AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16805, 11 August 1925, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

NOT A BUBBLE

FIRST DRY SHIR IX MAW YEARS. SYDNEY, July 29.—Not a bubble, of champagne fizzed— Not even a spray of lemonade sang tlirough tlio air— Tlie new liglitliou.se steamer, Cape Volk, went on a dry sweep down I lie slips at Cockatoo Dock—the first- dry launching for many years. LOST .AND FOUND . GRAFTON. (N.S.W.). July 30.-A Grafton hotelkeeper accepted a pound note, one end of which, with a number, was missing. The bank refused to accept it, and he thought he had learnt one more lesson in the hard school of experience at his own expense. Rut the missing piece was picked up on the racecourse, and was being exhibited in the bar when it was found that the number corresponded with that on the other pm_ tioii in the possession of the hotelkeeper. STARVED WITH FULL POCKETS. OLD MAN'S FATE. MELBOURNE, July 30.—Emaciated, unkempt, and starving, Herman George Heinrich Simon (So) was picked up by the police in tho street. He died last night. He had in his pocket £25 in notes, a savings bank book showing a credit of £750, and employees’ shares in the British Tobacco Company to the value of £l5O. Ho refused to make a will, and his money will revert to the State. MYSTERIOUS POISON. GREW OF LAUNCH OVERCOME. DAItWIN, July 28.—With the captain and all the rest of the crew unconscious from the effects of a mysterious poison, a Chinese launch was brought back to port to-day by an aborigine. Tho black was the only man on board who escaped tlie effects of the poison, which is stated to be an unknown native drug, which leaves no trace for identification. The Government Medical Officer reports that, similar cases have occurred before with fatal results. MYSTERIOUS DISEASE. OUTBREAK IN TOOWOOMBA. BRISBANE, July 30.—Some years ago there occurred in Adelaide an epidemic of a disease not unlike typhtis, ■which resulted in three deaths. Toowoomba now reports a complaint which has similar characteristics. Not much is known about the Toowoomba outbreak, except that it closely resembles that which occurred in Adelaide. The civic medical officer, Dr. Freshncy, is investigating the matter, with the assistance of the Commonwealth Laboratory. WIRELESS ON ’BUS. ADELAIDE IDEA. PASSENGERS LIKE IT. ADELAIDE, July 30.—Probably the first wireless set to be used on a motor’bus in Australia was in operation today on a ’bus plying between Adelaide and Glenclg. A four-valve set was used, with a loud speaker and an aerial carried inconspicuously under the roof of the ’bus. The audition was clear and remarkably free from statics. The set was used mainly while waiting at terminal points, and was much appreciated by the passengers. WON £2OOO. MONEY AND WIFE GONE. SYDNEY, July 30. Otto Henry Meitlike petitioned for a divorce from Helen Meithkc (formerly Miller) on the ground of desertion. Petitioner said that while living at Bondi he won £2OOO at the Rand wick races. He put the money into a safe in the house. He went to the safe to get some money, and found that the £2CCC was gone. His wife, also had disappeared. The parties were married on December 30, 1904, at Wellington (N.Z.) The judge found the desertion proved, and pronounced a decree nisi to he moved absolute in six monthsAUSTRALIA’S PUBLIC DEBT. A TOTAL OF £1,000,000,000. With the floating of a new Australian loan of £20,000,000 in the United States and Great Britain the total indebtedness of the Commonwealth and the States approaches tho mammoth total of £ 1,000,000,000. Of this sum the Commonwealth’s share is a little more than £400.000,000, and that of the Stales a little less than £600,000,000. That this largp debt is no remote and inconsequential a thing, says the Melbourne Argus, becomes apparent when tho annual interest bill of nearly £50,000,000 ’has to be met, or one or fnorc of the loans fall due. BALL OF FIRE. MAN UNDER MOTOR, GUNDAGAT (N.S.W.), July 28. There were fireworks, at Coolac, but not in honor of the Fleet. Fred O’Grady’s big mol or lorry developed a leak in the petrol tank, and Tom Gibbons, the local motor mechanic, got under to mend it. He did the job, but before he got from under there was a bang, with lots of blue flame. Somehow tho petrol tank had ignited, and Gibbons rolled out in a ball of fire. He hept on roll!ng until be got into a nearby rain puddle. Now he has a bandaged burnt arm, but the motor lorry is just a charred chassis. . TWO-UP. DE LUXE SCHOOL AT CAIRNS. POLICE PENETRATE ALL ALARMS. BRISBANE, July 26.—The Cairns police have discovered perhaps tho most completely fitted out two-up school in Australia. It is—or it was —encased in galvanised iron, with all the kinks carefully packed, with tho floor padded, and with an elaborate system of electric alarms calculated to detect the approach of a stranger at 500 yards. How tlio police got in is what so amazed Churns gamblers, now charged with playing two-up, want to know. The school was stowed away in the scrub near the little township of Edmonton, near Cairns—in a quiet, dark spot, where not one glint of the brilliant electrie lights ipside the school could leak out into the night. Even smoking was forbidden around tho ring—for fear that a tell-tale wliifl might strike Some strange wanderer!

Yet, somehow, the police found it. They rushed the place at midnight, and with a strong force rounded up every gambler before there was time for escape. Tlio alarm bells were ringing frantically, but the police were too quick and too strong.

THEY DRANK—BUT NOT TOO WISELY.

SYDNEY, July 24.—The American sailors do not know how to drink intoxicating liquors. Five of them went to a, Castloreagh street, hotel and called for a bottle of whisky and glasses for each. An Australian watched them interestedly. 'They poured the contents of the bottle equally into the five glasses, and drank the liquor neat. The sailors did not have any more drink. HOLE IN WALL. DARING THIEVES MAKE BIG HAUL. MELBOURNE, July 24.—A daring robbery was carried out last night at the shop of B. and 11.' Peach, watchmakers and jewellers, in Smith street, Fitzroy. A safe was blown open and jewellery worth about £7OOO stolen. The thieves smashed in the back door of adjoining premises and made a hole m the wall large enough for a man to draw himself through. The bricks were removed from the wall with sharp instruments, the hole being very jagged. YOUNG WIDOW FOUND SHOT. LOST HUSBAND FOUR MONTHS AGO. MELBOURNE, July 29.—With a fatal bid-let wound in her left breast, and a revolver lying near her, Gwendoline Grace Ford (25). a widow, was found in a city Shop this morning. She died a few minutes after being admitted to Melbourne Hospital. Airs Ford, wlm lived at Moonce Panels, lost her husband four months ago, and is reported to have been very despondent since. “ ( The revolver, which had evidently been concealed in her handbag, lias six chambers. One shot had been fired. • TENNIS AT EIGHTY TWO. A JOY OF OLD AGE. SYDNEY. July 30.—01 d age is not always a regret. Mr Jo7m Cornu, of Tentoriield, in the northern highlands of New South Wales, whose youthful activities have just been proclaimed in the world, is to-day at (he age of 82 years still 1111 active tennis player and ran. il is staled, holds his .own with most of the players in the town. One of (lie earlv residents of the district, and now a. retired fanner, Ah- Corrin walks a mile every bright day to the' local public courts and plays untiringly throughout the afternoon He has hobbies in literature and his garden, and is a foremost prize-winner each vear at Hie local show with his vegetables and flowers. DETECTIVE FINED. HIS GUN CONFISCATED. SYDNEY. July 27.—A private detective. Harry Ray. aged 29, was fined £lO at, the Central Police Court for carry iug an unlicensed revolver. , Con-stablo Newton said that he arrested Ray in a cafe, and' said to him : “It has been reported- to me that von have a revolver, and that you have been pointing it at people in the cafe.’ “T haven’t- got a revolver.’’ said Ray.

But a revolver containing three bullets and an empty shell was found in his possession.

“Don't go in for any more of this tomfoolery.” Mr Gale, S.AL. warned him.

The Magistrate ordered the revolver to lie forfeited.