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Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLII, Issue 11448, 30 January 1918, Page 5

At the Auckland Police Court Yesterday, William James Courtenay and William Walter Dunn were charged with 'collecting money for the War Fund without permit, and with stealing 2ID (id belonging to the Soldiers’ Club. The evidence showed that they went to the club and got a returned soldier to write out a heading for a subscription lilsfc. Courtenay pleaded guilty, but asked for leniency, as he had already served at, the front, and would return there. Dunn stated that he thought the list whs genuine. Courtenay, who had previous convictions, whs lined £lO for collecting the funds, and wus sentenced to seven days tor theft. Dmm was lined £2 on the first charge. It lias been demonstrated 'that pneumatic tyres are not likely to be punctured by living bullets, and that their use is practical for officers and ■other light military cars when under fire. Tyres running at the rate of ton miles an hour wero subject to ride fire at 50 yards. Pleven shots struck, but either failed to enter the tyre, followed the f brio to the rim and there emerged, or remained between rubber and fabric or between rim and inner tube. In no instance was the tube punctured, although a twelfth shot, fired squarely into the tread with the wheel standing still, perforated casing, inner tube, rim, and shattered itself on the iron protecting plate of the wheel. The result is attributable to the movement of the wheel, the deflecting angles at which the shots were fired, imd the resilency and flexibility of tyro construction. An amusing story of the experiences of three British officers who escaped from the Turks is told by a relative of one of them. Binding their guards the three officers .made their way across the desert. Their first adventure came the day following their escape, when they encountered 13 Turkish soldiers. The officers resigned themselves to recapture, but were astonished to discover, after some parley, that the soldiers wore deserters fleeing from the hardships of the Turkish army to some unknown destination. The two parties thereupon joined forces, and were proceeding amicably on their way when a Turkish patrol appeared. There was no doubt of the hostile intentions of this body. A sharp fight ensued, resulting in the cnpturO' of eleven of the .patrol. With these prisoners in their hands the British officers and the Turkish deserters marched forward, and ultimately reached a Russian camp, where the British officers received an'euthosiastic welcome. »