GENERAL ITEMS.

Franklin Times, Volume 10, Issue 797, 5 January 1923, Page 5

GENERAL ITEMS.

Many ingenious devices ate used by those engaged in smuggling drugs into England (says a London paper). A favourite method is to use artificial flowers for concealing cocaine, opium, and other drugs. One consignment of opium was smuggled through in. the stalks of artificial poppies, while cocaine has been found in violets. Vegetables . are even more satisfactory from the smuggler's point of view, for quite a large quantity of drugs can ba v con- \ cealed in a hollowed potato. Perhaps the strangest trick of all was the use of a stuffed dog. Probably it would never have been detected had not a watchful secret serviefe agent seen the woman with the dog open it and pull out a phail of • “snow.” German sausages have also been known to harbour other things beside meat. Not long ago a consignement of ink came under suspicion,'and after a thorough starch it was discovered that one. in every ten of the bottles was a cunningly camouflaged receptacle for cocaine. Briquettes, fire-lighters, opera hats, and cheese also made their appearance in smuggling opeations, and, y one German smuggler even enclosed the drugs in a model of the Cenotaph. • , What is said to be the world’s record in divorce is claimed by .Miss Lizzie McCarty, of Marion, Indiana. Lizzie has married six times in dirte. years. Her first husband was Jesse Hammer, whom she married when she was twenty years old at Kokomo. Shel was divorced from him three months later. Within eight weeks she married him ggain, and in four months a second was accomplished. Her next Lemuel Moore was sent to prison, and she obtained a divorce from him. She moved to Tipton, Indiana, married Devi Jack, and divorced him in less . than a year. Then came a two > year’s spell of wedded life with Eli Coats; also of Tipton, ending in the usual way. The heroine migrated to Marion, married Ed. (Hunt, and beat all her previous records; but two ■ by divorcing him in six months. As a souvenir of Hi A. Auckland Racing Club’s and Auckland Trotting Club’s Carnivals, this week’s issue of the Sporting and Dramatic Review stands unrivalled pictorially in up.-to- - date interest. The major portion of i this abundantly illustrated journal is devoted to many full pages of snapshots traversing Cup Day at Ellerslie, r ; Great Northern Derby Day, the Islington Plate, Pansonby Handicap 'Hurdles, and other principal events of the meeting. The Trotting Cup and Trotting Derby at Alexandra Park make up a series that should be a lasting, record. The Manuwatu Racing Club’s Carnival is also depicted in intersting fashion, while the Wanganui Motor Boat’ .>■ and Sailing Club’s opening is represented in picturesque pages.. , The Queensland v. Upper Hutt Bowling match is the subject of an attractive and characteristic set of studies, also a line picture V>f the blue-jackets of 1.1 jn H.M.s. Chatham in musketry training at Trontham appears in this issue. Amongst a large miscellany of overseas photographs showing notable architectural structures in America, and novel scenes in London: a full page is also devoted to the recent railway disaster near Paris, in addition to which there arc many other pictures of wideworld interest. The paper is now on sale Tit. all stationers and bookstalls.

A young man who was asked to spend Christmas Day with a maiden aunt in the country, having large expectations from that quarter, had to regal’d the invitation as a command peformanee. His aunt filled his plate with turkey and accessories, and then heaped up another plate with! Christmas pudding of, the Dreadnought brand. Fortunately the old lady was called from ;the room for a moment, and the pudding went through the) window into the garden. Some minutes later the maid of all work entered wearing a look of consternation. “Please mum,” she said, “thee of our ducks is sunk.”