CABLEGRAMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2719, 25 April 1906, Page 53

CABLEGRAMS.

The following appeared in our Special Edition last week: — BRITISH AND FOREIGN. LONDON, April 16. The Countess of Warwick declares that, she sold eveiy jewel she possessed before the general election to enable Socialists to be elected. Jabez Balfour has been released. He Is in excellent health, and intends to devote himself to literature as a means of livelihood. Jabez Spenoer Balfour, ex-M.P., was born, in 1843, his father, afc»the time, keeping & rag, bone, and bottle shop in Chelsea, afterwards blossoming into a missionary and temperance lecturer. At the age of 25 Jabez Balfour conceived his scheme of starting the Liberator Building Society — a combination of philanthropy and finance. He found colleagues in Alderman Lusk, Rev. Jabez Burns, and others, and being in touch with the non-conformist classes, he was able to secure the savings of non-conformist congregations, temperance societies, and members of these bodies. The Liberator appeared to prosper exceedingly, and Jabez grew with it in riches, in bulk, and in ambition. He settled down at Croydon in a palatial home, and became first Mayor of that town. He was elected to - Parliament in 1880, being then director of no fewer -than 13 companies.. He became- a pillar of the Liberal party,, and fully expected to become Postmaster-general. He was one of the great men of the National' < Liberal Club, and a, subscriber to party' funds. He had a fine country house, where he entertaintcd with lavish hospitality. He. in fact, played a splendid game of bluff, - although he must havo known that the failure of the Liberator group was inevitab"e. The crash came on September 2, 1892, , bringing- ruin to thousands. In a few weeks Jabez was in Argentina, whence ho was with much difficulty extradited. In November, 1895, Jabez was, after a protracted trial sentenced to 14 yeprs' penal servitude. ; > Apiil 17. 1 The Times publishes a two-and-a-half-column letter which Mr Henniker Heaton lias addressed to Mr Buxton (Postmastergeneral), arguing in favour of xinivereal penny postage. I BERLIN, April 17. 1 The German Government has expressed - its deep sympathy with the Italian nation in the latter 's misfortune owing to t!ie eruption of Vesuvius. LISBON, April 17. The mutiny on the Vasco di Gama was resultless, and was quelled without difficulty. It was chiefly promoted by sympathy for the mutineers on the. Don Carlos. ATHENS, -April 17.King Edward and-. Queen Alexandra,who are at Athens, have congratulated, Mr Bosanquet, the head of the' British School of Archaeology, on the discovery! of the Temple of Artemis on the banks of the River Eurotas. • ST. PETERSBURG, April 15. , i An- affray occurred in the Russian church at Geneva. A Nihilist made a demonstration against M. Jadowsky, the Ruvssian Minister to Switzerland. Detectives' tried to eject the offender. Revolvers uere-used on both 6ides, several of the congregation being wounded. NEW YORK, April 16. A mob at Springfield, in the State of Missouri, entered the gaol and secured two negroes who were charged with attacking a white girl, and hanged them on th« statue of the Goddess of Liberty in "the public square. They afterwards burned tha bodies in the presence of 3000 people. The negroes protested their innocence.^ A third negro, charged with murder, was also lynched. Apiil 17. Mr Paul Morton (president of the Equitable Life Assmance Society) 6tates thai although 17,585 policies in the society lapsed owing to the lecent disclosures, tht holders are now applying for reinstatement at the rate of 200 daily. The New York State Legislature hat passed drastic bills permitting policyholders in life insurance companies to act as directors even if they aie not stock' holders, and prohibiting- corporations froTE making political contributions.