HOME AND FOREIGN NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 5802, 20 January 1906, Page 13

HOME AND FOREIGN NEWS.

ROCKEFELLER'S income. Now York papers publish a little tabulated statement, showing that Mr ■John 0. Rockefeller, on Dec. 15 Im*. has taken for- last year £4,000,000 as hir. share of the Standard Oil dividends, lie now owns 50 per cent, of the capital stock of the company, in addition 10 49 per cent, of tho capital stock of all tho subsidiary companies. It is e.s----t an a led Unit Air Rockefeller's income from all sources last year, including tho 011 dividends, railway, gas. and other investments, amounted to at least £8,000.000. with whicli, as tho New York “World" says, “ho ought to bo able to worry along for a time.” GERMAN TORPEDO BOAT SUNK. Tho torpedo-boat. S 12C, on Nor. 17 collided, near the Buolk lighthouse, with tlio cruiser Undine, and sank. Ono officer and 32 men are missing, while several are injured. After tho collision tho Undino anchored on the scene of tho accident, whither a number of tugs proceeded neat morning. Tho accident happened in Kiel Bay when the fourth division was engaged in tactical night exercises against tho cruiser Undine, which was steaming with lights out. Tbaio in cliargo of the S 126 appear to have been dazzled by tho cruioer’B searchlight being suddenly turned on, and tho torpedo-boat came athwart the Undine’s bow-, causing a collision. Tho S 12(5 sank in comay qnenco of a boiler explosion, to which tho largo number of missing is attributed. Tho officer in command of tho torpedo-boat division, tho commander of tho S 128, and two officers of the watch were (.lightly injured. Tho Emperor William arrived at Kiel on Saturday, and while in tho waiting-room of tho station ordered a report on tho sinking of tho torpedo-boat to bo made to him immediately. A hologram from Kiel on Nov. 20 said that divers had discovered tho sunken torpedo-boat S 120 lying in tho mud, with a lint to port. Pour bodies had boon recovered. Among tho messages of condolence received at Kiel was ono from .King Edward. JEWS’ EIGHT FOR LIFE. An English resident in Odessa has written to his father, a woll-known tradesman in tho Crystal Palnoo ds»trict, an account of dx» mißocrai there. Ho says:— “In ono house, on tho MoWavnnka. U«? Jews tried to defend thomoolyoa front tho infuriated mob by pouring boiling water down and koptug tip an hioossant revolver fire, but all to no purpose. Tho mob gained accom to tho house, and alter screwing tiho inmates' arms and legs off, hurled tho mutilated bodies to tho wild beasts below. Prom this ono houso alone Ouvo waggon loads of dead were roinovwl. estimated at a hundred souls, including women and children.” At lloMliolnnia, says tho correepondoi : iu* itn.-—..-Jewish Uommitt-s-. a train having brought to tho town some Jeu-i-h travel lew. those were drugged out of the carnages by furious hooligan:-'. .uitl bn'.cher<«d in the presence of flu. cation patrol, who actually lent 1 heir aid in tho work of murder. Seven -daks and three children wore k.-ed.

and thirty-two so severely wounded that they were taken to tho hospital, having however, been previously^stripped of their clothing by tho rioters. At Kazan tho rioters and soldiers impaled tho women and children on tho 3 points of thoir bayonets. With some r victims they dealt by putting out their , eyre, and with others by cutting off s their cars and noses. - BABY SOLD FOR TWO SHILLINGS. i f A woman named Rose Bell, of White - Hart Lane, who obtained a reparation at AVood Green on Nov. 17, told tho 3 magistrate that one day when olio rer turned homo from work she found that, t her baby had been sold for 2s and a fell by her husband to a man. She > fetched tho baby Slack, and her husband beat her. “Are there any other occasions that ho ansanltod you?” asked tho clerk. “No—only I'm always getting black r eyre from him,” replied tho wife. An inspector said the defendant admitted having wold tho baby for the IS. Ho could cam 40s a week if ho J would work, but ho would not. ’ VISIT OF THE KING OF GREECE.

' Tho King of tho Hellenes was on a ‘ visit to King Edward VII., his brother- • in-law, and on Nov. 15 His Alajesty ; was entertained by tho Lord Alayor at a State luncheon in tlio Guildhall. On I ids progress from Paddington to tho City tlio King was vocy cordially welcomed by the people, and at tlio lunchI con, which was attended by a remarkable collection of tho leading Greek citizens of London, tlio Lord Alayor aaaurod his Royal guost that ho was 1 regarded by London with “warm e«toom and respect’’ as a Sovereign who for forty-two years had successfully done sorvioo to his kingdom. Tho King’s reply was marked by much warmth and rather unexpected eloquence, one sentence about tlio way in winch “tho liberation of Greece has inspired some of tho most brilliant pages of your Utorturo and tho most glorious aohurvoineirts of your diplomacy” being peculiarly foliations. Tho King has worked hard for his adopted land, and thongh tlio last war with Turkey was probably a mistake, and certainly unfortunate, ho has never lost tho affection of his subjects. There is no position in tho world more trying than that of a King of whom his subjects cxpKXJt impofKibllrtire. and who fears with justice that if ho thwarts their unwise or premature ambitions ho may break tho cord of sympathy which binds him and thorn together. That is tho danger at present in Greece, tho fear cf losing Macedonia to tho Bnlgarians tempting the more Impatient Crooks to outrages on thoir rivab, which it is as difficult to tolorato as to restrain. Wo trust they will bo rretrainod, however, ami that some endurable modus vivondi may be found until Europe agrees .;o which of them Alooodonia is to Ik? ultimately assigned. There must, wo fear, bo a partition, even if Austria consents to delay or abandon the realisation of her dream of an Empire stretching south to Salonika -“Spectator.” SPIRITS’ FROLICS. A telegram from Romo to tho “Daily Chronicle" under date Nov. If), says: Tin o •>|.hv. Spiritualism, and kindred cults have made astonishing progress in Italy during the past ten years, not-

withstanding tho exposure of colossal frauds practised by adepts like Politi and Eusapia Paladino. At tho present moment the whole of tho province of Puglia is excited over a mysterious old house at Ruvo, adjoining tho municipal palace, owned and tenanted since lfK)l by Signor I’ansini. at. architect, with his family. Hardly had the now dwellers settled in this mansion than invisible influences manifested their presence, after tho fashion of ghastly etiquette. Pictures fell, or turned thoir faces to the wall, platre, dishes, glosses, bottles, and furniture wore smashed, lamp? were upset, and ono evening, when the spirits had predicted an extra good supper, a pound ol sausages 'dropped from the timingroom ceiling into the soup. Ptnisinl's two sons, Alfredo, aged ten, and Paolo, eight, gave signs of being liosncesed by evil spirits. Priests exorcised the lads in vain. As their insnoc«a was attributed to their lax morals an evangelical minister was summoned to try his hand. _ Alfred then lay in a trance. 'The spirit within him repliedto the pastor’s queries, stating Unit he belonged to a person who had died in that house, and that his uncanny conduct was tho outcome of a divine commission. Ho loved a lark, and was ready for any sort of devilrv. His employment further consisted* of linking souls to bodies ami letting others loose. -Moreover, ho whizzed bodies through tho air on a white horse, whicli could go from Bari to Romo or tho United States in five minutes. But tho latest developments are the most bewildering of all, and have led tlio renowned psychiatrist, i’rofereor Leonardo Bianohi, tlio present minister of Public Instruction, to offer to place tho two children under observation in a department of his own clinical school, an invitation which tho parents oununanly refused. Alfredo and Paolo on Thursday hist were seized by spirits in thoir homo at two o’clock in the afternoon and carried to tho* city of Bari a hundred kilometres distant in space, iu a quarter of an hour. Another day they disappeared from Ruvo at nine in the morning to descend suddenly into a Capuchin convent at Alolfetta half an hour later. Yet on other occasions tho lads wore whisked away to Bisooglie, Giovinazzo, Torlizzi, Marietta, and other towns, occupying but a few minutes in tho trip. In each case however, tho spirits abandoned the laris to their fate, so that tho spirits' negligence had to he supplier! on the return journey by police constables.

MUTINOUS WARSHIPS BOMBARD SEBASTOPOL. po St Petersburg “Slovo” gives tho following account of tho startling development of the mutiny at Sebastopol on November 33.--“ Upon tho lapse of tbo term whicli ho had sot for a favourable reply to tho Bailors’ demand for a constitutional assembly to bo formed immediately for tho acceptance of all stipulations in the manifesto, and for 15 points to bo agreed to regarding the improvement of the treatment of the sailers. Lieutenant Schmidt, the leader of the mutineers, opened fire from two vessels. The south forts, a portion of tho squadron, mid a portion of the coast artillery! which remained loyal, returned the lieutenant’s fire and tho fire of the north forts, which had joined the lieutenant in tho bombardment of the city. Meantime, however, tho Bailors in tho barracks wont into tho

streets and opened fire against the infantry and the Jlaxim company. The battlo lasted two hours and a half. ‘■Tho Ochakoff, a protected cruiser, was pierced and burst into flames. Tho Dneipor, and another vessel, besides torpedo boats, were sunk. The Tantele itn on (late Kniaz Potemkin) was hit badly, and several holes were rent in her sides. Lieutenant Schmidt was wounded, and surrendered tho squadron that had mutinied, and the sailors that had followed his leadership. The north forts were taken at tho point of the bayonet l:y tho 15rest and the Hielostok regiments. Half tho city was demolished, and then it was announced that Lieutenant Schmidt *ha<l boon, mortally wounded.” Another account says:—'‘Twelve battleships, under the command of the mutinous Lieutenant Schmidt, opened c° P n tcnvn ; After an hour six of tho battleships wore sunk, and another blow up. The squadron had taken up such a position that it was not possible at first to train the guns of tho fortress on them. These had. therefore, to be taken from their car* mges and mounted afresh in new posi-! tions. Admiral Chukniu completely commands tho situation.” Tho sailors of the Baltic and Black Sea floota claimed an increase and improvoinenf in their food, improvement in clothing, the right. after four years’ service, to wear civilian clothmg when on leave, and immunity from political arrest when on leave.

LABOUR AND THE SUFFRAGE IN AUSTRIA. Tho great demonstration of organised labour in favour of universal, equal and direct suffrage for the Reicbsmfh arranged by the Social Democratic party took place in Vienna on Novcmbor 33. When the head of tho procession reached tho Parliament houses a deputation went into the Rcicliwath budding in order to hand a petition for universal suffrage to the Premier and the Presidents of both Houses of tho Reichsrath, the procession meanwhile continuing its march past the building. Tiro hundred thousand men are estimated to have taken part in the proceedings. Count Vetter von dcr Lilie, tho President of the Lower House, said tho deputation would agree with him that so far-reaching a reform could only bo brought to an issue satisfactory in all respects when Parliament could deliberate without prejudice or outside influence. Prince Windisch Gractz, President of the House of Peers, declared that neither was ho in a position, nor had ho tho intention, to prejudice in any way tho attitude that might bo taken up by tho House of Peers when tho matter came before it. Baron Gantsch, the Premier, declared that ho would state tho Government’s views on the- electoral reform in detail in the Lower House at the proper place, so that within a very short time there would tie clearness regarding the Government's intention.-; and ho was firmly convince.! that tranquillity and order were the best means for promoting electoral reform.