The Wide World.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 28 November 1911, Page 1

The Wide World.

__ * - NEWS AND VIEWS-FROM THE PRESS. WOMEN CHEAT AT CARDS. NEW YORK, October "3. Eleven women were refused admission Wednesday evening to a charity card party organised by St. Francis of Aesissi Church, Brooklyn, because they were believed to be card-sharpers. An investigation lias unearthed the fact that a number of women make a business of attending such affairs to win the valuable prizes offered by practices similar to those of the gamblers wiho haunt the Trans-Atlantic liners. Tho women are not professional gamblerSj but members of respectable families, who are unablo to resist the temptation to cheat at; cards. It is a common practice for New York women to give largo whist, bridge, and enctore _ parties throughout the winter to raise funds, for charities. The tickets cost 4s, and occasionally 1500 are sold at ono party, many of whidhi are held in tho ball-rooms of fashionable hotels. The prizes aro always of considerable value, worth, frequently 510 and £20 each, and sometimes more. It has become known that women band Uh em selves together for concerted work by lip signals, by marking cards with tiny p,nd otherwise, and according to Father Kelleher,' of St. Francis of Assissi, who discovered Wednesday evening's conspiracy, even know how to stack 'cards. Father Kplldher's discovery was • due to an extraordinary accident. He was riding in a Brookland tramoar on Wednesday when he- overheard two women seated next to him discussing how they intended to capture the prizes hy cheating. Father Kelleher told other priests of tho church, arcd they watch odi the doorway of the Forty-seventh Regiment wih'ero tho card parly was being given. Father Kelleher detected! the two women with nine others as they wero endeavouring to enter, and told them they could not get in. Nfo explanation was offered, and the women did. not demand any, but hastily disappeared. The chuTcihes nnd charity organisations generally are being notified of tho discovery, with tho suggestion tlhat concerted effort should, bo made this winter to. break the practice. Tt is a disputed point whether,,tho women are liable to arrest for tiboir cheating. LABOUR "DYNAMITERS." SENSATIONAL TRIAL OPENS iN AMERICA. NEW YORK, October 11. The selection of the juay began this morning at Los Angelos for the trial of the McNamara brothers, tiie alleged trade union dynamiters. Every one present in court 'as subjected to the closest scrutiny, while a force of police and] detectives watched! the crowd outside, owing to the fact that anonymous letters had been received -threatening to dynamite the courthouse. Both prisoners were manacled when lihey entered tho court. As soon as the proceedings opened l , the defence showed how desperately it !'ntendod to fight the case. An objection was made to Ju'dgeTßorSwoll, who i.s presiding at the trial, on ihc (ground that he is prejudiced. This objection was over-railed, and then followed objection after objection to iihe members of the jury. Organised labour tihiroughoirfc ihe country is preparing a. united! protest against McNamaras arrest, and an attempt is being made to plan a twenty-four hows" striko on iihe day tihe taking of testimony begins, in which it is claimed 200,000 workers will participate. A procession of 10,000 working men took place in Philadelphia last A great transparency was carried in the procession, which read :— "The reason for kidnapping the McNamara brothers is that the wages paid in 1900 for ten hours' work was eight shillings, while the wages paid in 1911 for eight hours' work is eighteen shillings." TERRIBLE TOLL. YEAR'S DEATHS~OF THE ALPS. GENEVA, October 10. According to Professor Straub, 118 climbers were killed in tlhe Central Alps of Europe this year, thus bringing tihe total of deaths up to 1004 during the past ten years. Recent statistics published by the German and Austrian Alpine Clubs showed that from 1901 to 1910 inclusive the fatalities numbered: 886, and therefore the yearly average is now slightly over 100. The highest figure was reached in 1909, when 144 Alpinists lost their lives, and 128 last year, a large percentage being without guides. The searcSi for edelweiss also considerably aided jn swelling the dath-roll. Germans head the list of killed, and are followed by Austrian.*, Swiss, and French in the order named. Very few English Alpinists have met their death in the Alpsfour in 1910 and two in 1911 — because nearly all of them employ guides in tine difficult ascents.