HOME AND FOREIGN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1612, 21 January 1903, Page 16

HOME AND FOREIGN.

CHAMELEON DIAMONDS. An interesting phase of the diamond trade was revealed at Oleikenwen County Court recently, when Mr Nathan Maisseil, of Church street Shoreditch, sued Mr Jacob Citron a diamond merchant, of Hatton Garden, E.C., for £22 ss, in respect of a stopped cheque. Mr Maisisell said he offered a diamond set as a pin and stud, which he had bought for £l9, to Mr Citron’s brother, who at first agreed to buy, bjut afterwards “kicked,” as the diamond had a bluish tint when in the getting, but looked yellowish when removed. Subsequently Mr Maisseil offered the diamond to ALr Citron at the Diamond Club for £24, warning him that his brother had “kicked.” He bought it for £22 ss, giving a cheque, but on taking the stone out of the setting, said, Now I know why my brother ‘kicked, and demanded the return of the cheque, declaring that the diamond had been painted for sale. ' Samuel Missenblatt, a diamond setter of Hatton Garden, was called, and said that if a diamond were painted it would give it a bluish appearance and increase the apparent value. Mr Lewis Citron brought him this stone to set., and its colour was white. He washed it in hot water, and its colour changed to a yellow tint. Two hours afterwards it came hack to he reset, and its colour was again white. The witness added that many diamonds looked better in their setting, and others had tc he sold unset to gen their full value. Mr Citron said that as soon as tne stone was reinowed. from th.e setting he saw it was a “fake.” Diamonds were sometimes “faked” with chemicals or blue pencil, and the deception could not be detected by a magnifying glass, but only by washita. ■ , Mr Sassini, another diamond merchant, said he had no doubt the stone had been coloured. _ The Judge remarked that it the evidence was to he believed, this stone had changed colour every few hours. The jury found in favour of Mr Muissell, and judgment was entered for him with costs. A HAUNTED MINER’S FAMILY. The “Daily Chronicle” has been telling the story of a haunted miner at. Shotton. The miner and Ins family heard peculiar knockings in tlieir house, which they have left for a new one. The haunted house in Chapel row was once occupied by a miner who declared that he was not afraid of ghos-s, and who alleges that he has not been disturbed at nights by any unusual or inexplicable noises. For a week the former family, who did not cafe for the public interest manifested in their case, cm not complain of being tormented m tin, old manner, hut they have since admitted that similar noises to those which have plagued them for so long have commenced at their new dwelling. The case- is rather that of a haunted man than of a haunted house. The houses in "Wesleyan Chapel Row are not bn'lo above colliery workings, and are therefore not under-propped, and various methods of trickery, while being plausible, cannot he applied to this case,, which has had a course of a year and a half. A REMARKABLE HONEYMOON. A Paris telegram says the police have no clue to the whereabouts of Malleval. the banker, who is charged with swindling Madame Civet out of a large sum of °money, £24,000. Malleval is very well known to the habitues of the Boulevard cafes, where he was fond of relating the adventures he had met with in the course of his career. He is saia to have begun his {married life by losing every penny dr i s wife’s fortune in a gambling hell on Lis wedding rngut, while she sat on a bench outside waiting for him until two o’clock m the morning. He came out at that hour, apologised for keeping her so late, and announced calmly t.hut her money was all gone. He vat, afterwards a seller of “correct cards” on the racecourses, and from his humble position gradually blossomed forth as a hanker Cadobert, his accomplice in the swindling of Madame- Civet, was arrested ra a cafe in the company of a deirimondaine, with whom he was dunking hia dupe’s health. A BOY’S STRANGE DEATH. A verdict of suicide while temporarily insane was returned at Epsom in the case of a hoy nasliea George Treays, acred thirteen, whfound dead -vn the South-Western way some days ago with the head .evered from the body. The evidence showed that just before committing suicide he gave a companion a krife « C4 nd a handkerchief to take home, anU. brld him he was going to do away Vrth himse’f. The boy’s employer stated he discharged Treays the previous days for dishonesty, and deceased’s father .says he thought Jiis discharge and the fact that he saw

a younger brother dying that day upset him. Witness added that the hoy was always strange when it was nearly full moon time. Asked by the coroner if he actually attributed the hoy’s strangeness to the state of the moon, the father replied, “I am sure of it.” A REMARKABLE STORY FROM • AMERICA. Horrible revelations are made from Indianapolis of the most extensive robbery of graves for the purpose of supplying medical colleges with subjects for dissection ever reported. An oathbound bands of gliouls, operating from Indianapolis to Muncie and Marion, is alleged to have stolen upwards of 1200 bodies during the past five years in Indianapolis alone. The xiolice say that 315 graves have beqn desecrated since July. The authorities rciuse to name the member of the hand wlip at the peril of his life betrayed his fellowconspirators, who are prominent in the medical world. The most revolting share of the work, the actual robbery of the graves, fell to the lot cf the ignorant men, led by one Rufus Cantrell, who has also confessed. The grief of the relations of the victims of the ghouls is heartrending. The father of a beautiful girl named Elendora Gales found her dismembered body in a barrel. The ghouls received liberal payment from the medical and central colleges, and sold the clothing, rings, gold from teeth, and everything even of tne slightest value, in order to increase their gains. Besides the college professors, the proprietor of one cemetery is accused of complicity in the grave robberies, and warrants have also been issued for the arrest of a number of night watchmen, grave-diggers, and other alleged accomplices. The most prominent of the accused men are alleged +o have tried to intimidate the Public Prosecutor into dropping the criminal proceedings he has taken by threats, but he is doing his utmost to bring the evildoers to justice. A LONELY MAN’S CRIME. After lying for 10 days with his windpipe nearly severed, George Elsworth, avlio is 47 years of age, was found at Harrogate still alive. He lived alone in a house on the outskirts of the town, and had not been seen for some days. The police, becoming aware of -'-the circumstances, broke open the door, and on the bed they found Elsworth in a pool of blood. Restoratives having been applied. Elsworth was able to tell that ho had inflicted the wound 10 days before, and that subsequently he had struggled downstairs two or three times and obtained a drink of water. Nothing else had passed his lips. He Avas removed to the Cottage Hospital, and is reported to be doing well. PAINFUL INCIDENT AT SANDRINGHAM. A Sandringham correspondent says : Two. women of respectable appearance, aged about 50 and 20 years respectively, and stating that they were mother and daughter, arrived at Wolferton and took lodgings at a cottage. On the arrival ox the Royal party to- commence shooting, the. Avomen attempted to- approach, and, being questioned, stated • that they wanted to see the King. The elder woman produced a letter addressed to the Queen, and on being opened it was found to contain a request for an interview. The women persisted in the.ir attempt to approach His Majesty, and as their manner appeared somewhat strange, Chief - Inspector Spencer, of Scotland Yard, gave instructions to- the police, and they were taken to Grimston, six miles distant, Avhere they Avere seen by Mr Arthur Elwes, Magistrate, and Dr Laver. The story told by theelder woman was that they had lived five years in Brooklyn, and recently returned to Ireland, her late husband’s native place. The woman was someAvhat rambling in her conversation, and seemed * to consider that slid- was The > victim of a conspiracy, and was being pursued. Hence her anxiety to see the King to crave protection. The doctor Avas°of opinion that her mind was deranged, while the daughter appeared to be an imbecile. They remained in the lock-up for the night, and were next morning taken by the relieving officer to the county asylum. THE POSITION OF LOYALISTS IN SOUTH AFRICA. Lady Edward Cecil and others ask us to call attention of the public to the fact that thousands of loyalists all over South Africa have returned after a long banishment to their homes. For three years they have borne hardship, privation, and uncertainty. The men have fought for us, while the women and children have waited patiently in such refuge as they could find. They lived in direst poverty, hiding their distress, full of noble confidence that in the end the cause for which they suffered would triumph. They made no complaints. These things happen in wars, and we hear little of our OAvn people in South Africa because they do not beg, and their friends make no flaming appeals. It is difficult for us to realise, living as Ave do in a temperate climate, what

heat and cold hurricanes of wind and torrents of rain mean to people who have no shelter against them. Our loyalists, driven 'out of their homes, have borne all this uncomplainingly through the AA r eary seasons of three years. Noav they have returned home to find in their country, which has been the theatre of the Avar, houses destroyed, lands without crops, and almost stripped of live stock, and to begin life vermin in a land Avhere at this moment famine prices are charged for everything. Compensation is necessarily a sloaa’ process and the Imperial Government have plainly indicated that at best loyalists Avill only be compensated up to- 50 per cent, of thear losses. This means that once Avell-to-do people will for years be poor, and that poor people will have a most desperate struggle tx> live at all. Living below the poverty line in South Africa involves eA r eii greater hardsliips than it does here. On the other hand, when once people are put upon ' their feet they can make their Avay quicker than at home. We must remember that the people w© are anxious to help are drawn from classes which under normal circumstances AA r ould never need, and under no circumstances Avill ask, assistance. They are the proud, hardworking farmer and artisan, Avho are the backbone of any community fortunate to possess them. In many places our loyalists have not only got to face impoverishment, hut also hostility and discouragement. In Cape Colony they have been cold-shoul-dered by the Government, and in the country districts of that colony they are in a distinct position of inferiority, OAving to their attachment to the Imperial cause. These galling political and social conditions make-loss of money and loss of home doubly hard to bear. Wo can’t (Avrites Lady Cecil) bind up the broken-hearted, but avo can prevent the aggravation ot grief by the dull pain of poverty and endeavour to share the burdens cf the braA T e men and Avomen Avho have lost tlieir material prosperity in a Avar which has ensured British supremacy in South Africa. A MOTHER’S HEROISM. Mrs Dudley Hardy, Avife of the wellknoAvn blaCk-and-Avlxite artist, is recovering from a dangerous illness, brought about through a heroic and successful attempt to save the life of her only child. The lad Avas stricken Avitli acute diphtheria, and one night Avhen immediate medical assistance AA'as impossible the nurse hurriedly summoned Mrs Hardy. The only chance of saving her son’s" life lay in the poisonous matter being instantly sucked from his threat. Mrs Hardy responded to the call, but almost sacrificed her oavii life in the heroic cncieavour to saAje her boy. After a tedious and anxious, time, both are now on the way to complete convalescence. In the “eighties” Mrs HarcTy, then Miss Mulholland, AA'as a aa t ell-known favourite on the Loudon stage. —“Pall Mall Gazette.” ANARCHIST ATTEMPT ON THE BELGIAN KING. As the King of Belgium and members cf the Royal Family Avere returning on Saturday (November 15) from a funeral service at the Church of Sainte Gudule, in memory of the late Queen of the Belgians and of the King’s mother, a man standing outside the Banque do Bruxr elles, in the Rue Royale, fired three shots from a revolver, Avhich he aimed in the direction of the third carriage of the cortege. This carriage Avas occupied by two cf the King’s aide-de-camps and tAvo ladies of honour, hut fortunately no one Avas hurt. The man was immediately seized by the police, who had some difficulty in preventing him from being maltreated by the crowd, avlio kept shouting “Kill him!” and “God Save the King!” He proved to be an Italian bookkeeper named Rubino, who Avas horn at Binardo, near Naples, in 1859. lie has latterly been living at 21 Rue des Bouchers, Brussels, and when arrested he Shouted, “I was unhappy in seeing so much Avealth pass.” The would-be assassin is a short man, is very bald, and with- a strong black moustache. In reply to the Magistrate s questions, he stated that he had come to Brussels from London, where he had been vainly looking for work. He succeeded in obtaining a few pounds fiom one of the Embassies, and AA r as then engaged to watch the movements of Anarchists on behalf of the Italian Government. It was discovered, however, that he was furnishing not liis employers hut anarchists with information, and ho was consequently dismissed. Thereupon he purchased a revolver and 50 cartridges, and came to Brussels, where he was equally successful in finding employment, and resolved to strike a blow of some sort for the anarchist cause. With this intention he went this morning to Sainte Gudule Church in order to shoot King Leopold. Finding troops draAvn up at the church he left the cession reached the spot where he vas afraid of wounding any of the soldiers, and proceeded to the Rue Royale in order to await the passage of the Royal procession. Asked Avhy he fired on the third and not on the first carriage. Rubino replied that just as the procession reached the spot where he was

stationed it started at a trot, and he had also some difficulty in getting his revolver out. When he fired the two shots struck the third carriage. In reply to further questions, he said that he had been in Brussels since the end of October, and had frequented police sta<tions in the hope of seeing the King. Ho saw the announcement of the memorial service and of the King’s intention to bo present in the neivspapers. Rubino also declared that it AA'as the money which ho received from an Embassy in London that enabled him to purchase the revoKer at a pawnshop and to make the journey to Brussels. Interrogated regarding tAvo picture postcards with portraits of King Leopold, Prince Albert, and Princess Elizabeth, which were found in his possession, Rubino said he bought them in order to be able to identify the personages. In oonolusion he professed himself an anarchist. He did not regret his act, and hoped that some one would succeed better than he had done. Ho Avould have fired at any King—at the King of Italy just as much as at the King of the Belgians—for kings Avere tyrants, who Avere the cause of the misfortunes of the peoples. Not only kings, but all established authorities and the clergy were his enemies. All potentates must go the same way. Rubino disclaimed all connection with the Socialists, whom he did not like, because they were friends of the police, though ho admitted having paid two visits to the Maison du Peuple. He resolutely maintained that he had no accomplices. Besides picture postcards and some documents, all that was found in Rubino’s possession was a slice of bread and butter, a ham omelette, and 12 centimes (about a penny) in money. A police search at his lodgings resulted in the discovery of a number of anarchists newspapers and letters in Italian. He is said to have resided continuously in Great Britain for some years. He stayed first at GlasgOAV, and subsequently established himself in London, AA'hero lie was expelled from the anarchist party, being accused by his comrades of treachery. He AA'as reported to Inave been still in London on the 31st ult. Rubino was born on November 24, 1859. Ho has tAvo brothers and tAvo sisters. ‘ His father Avas an Italian patriot and a municipal councillor. Gerone Rubino served in the 50th Regiment of Infantry. While he was a soldier he AA'as condemned to five years’ imprisonment for an article in a revolutionary journal. At one time he AA'as a French master at Milan. He AA'as afterwards employed at Treves. In 1893 he was condemned to four years’ imprisonment at .Milan for forgery. In 1890 he married Fanelli Marie de Ruvo. He AA'ent to Rome Avith his brother Henry, whose Avhereabouts are at present unknoAvn. Anarchists believed him to be a spy, and attacked him violently, in their journals. His sister, in an interview, said that her brother AA'as very talented. She showed some drawings that he had made otn vellum. It is not true that Rubino AA’as in the service of the International Police. Bubino’s AA'ife and child (aged four) are in'London. ANTIQUITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA. Dr Schoetensack’s theory that Australia is the cradle of the human race aa 7 ill (remarks the London “Daily Chron=> icle”) attract some interest, no doubt, mainly on account cf the ingenious and plausibly logical arguments and evidences he has adduced in support of his contention. It has long been known, of course, that the boomerang Avas not an exclusively Australian weapon, but Dr Sohoetensaek holds that it had its origin there, and spread thence up to Asia and across to Africa. One point the German investigator seems to have missed, and one that ought to be of some value to him is that the geologists have found the oldest exposed land on the earth on the antipodean continent. It is a curious fact that tire “youngest” of the continents should thus be found to be the oldest in reality—that the strata about Mount Lofty, behind Adelaide, should show an age reaching far beyond that of any other spot on the glebe. AFFAIRS IN CHINA. Sir E. Satow, the British Minister at Pekin, has declined all social intercourse Avith the Chinese Court on account of a miscarriage of justice in the case of the murder of the missionaries. Bruce and LeAvis, in Hunan. Great Britain, it is further reported from Pekin, will not assent to the evacuation of Shanghai by the international troops before a more definite arrangement is come to with regard to her status ini the Yangtse Valley. Meanwhile at Mukden, in Manchuria, friendly greetings have been exchanged between M. Witte, Russian Minister of Finance, and the Governor, who expressed; The hope that close friendship would unite Russia and China. A “Standard” telegram from Shanghai states: —Four British gunboats have been ordered to proceed from this pert np the Yang-Tse to Hankow. This , measure has been taken in connection with the failure of the Chinese authorities to come to a complete settlement in regard to the murder of the missionaries, Messrs Lewis and Bruce, in Hunan.

POLITICS AND PUGILISM. In tho Lower House of the Austrian Reichsrath recently during the discussion of an urgency motion on the use of the two languages in connection with the names cf stations on the Bohemian local railway, the Germans and Czechs came to blows. M. Yacek, Vice-Presi-dent, suspended the sitting, but the disturbances continued, the Czechs accusing Herr Schnal, of the Pan-Gennan party, of having commenced the disturbance. At this it seejned likely that, the disturbance would be renewed. About three ©-‘dock in the afternoon Herr Kaiser/ Vice-President, resumed the sitting, and in language insisted on order being maintained/hut the disturbance was renewed by the Czechs, when the Vice-President called Herr Schnal to order for insulting M. Groessl, and was continued when Herr Schreiner rose to speak. The scenes, ~t seems, arose out of a discussion as to whether the notices at railway stations in Bohemia should he in the German or tho Czech language. Her Schnal shouted “You Germans are a lot of pigs.” Thereupon a number of German deputies threw themselves upon Schnal, shrieking “Smash him; kick him.” Schnal was punched unmercifully, and finally hurled bodily down the gangway to the bottom of the amphitheatre, the strangers in the gallery all the time howling encouragement or insults, according to their nationality, at the Struggling legislators below. The President suspended the sitting to enable fhe hon. members to become calm ; but the fisticuffs continued thereafter for a full quarter of an hour. TOO MUCH MONEY'. Mr Thomas B. Lawson, a millionaire, of Boston, claims to have a right to defend the America Cup. He is a man of extravagance. He on os paid £6O(JU for a single flower, “The Lawson Pink.” He spent a small fortune in building a Cup defender, which, when she could not qualify, he broke up, that Boston might have sonivenirs: and now, after two years’ work. 1000 men have fi ished improving a farm worth 1,000,000 dollars at Egypt, Massachusetts, which he has stocked with cartle, one animal alone (an American journalist tells us) costing £IO,OOO. Dreamwold ; s the name of the farm, and it is Mr Lawson’s ambition to make the place the greatest stock-breeding place in the country. A WIFE’S OATH TO BE GOOD. Air Carl Wilson, of Kenoska, Wisconsin, had begun an action for divorce. When his wife heard of this she became deeply penitent, and going to her husband, asked that all he forgotten, and that the divorce suit he withdrawn. Wilson decided to he lenient and going to 'the office of the lawyer who had drawn the divorce papers, she subscribed her name to an oath which is probably the most remarkable pledge ever exacted by a husband from a wife. The oath was: —“I, Mary Wilson. being duly sworn, take upon myself the following solemn obligation, the other party m interest being my beloved husband. Carl Wilson. I hereby renew the marriage vows made by me to. my husband at the time of our marriage fourteen years ago, and solemnly promise and swear in the future to love and" honour my husband, the said Carl Wilson, and oh ay only him. I promise to keep our home in a clean and neat manner, and t. 0 give my entire time to the care of my husband and our children. I will not at any time leave my home after seven o’clock in the evening without the expressed consent of my husband, and without his accompanying me. I wil, defer to 'him in all affairs touching the care and education of our children, and will ask in return that he see to it that the children are brought np in a proper and goodly manner. I solemnly promise that in the future I will not invite any persqp to my house, either male or female, without the full .consent of my husband, and I will not, be seen in any public place with any man unless my husband shall have fully consented to my making such an appearance. I further promise to keep all the provisions of my marriage vows in a diteral and not in a figurative manner, and as far as is possible for a* woman to do, I will love, honour and obey my husband in all things. I agree to render to my husband a true and an approved account of all moneys entrusted me for t-he care and keeping of our home, and to expend no money without his consent. All this I swear to freely, and may God help me to keep my oath/^T A TWELFTH WIFE AT EIGHTY- . . NINE. Zerad Pomeroy, of Middlefield (Conn.), has taken another wife. He is 89 and she is twenty-two, and this is Pomeroy’s twelfth matrimonial venture. The new Mrs Pomeroy is a grand-daugh-ter cf her husband’s first wife’s sister. Pomeroy, in 1838, when twenty years old, married Nelly White, of Hartford. A year later she died, and Pomeroy wedded a Kensington young woman named Platt. When the gold fever of 1849 sent many men to California, Pomeroy and his wife were among

twenty Meriden people who chartered a boat out of New Haven and sailed around the Horn to the Pacific coast. During the voyage Mrs Pomeroy died and was buried at sea. A young woman aboard the vessel attracted Pomeroy’s attention* and another marriage soon followed. From California Pomeroy went to Japan, and there his third wife died. Returning to America, he again married, and went east. He settled in New York City, where six wives fell to his lot. Four died, one disappeared, and one he divorced. Returning to Connecticut, he married again, and that wife died last spring. A CHINESE POLITICIAN IN AMERICA. Dr Ah Sam, a Chinese physician of Leavenworth, Kan., has announced that he will be a candidate for Coroner mi the Democratic ticket, and he is likely to be. He is 42 years old. He was born in Southern, China, and he went to America when he was 21 years old. He located in San Francisco, where he practised his profession before going to Leavenworth eight years ago-. He studied medicine in China, and was graduated to use only Chinese, remedies iii his practice. He scili uses these Chinese remedies, and if a patient goes to his office expecting to receive any other kind of treatment no will be disappointed, for all the coaxing on earth could not induce \b. ttam to divert from his established custom. He belieyes in his medicine as he believes in his God. Among his regular patrons are many of the prominent white families of Leavenworth. He carries a diploma from one of the leading medical colleges of his native country, and this diploma caused the whole State of Kansas to laugh at the expense of its Board, of Health last summer. At the las# session of the Legislature a measure was passed requiring that all physicians present their diplomas to the Board of Health for inspection. Dr Ah Sam was one of the first to comply with"the new law, and this proved a stumbling-block for the members of the Board. It was written, in the Chinese language, and, as none of the members were reared in China., Dr All Sam’s diploma had to be returned to him without inspection. Tho members of the Board had heard of the Chinaman’s reputation as a physician, and they decided that the diploma was ail right without waiting for the services of air interpreter. extraordinary discovery at GIBRALTAR. The Gibraltar Guardia Civil has discovered hidden in a garden in the suburbs of the Spanish lines a quantity of dynamite cartridges and rifle ammunition, and some Anarchist leaflets. The find proves to a certain extent that the recent riots in the Spanish lines were of Anarchist origin. Several arrests have been made in connection with the discovery. Martial law continues in force in the Spanish lines. RIOTING IN SILESIA. It is reported from Bielitz, Austrian Silesia, that the formal inauguration of a Polish Working Men’s Home in that town caused great excitement among the German inhabitants of the place. During a recent night all the walls of the Polish Club were smeared with ink and, all the window panes smashed with stones, and several workmen who were sleeping in the front rooms were aligntly injured. Next evening many thousands of Germans gathered in the streets leading from the railways station to the club, and these sought to prevent the Polish delegates arriving by train from entering the town, c Several hundred workmen, who had come from Galicia, were obliged to return. In several instances blows were exchanged, and when Herr Srojanows'-ay, a member of the distr’et, left the club-hous lie was pelted with eggs and stones were also thrown at Herr Bomba, a member of the . Reichsrath. Some , of the elder citizens finally succeeded in quieting the excited crowd, and M. Stojanowstay was able to proceed to eburob unmolested. Most of ■‘Tie delegates, in order to return home, had to° proceed to the station by oiremtous routes. ALLEGED ATTEMPT ON PRESIDENT LOUBET. The Paris “Figaro” says:—An Anarchist was arrested at the Elysee recently, the allegation being that he attempted to make, his way into see foF the purpose of making an attempt upon the life of President Loubet. He was armed with a dagger and ia loaded revolver, and had upon him a portrait of -sl. Loubet. Accused, who had served a term of imprisonment for manufacturing infernal machines, was, it seems, attempting to scale the wall of the garden when detected and taken to a police station. He was suffering from alcoholism, and after an examination by the police doctor, was liberated. He is a railway employee, 30 years of age, and recently attempted suicide while under the influence of laudanum.

SHOCKING MURDER AT HULL. At Hull a woman named Allen, who had been living with a marine fireman rallied Bolton, in Campbell street, Anlaby road, was found dead in the house, Trying in a pool of blood, haying apparently been stabbed several times in tho region of the heart. In another room the police discovered Bolton with his throat cut, hut he is expected to recover. It is believed to be a case of murder and attempted suicide. The couple were frequently seen the worse for drink, hut it has not yet been ascertained whether there was any quarrel between the coiiple during the night. The man William Bolton lias been for some time engaged on a steam trawler at Hull. The house where the tragedy occurred was inhabited by deceased and another woman . The previous night, it is stated, Bolton forced an entrance, and remained all night-. The woman who lived with Allen slept in the kitchen. She called Bolt-on and Allen early, and on going into the bedroom she noticed Allen’s nightdress covered with blood, and she lifted her out of bed on to the floor. Bolton was also bleeding from a cut in his throat. The woman then ran for a doctor and the police, but on her return Allen was dead. Bolton was taken to the infirmary in charge of the police. BELGIAN BRUTALITY IN AFRICA. An European who has just returned from Lake Tanganyika reports that the British and Germans in British Central Africa feel very bitterly towards the Belgians, the bad treatment of the natives by the Belgians having made the tribes so. hostile that it is impossible to penetrate into the interior. The commander of the Congo State Force was, he reports, decapitated in August, his skull and hands being afterwards exhibited on rebel stockades. Traders are now prohibited from entering the country, in contravention of the treaty declaring the Congo State open to all nationalities. - FIGHTING IN MOROCCO. A fight with the insurgents took place ° on the 11th November at Sausa, where the Kabyles contested the passage of the bridge over the Bushieja. The -fight lasted five hours, and tho Kabyles received a check. The rebels had previously seized several waggoners and plundered some cases in their charge containing valuables and goods belonging to foreigners, but they have since sent emissaries to the Basha of Tetuan, asking for pardon, and have released the captives. t A BOER CHARGED WTTH MURDER Frederick Muller was indicted, before the Orange River Colony Sessions, at Bloemfontein, for the murder of a farmer named Rademan in the Harrismith district in November, 1900. His case formed one of the exceptions from the Indemnity Clause of the Peace Terms. The defence took the preliminary objection that the prisoner was not the Muller mentioned in the Blue-book, who was therein described as a Nata-1 rebel, accused of murder in the Transvaal, and it was urged that the prisoner was an ex-burg her of the Orange Free State, and that Rademan was shot in the Orange River Colony. The Attor-ney-General, speaking for the prosecution, said he was not responsible for Bluo-book errors, and would call Colonel Henderson to prove the case. After a hearing lasting five days the prisoner was acquitted, the defence being that two men fired at Rademan, and that a doubt existed as to whether is was Muller’s bullet which killed Rademan. Muller, it was further contended, was also acting under the orders of his superiors to capture Rademan, dead or alive. DE WET AND BRITISH BRAVERY. The Berlin “Lokalanzieger” recently published extracts from De Wet’s book, which was published on December 1. De Wet extols the bravery of tho British officers and soldiers, and says that he summoned his countrymen to submit to circumstances and be faithful to the new Government. To British readers, at anyrate, the hook will be remarkable on account of the imputations which De Wet makes against his own countrymen. He accuses the Boers of cowardice, want of discipline, faithlessness, and disgraceful treachery. This will fall like a thunderbolt on German readers who hear the pro-Boer taint. It may be remembered that the Germans, by means of the circular announcing De Wet’s work, were treated to a meal of anglophobia after their own liking, and w© may expect to hear that because of the author’s restraint in this connection the book has not had a large sale in Germany. FIGHTING ON THE INDIAN FRONTIER. Further details of the sharp fighting between the British punitive expedition and the Kabul Khel Waziris between Bannu and Thai, on the north-west In-

dian frontier, show that our forces sustained considerable loss. A Waziri tower near Gumatti was stormed and captured by the fourth column, but in this action Colonel W. C. Tonuochy, of tho 3rd Sikhs, who commanded the column, was mortally wounded. Captain C. G. White was killed, and three officers and eight natives were wounded. On the other hand, Colonel H. Macrae, commanding the first column of the expedition, has made 250 prisoners, and has captured a large number of cattle and a few arms, so that severe punishment has been inflicted on the tribe. The scene of the fighting was in a wild mountainous country 85 miles to the south-east of Peshawur. Colonel Tonnoeby’s column, which was one of four converging upon a central point, found . itself unable to make any impression l * on the tower, which was strongly held by the enemy. Probably the guns were the little seven-pounuer muzzle-loading mountain weapons, which are of little serious value in war, and, as they could not batter the tower down, the place had to he stormed, and in carrying it Captain White was killed, after leading the attack with great gallantry. Colonel Tonnochy belonged to Aberdeen, where his wife and family reside. AN ACT OF VENGEANCE. A circular issued by the Porte to the Ottoman representatives abroad gives an account of an act of vengeance committed by a band of 10 Bulgarians on a Bulgarian named Stoyan, living in the village of Rachnitza, in the Monastir district, who had informed the authorities of tho movements of the Revolutionary bands. Stoyan’s house was set on fire, his mother was burnt alive, his wife was dangerously wounded, and his son was killed. Nine members of the band were afterwards captured by the Turkish troops.