HOME AND FOREIGN NEWS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1510, 7 February 1901, Page 55

HOME AND FOREIGN NEWS

GERMANY’S NAVAL LOSS.

TERRIBLE SCENES IN MALAGA HARBOUR.

; MADRID, December 17. , Further details are new to baud concerning the loss of the German training ship Gnelsenau, which was wrecked in. the port of Malaga on Sunday. It is still impossible to accurately estimate the number of lives that have been lost, but a late estimate places it at forty, out of while forty-eight of the rescued are more or less seriously injured. It appears that the Gneisenau was anchored in the outer harbour on Sunday morning, and the crew, consisting largely of cadets, were being inspected, when a terrific storm sprang up, the like of which no inhabitant of Malaga can remember. The commander, thinking he would be safer out at sea, gave immediate orders to the engineers to get up steam, but before this could be done the vessel was flung violently on to a reef and immediately began to settle down. A scene of horror ensued. A large number of the crew threw themselves in to the sea, seizing planks or anything which offered a support in the angry waters. Few of these, however, reached the shore, and at the end of half an hour nearly all of them had disappeared, while the training ship was by that time submerged up to the middle of her masts. Crowds of sailors and other persons flocked to the qua}', but the violence of the storm rendered the task of rescue from the shore almost futile. A small boat manned by Malaga sailors put off, and by a supreme effort picked up fifteen .men, but before it could reach the quay a huge wave capsized the frail boat and twelve of the temporarily rescued were drowned. The other three were pulled up by ropes thrown from the quay; while two of the brave sailors also succeeded in clambering up by ropes. Two officers were washed ashore on planks. The ship*® lifeboat, which got away with twenty men on board, was capsized and seventeen were drowned.

The rescued men have been well, looked after by the municipal authorities of Malaga, and supplied with dry clothing and beds.

Malaga now has a look of desolation. The Consulates’ flags fly at half-mast and the theatres are closed. Among the drowned is the first machinist, the naval engineer, and several boatswains who formerly belonged to the crew of the Friedrich Charles.

One sailor Who was sewed became a lunatic. Others were terribly bruised. The first officer fought the waves for hours before sinking. Another maintained himself afloat by embracing a log for five hours, and then disappeared. Among the saved is Beradt, nephew of Chancellor Buelow. The waves continue to throw corpses up on the beach. It is believed it will be possible to save the artillery and the safe containing money. "BLOOD THICKER THAN WATER.” KAISER THANKS ADMIRAL FISHER FOR ASSISTANCE AT MALAGA. MALTA, December 18. The German Emperor has telegraphed to Admiral Fisher, in acknowledgment of hie offer of assistance in connection with the wreck of the Gneisenau, as follows: "My* consul telegraphs that you have kindly sent two ship® to assist our poor men at Malaga. I hasten to thank you sincerely. Your action ©hows once more that sailors are comrades all the world over, and that blood is thicker than water.”—"Central News.” BERLIN, December 18. *The Emperor William ha© addressed the following order to the Imperial Chancellor, dated December 17th: - "My Navy has again had to make heavy sacrifices, but it will not allow itself to be diverted from the path marked out by it© proud duty to fight and to endure, whatever God’s, will may Bring, Of that I-am certain.” u , The German Consul at Malta has sent the. following., telegram to.. the Imperial / "Secretary ox State for the Navy: The • British admiral and the whole British Mediterranean Squadron beg you to re-ceive-the expression of their sincere sympathy on the occasion of the loss of the Gneisenau. Two- vessels have been sent to Malaga by tlie admiral.” ‘ . ’ The “Norddeuteohe Allbemeine” mentions a number of hearty expressions of ' sympathy which .have peached the Emperor from the heads-of States and from '" authorities and private persons abroad, especially from England. Lord Lanclsdowne and : Lord Selborne -■ have expressed to the German Embassy Jh London their deep sympathy. ViceAdmiral Fisher has also telegraphed from Malta to the , British Charge dAtfairea here in. the name of hiss squadron Reu--fcerr : . -av AT,A (T-A 'December 13

MALAGA. December 13. The body of Captain Kretsehmann, of the Gneisenau, W been wAed The remains will bo interred _ in the British cemetery here enveloped in a Ger- -* man nag'. ' This is' the first body that has been recovered. “Reuter.'’ - - GRIM’ SEQbEL TO a MDEbEE. ~i ; V, STOCKHOLM, December 6. .. A striking illustration of the saying that murderers are generally impelled by curiosity to revisit the scene of their crimes has just occurred near,Lund,, in; the south . of Shvedon.- " - On Christmas Day, two years ago, an oetler ramed Andersson had an altercat tion with a stable companion named Widrikkson, whom he brutally stabbed to death, and, all the endeavours of the police tkf discover the whereabouts of the mur■derer have hitherto proved unavailing. Yesterday, however, Andersson's body was found hanging from a tree in a dense

forest, in the immediate vicinity of the spot where his crime of two years ago was perpetrated. It appears that, hunted by detectives and haunted by remorse, Andersson decided to commit suicide almost in the very place where his victim had been discovered. - ? MONEY PANIC IN BERLIN. £250,000,(100 WORTH OF BONDS INVOLVED. BERLIN, December 12. The slump in mortgage bonds threatens to wreck Germany’s economic stability. Unless public confidence is restored some banks and bankers here may find themselves in serious difficulties, and financial crisis of unparalleled gravity may be precipitated in Berlin. The amount of the mortgage bonds in circulation is five milliards of marks (£250,000,000). The mortgage banks were the principal sources of supply to the money market, their bonds being regarded as first - class securities. All this confidence has now disappeared, and the public are selling their bonds indiscriminately and at panic prices. The Pomeranian Bank- in one week repurchased £BOO,OOO worth of its own bonds. The First Preussische Hypothek Bank and the Deutsche Grundschuld Bank, however, were unable to meet the strain, and the Government has appointed receivers in both cases. The papers demanu the arrest of the directors, Herren Sanden and Puchmueller Schmidt. Herr Warsawsky, the third director, has gone abroad. Herr Sanden’s personal character is unimpeachable, and, moreover, his private estate has been sequestrated for the benefit of the bondholders. He live© at Potsdam, gives liberally to churches and charities, and is a prominent supporter of the Empress's religious propaganda. Meanwhile the crisis continues, and a general panic is quite possible. To avert the crash the Deutsche Bank and some other houses to-day formed a. committee for the protection, of bondholders, which is advancing funds in payment of interest due. COUNT MURAVIEFF’S DEATH:. There have been many rumours in circulation about the death of the late Russian Foreign Minister. Dr George Brandes. the eminent Danish critic, has just published in the "Verdens Gang,’ 5 the most influential of the Norwegian Liberal journals, a leng account of an interview with a-Russian professor from the University of Tomsk in Siberia, who called upon him in Copenhagen. In the course of the conversation the professor, referring to the late Count Muravieff, said:—“You are aware, what every Russian knows, that Muravieff did not die a natural death. That he committed suicide is certain. The reason why he did so: is also pretty well known. Some time after the outbreak of the Boer war he had prepared and laid before the Czar a plan, according to which Russia should avail herself of the difficulties and the dilemma in which England was placed to obtain command of the Red Sea. Count Muravieff had already obtained the sanction of the Czar to the carrying out of the plan and all orders and instructions connected therewith were prepared, when the Czarina, who has strong English sympathies, heard of the plan and became so agitated that she was seized by a fainting fit. The Czar, in orler to secure peace in hi® own household, suddenly changed his mind and' countermanded all his orders. Count Muravieff would not survive this disappointment.”

EARL RUSSELL IN THE DIVORCE

COURT.

In the Divorce Court, on December 12th, Sir Francis Jeune and a common jury heard the suit of “Somerville v. Somerville and Russell.”—The. petitioner* Hr Geo. John Somerville, engineer -and secretary to. the Electrical, Power and Distribution company*, sought, a dissolution of his marriage with Mrs Marian Somerville on. the ground of her adultery with the Eight Hon Francis Stanley, Earl Russell, against, whom damages were claimed. . Mr Hargrave' Deane, Q.C., said it had -been agreed that the damages should beassessed at .£ISOO. The case was an extremely simple one. The respondent, whose maiden name was Cook, became the wife, of Mr James Watson, whom she married in Scat la nd, and th ey lived together until she divorced her husband according to Scots law by reason of his adultery. After that she married the petitioner in this case on July 23, 1889, and there had been two children of the marriage. They lived in Scotland for two years, and,-then came to England. In 1898 Mr- and Mrs Somerville were much interested in .municipal life, especially in Progressive candidates on the School Board. They took an interest in the candidature of Lord Russell for the London County Council- and in that way saw a great deal of his society. Earl Russell visited them., and they used to stay the week and, with himat Amberley cottage' near Maidenhead.. In the' summer of 1899 Mrs Somerville, who said she was, suffering from a'heart affection, went, to stay with her children at a cottage near Maidenhead, rented from the co-respondent. In July of that year the children were brought back, and then Mps Somerville, who had previously- written letters to her husband, disappeared, and the next'petitioner heard of her was that she had married .Earl Russell in America. The husband made inquiries; ■ arid learried - that they were coming back; ancthe.had observation kept upon them, and found that on arrival they went first of all to Lord Russell’s house near Maidenhead, and lived there as man and 1 wife, passing as Earl and Countess Russell. The co-respondent also had chambers in Gray’s-inri road, and it was found that He took the lady there while this suit was pending. The petitioner was an applicant for a. post in Glasgow at a salary of <£6oo a year, but lost it on hie

mentioning to the people, as he thought it was his duty to do, that he was concerned in these proceedings. * Mr George J. Somerville ,the petitioner, was theil called. He said lie was an electrical engineer, and was now secretary of the Electrical Power Distribution Company, Victoria Embankment. On July 13, 1889, he was married to the respondent at Aberdeen, and they resided together in Scotland until 1891. Ever since then he had made England his permanent home. About the year 1898 they were living at Shepherd’s bush. There was an election of the County Council, in which he and his wife took considerable interest, and they thus became acquainted with Earl Russell, and visited him at his house at Maidenhead, and he visited them at Shepherd’s bush. In the summer of 1839 his wife went with the two children to a cottage which he had taken at Maidenhead. She was in poor health, and went by the doctor’s advice tc get the country air. He went frequently to see her. She was there from April to July 5, when the children were brought back to him. Afterwards he heard of her marriage to Earl Russell in America.

Mr Campbell, a member of the Scottish Bar. proved the validity of the marriage at Aberdeen, also the validity of the decree of divorce, according to the Scottish law.

Mrs Baldwin, formerly a. servant at Earl Russell’s house, Amberley cottage, Maidenhead, said she knew Mrs Somerville, and remembered her staying at Maidenhead with her children, in 1899. Earl Russell returned to the house with Mrs Somerville, and they occupied the same room. The respondent was r known a© Countess Russell. .

The jury found for the petitioner, and assessed the damages at £ISOO. A decree nisi, with costs, was granted.

DUBLIN WOMAN BUTCHERED WITH

A RAZOR.

A murder or a determined character was committed on Saturday, December 15, at 30, Coombe street, a cheap lodging house, in one of the poorest parts of Dublin. A man named George Peppard, with a woman named Mary Duffy, slept in a room in the house in which four other persons occupied beds. A woman named Fitzpatrick heard Mary Duffy crying out, "My God what is this?” Fitzpatrick and another woman, Mary Nolan, rushed to Duffy’s assistance, and found Peppard cutting her throat with a razor. Nolan struck Peppard fiercely on the face with her slipper, but, notwithstanding her efforts, the shouts of her companions in the room, and the desperate struggles of Duffy herself, he continued to saw at the woman’s throat, and did not discontinue until he had absolutely severed the windpipe. By this time the bed, floor, and walls were bespattered with blood, and Peppard ran out of the room, carrying the blood-stained razor in bis Hand. Throwing away the weapon, he went to a public house, and with the utmost coolness called for drink. Having swallowed two glasses of whiskey he entered the yard of the tavern, where some time afterwards the police found and arrested him.—When in custody Peppard appeared quite callous, and said, without any suggestion from the officers, "I admit it. I did do it.” In the police court, where he was remanded, he exhibited a similar demeanour. ARTISTS’ DUEL IN WARSAW. A duel occurred recently between two distinguished artists, both enjoying_the special favour of Kaiser Wilhelm. ... They met at. Warsaw to assist at the opening of the new Art palace, where the dispute, leading to the subsequent duel, arose. Albert Kossak, one of the combatants, repeatedly accompanied the Kaiser on his journey, and made several portraits of his Majesty, The other, Julius Falafc, Director of the Cracow Art academy, ha© been for many years invited to join Imperial hunting parties. Sometime ago Kaiser Wilhelm proposed that Kossak should accompany the German troops- to China, in the quality f artist. This invitation. Kossak was obliged to decline. Falat, .who expected a similar command cn .the part of the Kaiser, received none, .and he attributed hi© falling -into disfavour to seme action on the part of Kossak. He, therefore, insulted. Kossak when they met at the Warsaw, festival. Kossak;- a® an Austrian officer, was obliged to challenge his affronter. A pistol duel under the strictest conditions wa© arranged, in which Kossak was wofinded. The affair caused a. great sensation at Warsaw, and, as a consequence, the directors of the new Art palace sent back all Falat’s to Cracow.

THE UNION. JACK AT WASHINGTON.

The 100th anniversary of the founding of the city of Washington was celebrated on Deeeinber 14th. President McKinley opened, the proceedings with a reception at the.-, White house, and., .afterwards reviewed a great military and civic procession, .Jed by General Miles, in .which the Governors of 24 States participated. In the afternoon a commemorative service took place in the House of Representatives* where a joint session of Congress was held. The sight of a huge British flag draped in front of the President’s gallery caused considerable surprise, while several Union Jacks were also conspicuously displayed in other places. Some of the Congressmen expressed great indignation declaring that no other Government in the world would, ever allow an alien flag to be displayed in its legislative halls. The last time the British flag was seen in the Capitol was in 1814, when the British Army- occupied Washington _and burned the public buildings. The following sarcastic announcement was posted up in the Capitol:—“The Society for the Restoration of the Date Revolted Colonies to the British Crown will hold a. special meeting to-dav to pass resolutions of appreciation for the lavish use of the British

flag in the decorations of the House of Representatives. Long live the Queen*’ 7 The notice was torn down by the polio© amid great excitement. During the marcS* past of the procession, when GeneiaS Miles, who was heading the parade, reached the reviewing stand his horse rearewf and fell back, throwing the general • to the ground. He got up again, however, unhurt and took up a position on the reviewing stand. SOME NICE "ENGLISHMEN!” v ’; Mr Chamberlain, says the "Daily Mail” of December 15, was hissed and called, a ‘“blackguard,” Lord Kitchener was called a "villain’’ and a "butcher,” and..-.. Mr Steyn was loudly cheered by a meeting at the Memorial Hall, Farrington street, London, last night. Mr Leonard Courtney was in the chair. He congratulated! his audience on being able to hold a meeting. He attacked the war policy, and, of course, Mr Chamberlain. We have Lord Kitchenenr, said Mr Courtney sceptically, declaring that there ha© been no burning and no devastation, except under conditions which proved that the sufferers were thus being punished. He would not attempt to picture the frightful future that may be in store. If the Government had to face the penalty of a famine-striek-en people, it would not be an unnatural result of the course which had been pursued. The meeting became wildly enthusia©tic over the mention of the Boer leaders.

A FELLOW FROM OLDHAM.

LANCASHIRE MILLHAND HONOURS AT OXFORD.

WINS

The value of the University Extensa,on lectures end free libraries ha© been strikingly shown in the case of Mr Joseph Owen, R.A., of Balliol College, Oxford, who was recently elected to a Modern History Fellowship at Pembroke College; v He is the son of a Lancashire artisan, and himself worked inran. Oldham mill when he left school at the age of thirteen. His chief means of education were free libraries and University Extension classes. In 1895 Mr- A. L. Smith, Fellow of Balliol, was struck by the quality of his work in English history, and recommended that) he should come to Oxford. There w©r© many difficulties in the way. He wan twenty-three years of married, and had no knowledge of Latin or Greek. Nevertheless, the college admitted him on the strength of hie University Extension work, and gave him a special exhibition of £SO a year.

He entered Balliol in 1895, and-Mx weeks later won in open competition the Bradkenbury Scholarship for history of the value of £BO a year and tenable for four years. • ~ v He added o his. ; previous honours in 1899 by gaining a first class in the Honour School of Modern History, and the same year proceeded to his Bachelor of Arts degree.