Round the World Paragraphs.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XL, Issue 22, 27 May 1908, Page 41

Round the World Paragraphs.

.Woman Nearly Lynched.

" A mob at Newcastle, Pennsylvania, bent on lynching a negro murderer, narrowly missed hanging a woman in mistake.

The woman was Miss Catherine Rooks, iaged 23, of Pittsburg. She strogly desired to visit her invalid brother at Chicago, but not having the money for the long journey, she disguised herself as a man and hid away on a freight train.

The train arrived at Newcastle Junction, and was standing in a siding, when the mob who were searching for the negro murderer came rushing up. The sight of the crowd frightened the young woman, and, jumping out of the freight car, she began to run away. The sight of her face, blackened with eoal dust, made the crowd believe this was the man they wanted, and after a short pursuit she was captured. A rope was noosed round her neck, and she was dragged to the nearest tree, and told to say her prayers. She was too frightened to speak; but when the rope began to lift her from the ground Bhe screamed in unmistakable feminine ones.

The startled lynchers hastily lowered the rope, and as they did so the woman’s cape fell off, loosening her hair. The mob then fully recognised their error, and promptly took the rope from off her neck. A collection was made, and enough money contributed to enable her to continue her journey in comfort. A*

Democratic Theatre.

“Pause” was played at the Geneva Theatre recently to one of the most novel audiences on record. Everyone of the 1150 persons present was either a bona-fide workman or a member of a workman’s family. Every seat had cost the same, whether it was in the gallery, the stalls, or the boxes, the price being twopence halfpenny. It is believed that quite 30 per cent of the audience had never seen an ©pera before.

The theatre is owned by the municipality of Geneva, and for one night only it had been let to the “Societe d’Art Social,” which desired to give a practical illustration of its theory that the theatre should be employed in the intellectual education of the masses, and that the State should interest itself in the matter.

When the performance was first announced the rush for tickets was exceptionally large. Over 5700 workmen inscribed their names for tickets, and a lottery had to be arranged to decide to whom the limited number of seats should g°'J» dX

Picture Postcarditis.

'‘Pictorial postcarditis” and the exploitation of the inexperienced schoolgirl “actress” were denounced by Mr. Adrian Ross, the lyric writer, in an address on “The Inanities of Musical Comedy” in London.

Mr. Adrian Ross was speaking to an appreciative audience of members of the Playgoers’ Club at the Gaiety Restaurant.

“Even a postcard reputation cannot last for ever,” said Mr. Ross. “The old beauties fade, or become peeresses. “One of the regrettable features of musical comedy is the excessive cry of managers and public for youth without talent. It would seem that there is some irresistible impulse to flood the stage with beautiful young women who have not yet learned to act. “Nothing is more charming than a young girl just out in the world, but nothing is more tedious than a girls’ school.

“The second disease musical comedy is suffering from is ‘Pictorial postcarditis.’ Everywhere you see popular favourites smiling with all the beauty of a doll, and showing their teeth with all the glamour of a toothwash advertisement.

“Musical comedy is not necessarily inane,” Mr. Adrian Ross concluded. “With all its faults, it has come to stay.

“All it needs is intelligent production and educated criticism.” d* dt

Army Cigarette Habit.

Lord Grenfell, the Commander of the Forces in Ireland, has issued a remarkable command order to his administrative staff strongly denouncing cigarette smoking among soldiers. Lord Grenfell hopes for the intelligent co-operation of all ranks in his endeavour to mitigate the harm done by excessive cigarette smoking, especially among younger soldiers, and in order to induce the men to relinquish the cigarette for the pipe, he has issued the following executive order: — “With a view to helping men to overcome the habit, the Commander of the Forces directs the smoking of cigarettes to be prohibited at certain times, when, on the other hand, no similar restriction as regards pipe smoking will be made. “The smoking of cigarettes, therefore, will not be permitted when men are on fatigue or under arms on any occasion, including field operations and manoeuvres.” JX

Ship Wrecked by a Meteor.

A tale of shipwreck, more vivid by far than the strangest imagination of the writers of romance and adventure, reached Queenstown last month. The sailing ship Eclipse, 1,469 tons, was on a voyage from Newcastle to San Francisco. She had been at sea for eighty-five days, when she was overtaken by a terrible hurricane. Lightning, followed by deafening peals of thunder, lit up the sky. Suddenly a meteor struck her fore-topmast, which fell in splinters to the deck. The meteor crashed right through the deck, and, tearing a large hole in the hull, fell into the sea. Water immediately poured into the ship. The pumps were set going, and for

four days and nights the crew worked to save their ship, snatching sleep in short spells as they could.

No effort could keep the ship afloat, however. Captain Lassen and his crew of fifteen were compelled to take to the boats, and a few hours later they saw the ship founder. The men spent fifteen days in the open boats, under a scorching sun. Two biscuits and two gills of water formed each man’s allowance for the dav.

They shaped a course as best they could for the Sandwich Islands, nine hundred miles from the spot where they

were wrecked. Their sufferings reached a climax on the thirteenth day, when three men died. Their bodies when thrown overboard were instantly devoured by sharks which followed the boats.

Some days later they sighted a small island, and on the following day the boats reached its shore.

The helpless sailors were carried on the backs of the natives to places of shelter. Their sufferings were then at an end, and they were conveyed later to Honolulu.

Fight in a Snake House.

One of the keepers in the snake house at Bronx Zoo, New York, narrowly escaped with his life after being for several minutes in the grip of a boa-con-strictor.

The man had entered the eage to feed the snake, which appeared to be asleep. While his back was turned the man was horrified to feel the reptile, which is one of the largest in the Zoo, coiling itself about his legs. He endeavoured to extricate himself, but was powerless. His shouts for help quickly brought other men to the spot, and eventually 15 men were engaged in the struggle for the keeper’s life with the boa-constric-tor, whose grip was tightening about the unfortunate man.

The keeper was extricated in an ex hausted condition.

Grand National Won by a Trap Horse.

'i'll;' Grand National—the greatest steeplechase of the year, and, with the exception of the Derby, the race that excites most interest—was won this year by Major Douglas Pennant’s Rubio, a promoted American trap horse, who started at forlorn odds, .and allowed the bookmakers to reap small fortunes. Rubio has had an extraordinary career. He was bred in America, and is a son of the famous Star Ruby. About two years ago he was brought to England, and was so despised that he was sold for eighteen guineas. After undergoing many vicissitudes he sank to the level of drawing a cart, and was used for some time as a trapper by the proprietor of a hunting inn in Toweester. He was an excellent trapper, too, and on one occasion covered thirty-five miles between the shafts.

Then he attracted the attention of Major Douglas-Pennant, who hunts from Toweester. It was found that he jumped well, and he became an inmate of the stable managed by Mr. Fred Withingion. The irony of the race was that he beat his stable companion, the much more fancied Mattie Macgregor, an Irish mare. The race had one ext ra-ordinary sequel. Mr. Percy Whitaker’s horse. The Lawyer 111., who ran third, was found dead in his box a few hours after the race. Of the twenty-four starters, only eight finished the course, and one of these, Kirkland, the winner of three years ago, fell at tlie last fence and was remounted. The worst luck of the race befell the King’s horse Flaxman. His jockey Anthony lost a stirrup iron, and but for this unfortunate accident the King's colours would possibly have been borne to victory again, for Flaxman, handicapped as his jockey was. finished fourth. Rubio is the longest-priced horse to win a steeplechase since John M.P. two years ago at Windsor.

An Indian Legend.

With varying success, our bag at The end of five days had assumed fair proportions, and, although it was far below what my friends had shot in previous years, we had nevertheless a most enjoy able time, and returned with some 50 edd couples of duck, a few brace of ruffed grouse, and some 20 snipe. My camera was not idle, and 1 got some good photographs of a most beautiful country. One of our party put the smallness of our bag down to the want of reverence which was displayed while passing a well-known Indian grave. The legend attached to it is a somewhat touching one. About a century ago the daughter of the 'Siwash chief, a very lovely girl, fell madly in love with a scion of a poorer tribe. Tier father would not allow her to marry the brave of her own choice, but had com polled her to accept a more wealthy party. Rather than give her lover up, and be forced into so unwelcome an alliance, she clandestinely met her sweetheart at the rock which now stands as a monument to their undying devotion; for it was there that they took their own lives, and were found dead by the irate and tyrannical old chief. The queer habit which still prevails of leaving peaceofferings on this stone attracts the attention of the few white men who happen to know the legend. We got out of our rigs to pay our respects, but it certainly gave me something of a shock to see the quality of the goods which were lying about on the stone: Matches, pieces# of string, buttons, an old pipe, a few empty bottles, etc. Apparently these an* left by the passing Indians in all goed faith, and are duly collected by the present representative of the clan, who, it seems, is a buxom Siwash belle, known by the unromantie name of Jenny Tatley-Ann. — 4< A Fall Shooting Trip in British Columbia,” by P. Leckie-Ewing, in the March “Badminton.” Ct The quaint little cottage in the grounds of Dibdin House, Hanger Hill, Ealing, where the famous writer of sea songs wrote “Tom Bowling.” has fallen into the hands of the housebreakers. An effort will be made by Dibdin's admirers to save the building and re-erect it in some suitable spot as a memorial to the poet.