FATHER OF 29 CHILDREN

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 281, 19 April 1913, Page 10

FATHER OF 29 CHILDREN

EASY TO FORGET ONE 01i TWO. "NO HAPPIER MAN." Mr. Thomas Arthur Stack, proprietor of the Railway Hotel, Purley, might well be cited as the male personification of the old woman who lived in the .shoe. Though the exact number of the latter's progeny lias never been mentioned, Mr. Stack is able, after a little consideration, to say how many children have come to him through his Jirst and second marriages, and, so far as is known, no one v man has ever had such a family born to him before.

Mr. Stack is the father of twentynine children, nineteen of whom are alive. Mr. Stack, who is only fiftyfour, had ten children by his-first wife, and nineteen, the youngest of whom is only a few days old, by his second wife. It required the aid of the family Bible to recall the' names of his children in order of their age. "I shall have to write them down as I think of them," he said to a Press representative who interviewed him on the subject, "or else I may miss out one or two." After some discussion with John Fran-' cis. his second son by his second marriage', Mr. Stack decided that the roll of his living children were as follows: — First family —Thomas Austin. George Reginald, Clara Maud, Alfred, Elizabeth", Ellen, and Percy. Second family—Arthur Reginald. John Francis. Harie Constance "Daisy. Dorothy. Phyllis Leonard, Cecil. Leslie. Guy, Geoffrey, Gwendolen, and The Baby. "Let me see. now," Mr. Stack murmured, canning over the list to himself. "what about the twins? No. there are no twins alive—they were Charles Daniel and Frederick James. It's so [ easy to forget one or ( t-wo out of such a familv."

The proud father finds it. difficult to remember the aces pf all his children—at any rate, those of his first family. "Arthur Reginald is eighteen and a-half." he said, "and the rest come somewhere between him and THE NEW BABY.

They are all healthy enough—they have plenty of oatmeal porridge and fresh air."

Mr. Stack rather shocked the income tax collector once with his claim for rebate for children, but his evidence was incontrovertible, and his claim for fifteen children was allowed. All the children were born in hotels, and the last time all the members of the family were foregathered was at Christmas. 1911. That meant twenty-one at table—and two tuvlcevs.

Mr. Stack is a great supporter of Mr. Roosevelt's views on the family question. "I think.'* he said, "that one of the great evils of the present day is the tendency of married people to have no children or a very small family. No mother is liappier. healthier, or more active than mv wife, and no man is ■ happier than I am when surrounded by Imy children . Everybody in Purlev knows mv children. The ladies stop and pat. them on the head, and the vicar, who lies christened the last four, was one of the first to come round and ! "oneratnlate ns on the arrival .of the last. baby. "Tt'= all rubbish to sav that, | neople can't afford children. Tf a man 11i;k no children he snenda his money 'n wnv= W= nvnfUnhle to Oie nation."

PARIS MOTOR BANDITS \

INTELLECTUAL ANARCHISTS. THEIR WAR ON SOCIETY. London, February 5. The trial has begun in Paris of the seventeenth surviving men and three women of the gang of motor bandits, who ,for months past terrorised the French capital. The gang, was outbroken up after Gamier, Bonuot, and Valet had been run to earth and slain ufter a desperate resistance. The prisoners are alleged to be concerned in more than a dozen callous murders. Intense interest is being taken in the, trial because the gang deliberately made war on society. It was highly organised. and made full use of all modern instruments, particularly motor cars, the telegraph, the telephone, and, the automatic pistol, and it was at tirst nnpreeedentlv successful. The Court was crowded to see these criminals, whose leaders perished amid fire and bombs and the yelling of a populace infuriated against them. The twenty prisoners, three of whom were women, were brought in handcuffed and attached to their guards, j The more desperate members of the [ band had each wrist chained to the wrist of a warder, and all the guards carried loaded revolvers. Those who saw the prisoners for the first time were surprised at their air of respectability, and a lady in Court exclaimed in astonishment: "Thev look like honest men.' The three women prisoners were dressed modestly in black, with large hats. TITTC TRAGIC BAND. One thing which has been established since the crimes were committed adds painfully to the horror of the outrages. They were not ihe work of mere "Apaches" or hooligans, and they were not committed merely for gain. They were part of a deliberate plan to "take •i"-" upon society," and several of those implicated were men of some education and address. Tt was in the office of a journal called "L'Anarchie" that the outrages were planned. Here the doctrine of reprisal was savagely preached at certain "lectures for the people." In unbalanced minds the seed thus scattered bore sinister fruit. At first the members of this Anarchist group confined themselves to vohhing unimportant post oflices and burgling small houses. They used as a rule to make ''hauls" of twenty or thirty pounds. Now and again their booty amounted to a few hundreds. This did nob satisfy either their needs or their ambitions. They felt it was necessary to startle the "bourgeois" Insome sensational "coup." Then Gamier took the lead, and he was joined bv Bonnot. after which murders were committed. When the leaders were killed, the "Tragic Band" fell to pieces, and one bv one they were arrested.

THE DTKECTKF.SS. As the prisoners entered the Court, shortly after midday, everybody stood up to get a good look at them. Mmc. Maitrejean. who is of being the directress of the revolutionary organ "L'Anarchic," had dark, curly hair falling on her shoulders and a white Peter 'l'iUi collar and a girlish smile. She looked like the saucy heroine of a light opera. Marie Schoof. who stood at the other end of the dock, had a fresh complexion and lace cuffs, Rml might have been taken for a respectable shop girl. The "exhibits" in the well of the Court, formed a gruesome collection. Thev included the stained bullet-riddled mattress under which Bonnot. the "demon chauffeur," died fighting, a number of revolvers and carbines, several daggers ttnd Jknnclvie-dnsters. and lup-to- ' Sate burglars' tools. Tn a collection of trunks and bags on the fioor were some eighty more pistols and revolvers, valid mauv false wigs and moustaches, .At ten minutes past 12 a bell rang, and tlie Judges, in their scarlet and ermine robes, with their black velvet caps relieved by a band of gold braid, entered | the Court and took their seats. Fourteen jwvmen were chosen, two being

held in reserve. The Clerk of the Court read the indictment. It was a lengthy document of seventy-five printed pages, and took the best part of an hour to read. While the terrible record of their misdeeds was being recited the accused maintained an unconcerned air, and smiled to one another as their names were mentioned. So great is the terror still existing in Paris that the papers have agreed not to publish the names of jurors, lest 'other anarchists should take revenge.