AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Otago Witness, Issue 3911, 26 February 1929, Page 66

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

TRAGEDY AT PADDINGTON. SYDNEY, February 10. After slashing Miss Alma Preston in

the throat with a razor Charles Wilson, aged 33, of Paddington, stood i front of a mirror, and before the horrified eyes of a woman boarder cut his own throat from ear to ear. The two victims then walked, down the stairs arm in arm, the blood pouring from their wounds, and collapsed and died in the back yard. Before cutting his own throat Wilson told the boarder that he did it because he loved Miss Preston.

EAST MELBOURNE MURDER. MELBOURNE, February 19. Thomas Bacon, aged 37, was found guilty of the murder of Mrs D. Ledger, with a recommendation to mercy. He was sentenced to death. A message received on November 30 stated: Mrs D. Ledger was slashed to death in a block of flats in East Melbourne this morning. Her throat was cut, and there were deep gashes on her chest. Thomas Bacon is in hospital with a deep gash in his throat and a badly-cut wrist. The woman’s son made a valiant attempt to save his mother. THE WINDSOR TRAGEDY. SYDNEY, February 19. The widow and children of Albert Smi ~ who was killed by an Air Force aeroplane at Windsor recently, are claiming £lO,OOO compensation from the Defence Department.

THE DONNYBROOK MYSTERY. MELBOURNE, February 19. Joseph Viscoe, who was detained on a charge of vagrancy while the police are investigating the disappearance of Williams, was remanded for a month and released on a personal bond of £5O. Deep mystery is associated with the discovery of a deserted car near Donnybrook, 20 miles from Melbourne, on the Sydney road. The car belonged to Leslie Williams, an electrical engineer, of Goulbourn, New South Wales, who has disappeared, but bloodstained clothing, including trousers and underpants. boots and socks, and food scraps and half a bottle of wine were found in the car, which a fortnight before had been stolen and was discovered at Fawkner, outside Melbourne. Williams went down to Melbourne to retrieve his car, and was apparently on his way back when he was either the victim of foul play or committed suicide. BIG FIRE AT WATERLOO. SYDNEY, February 20. Fire gutted the milling room and the grain store of Mauri Bros, and Thompson’s works at Waterloo last night. The damage is estimated at £30,000. At the time the call was received at the fire brigade headquarters a merry farewell party was being held in honour of the former chief, Mr Jackson.

FIRE IN SYDNEY SUBURB. SYDNEY. February 20. The engineering works of William Adams and Co., Ltd., situated in the suburb of Alexandria, were destroyed to-day by fire. Smoke from the burning paint and oils floated over the neighbourhood in dense volumes The damage is estimated at £40,000. The cause of the outbreak is not known.

CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED MURDER

HOBART, February 20. William Clear, who at Launceston was arrested on a charge of attempting to murder Alexander Evans, secretary of the Northern Tasmanian Trotting Club, was committed for trial. Bail was refused.

THE COAL INDUSTRY.

SYDNEY, February 20.

An “ all in ” strike on all the coalfields of the State, following the closing of most of the northern collieries, is now a distinct probability. This development is mainly due to the dispute concerning tactics among the unions concerned. Indications are that the Miners’ Federation is endeavouring to force upon the allied unions a certain line of action which will only result in the militant minority group being enabled to achieve its expressed purpose of throwing all mines idle. The Premier (Mr T. R. Bavin) returned to Sydney to-day from Canberra, where he discussed the coal position with Mr Bruce, who agreed to renew the Commonwealth offer of a bounty of Is a ton on all coal exported from New South Wales. Mr Bavin added that the State Government’s original offer of a reduction in rail freights on coal still stood, and this, with the employees’ reduction of Is in wages, should enable the employers further to reduce the price of coal by 4s or 5s a ton, and the industry should soon be rehabilitated.

The Prime Minister expressed the hope that the offer would be accepted promptly.

CANBERRA, February 21. The Prime Minister announced to-day that it was proposed to appoint a Royal Cojnmission to make full inquiry into th<« coal industry. The terms of reference are now under consideration and all the parties concerned in the industry have been asked to a preliminary conference at Canberra on Monday, when the terms of reference will be settled.

Later, Mr Bruce laid before Parliament a number of documents relating to the stagnation of coal mining in New South Wales. He stressed the need for a reduction of the prices of coal, and added that his investigation revealed that at least 10,000 miners on the northern fields had not received the basic wag’ owing to intermittency of employment. Mr Bruce estimates that his Government’s promised bounty of Is a ton on coal for export will cost the taxpayers of Australia £350,000. TRAMWAYS IN SYDNEY.

SYDNEY, February 21

The tramways in Sydney, which are now under Government control, are to be vested in the Transport Board and separated from the railways. The Government has prepared a Bill providing for the board and a separate trust. The latter will determine the policy and will be an elective body, the president of which will be a traffic expert appointed by the Government. The other representatives will be elected by business men, municipalities, and the genera] public, and all of them will receive fees The trust will have wide powers over empowered to de-licence, as well as empowered to delicense, as well as license, omnibuses and prevent the overlapping of services. The present employees will retain all the existing privileges, hut newcomers will not enjoy them. LOYALIST RAILWAYMEN. SYDNEY, February 21. A Bill to restore the seniority rights of the 1917 loyalists, who were regressed by the Lang Administration, has been drafted by Cabinet and endorsed by the Nationalist Parliamentary Party. The Bill provides that the Railway Commissioners should restore any officer reduced in rank and that he should be given seniority over officers who have been promoted since the 1925 Act.

TRIAL OF JACOB JOHNSON. CANBERRA, February 21. A letter from James Andreson, whose affidavit was read in the House of Representatives last week in connection with the imprisonment of Jacob Johnson, was produced in the House by Mr Theodore. The letter stated that Andreson was returning to New Zealanad, and he was prepared to give a lot more useful facts concerning the whole thing. He said it was a frame-up from beginning to end. Andreson alleged that Longinore, a Commonwealth police officer, said to Walsh: “Andresen and I will get Johnson out to Long Bay; then you will have a clear run with your union.” Mr Theodore caused a sensation in the House of Representatives by stating that statutory declarations had been placed recently before the Attorneygeneral alleging improper practices by Commonwealth officers and witnesses in connection with the recent trial of Jacob Johnson, who was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment in connection with the Marine Cooks’ Union trouble. One affidavit, sworn by Andresen, a member of the Seamen’s Union at Wellington, New Zealand, was to the effect that he took notes of a meeting of seamen and communicated what happened to Mr Dillon, a representative of the Ship Owners’ Federation. Subsequently, through Mr Dillon, Andresen alleged that he met Mr Longinore, a Commonwealth police officer, who induced him to obtain other witnesses for the prosecution, and that Mr Longmore supplied money for this purpose. Mr Theodore demanded a searching inquiry into these allegations. February 2.3. The papers in the Jacob Johnson case, which were made available by Mr Latham, the Attorney-general, contained letters from Bede Andresen, who asked the Government to find a position for him or to provide him with £2OO in order to enable him to get a start in some other country. He declared positively that it was unsafe to accept employment in maritime circles in Australia. Mr Latham replied to Johnson’s solicitors that Andresen was not employed to get evidence against Johnson. Whatever evidence was collected was obtained before Andresen obtained it. Andresen’s statements were definitely shown to be inconsisent. Moreover, they were contradicted by facts. Mr Latham said that he was not prepared to reopen the Johnson case. SYDNEY, February 24. Jacob Johnson is due for release from prison on March 1. He is receiving a brief remission from his original sentence owing to good conduct.

THE CENOTAPH IN SYDNEY. SYDNEY, February 21. An impressive ceremony was witnessed by 40,000 people, including returned soldiers, sailors, and relatives at the cenotaph in Martin place, Sydney, at 12.30 to-day, the occasion being the unveiling of bronze life-size figures of an Australian soldier and sailor standing at eith.w end of the cenotaph, which is the work of Sir Bertram Mackennal. The unveiling was performed by the Premier (Mi; T. R. Bavin), who made an eloquent speech. He was followed by Sir John Monash, who expressed the hope that Australia would always remember the fact that the A.T.F. was the only purely volunteer force which entered the Great War. The great crowd sang appropriate hymns, buglers sounded the “Last

Post,” and trumpeters the Reveille, after which the Governor (Sir Dudley de Chair) placed a laurel wreath on the cenotaph.

WOMAN SLASHED WITH RAZOR. SYDNEY, February 22.

A crowd of persons saw a young map slash the throat of Mrs Ellen Kelly with a razor in Crown street, Darlinghurst. In an effort to protect hersidf Mrs Kelly received a cut on the arm, and one finger was nearly severed The man was later arrested and charged with maliciously wounding. It is believed to be a case of unrequited love.

NEW SOUTH WALES ROADS,

SYDNEY, February 22.

The Minister of Justice (Mr Lee) is considering a scheme for the establishment of prison camps for carrying out road work in the State by utilising prison labour. It is thought that this would relieve the distress of prisoners’ families who have been left penniless and have become a burden on the State, A TOWNSHIP ISOLATED. SYDNEY, February 22. Washouts on the railway h-.ve isolated Dorrigo, and trains are unlikely to run for three weeks. Big stretches of the permanent way have been destroyed by heavy rains. SHARKS AT BONDI. SYDNEY, February 22. Marine Industries, Ltd., set nets at Bondi foreshore last night, and hauled them in at mid-day to-day, securing 23 large sharks, one being 15 feet long. EXPLOSION IN A TUNNEL. SYDNEY, February 22. Following an explosion in a tunnel of the underground city railway, two workmen in an excavation gang were killed—Walter Eldridge (23) and Lawrence Turner (44). Another man was seriously injured. The men were overwhelmed by a fall of sandstone after blasting.

SUPINENESS OF GOVERNMENT. CANBERRA February 23. Mr W. M. Hughes, M.P., explained his recent political attitude. The Government, he said, lived in a little world of its own, surrounded by “ yes ” men who tell it that it cannot do wrong. He told its supporters in the party room that its supineness was calculated to cause a reaction, resulting in a strong swing of the pendulum towards Labour. FALL OVER A CLIFF. SYDNEY, February 23. At Katoomba the police recovered the body of. John Kilner, aged 60, who was missing from his home for a week, near Leura Lookout. With great difficulty the body was brought 90 feet to the top of the cliff by means of an ambulance stretcher. Deceased had evidently fallen and was killed instantlv.

THREE MEN KILLED.

ADELAIDE, February 24

A terrific explosion in Waterfall Gully quarry, which scattered hundreds of tons of earth far and wide, killed three men —Frederick Bowron, 46, married; Francisco Carnemolla, 25, married; and Charles Lorimer, 24, single. A fourth man was injured. Carnemolla was hurled nearly 200 feet through the air, and crashed against a fence, his face being terribly battered. Lorimer was buried under a heap of dirt, while Bowron, who was blown off the cliff, was crushed betw’een falling showers of stone. Workmen had prepared the charge to explode at noon, but for some unknown reason it went off three hours earlier,

PARRAMATTA BY-ELECTION.

SYDNEY, February 24.

A by-election to fill the vacancy in the Parramatta electorate caused by the death of Mr Bruntnell resulted in the return of the Nationalist candidate, Brigadier-general Lloyd, who defeated Mr Hooke, the Labour candidate, by 763 votes. This reveals- a swing of over 3to votes to Labour since the last election.