HOME AND FOREIGN.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 5086, 3 October 1903, Page 11

HOME AND FOREIGN.

AX INGENIOUS CRIMINAL. Manolcslso, the meet clangorous criminal in tho '.vorld (say tho Beilin ijoUco) whoso escape from a jail near Berlin recently caused a considerable sensation, has contrived to roach Dresden without detection, although attired in prison garb. In Dresden ho gained an entrance it tho Hotel do TBurope, mid plundered a number of rooms occupied by visitors. In the first room ho found an elegant grey suit, with overcoat and hat to match, and these ho took away, leaving Ids convict’s clothes, by which his identity was traced. In the next room lie annexed a pair of patent shoes, and hid his prison clothes under a mattress. In a third room ho found a shirt, collar studs, links, lie, and diamond pin. In a fourth room he helped himself to a cigar-caso filled with good Havannas, and in a firth room lie found a razor and shaving necessaries, with which ho shaved off his beard, thereby altering his* appearance. Prom sonic other rooms ho took

a quantity of cash and other valuables, and, indeed, completely ransacked the place. How ho got in and out again after a two hours’ stay remains a mystery, and ho has now got completely away. A GUAXD DUKE’S YOUXG WIFE. The Leader”' (London) publishes a story from Berlin of the revolt of tho young wife of a rujcr against tho trammels of Court etiquette and bureaucracy. Since her marriage tho Grand Duchess Carolina of Saxc-Woi-r,uu* has carried on a quiet bub bitter struggle against her entourage. feho has views "and opinions of her own, wishes, like every other wife, to be mistress in her own household, and claims tho right to decide for herself how her daily life shall bo ordered. A number of high personalities, who for vears havo been accustomed to ride the "doing, of ilio Weimar Court, reseat tiiis innovation, and havo brought powerful influences to hear in the hope of inducing the Grand Duchess to comply with their views. Tho consequence- of this conflict of opinion is serious dissonance at the Court, to escape which the Grand Duchess lias fled to Switzerland. Tho grand ducal pair were married only about two months ago, the Kaiser being present at the wedding. THE POLLRTT PEERAGE CASE. Tho claim of Win. T. Poulctt, styling himself Viscount Hinton, to be Lari Poulctt, enmo before tho Committee of Privileges ox the House of Lords recently, when tho claimant asserted that ho is tho legitimate son of tho lato Earl by bis marriage with Elizabeth Lavinia, in 1849, and is> therefore, the lawful and rightful successor to the titles, dignities, and honours of the peerage of Poulott. Ho also prayed His Majesty to direct a writ of_ summons for his attendance in his Majesty’s Parliament under the titles of Viscount Hinton and Earl Poulett. Tho opponent was Wm. Lydstono Poulett, son of the lato Earl by" a subsequent marriage with Rosa., Countess Poulett, who protested that the claimant was illegitimate, having been horn only six months after tho marriage took place. The whole imbroglio arose—so the story goes —out of a foolish wager made by tho lato Earl in' the late forties, when ho was a lieutenant of Foot, and young and irresponsible. His regiment was homeward bound, and ho had a bet with a. brother subaltern that he would marry tho first marriageable person ho met upon dry' land. She proved to ho the daughter of a Landport pilot, and within six months of this imprudent match it. is alleged that the claimant “Viscount Hinton,” was bom. Ho has declined an offer of an annuity of £IOO a year 'to abandon his claim and Jive abroad. BURNING OF A STEAMER —GREAT ' LOSS OF LIFE. • A telegram from Nishni Novgorod states that in tho vicinity of that town a five broke out on beard the river steamer Peter 1., coining from Rybinsk, in Samara, with over 200 passengers, and with a large cargo for the Nishni Novgorod fair. Tho steamer, which had hoeif chartered by tho Nadcshda Company, was completely destroyed. The number cf victims has not .vet been definitely- ascertained, but up to tho present 50 persons have been .reported missing. REMARKABLE LOVE TRAGEDY. In the Liago. Court, Belgium, a baker named Goudry was accused cf, wounding a girl named Agnos Broozo, his sweetheart. In tho course-of his Btate■'ineut Goudry said tiio girl was his mother’s servant, and Was ordered from the house, but before she left sho urged him not to leave her, and ho decided to accompany her, and furnished himself with a revolver. The intention was to hire a chamber at Liego and commit suicide, but on their way they entered a meadow, and there riie girl asked Goudry o kill her. He discharged a revolver at her head, and sho fell dead, as he believed, from a, largo , wound behind tho car; and then ho fired three shots at himself. One bullet penetrated his neck, another lodged behind his right ear, while a third hit him beneath the right eye. The wounds thus inflicted wore only slight, however, and ho discharged tho revolver a fourth time, tho bullet striking his chin, when tho girl, who had not been mortally hit. begged him to take her away. They then walked, leaning on each other, to tho Seraiug Bridge, and decided to drown themselves. They waded into tho stream, and whe-n the water reached their waists lost their footing, and were, carried away by tho current.. The girl was drowned, but Goudry was rescued. After bearing the evidence, the Court declared itsejf incompetent to deal with tho case. CLEVER. DISGUISES OF CRIMINALS. So clover arc some criminals in effecting disguise that they might havo made a fortune as variety actors. A favourite, trick with criminals who want to disguise themselves is to stain their hand'-, and faces with a mixture consisting of butternut oil. nutgall. and permanganate of potash, which has the effect of converting the fairest man into _ a swarthy Spaniard or Italian. The chief cf a veiy daring and successful _ gang of Loudon burglars disguised himself in tins way when the scent got too hot. and actually had the audacitv to sell ico-cream within a stone’s-throw of Scotland Yard. Ho affected to ho unablo to speak English. _ but. when a detective, who suspected him, broke one of bis glasses, ostensibly by accident, tho language he used was unmistakably English. The daring of these criminals is some-

times amazing. One' notorious burglar and murderer actually took lodgings next to a police station; and a forger for weeks before his arrest, occupied l ooms iu tho house of a police-sergeant, poking as a naturalist. Ho used to sally forth with a butterfly net, and no one would have suspected that this guileless catcher of butterflies was ono of the most, daring and clover forgers of the century. One peculiarity of this man was ...at lie was never seen without gloves, indoors or out of doors, except on one occasion, and then a mnimod forefinger led to ins detection. By darkening his shin and lotting his board and moustache grow, a man can successfully conceal Ids identity. Ono wellknown criminal was discovered last summer as one of a band of nigger minstrels performing on tho sands at. the seaside. Unfortunately for him, among tho audience was a detective who had been on bis trail for some months, and who recognised him, through the. disguise of a cloan-shavou and blackened face by a gold-stopped front tooth which ho displayed when singing. BRIDE’S ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE. A marriage which took place in Paris recently had ’a startling sequel. Tho wedding feast was hold at tho residence of the husband’s parents, and, just ns tho guests wore beginning to disperse, the young woman asked for a cup of tea, * which was brought to her. She at onco dropped a quantity of Belladonna in tho cup and swallowed tho contents. A minuto later sho was seized with violent convulsions, to the horror of tlie bridegroom and the guests. Fortunately tho remedies applied by tho doctor wore effective and sho was soon out of danger. Tho young woman declines to reveal her motives for attempted suicide. ANARCHISTS AND THE KAISER. According to a Chicago correspondent, the police authorities there confirm tho reported discovery of American anarchists at Copenhagen, and the existence of a plot against the Kaiser. Mr O’Neill, chief of tho Chicago police, says that two men and two women anarchists sailed from the United States for Sweden some weeks ago, declaring their intention of killing tho Kaiser during his visit to King Oscar, and the police authorities at Copenhagen have been notified of tho facts. MORE LYNCHINGS IN AMERICA!,A despatch published in New York states that a mob of fifty unmasked men entered the town of Basin, in Wyoming, on Sunday, arid with a variety of implements battered down the doors-of the jail. They killed Mr Pierce, the Deputy-Sheriff, who sought to restrain them, and then shot dead James Goniian and a man named Walters, who wero under arrest in tho jail on charges of murder. Both men wero killed in their colls. The mob feeling in tho district runs very high, and other lynchings are believed to be imminent. It is feared that sanguinary fighting will ensue.

AN ENGLISH PROFESSOR IN PARIS. \ Reuter telegram from Paris says that within the last few days a gentle--man. who is understood to bo a Professor of tho University of Oxford, stayin e iu Paris- made tho acquaintance of a man, a British subject, at tho office of a local newspaper. . The stranger offered t.o accompany him to Switzerland. and tho proposal was accepted. Tlio Professor cashed a chccxuo for Lot) at an English bunking agency m tho ■ivonuo do I'Opera in tho presence of bis new acquaintance. The two men then went to a cafe in the Ilaco do la Republique, where- before long they were joined by two compatriots. Suddenly the Professor, after swallowing a few mouthfuls of the refreshment he had ordered, fainted, and when ho recovered his senses his companions had disappeared, along with the amount of the cheque. It : is believed that the ■thieves drugged tho liquor m order to stupefy their victim. MAUDE GONNE’S BLACK FLAG. During the King’s progress througH Dublin on Wednesday, Mrs M’Bride, better known as Maudo Gonne, the Insh Joan of Arc, hung black flags from her window. Three detectives and two policemen pulled them down, but she hung out another, and, on tho mmions of the law climbing the garden railings,she, a lady friend, and the servant fought them with broomsticks.' Brute I'orco prevailed, and down came the flag, but Maud hung out another, and got ready boiling water and pokers with which to defend her rights. Tho water is still on tho boil, and as a consequence two .black flags wave triumphantly. PETTICOAT POLITICS. A' Berlin correspondent states that a boundless sensation has been caused in. Germany by revelations of tho participation of tho female members of tho Bavarian Royal Family in political intrigues. It appears that eight or ten princesses are involved, including Princess Marie Thercse, who, as. wife of tho Prince Regent's eldest son, Prince Louis, will probably be Queen of Bavaria one day; Princess Gisela, daughter of tho Austrian Emperor; Princess Therese, who is an'abbess, doctor of philosophy, and member of this Academy of Sciences; and half a dozen, younger princesses. Tho Royal ladies seem to have established a petticoat regime in the worst sense of the term. They ara all hitter Anti-Semites, and promote political Jcw-baiting by all possible means. Several have made their palaces - centres of a systematic Anti-Semite agitation, while others have subscribed largo sums to the Anti-Sem- , ite movement , and have collected money among the Bavarian aristocracy to aid Anti-Semite candidate,'-, in the Reichstag elections. Less objection is taken to tho part which the political princesses have played than to the secret influence which they exercise behind tho scones. , Between them they have secured the best appointments for their friends, and have driven men of progressive thought out cf office, and generally permeated tho administration witli reactionary clericalism. Tho South German Progressive newspapers warn tho Royal ladies to quit the political warpath, otherwise a 1,1 details of their mysterious machinations will bo made public. LABOUR REVOLT IN SICILY. Palermo, July 9.—The men employe ed in the sulphur mines at Riesi, in Sicily, have gone on strike. To-day they'sacked tho offices and damaged tho machinery, tho result being that work cannot ho resumed for .several months. The director and his staff saved their lives by barricading themselves in ouo of tho buildings, assisted by a few carbineers stationed there. Troops are I being sent to restore order.