ALL THE WORLD ITEMS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4467, 21 September 1901, Page 6 (Supplement)

ALL THE WORLD ITEMS.

SAD STORY OF THE STAGE. A sad tragedy was enacted at Great Russel street, Bloomsbury, recently, when two actresses, named Ida and Edith Yooland, the daughters of parents who reside in Maidavale, committed suicide by taking poison. Ida, who was twenty-six, was for some time understudy to Miss Evelyn Millard in “The Adventures of Lady Ursula,” at the Duke of York’s Theatre, and Edith, who was twenty-three, was for a time engaged in “Sweet Nell’ of Old Drury at the Globe.

They were out of an engagement, and had received a letter saying they woidd not bo required in a company which ■Mr Willard is to take to America. According to the story told by Mrs Callaghan, the landlady, the young women sent her servant to a chemist for a “solution.” Soon after it had been delivered cne of the sisters called down the speaking-tube and asked the landlady to come up at once. On going upstairs she was met by Ida, _ clad only in her dressing gown. She said that she and her sister were going. If she (Mrs Callaghan) would fetch a cab they could be taken away at once and save any bother at the house. She added that they had taken poison; and then sank - op a seat in the hall apparently in pain;

Mrs Callaghan went to their room and found the other sister in pain. She asked to be left to die, but the landlady carried her downstairs. By this time Ida was lying in the passage foaming at the mouth, and in great agony. “Are you gone yet?” she asked her sister, and then, in answer to a question, she said, “I have taken cocaine because I wanted to sleep.” Then the police arrived, to find one sister dead on the floor of the passage, and the other dying.. The latter was taken to Middlesex Hospital, where, after several fits, she too died. The police found a number of bottles, supposed to have ’ contained poisonous preparations, the labels on which .had been scraped off. The “Central News?’ says that when the sisters received the letter stating that they would not be required in the American play Ida said to Mrs Callaghan, ‘T have had a very bitter disappointment. I expected to go to take part in a play in America, but it has fallen through. I do not mow why we should have these disappointments. I seem to he cursed.” The “Central News” adds that when the landlady rushed up to the bedroom Ida said to her, “We have both taken poison. We both thought we were better out of it as we have had so many disappointments in life. Good-bye, dear Mrs Callaghan, you have been a good friend to ua both. I am sorry wo have done this, but we wore both beset with so many difficulties, and we could not stand it any longer.”

BURYING THE HATCHET. > The Northern Pacific Railway Settlement, saya a telegram from New York, ensures comm unity of interest. The new directors nominated by Mr Piorpont Morgan represent individually five great railway systems—tie Union Pacific, Great Northern, St. Paul, Chicago and North-western, and Pennsylvania. Mr Rockefeller is in St- Paul .interest, Mr Rea is an officer in the Pennsylvania Railway, and Mr Twombly is a North-Western director. Messrs Hill and Harriman were the original fighters, ami Wall street declares that the new 1 card really repregents the defeat of Mr Morgan, as Mr Hill is the only distinct Morgan representative on the list.

The violent advance_ of stocks on early rumours of Mr Morgan’s announcement was partly due to the report that twenty-five millions of St. Paul stock were to he exchanged for Union Pacific bonds. Thei story is not confirmed, but it was believed by many brokers. The Morgan buying the market was effective because of the large short interest.

The sale of 200 shares ,of Northern Pacific Common is the first since the panio in May, and made the price 118, but the gale ia really a wash. The rumours of the settlement of the Steel strike are untrue, but the news is less favourable to the strikers. Opinion is divided as to whether a union of powerful financiers and a pacific settlement means the forcing up of the market or not. The Bank people dislike the idea cl a renewal of the boom as a tight money period is approaching.

A DISASTER AT HERNE BAT. A terrible affair occurred recently at Heme Bay, England. An eleotrio train ' runs up and down the pier at that watering place, and a number of persons got into the cars with the view of catching the boat which was about to leave the pier-head for Margate. The train consisted of three coaches, and in front of the first waa a trolley which is used for the conveyance of luggage., At the moment it was empty. Before the end of the journey the trolley left, the metals, and crashing through the side of the pier, fell into the sea, carrying with it the first of the three coaches, which contained four passengers. Fortunately the couplings broke, and the other two Vehicles were left standing. A scene of great excitement followed. Some people who were rowing about dose by palled towards the passengers, who were struggling in the water, and rescued them. Alter the sufferers were put ashore the shock proved too mnoh for Mrs Sarah Pearce, aged seventy-four, of Brixton, and she died. Her husband waa accompanying her at the time of the disaater. They had been staying at Sunnysid* Cottage. At the inquest George Harrison, the driver of the car. said they wore not going at full speed, which was about five miles an hour. There waa no motive power on the two end cars. The trolley waa in front, but had nothing on ib. Three officials generally travelled with the cars, which made probably twenty-five or thirty journeys a day. ■Witness was standing on the front of tho car. The trolley jumped the rails and throw 1 the car off on the opposite side. Tho cars were connected with a rod and chain. Ha had never known the trolley jump before. Tho middle car was the heaviest. The medical evidence showed that Mrs Pearce had a severe scalp wound, and that she died from shock and concussion of the brain, not from drowning. Tho jury, after half an hour's consultation, returned a verdict of accidental death, and added a rider that the pushing of the trolley in front of the train should be discontinued as unsafe.

NETV KIND OF SORB THROAT. At a recent sitting of the Academy of Medicine in Paris Dr. C. J. Koenig communicated a double discovery of a new sore throat and of a now microbe. The patient under treatment js a

man of thirty-five, of rheumatic habit, but otherwise iu perfect health. The trouble begau about two months ago in a superficial ulceration, covered with a greyish false-membrane in the upper part of the right tonsil. The only symptom was slight pain on swallowing; there was no fever, no headache, and no gastro-intestinal trouble.

In spite of all attermpts to prevent it, the affection spread towards the mouth in the form of a very superficial erosion covered with thin false-mem-brancs, and invaded the palate the cheeks, and the tongue. The doctor has named the disease ercso-membranous angina, and the new microbe, which is a bacillus, he has named bacillus polymorphus, on account of its remarkable variations in size and shape. It is immobile and differs from all other bacilli known in its cultural properties and in its powers of colouration with analine dyes. It is not pathogenic, for guinea-pigs injected hypodermically do not become ill.

STEEL TRUST AT WAR. The alarming progress of the steel strike still eclipses all other topics. Over 60,000 men are now reported to have struck; non-union men are joining the strikers. Several more mills are likely to close, and the estimated stocks of the Steel Trust and seven other steel companies have depreciated CiV’er £6,000,000 during the past two weeks. The strike is already costing the mill owners and the men nearly £IOO,OOO a day. Funds are pouring into the Steel Union, and the American Federation of Labour is thinking of raising £IOO.OOO towards the strike. / Neither the Steel Trust nor the union is in a mood to compromise. The union demands equal conditions in all steel mills, and the removal of restrictions against non-union men joining a union mill.

The managers say that they mean to conduct their business without interference, and will not submit to dictation. ...

Both sides are determined to fight it out. Over 120,000 firemen, engineers and miners in the Pennsylvania coal _ districts are now on strike, demanding a day of eight hours with full wages. At some mines the pumps have stopped, and the water is rising. It is feared that the mines will be flooded, and a coal famine result. Several railway unions threaten to strike in sympathy with the steel men. All sorts of. trades have been seized with the strike fever. The brewery engineers in some places have struck, and caused a scarcity of beer, to the intense delight of the" temperance people. The Laundrymen’s Union, the Cigarmakers’ Union,, and other organisations are contributing large sums to the steel strikers. . The two principal figures in the strike are Mr Pierpont Morgan, the wellknown financier- and Mr Theodore Shaffer, the leader of the steel strikers. Mr Shaffer has had a remarkable career. He commenced life as an iron worker; he was very religious, and studied theology in his spare time; eventually he entered the Wesleyan theological seminary,, and graduated with high honours. He then entered the ministry as a Methodist clergyman, and afterwards became an iron worker again. Ho was so popular with his fellowworkmen that they elected him president of the -union. Mr Shaffer is a 'man of great ability, refinement and force of character. He is an eloquent speaker and strongly resembles Mr McKinley. Ha ts constantly urging peaceful methods, and not a single disorderly outbreak has yet occurred. It is feared, however, that trouble will occur soon. Some mills are filling the places of strikers with non-union men, and employing armed guards to protect them. The union men are uttering threats, and a clash may follow.

A NEW ENGLISH MILLIONAIRE. Major Alexander Davis, a millionaire of Syracuse, New York, has become a British subject. He is now in England with his family. One of his daughters is the wife of a well-known member of Parliament; another is the wife of an English Army officer. Mr Davis served with distinction through the Civil War, and afterwards acquired great - wealth through coal mines and tramways. He was recently defeated for Congress, and it is said that this disappointment caused his renunciation of American citizenship.

SHOOTING A FRENCH MINISTER. Considerable commotion was caused in Paris the other morning when it became known that an attempt , had been made on the life of M. Baudin, Minister of Public Works. Tho Minister was on his way to' a Cabinet Council at the Elysee, and just as his carriage turned the corner of the Avenue Gabriel a woman standing on the pavement ran put quickly and fired point-blank at him, shouting at the same time, ‘‘Death to Delcasse/’ .Happily M. Bandin was and when the woman had been taken into custody he drove on to tho Elysee, His assailant gave her name as the Countess Olszewski, living at Nanterre, and she was accompanied’by her son, a little hoy of twelve years o.f age. She at first refused to give any motive for her strange'conduct, but finally it waa ascertained that the husband of tho Countess, of Polish extraction, is in receipt of an allowance from the Government as tax collector at Nanterre, . For a long time ho has sought an ln * crease of emolument, and he also presented a demand for a hundred thousand francs indemnity from the Italian Government for wrongful imprisonment, on a charge of the payment of -which claim he asked the ■ French Government to insist upon. The Countess sent petition after petition to M. Delcasse, and, finally wrote liim a threatening letter, for which she was sent to prison in January. 1900. Finally, tiring of her ineffectual efforts to influence the French Foreign Office, the Countess conceived the desperate plan of shooting M. Delcasse, and came to Paris for that purpose. She admited having engaged in revolver practice at Nanterre, and said she was sorry to have mistaken M. Baudin for his colleague of the Quai D’Orsay. The Countess, who is forty-six years of age,- was dressed in a light striped costume. She is now in custody pending an inquiry, and her little boy has been sent back to his father at Nanterre. . \ love letters of a doctor. Charles Bennett Scott, who was at one time a doctor in Brighton and afterwards at Kingstown, failed to fulfil his promise to marry Beatrice Kate

Roberts, of Streatham, and a Dublin jury has awarded the lady solatium to the extent of £IOOO. That was just onethird of the sum at which she had estimated her loss.

The lady’s father was the founder cf the firm in London of Ebenezer Roberts and Co., and died six years ago, leaving a widow and eight children, who lived at Denmark hill. In November, 1897, the plaintiff paid a visit with her mother to Brighton, where she became acquainted with the defendant. From the first, counsel said his attentions to the young lady were remarkable, and in February. 1898, he proposed to marry her. tonq consented, and he gave her a diamond egagement ring and also an old signet ring. In October last year the engagement was broken off on the part of the defendant. During the engagement 348 letters were written by Scott, and he had gone through the whole vocabulary of affectionate‘expressions. Struck perhaps with the poverty of the English language to denote affection, he was constantly quoting from Russian, Italian, French and German, and it was wonderful that in the midst cf the Celtic revival his amorous sentiments did not lead him to court her in Irish-

The quotations ranged from the Bible to the latest music-hall ballad. In one letter he said:

“I hope to have once more a glimpse of paradise, or what is the same thing—to have you near me. Your letter was like a ray of sunshine this morning, and badly it was wanted, as it has done nothing but rain all day.” In July he wrote: “I am a truthful person, as a rule, and do not want to depart very far from it, even to see you ‘mova dusha’—those last two words are Russian. I have been, reading a book by Count Tolstoi, and seeing that expression very frequently, as its meaning is very sweet I have adopted it, Katie Galubchik.’ (Laughter.) On August 31 he wrote, to> his “ownest sweetheart” that “I feel I want someone to fondle and kiss me, and that someone is you.” Plaintiff’s mother lost a considerable sum of money, but the defendant refused to take advantage of an offer to release him. In another letter he said if he could see the plaintiff he “would not call 'the Queen bis aunt.” Ultimately, however, he coeled down and broke his promise. BOXED HIS WIFE'S EARS. Sir Francis Jeune and a special London jury were asked by Mrs Elizabeth Edmunds for a judicial separation from her husband. Dr Percy James Edmunds, on the alleged ground of repeated acts of cruelty, commencing soon after the; marriage and continuing'until she finally left him in March cf last year. - Mrs Edmunds, said that she was married at Sydney in 1884/ and ever since her marriage defendant had ill-treated her. He was a very excitable man. On one occasion he boxed' her ears- On another he dragged her out *6f the room by her heels. He also forced her through a door so roughly that he damaged the lock, and he once took up a bicycle and threw it at her.

Dr.. Stanley told the story of his attempt to reconcile them. - He went to dine with Mr and M-s Edmunds on March 23, 1900, in consequence of an urgent telephone message from her, saying ‘‘For Gcd's sake come and help me.” ■' ■ "V, ;■

When he got there Mrs Edmunds: remarked on the dinner being late, and her husband {hen said, it ought to have been ordered earlier. Mrs Edmunds replied that it was, whereupon - the servant, Harris,, contradicted her. Mrs Edmunds repeated the- statement, and the servant gave ah expressive whistle, as much as .to say “What a lie I” Mr Percy James Edmunds said that he met his wife, who was a nurse, on a voyage out to Australia. They had always lived on the most affectionate terms, except for occasional rows. He was very jealous of his wife, but he did not make accusations against her. At an Australian picinc, be found her with her head on a gentleman’s. lap, and the gentleman was feeding her with cherries", ' . ■■ '.■■■■ She used to fly at him, and he had to hold her wrists.. He did box her ears once, because she refused to give up dining out daily with Sir Richard Farrant without the knowledge of the latter’s wife, But even boxing her ears did not stop her. He had threatened to throw her into the sea, but meant no . more by it than when she ■ used' to threaten to stab or poison himTHE PATTISON SENTENCES. The trial of Robert and Walter,Pattison, ,o£ Pattison’s, Limitedj whisky merchants, Leith and London, came to an end after-lasting nine days. , Mr Guthrie addressed the jury for three hours in. defence of Robert, and Mr Ure spoke for two hours on behalf of Walter.

The Lord Justive General • said there was something wrong if a trader’s books did not contain either tho entry .o the prices to the, people from whom the goods wore bought or a debit of the goods account, but contained only tho price got for the goods. That looked in thrbooks as if ho got the goods for no thing, -and the whole price was gained It was for the jury to judge whethei anybody could tell what the public wculf have done if there had been £20,001 less profit. If the evidence showed th ■ prisoners appropriated £40,000 receive*, from-the hank, thus defrauding tho com . pany of Pattisons, Liulited, so as to psj th«-.r own debts, they would be entitles to convict. ■ ,-••• ■ ~ • The jury' was absent for an hon and forty minutes. Tho foreman re ported that by a majority they founts Robert (the elder brother) guilty of aU the four charges, and Walter guilty c the second and fourth. The secont count referred to -the £40,000 obtained from the Clydesdale Bank, and the fourth was the charge of defrauding Arrol of £6579 by the sale of whisky Lord Blair Balfour passed sentenot of eighteen months’ imprisonment - on Robert, who thereupon called out “My brother is entirely innocent - of charge; two and four.” (Sensation.) The ends of justice, said his lordship would he met in the case of Walter by a sentence of nine month’s imprison snout* : -;v■■ ■■■■ • ■ The crowd in court indicated that they considered the sentences very lenient. ■ ■■■■■■■■■■• A HYDE PARK OUTRAGE. Two young Irish, Guardsmen, Thomas Kennedy and Martin Evans, have been charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm on Police-Constable Harry Brewer, who was found lying half dead in Hyde Park. Brewer still lies in St. George’s Hospital. For a time his life was, almost despaired of, but an improvement sot in and though he was .unable to appear in court, the doctors are of - opinion that be is on a fair way to recovery. He is, however, unable to recall the incidents of the night of the outrage and his mem-

ory concerning events before that date has also. gone. Still, the police were able to follow up a clue without the injured man's assistance.

At twenty minutes to twelve oa the nigfit of the affair Constables Strouder and Brewer noticed a Guardsman and a girl sitting on a seat in the path leading to Victoria Gate. A few minutes later another constable. Cousins, met Brewer, and spoke to him. So that at ten minutes to twelve no assault had been committed.

Twenty minutes later a lamplighter— Trotter—saw two Irish Guardsmen and a girl go towards Marble Arch by way of the Broad Walk. These three were also seen by Constable Penny at Marble Arch. A few minutes later Brewer was found unconscious near the seas where Strouder had turned his light on the Guardsman and the girl. With this evidence Inspector Fuller proceeded to Chelsea Barracks, and learned that three men of the Irish Guards were out over time on the night of the assault. One gave a satisfactory explanation of his movements, but the other two, Kennedy and Evans, wore not so successful.' Kennedy said he had been in a public house in Denbigh street until half an hour after midnight, whereas the manageress declared that he was not in the house after ten o’clock. Evans admitted that he had been walking about with a girl- Charged with the assault, he said, “I didn t knock the bobby about; did she say I did?” Subsequently he said he was in the park with the girl, that Kennedy joined them, and that Brewer approached and told Kennedy it wag time he was in barracks, whereupon Kennedy struck the officer, kicked him, and jumped on him. Evans added that Kennedy asked him and the girl to say nothing about the matter, and then wiped some blood off his boots. , Mr Muskett, who prosecuted on_ behalf of the Commissioner of Police, ssid that it was possible the charge against Kennedy might be altered to one of attempted murder.

EXPLOSION AND FIRE. A distastrous explosion occurred at a flour mill, occupied by Tod Bros;, Stockbridge, Edinburgh. Thirteen persons, including Mr James Thomson; the manager, several workmen, and persons passing along the street were injured, most of them suffering from burns about the head and face. The mill was set on fire and partially destroyed, and a grocer’s stop adjoining was practically wrecked. j It appears that workman, in removing old gas engines in thq mill in order to replace them by electric motors, used a , naked light without the gas being turned off at the main, and an explosion followed. ‘ ‘

A HEARTLESS LOVER. A pathetic story was unfolded recently at the inquest at Portsmouth on Florence Samphire, . a domestic servant, who saturated her clothes witn paraffin and set fire to herself. Her employer said she was quite cheerful until she received a letter from her stoker of H.M.S.. Crane, named Simpson—breaking off the engagement, although they were to have been married that day. Simpson wrote: “Dear Florrie,—l hope you will . not be very angry at what I am going to ask you. lam going to ask you to relieve me from my promise. I know that you will be grieved at this, Florrie, but when I tell you the circum-stances-you will say that it is for the best.’’ 'The. man then .went on to refer to a girl he had met while on leave. The letter continued:,— j , “Although she is bad, she is the only girl I have' loved. I have loved her manly ever sines I first saw her. Ypu will ask me how I could be .so vile .to propose to' you while loving another. Well, I will tell you. I knew that if I married her she could never bo any good to me, and-1 thought that by mar-: rying you I could forget her and perhaps in time leam to love you. God Knows I have tried; but it is useless. I know that I could never be happy with you. . . I am sending you your watch back and some meney to help pay for your dress- Wishing you every happiness and prosperity, I remain, etc., HARRY. . ■ It appeared that Simpson' had borrowed money from the deceased to enable him to go away for a change, v In her pocket was found a wedding-ring, and her last wish, was that Simpsons photograph might beburied with her. “I could not help it,,’ she said; “he drove me to it." , A married sister stated that ■ the ( wed* ding Lad been postponed three times. In returning a-, verdict . of , . suicide while insane, the jury expressed their detestation of J Simpson’s inhuman treatment of the girl, , and their sorrow that they could not deal with him as he deThe coroner remarked that nothing they might B*7 could; be too strong.

OBLIGED TO FIGHT DUELS.

An incident is reported from Saxony which has aroused great interest in military circles. A young lieutenant, attached to a regiment stationed ini that country* while under the - influence of ■ drink, struck an officer belonging to the same regiment. The - following day the aggrieved officer sent a comrade *o ask why the blow had been struck; : Ihe young lieutenantj who remembered nothing of the incident, tendered his apologies, which were accepted. - Nevertheless the matter was referred to the- decision, of the officers of another regiment, composing a court of honour, and the officer who was strucx and accepted the apologies offered was dismissed from the army on the ground that he had sent a comrade to the otfender with an intimation that a peaceful settlement would be welcome, ine colonel of the regiment in announcing the decision of the court to the officers appeared much agitated, and said : 1 can only advise you, gentlemen, in all cases to challenge, at any rate, to a duel with swords.” SAW HER MOTHER KILLED. A crime of a peculiarly' revolting character occurred at Deptford recentvicitim was Kate; Bottom,, living at 21,' Baildonstreet,: and 1 her assailant is alleged to be her, husband, Jamea Bottom, a sturdy, thick-set man cl about thirty-three yearsThe couple were - unusually prosperous for people in their, station, and were generally on very affectionate terms, but both of them, it is stated,; drank hard, and at such times showed mutual jea-

One night they quarrelled, and the wife was wounded 'so severely that her head had to be stitched up at the Miller Hospital.

The husband met a girl of r.beufourteen, who did odd work in the house, and said to her, “Make me a cup of tea, and then perhaps 1 shall feel better.” He then went into the yard and picked up a lath-splitter or hammer. Noticing the girl was watching him he told her not to say anything, and went upstairs to where his wife was sleeping, her child of; seven lying in bed with her.

The little girl was wakened by hearing her mother screaming “Don’t, Jimmy, don’t. Give me another chance.” Her father was striking at her mother with the lath-splitter, and the child cried out, “Don't, dadda, don’t do that to my mamma.”

The child maintains that she saw her father strike his wife on the head three times, and at the third blow the unfortunate woman rolled out of the bed on to the floor.

A lodger from below then rushed into the room, and seeing what had happened, shouted “Murder” from the window. When a constable arrived Bottom had escaped, and his wife was kneeling by the bed holding her head between her hands. Medical assistance was at once sent for, but the doctors found the woman dead.

The child Polly, a golden-haired, bright little girl, fortunately does not comprehend the tragedy, but believes her mother to be still sleeping. The local inspector of the N.S.P.C.C, took her in charge,, and afterwards handed her over to the care cf an aunt, James Bottom was arrested at Clapham; and was conveyed to Greenwich, where ho will be charged with the crime. MME. BERNHARDi TOUCHED. Mme. Sarah Bernhardt and M. Coquelin have returned, to Paris from London. The great tragedienne’ was met at the Gare du Nord by a troop of friends, and much kissing ensued. Mme. Bernhardt at once drove to her theatre, and after light refreshments rehearsed “L’Aigion"’ in view of the gratis matinee offered to the holiday public. Seen between two acts, Sarah was asked how she felt. “I’ve had a horrible crossing,” she exclaimed, “but I’m delighted with my trip—not cnly with my success on the stage, but with my reception outside of the theatre, where 1 met with the most cordial and warm welcome, and witnessed once more the very sincere friendship which the English entertain for us.

“It is net only the artiste who has been made much of, it is the Frenchwoman; Wherever I had been feted—at the Lord Mayor’s, at the Duchess of Sutherland’s, at the Vagabonds’ Club, where I met the elite of the . English literary and political worlds—-I distinguished very clearly the homage paid to ai ,‘Francaise,' and it touched me more than I can tell'you.- These people, believe me, have the highest ; esteem for us; and would be very happy to he our friends. But I must .not talk politics.

BUNGLE OR BLUNDER? ,

; Mr Bennet Burleigh, war correspondentof the “Daily Telegraph," writing from Carolina last month, states : —“l. know of no more. puzzling task than . 'getting through, either‘by wire'or letter, early news of military events in. South Africa. Direct. and indirect, obstacles are interposed to the, prompt. transmission, of information.' j'Ever sincp r the eyil days when General Wolseley (as he then, was, I think) suggested rather than instituted the method of doctoring ■or burking newspaper correspondence, matters have gone from bad to .worse. We are rapidly getting abreast of the mischievous methods of Napoleonic bulletins, and if there is any sequence in history or causes the same disastrous results to the authors and supporters of such a policy will assuredly, follow some day. Of so.much.l again, think it my duty to give warning. “With Commanders-in-Chief,, from General .Duller. and Lord Roberts onward, acting practically :as ; privileged war correspondents, by their authority securing prior,rights upon their own news and blocking the ordinary Pressman’s freedom to transmit messages—for as much as » week at a time it has happened in Natal and upon this side—the British public hre permitted in the first instance only to read official viewg. And what these have been and sometimes; are —no matter. The ancient proverb about giving ‘the thing that is not so the start of ‘truth,’ and beating it in a race round the world is grasped by the military mind. “Even letters —all letters, Press or otherwise—to England and Enrope inclusive aresubject to Press censorship, which >' may: or may not be exercised, as the chance falls. I have explicitly inquired about this subject, and there, are others who, dan bear me out in the accuracy of- this - statement. -. The , whole busine& of censorship, .as conducted in South Africa, -I cannot help believing, is mainly a bungle and a blunder. Rather it looks as if the enemy were the British public/who .were to bo ,■ held in strings as much as. possible, and only permitted access -to.- the official. bulletins. The sooner the whole ■ matter of unofficial correspondence is put upon a definite basis, conformable a to 1 our free,, institutions, the better it will be for everybody. It.is high time .some one made bold to say so much.” A LONDON TRAGEDY.

Devonport Road, Shepherd’s Bush, a quiet thoroughfare leading from ; Goldhawk road ,to Uxbridge road, London, was the scene of a tragedy which involved the loss- of four lives,: and the: extinction of an entire: family:' Since February last a Lease there lias been.,in the occupation of a cabinet maker of foreign extraction, together, with his wife , and two children. He worked-for a firm in Bond street; and appeared to be in fairly easy circumstances. His correct name is >even now 'a matter of doubt, but -he seems to have been known by the name of Francis ! by the few who came; in contact with him. His surname as given to the police was KlatyoskL and he is variously described ;as a Russian and as an Austrian. His wife,' Naomi, was of French nationality, and there were two children—Phoebe, aged, seven, and Francis, aged five. The man was thirty-nine years of age, and his ■ wife - thirty-four, and they lived on the best of terms. One evening recently the family_ retired to rest in the usual manner, Klatvoski and his wife in one rooin and the children in. another: -' Just'- before seven o’clock Mrs Howes,a resident in , the house, heard'what she- imagined to be four; loud : knocks at. the.’ front door.; She went to answer, but found no one' there; and concluded" she must have be«n mistaken. The JQatvoskis were usually early risers,-and Ilfs Howes became alarmed at the absence of any sign of movement on their part.. By ten o’clock suspicion that something untoward had taken place ripened into certainty, and with the assistance-of a police constable the '< rooms occupied ;hy .the family were entered.

Parents and; children were then fonnd tying dead; the father being on the floor

with a revolver in liis hand, his position indicating that he had taken aim at himself by means of the looking-glass. The woman and the two children were in their night dresses, and the supposition is that, rising early in the morning, •Klatvoski shot his wife whilst she: was lying asleep, then murdered his children, and afterwards shot himself. The little girl PhoeOe seems to have been awakened, and to have put up her hands to save herself.

Some papers were found in the room, and among these it is said was a written statement by the husband in which he confessed tnat he, had murdered his family. This was taken possession ■ of by the police, and will be produced at the inquest. It has been stated that a year ago Klatvoski had an attack of pneumonia, and has since then had fits of depression, i THE MAN-WOMAN. Mrs de Lacy Evans, who 22 years ago was discovered to be'a woman masquerading as a man, died in. the Immigrants’ Home, Victoria, on August 23, at the age of 63. She had been an inmate since 1881.. She was known among the Bendigo miners 22; years ago, when she worked in the Great Sou.hern mine under the name of Edward Evans. For 20 years she had been employed at manual labour of various kinds, and earned her wages perhaps better than the majority of the men around her.

On Jmy 22, 1879, 'Evans was admitted to the Bendigo Hospital as a lunatic; the following being the hospital record of his case: ‘ rxlward de Lacy Evans! male, married, admitted 22nd July, native of Kilkenny, Ireland, religion Church of England/ dangerous to others; demented on the day of his admission.’’ The patient remained in the hospital six weeks, but the secret, was not discovered until September 1, when she was removed to the Kcw Lunatic Asylum.

Mrs Evans was detained in the asylum for two years, and, on her release, while the: recollection of the affair was still fresh in the minds of the public, she accepted an engagement to appear in a show of living wonders at the Waxwoiks, in Bburke street, and the “man-woman'’ proved a great attraction for some -time. Bne - afterwards drifted into the Immigrants’ Home, where she remained until her death. ‘

In i appearance the man perspnator was feminine in feature, but had a distinctlv masculine expression. Her face was destitute of hair, but the woman’s general appearance was such as to' enable her imposition to pass anywhere. It is stated that sae came out to-Mel-bourne in 1859 in the ship Ocean Monarch, and, was then known, as Ellen Tremayne. • Her- follow-passengers were informed that she was married soon after landing; It must have been only a year or two after this that the woman assumed the role of a man and married; a woman named Sarah Moore,, who had two children, both of whom died. She died, in 1867 without uttering a syllable about the imposition, and in 1868 Eyans, who described herself as a miner, widower, with th’d children,': was married po one Julia' Marquand. The bridegroom s parents were stated in the certificate to be Edward John De Lacy Evans, police magistrate, ■ and ■ Ann Dora _ Yauchian Welsh. Evans represented to Miss Marquand that he had/two children by a former wife in France, and that these had been sent to Ireland to be educated. The woman’s , strange, story created a profound impression at the time, - and is surrounded with circumstances which make the deception one of the most extraordinary on record;