasten this chain,’ said the elephant keeper, pretending to do what he threatened, upon which the officer moved off, and the man escaped.” A similar tale is told of a liontamer, who, in order to avoid arrest, took refuge among his lions.—“ Circus Life and Circus Celebrities.” A DOMESTIC CATASTROPHE. Mr. Cobleigh had just got down to breakfast. Ife was standing up to the stove with his hands clasped behind him, as is his custom, contemplating the attractively-set table. A large platter of broiled ham, with fried eggs, was the central feature—and Mr. Cobleigh is \ ery fond of ham and eggs. The family cat was lying under the table purring softly to herself. Tt was a strongly-marked domestic scene, and Mr. Cobleigh felt his eyes moisten as he surveyed it. Mrs. Cobleigh was taking up the potatoes. She had the last one pierced with the fork, and was about to deposit it with the rest, when she espied the upturned palm of her husband’s hand. What possessed lier she cannot tell, but she dropped the steaming vegetable straight into his unconscious hand. He didn’t ask her what she was doing ; he didn’t even look around. He simply emitted an awful scream, and sprang madly into the air. On the descent he struck the table with his knees with such force as to completely overturn it, and with the contents he went down to the floor with an awful crash. A pound’s worth of crockery was smashed, and a carpet, coat, and pair of pants were ruined by ham, gravy, and butter. It is probable Mr. Cobleigh would have fainted dead away from the effects of the shock, had not the cat, across whose erected hack he fell, as he was darting from the awful calamity, turned around and fastened both claws and teeth into his leg with deadly ferocity. This revived him. The house is now shut up. Mrs. Cobleigh is visiting her mother in Margate, and Mr. Cobleigh has taken a jaunt to Brighton on business. We understand she thinks Mr. Cobleigh to blame in the matter, for, she properly reasons, had he not jumped so there would have been no damage done.

“ HE WOULD BE A GENTLEMAN.” Mr. Gladstone, or whoever is the author of the remarkable article on the Court of Queen "Victoria in the last number of the Contemporary, refers to the patent fact that in England wealtli is now “diffused through a circle so much extended, and so fast extending, that to be wealthy does not of itself satisfy,” adding that “ the keenness of the unsatisfied desire, aspiring selfishly not to superiority, but rather to the marks of superiority, seeks them above all in the shape of what is termed social distinction.” A ludicrous instance, says Iron, of this foolish ambition occurred the other day at Brentford, where a clerk named Iloote, convicted of swearing in the streets—the penalty for which, under an Act of George 11., is Is. per oath for a clay laborer, common soldier, or common sailor ; 2s. for every other jxerson under the degree of a gentleman ; and ss. for all of or above that degree—claimed to be a gentleman, and insisted on paying the highest penalty. By consenting to this self-appraisement the magistrates acted illegally, for Route’s position is that of a menial servant. It is not generally known that the rank and precedence of every Englishman who possesses either are strictly defined by law. A reference to any table of precedence among men and women, or to a list of persons present at a levee, will show the order of this arrangement, from the Princes of the Blood Royal down to the officers of the army and navy, who occupy the lowest step of legal rank, coming after doctors, masters of arts, barristers, and other small deer. The officers and all above them in rank are, of course, gentlemen. But, as an ancient legal authority lias observed, “ We make gentlemen good cheap in England,” and by courtesy of law, several other sorts of men, such as attorneys, surgeons, authors, and other professional people, whose employment is not servile, together with persons living on their means and “ bearing the port, charge and countenance” of gentlemen, may write “ gent.” after their names, without invalidating any legal document in which it may appear. Still the line must be drawn somewhere, and it is drawn at tradesmen. Clerks rank with artisans, even Civil Service Clerks, it has been decided in the superior courts, are not entitled to the affix. At all events, Mr. Route, or Shoots, as he is called by another reporter, may be assured that profane swearing, even with a maximum fine, is neither the mark nor the qualification of a gentleman, and that an occasion of shame can never become the source of honor. DARING BANK ROBBERY. The Soiiliegan National Bank at Milford, New Hampshire, was robbed in October last by six masked men, who broke open the house of the cashier in the night, and, after securing the other inmates, compelled the cashier to go with them to the hank and unlock the safes, from which they took a large amount of property and securities. The wide publicity given to this audacious outrage may have interfered with the disposal of the spoils. The Nashua (New Hampshire) Telegraph gives the following account of wliat has since happened, the statement being obtained from Mr. Towne, the president of the bank:—-“About two months after the robbery Mr. Towne received a despatch from a person professing to be an ‘ independent detective ’ in Baltimore, stating that he had information concerning the stolen property, and requesting an interview. No notice was taken of this letter, but when it was followed by another, Mr. Towne thought it worth while to reply that he would be at a well-known hotel in Baltimore at a certain time. He went accordingly, and shortly after (he had registered, he was greeted by the detective, who, after a few remarks, suggested that it would be better to be where they would not he interrupted, and invited the banker to his

office. Mr. Town was conducted to a building not far away, and ushered through a re-ception-room on the first floor to an office, where the two sat down. Mr. Towne presumes that the detective, if such was his real avocation, eyed him sharply, with a view of determining his character and the amount of nerve ho possessed, and he is certain that he returned the compliment. After some preliminary conversation, in which Mr. Towne was informed that the speaker obtained his information concerning the bonds from an attorney who was negotiating for .a client, he was asked if the bank would pay 40,000 or 50,00 i) dollars to recover the property that had been stolen. Mr. Towne replied in a guarded statement that ‘ the bank would pay something for the recovery of the contents of the vault.’ ‘ Where are the bonds ?’ asked Mr. Towne. ‘I don’t know,’ was the reply. The interview lasted about an hour and a half, and in it was accomplished the sounding of each other very thoroughly. As they were about to separate the detective said, ‘ In the course of the night I think I can get a schedule of the property. Will you meet me at this office at 1)) o’clock tomorrow morning V ‘1 will,’ replied Mr. Towne. At 10 o’clock the next morning Mr. Towne found his man waiting to receive him. A schedule had been prepared, and he was invited to examine it. He did so thoroughly, and after saying himself that the property did not belong t.o the bank said, * If this is a correct sqfiedule, the bonds are not ours.’ There was a short pause. ‘ Then there is nothing more to be said,’ added Mr. Towne. The detective acknowledged as much, expressed his disappointment, and hinted that he would try again. The two men parted, and Mr. Towne came home and reported to the directors of the bank, and after a conference it was agreed to keep quiet and wait for further developments. About a week after Mr. Towne’s return he received a letter in which nothing definite was stated, and which contained the interrogation, ‘Do you mean business ?’ Shortly after a telegram was received, requesting another interview. A consultation was had, and arranging as a matter of prudence with his family as to what place it could track him in should it happen that he ‘ was missing,’ lie again went to Baltimore. He arrived in the morning, and was met at the hotel as before. He again went to the detective office, and was in consultation without being interrupted or annoyed. This interview was unlike the first in many respects. ‘ Have you the money ?’ was the detective’s inquiry. ‘ No,’ was the answer, ‘ I have only enough for my travelling expenses.’ The detective then showed some shrewd diplomatic deportment, and, while he was not particularly uncivil, he accused Mr. Towne of double dealing and endeavor to trap him while he was making an honest effort to render him service. For the first time the latter was a little nervous, and anxious to return to the hotel. The inquiry was made liow large a sum of money would be paid for the bonds. Mr. Towne evaded the question. He thought the sum demanded—4o,ooodol. or oOjOOOclol.—too great a sacrifice, and, moreover, his confidence had become so shaken in the detective that he augured that he was an imposter. He closed the interview abruptly, returned to his hotel, determined to abandon the search for the property in this direction, and return home. At six o’clock that evening the detective called upon him at the hotel, and solicited another interview. Mr. Towne complied. ‘ How much will you give V was the first question upon reaching the office where the previous interview took place. The president declined to make an offer, but would entertain a proposition. This interview was more satisfactory. The detective nearly satisfied Mr. Towne that he could obtain the bonds, and made some propositions he agreed to submit and consider with the directors of the bank. The interview lasted several hours, and at eleven o’clock that night Mr. Towne took the train north. Upon arriving at home he laid the matter before the directors, and, after a careful canvass of the matter, the proposition of the detective was accepted and the time for the transfer arranged. Arriving at Baltimore, Mr. Towne was again met at the hotel in the evening and conducted to the detective’s office. After the usual courtesies, Mr. Towne, who had got the idea that they were to go somewhere, lie knew not where, to obtain the stolen property, inquired, ‘ Where shall we go?” This was the detective’s cue, and lie improved it. ‘ When will you be ready with the money?’ ‘I am ready now.’ Then I want you to take out of your pocket so much’ (naming a sum of money), and place it upon the table. ‘This,’ says Mr. Towne, ‘was the trying moment. My mind quickly conjured up all the evils that could possibly befall me. The perspiration oozed from my whole body and I was undecided. I fear I was sitting upon a trap. I feared the presence of another person, for the moment I placed a roll of money upon the desk the man rose, stepped to the door, and gave a loud rap, when it opened quickly, and a bundle was thrown upon the floor. I was requested to examine it. I did so, and for nearly au hour was engaged in examining the contents of the package and checking what belonged to the bank. I should say that about half the bonds were not ours.’ During all this time the detective showed no impatience. In fact, he was as pleasant and agreeable as he well could be under the circumstances. ‘When I got through, continued Mr. Towne, ‘lie repeated his former proceeding. Take out so much money. I did as requested, when the door was opened as before and a bundle thrown in.’ Another hour was spent in examining and checking the contents of this package, in which Mr. Towne found various documents that he had not missed, and a larger amount of the stolen property. He was assured that this was all that could be done for him, whereupon he tied the bonds and papers together, placed them upon his breast, buttoned his coat, and asked the detective to open the door.

This was another trying moment. ‘lmagination pictured my assassination in the next room,’ says Mr. Towne. Passing into the reception room, of which mention has been made, ho found it empty. He saw a number of men at the door. It was late, and therefore this again alarmed him. He returned to the office, and said to the detective, ‘ Why won’t you go to the corner of the street with me?’ The detective agreed that he would, conducted him through the crowd, which made no remarks, and accompanied him to the express office, where the property was deposited, after which they pleasantly said good-bye.” AN IMMENSE CUTTLE-FISH. Frank Buckland, of Laud and Water, writes: —“ Mr. Robert Hudson has been kind enough to send me an account of a large cuttle-fish captured off Boffin Island. The crew of a curragli, consisting of three men, dropped in for a strange adventure north-west of Boffin Island. Having shot their spillits in the morning, the curragli observed a great floating mass to seaward; they pulled out, believing it to he a wreck, but to their great astonishment found it to he a cuttle, perfect in shape, but of enormous proportions ; it lay perfectly still. What rarely enough occurs, there was no gaff or spare rope, and a knife was the only weapon aboard. The cuttle is much prised as bait for coarse fish ; and, their wonder somewhat over, the crew resolved to have a limb of the stranger. Seeing the great weight of this, and

knowing the crushing and holding powers of the class generally, open hostility could not be resorted to, and the fishermen shaped their tactics differently. Paddling up with caution, a single arm was suddenly seized and lopped off. The cuttle, hitherto at rest, became dangerously active now, and set out to sea at full speed in a cloud of spray, the immense sweeps plying in the rear and driving him through the waves at a wonderful rate. The canoe shaped round immediately and gave chase, and was up again after three-quarters of a mile. Hanging in rear of the fish a single arm was attacked in turn, while it took all the skill of the men to keep out of the deadly clutch of the suckers. The battle continued so irregularly for two hours, and thus, piecemeal and by strategy, was direct conflict avoided, which could terminate but in one way. Five miles out in the main, in their crazy canvas craft, the bowman still slashed away, holding on boldly by the stranger and steadily cutting down his powers. By this time the prize was partially subdued, and the curragli closed in fairly with the monster. The polished sides of the canoe afforded slender means of grasp, and such as were safe of the ten great arms slashed round through air and water in most dangerous but unavailing fashion. The trunk of the fish lay alongside fully as long as the canoe, while iu its extremity the mutilated animal emitted successive jets of fluid which darkened the sea for fathoms around. The head was now severed from the body, and this, which was unmanageable from its great weight, sank like lead. The remaining portions were stowed away and pulled ashore, to the utter amazement of the islanders. Of the portions of the mollusc taken ashore, two of the great arms are intact. They are evidently the shortest, but measure eight feet each, and compressed at the base measure fifteen inches. The tentacles attain in this specimen a length of five fathoms. The mouth, or mandible, is about the size of a quart jug, hooked with a beautifully fronded tongue. The head, devoid of all appendages, weighed about six stone, and the eyes were about fifteen inches in diameter.” “ ESQUIMAUX JOE.” (From the Standard.) An humble individual, over whose advent no fuss is made, is at present stopping iu a Fleet-street Hotel, London, “Esquimaux Joe.” It is not given to every one to have drifted fourteen hundred miles on an ice floe, and that incident is amongst those of Joe's career. The cause of his visit to London is to make preparations for joining the expedition in search of further traces of Sir John Franklin. He is a native of Cumberland, the ice-bound tract lying west of Davis’s Strait. He cannot say how old he is, but he appears to be approaching his fortieth year. He is a thin, narrow-chested, wiry man, about sft. Dili, high, hut though he lacks breadth, and depth of frame, there is evidence of strength in his set shoulders, and of strong powers of endurance in his make generally, and in his well-knit muscles. At first glance one would take him for a Chinaman ; the distinctive marks of the Mongolian race are all there—the strong black hair, the high cheek-bones, almondshaped eyes, and sallow complexion. Joe speaks English tolerably well ; he “ learned some talk ” first—to use his own expressionin King William’s Land ; but his English is curiously interspersed with Americanisms, and is pronounced with a slight suspicion of a Christry Minstrel accent. Joe is civilised, wears a round hat, clean linen, a grey coat of the season’s mode, and carries an umbrella with a patent oilskin cover—only fancy an Esquimaux walking down Fleet-street with a neat umbrella ! —but, then, his experience of our country is of very long standing. Joe’s “ first old man,” as he calls him, was Captain Penny, of Aberdeen, who brought him to Hull three-and-tweuty years ago. Though he thus accurately recalls the name of the commander, for whom he had much affection, he forgets the name of the ship. In the course of his occasional visits to England and the United States (which he saw fifteen years ago for the first time), our visitor from Arctic Cumberland has become so unpatriotic as to cease to yearn for his own land. In the course of our conversation with the Esquimaux, we ascertained a few opinions and a few scraps of information which will be interesting in view of the attention actually excited by Arctic exploration. This man was one of the Polaris crew which succeeded in penetrating to 82deg. 1 (jmin. N., the highest parallel yet reached by ship. Hall, a Cincinnati editor, was leader of that expedition, and

would have pushed further on had he not been overruled by his secoud, au old whalingcaptain, without a spark of enthusiasm. Hall died suddenly, it is believed, of apoplexy. He always speaks of Hall, who learned the Esquimaux language and habits during a sojourn in the Hudson’s Bay Territory, iu terms of almost childlike fondness. “ Never ho such a good man as Hall again-—never so good to mo.” Joe managed the dogs for Hall on the sledging parties, and the sum of his practical knowledge on this very important branch of Polar travelling is worth recording:—“White men can’t drive dogs ; Greenland dogs are no good ; the best dogs are to be had at Pond’s Bay” (on the west coast of Baffin Bay, and north of Prince William Land). The Polaris was closely beset by ice in 77deg. N., in June, 1572, and landed nineteen of her company, of -whom Joe was one, on an ice fioe with boats and provisions. Suddenly the ship broke away, and the nineteen were left to their fate. By a singular interposition of Providence the floe drifted under the influence of the Polar stream down to a point in Labrador, a distance of 1400 miles, and here the derelict explorers were picked up in the spring. During that unparalleled series of trials the little party would have perished hut for Joe, who taught his companions ti> build snow-houses and to catch seals. No better proof could he adduced of the good sense of Dr. Bessel’s assertion that no expeditions should go north without some Esquimaux for hunting and dog driving. The expedition on which Joe is now going is a small private one, the only vessel engaged being the yacht Pandora : but the command is in the hands of a competent and resolute officer, Mr. Alien Young, formerly of the Fox, the hero of the terrible sledge journey across the hummocks in Crosswell Bay in 1859, when his sledge broke down and he became snowblind, and had to lie left alone in a bag for forty-eight hours. The Pandora will take a different route from the expedition that lately left Portsmouth, choosing the western passage by Lancaster Sound, her primary object being to light on some survivors of the fate of Franklin.

The Esquimaux is emphatic iu the belief that “ nobody ever looked for Sir John Franklin right—every time hurry—no finding out things.” His notion is that a summer stay in King William’s Land is necessary. By the way, ho states, as -if with pride, that the people of King William’s Land “like fight, and cairy knives all the time.” Nature will peep out, and the dark eyes of Joe twinkle as he says this. His ideas as to the success of the expedition under Captains Markham and Nares are not reassuring. He thinks that the leading ship may possibly get as far as the south side of Polaris Bay, but no further. Progress after that is matter of mere luck. There is very had ice in Robeson Strait ; it lies in great slabs of from fifty to ninety feet high ; and, altogether, when the chances of getting to the Pole are mentioned, Joe looks serious, and gloomily shakes his head. It is pleasant to know, however, that this Esquimaux, who served for years on a Scotch whaler, has no hesitation iu admitting that Englishmen and American meu are the best for an arctic expedition. THE CARL VOGT ROMANCE. (From the New York Sun, .Tune 4.) Carl Vogt, whose real name he now admits to be Joseph Supp, sailed for Europe iu the Switzerland yesterday. This ends the American chapter of the most extraordinary extradition case on record. On the 2nd of October, 1871. Vogt (by which name he is best known) quitted Brussels for England. The night before his departure the chateau of the Chevalier du Bois de Bianco, a Belgian nobleman of great wealth, was burnt and sacked, and tlie finding of the charred remains of the Chevalier in the blackened ruins of the chateau threw all Brussels into a fever of excitement. Suspicion pointed to Vogt as the probable perpetrator of the triple crime of robbery, arson, and murder, on account of his quitting the country, and the discovery of the fact that the burned nobleman liad given him mortal offence by inducing him, while he was employed as a gardener, to marrv a discarded mistress, and b v subsequently renewing his intimacy with the woman. Vogt was traced to London, and there it was learned that he met a young woman from his native town in Prussia, and sailed with her for the United States. In December of the same year ex-Detcctive Philip Farley arrested him in the Continental Hotel, iu Philadelphia, where ho was lavishly spending the proceeds of stocks, bonds, and securities known to have been the property of his former employer. Vogt was hrou'dit to New York without warrant, and to prevent his release upon a writ of habeas corpus, a General Sessions Grand Jury was induced to indict him for bringing into this State property stolen elsewhere. The trial of this indictment was conveniently delayed, pending an application to Governor Hoffman to extradite him, under the provisions of a statute of 1822, which was evidently intended to confer upon the Governor power to surrender criminals to foreign states, upon demand, as a matter of comity. The necessity for this style oE extradition grew out of the fact that there was then no extradition treaty between the United States and Belgium. While this business was iu progress tho woman who accompanied Vogt retained lawyers for him, and turned over to them a large lot of securities, said to have been worth 100,000dol. or more, by way of guaranteeing their fees. These lawyers, however, rendered their client no important service. Governor Hoffman decided to deliver tho prisoner to the Belgian authorities, and Vogt's half frantic female companion, deprived by this time of means to employ other counsel, applied to Mr. Wm. F. Kintzing for assistance. He sued out a writ of habeas corpus from the Superior Court, which was served at the door of the Tombs just iu time to prevent the transfer of tho prisoner thence to a European steamer on the point

of .sailing. .Judge Curtis decided the law upon which Governor Hoffman acted to be in conflict with the Constitution of the United States, and therefore inoperative, and ordered Vogt’s discharge from custody. This decision was affirmed by the Court of Appeals, but the liberation which it finally worked did not avail the prisoner for even half an hour. Ife was reincarcerated upon a Bench warrant, based upon the General Sessions indictment, and detainers of civil orders of arrest were piled up on him freely, although it was well understood that neither the indictment nor the civil suits would ever be brought to trial. The object was to gain time for a further effort in the extradition line. This was made by inducing the Prussian Government to demand the surrender of Vogt, on the ground that lie was a Prussian subject, and under a law of that kingdom was amenable to trial in Prussia for any crime committed anywhere on the habitable globe. The local courts did not negative this extraordinary claim of jurisdiction, but the AttorneyGeneral and Secretary of State at Washington held that such a claim on the part of a foreign Government could not be recognised. It was necessary for the pursuers of Vogt to resort again to the device of detaining him by means of civil orders of arrest.

Meanwhile, a treaty between the Belgian Government and the United States was negotiated and ratified. It contains a retroactive clause, obviously framed to fit the case of Vogt. Under it new proceedings were instituted. They dragged along for months, and have ended with the embarkation of yesterday. Vogt had been in the Tombs and Ludlowstreet Gaol four years and a-half. When first arrested he was a fine-looking, robust young man. He goes away grey and wrinkled, with a fair prospect of ending his days in prison, because the Belgian penalty of his crime, if he is guilty, is imprisonment for life. His mistress, with a babe now two years old, is left destitute, and has subsisted for a long time mainly upon the charity of her countrymen. The stocks and bonds are left for the lawyers to quarrel over.