HOME AND FOREIGN

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1680, 11 May 1904, Page 14

HOME AND FOREIGN

WEDDING EVE TRAGEDIES. Two cases in which young women who wore to hare been married died on the eve of the wedding were the subjects of inquests held in London. In the hast the prospective bride committed suicide rather than, face the responsibilities of housekeeping, and in the second death was the direct result of a ht. ot < temper. ‘ „ _ , Eleauor Louisa Gardiner, cf Hoxton, aged 20, was to have been married one Sunday. She assisted to get the home ready on the Friday, hut was depressed because, as she told her future husband, she knew nothing of housekeeping. Her mother tried to cheer her. saying that >» the young man wate acting honourably and that relatives would help. On the Saturday, however, she threw herself in front of a tram at Fintebniry Park Station, and a coroner’s jury found that she did so while of unsound mind. The love affair of Annie Louise Br.engard,: of Bethnal Green, aged. 26. enclql in an even moire tragic manner* Early on H Sunday morning sh© and heir sweetheart went home, and because her mo- - Ijher would not let the young man remain she flew into a passion.. _ “Take back your ring,” she exclaimed. “I have got no work, and you liave got none,” adding that she would not be married at all. She left the house at once, and the young man followed and saw her fall down. She was taken to the hospital, and died from hemorrhage brought on by excitement. William Clay - stated that she had taken it to heart because she could not buy a wedding dress, but had said to him that she would he married as she was. . A CRUEL ACT. At Leeds Asfeizes recently, Laviuia Coulson (26), was indicted for throwing a corrosive fluid on Hannah Maria Kenefick at Keighley on November 18. It was alleged that a feeling of jealousy arose on the part of prisoner, 'who, -when dressed as a man on the night in question, visited the house of the prosecutrix, and after asking for aims went and on returning threw over the prosecutrix the contents of a can of vibriol. Both eyes eventually became destroyed, and prosecutrix, who gave evidence, excited much sympathy in the court. She admitted having once driven orat with prisoner’s Prisoner, Who, in her defence, admitted jealousy, was found guilty, and recommended to mercy. She was sentenced —-to penal servitude for three year's. AN ABERDEEN ROMANCE. Proof was led before Sheriff Robertson at Aberdeen in an action in which Messrs Pratt and Keith sue Daisy Wilson or Horn, West bourne House. Union street, Aberdeen, for £l5O 19s 3d. being the price of her marriage trousseau. It was averred by the pm-suers that. defender promised to pay for the articles before delivery, and failing to do so or to provide a guarantee that they would be paid, the goods were left in their hands. Defendant had stated that she was entitled to £IOOO on her marriage day, or when she reached her majority/ and gave pursuers references so that they might he thoroughly satisfied before the goods were delivered. The inquiries that were made were not ’ satisfactory, however, and _ the goods ware retained. Defender, in the wi<t-naas-box, described how she had been led all along to expect that she would get £IOOO when she attained her majority, and stated that she suffered great, inconvenience because the trousseau had not been supplied to her. The defender, it may be remeulberd, was married under romantio circumstances to Walter E. Horn, a raring tipster, who pretended that hie was an Irish landlord!. and that recently she) obtained declarator of nullity of the marriage. She became acquainted, with Hoirh by replying to a matrimonial advertisement in the newspapers. HUNTING A MURDERER. The Canadian papers to hand by mail give the story of the exciting escape and feoapture of Cashel, the murderer, who was executed at Calgary, British Columbia, on 2nd February. Cashel, who was only 21 years of age. was a Montana ■y desperado, who murdered a* rancher in Alberta. It was after having been senr fenced to death that he managed to escape from Calgary police barracks. On A; that occasion it appears that, according to the version of the Toronto “Globe”: -—“Constable Piper, who was on guard, ordered the pri'soneir oiat of the cell until he should make a search. On the outside were Constables Leslie and Phillips. Cashel walked out and sat on a bench in front of a window facing the ftrect. Piper, after the search, ordered Cashel back to the cell, whereupon the prisoner suddenly flashed two shining ‘ Oovolvens in the face of his guards, and ordered all three into the cell he had just vacated. He took their revolvers „«nd locked them in, andi then walked in. hia shackled feet to the place where the

keys were kept, unlocked the shackles, and after taunting the guards, kissed his hand to them by way of adieu, and left the barracks. Fifteen minuteß later the night guard came in to find the three mounted police in Cashel’s cell.” ’ The circumstances of his recapture were equally dramatic. The police learned that he was lurking about the eastern suburbs of Calgary, and parties were detailed to make a systematic search of every house in the district. One party came upon a den in a haystack, in which were found Clothes resembling what Cashel had Avorn. Search was then made in the house: —“In one corner of the cellar Constable Bigga found a hole where a man might conceal himself. He secured a light and held it to the hole. He caught sight of a man, and had hardly done so when a random bullet whizzed by his head, followed quickly by another shot. Biggs was not armed and made a retreat upstains. *He secured a. revolver, and, returning to the cellar door met Cashel coming up. Tavo shots Avere exchanged, one by Cashel tearing off the inside of the door behind Avhich Biggs had taken cover. Biggs returned with a shot which tore into Cashel’s heel. Cashel fired again as Constable Stark, came to the resqiie. Then the murderer dropped back into the cellar, and the police retired from the building to aAvait the arrival of Inspector Duffis. When he arrived it Avas decided to fire the building. The contents Avere carefully demoved and the torch applied. When Cashel smelled the smoke lie gave signs of a parley. A revolver shot Avas heard, and Cashel called out that he was going to kill himself, but Aran ted someone' to go down. into the cellar to get a letter for his mother. This had) no effect on the police, and he waa ordered to come up and held up his hands. Another shot ■was heard, but no one moved from above, and the inspector again ordered him out-. A minute later Elmetet Cashel, haggard, unkempt, bearded and shaggy, came out, put up his hands in the air, and gave himself up.” THE POWER OF THE AVALANCHE. The avalanche at Barceloneitte, which recently buried 20 French soldiers, may recall the memory of the historic avalanche at Bergemoletto, in Italy. In that case a Avhole village Avas overwhelmed, and three women were, saved alive out of the ruins of a stable in which they had been buried by the eaioAA* for no less a period than 37 days. The depth of the snow above them Avas 42ft, and they had kept themselves alive by milking a goat that happened to have been imprisoned with them. The strange stoiry excited so much interest at the time that a book Avritten about it by the King of Sardinia’s physician was translated into English and published in London in 1765. Another appalling avalanche occurred just tAA r o years ago at Bleiberg, near Trieste. •Sixty buildings were demolished by it, and the death-roll, Avhich Avas heavy, would have been still heavier if the disaster had not happened when • ho majority of the population wer* at chiurch. CHICAGO BOY BANDITS. Two youths, Niedermeyer and Marx, members'of a gang cf hooligans, charged with committing a series cf murders in the neighbourhood of OlricagO', AVcI/e found guilty, and sentenced; to death. The prisoners Avere arrested only after desperate fighting. They took refuge in a hut, and kept a force of detective at bay for a long time. When the besiegers stopped firing temporarily to attend ho their wounded the banjdits escaped, and compelled the driver of a good train to take them on board the train. The stoker, who had refused their demand, was shot dead. The prisoners behaved with the greatest callousness during the trial, and on. one occasion, when, MaSrx was given the credit for a certain murder, Niedermeyer indignantly interposed that the woxk was his own, and, that Marx “didn’t shoot in the same class. s'’ 5 '’ The prisoners have Avritten their confessions. Niedermeyer says he lias killed 23 men, oiie for each year of his life. He says that several innocent men have been sentenced for these crimes, but he refuses to give details unless he is paid the rewards offered at the time for the discovery of the murderers. Marx says he was one of a gang of three who- four years ago held up a train near Dekalb, Illinois. The railway company on that occasion lost* valuables worth £20,400, but Marx states that most of it- was destroyed by the dynamite ufeecD to blow open the safe. In the express can* the booty he secured was only worth £I6OO. Aj SUICIDE’S INSURANCE. “I will hot commit suioid'e, whether sane or insane, during the period! of one year from the date of said contract.” This sentence constituted one of,the clauses in an insurance policy made by the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York on the life of a Mr Max Fiirnlqerg, and formed! the basis of an action brought in the King’s Bench Division, London, by Messrs Ellinger and Co., of Oxford street. Manchester.

against the insurance company to recover £4OO. The case Avas decided in favour of the insurance company. “THE HOLY GHOST AND US.” Almost incredible stories have been published lately describing Avei'rd and extraordinary revival scenes on Beal’s Island, Maine. My investigation proves (says the Ncav York correspondent cf the “Daily Telegraph”) that the repor ts are substantially tree. Three preachers, belonging to a sect called “The Holy Ghost and Us,” stirred the simple fisher folk of the State to delirious frenzy, preaching the doctrine of hell fire, and exhorting one and all to sacrifice everything. Meetings began in the afternoon and lasted until midnight. They Avere held daily, most of the Avomen of the place falling completely under the SAA*ay of the preachers. The little toAvn is divided into tAA’o hostile camps, and families are broken up. One man stated that his AAjife had been converted, and was alAA'ays waking him up at night screaming and commanding him to believe. If he refuted his assent she stmek him over the head Avith a Bible or a club, threatening to pound the Holy Ghost into him or beat him to death. Elder BubersAs method consisted of picturing the aAvful torments awaiting sinners failing to repent and make atonement. He Avoir ked liimeelf into a frenzy, shouting, leaping, grovelling on the floor, and performing feats of contortion. Dogs and cats were slaughtered by the fanatics, and the sacrifice of a child's life was narrowly avertql. A man present seized the child and dashed for the door of the meetinghouse, holding the crowd off ivlnle the frightened youngster fiecl to a hidingplace. A MADAGASCAR DISASTER. On the 19th of February a terrible cat-astrophe occurred at Diegoi Suarez, Madagascar, resulting in the destruction of the central reserve magazine of artillery in that toivn and the loss of 27 lives. The powder magazine of the arsenal was of quite recent construction, and contained 5000 shells, in addition to a large number of stores and cases of poAvder. On the evening of the 19th a storm came on, and at about eight o’clock tho magazine, Avhich Avas Avithout a lightning conductor. Avas struck by lightning. The flash lit up the town. Columns of'smoko rose skywards, and an immense explosion occurred Avhich Avas heard 30 kilometres away. About 20 people fell victims to the disaster. In tlie village of situated three kilometre's distant, many houses Avere literally riddled by pieces of stone bloAvn from the mazagine. A large number of the inhabitants escaped, hut seven Avere killed, and about a dozen wounded. The magazine and its adjacent buildcost 800,000 francs, and contained nearly 2,000,000 francs' worth of Avar stores and ammunition. A STRANGE PROPHECY. An American laAv professor avlio was for many years in Japan, has disregarded the excellent advice never to prophecy unless you luioav, and has ventured to predict the results of the Russo-Japanese Avar. He say's that no man who is uoav 25 years of age will live to see the last of the fight. This Avar is only the beginning cf the struggle, for there Avill be a succession of fearful wars in Avhich all the PoAvers will be involved. Great AviHl take place in the world, and, Avhen the halfcentury of fighting is over, the Far Eastern question Avill be settled by the inclusion of China among the civilised nations of the world. There appear to he lively times ahead of u's, for, if the professor is right, the Napoleonic wars at the beginning of the last century will be nothing compared ivi'th the struggle which has just- begun. OUTRAGES IN TURKEY. On Friday, February 5, a detachment of fifteen gendarmes, Avhb had been on a tax-collecting mission to some villages in the plain of Mush, halted at neon in the village of Hunan. They were informed by a spy that three sus-picious-looking strangers had been seen to enter a certain house in the village. Without troubling to make any inquiries, the gendarmes immediately opened fire upon the bouse in question. The fire was returned. Seme Armenians in neighbouring houses began to fire on the gendarmes from the rear, and tho latter^sought refuge Hinder the nearest shelter. They were able, to get behind a bank of the stream which borders the vjHSlage. Meanwhile a messenger had been sent to Norolien, a village with a garrison situated close at hand, and small reinforcements arrived promptly on the scene. The troops being met with a volley which wounded two of their njumher, did not venture to advance any further, hut awaited support from Mush. Als iit was now growing dark, the strangers, the authors of the mischief, of whom it is believed there were atogetheir six, seized the horses belonging to tlie gendarmes and escaped towards the The inhabi-

tants of Hunan, realising what Avas in store for them Avhen the Turks renewed the attack, also attempted flight, notwithstanding the seA r ere cold and deep snoAv on tlie ground. The report ot :he disturbance soon reached Mult, and produced great excitement- The Arimmediately shut up their shops' and retired to their homes. The Kuirds and Tjurks, Avho had long been expecting some finch outbreak, seized their wcations and made in a body for the village, running the Avhole. distance. There were no further attempts at defence in Hunan. The mob Avorked its Avay Avithou t let or hindrance. Houses Ave-re pillaged and destroyed, men murdered and women violated, and everything valuable and portable Avas seized. An Arab named Abdullah especially distinguished- himself by his ferocity. Several children perished from exposure to the cold. The panic among the Armenians at Mush in consequence of the disturbance is great, and they are being terrorised by the Kurds and Turks. The authorities are unable to ensure their security, and consequently the leading members of the community have appealed to the Sultan for protection. EXTRAORDINARY LIVERPOOL TRAGEDY. The Liverpool police are inve'-iigat-ing Avhat is believed to be a terrible tragedy. A man named Thomas Cooper, aged 40, a steelworker, Avent from .'Glasgow to Liverpool recent!!/, and went to a lodginghouse in Dennison street. Three other men were in tho house, one cf them being Samuel McAlhiney, a coal-bea ve<r. They all drank been* together, and Avent to bed shortly after 11, Cooper and McAihinoy occupying the same room. Early next morning Cooper presented himself at the police office, partially dressed and in an excited state. He said McAlhiney had attempted to rob him during the night, but lie had got the best of it and had strangled him. The police Avent to the place, and found McAlhiney dead in bed. Cooper Avas then taken into custody. Cooper, it seams, is a married man, whose wife and family reside near Glasgow. ' “A PERSONAL FRIEND.” In the English Divorce Court DiArchibald Hoiughton-BroAA'n, residing at Woking sued for divorce from his Airife, Charity Houghton-Brown, nee Westwood, on the ground of her misconduct with Mr Harry Keep, ivho resided in the same neighbourhood. It Avas stated at the commencement that the suit Avas uncontented, and that co-respondent had agreed to pay £1250 damages. Counsel explained that the marriage took place in 1890, and there were three children. Previous to the marriage petitioner and co-respondent had been friends as young men, and after the marriage . the doctor's and Mr Keeip’s families were>on \risiting terms. In 1902 Mr Keep met with an accident and was taken to petitioner’s house. The co-respondent Avas ordered aAvay to the seaside on his recovery. Mrs Houghton-BroAvn Avas indisposed at the time, and. she Avent to Eastbourne, and one day was seen dining Avith co-re-spondent in a hotel at Tunbridge Wells. In October of that year, continued counsel, respondent Avent away ostensibly to attend a wedding at Streat-ham, hut it appeared that instead o£ that she stayed at an hotel at Folkestone for three days Avith co-respondent under the name of Mr and Mrs Oarr. Counsel said this was a case of most cruel seduction of a wife by a man who had been a personal friend of the petitioner. Evidence having been given, the jury found for petitioner, and assessed damages at £1250. Decree nisi Avas granted.