SCIENCE AND FORGERY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXII, Issue 9594, 4 February 1910, Page 6

SCIENCE AND FORGERY.

A trial which took place recently, before a Vicuna jury, bad a curious ami quite unprecedented result. _. young man and a lady belougiug to a good Viennese family were accused, the one with forgiug and the other with assisting iv the utterance of 50----krouen bank notes. Both admitted their guilt, but both were acquitted amidst the applause of a large crowd in the court.

The principal defendant was a medical student named Ladislaus Hosek, and his accomplice was Frauloiu you Kurtz. The trial showed that Hosek, who has devoted himself to the study of bacteriology, has made some interestiug discoveries with regard to the sanitary conditions prevailing in Vienna. He traced the malaria bacillus, and proved that some hnudreds _ cases of tropical malaria existed iv the Vienua district bordering ou the Danube. Hosek's discoveries were confirmed in court by the leading scientific authorities, and the iraportauce of his bacteriological studies was admitted.

Mauy witnesses who had beeu cured of malaria by Hosek gave evidence, aud the disgraceful fact was brought to light that the defendant, when in the direst poverty, was refused aid by the sanitary authorities, by scientific circles, and official surgeons, who refused to believe that cases of tropical malaria could be found iv Vienna. Iv every quarter Hosek, who needed assistance to his studies iv the tropical districts, met with rebuffs, refusals, or indifference. When in the deepest indigence, and fearing death from starvation, he photographed, in a remarkably clever manner, some 50----kronen notes, which were distributed by his friend Fraulein yon Kurt . Considering that he had committed the forgery when uuder the irresistible pressure of his passion for further discoveries, tbe jury acquitted him. The whole of ilie press demands that public assistance shall be granted to Hosek to enable him to complete his investigations without the fear of starvation.