AMERICA LAUGHING

Taranaki Daily News, 31 December 1926, Page 9

AMERICA LAUGHING

EX-CON VIC T’S EFFRONTERY. TETE-A-TETE WITH A QUEEN. San Francisco, Dec. 1. The story of how an ex-convict, on parole from the notorious San Quentin Penitentiary, acted as host to Queen Marie at a function in Seattle, entirely* unknown to her or members of the royal entourage, is now being told and retold by the American papers, from coast to coast. Not only did the Queen accept the arm of this person, who at the time was wearing a hired dress suit, as he escorted her to the stage box of a crowded theatre, but he sat alongside her in the box, and she con versed with him for twenty minuted. He boasts that his adventure netted him a profit of nearly a thousand dol lars. The facts, as disclosed by the man himself in this city, are that he, Samuel Mila rd, had been admitted to parole after serving portion of a sentence of one to ten years tn connection with the promotion of a theatrical show. Let the story appear in the man’s own words:—

“Shortly after my release, I borrowed ten dollars from the bell boy at the hotel where I put up, and a furtbe* thirty dollars from an attorney in San Francisco, to enable me to pay my fare to Seattle. Once there I interviewed the Rumanian colony, and, telling them my forbears were Rumanian, I was chosen to prepare details of a benefit in aid of Rumanian orphans, at whien the Queen of Rumania was to 'be invited. Thu arrangement was that 1 was to get fifty-fifty with the orphans, “I sent off a telegram to Samuel Hill, who was in charge on Queen Marie’s train of her arrangements. I expressed the loyalty of her subject* in Seattle and their wish to entertain her. Next morning I received a telegram from Hill that the Queen had graciously aeepted my invitation." HIRED A DRESS SUIT. Continuing his story he said he hoc rowed ten dollars from the hotel mana-

ger on the security of the telegram and hired a dress suit. President Theatre was filled with a distinguished Western gathering to do honour to Queen Marie Millard, surrounded by a Rumanian guard of honour, met Queen Marie at tlie entrance to the theatre, and escorted her to her box.

The man had the effrontery, according to his own statement, to stand alongside the Queen and bow* with her as she acknowledged the cheers of wel come from the people of Seattle. As the Queen sat down he took the seat at her side. During tlie performance the Queen chatted with him, asking after her people at Seattle and in the W est. He told her that most of them were working in the fish markets. The Queen departed somewhat hastily during the performance, giving her escort a curt nod of adieu. /It was believed at the time that it was due to fatigue or the annoyance she suffered from the quarrels between the squabbling factions on her train. The exconvict said it may possibly have been because he had suggested that she should go on a lecture tour through American, and that he should be her manager.