NEWS BY MAIL

Hokitika Guardian, 2 September 1920, Page 4

NEWS BY MAIL

AEROPLANE RACE BETS. BERLIN, June '2B

Totalisator betting on aeroplane races is about to ho organised at Germany’s biggest, aerodrome at Joluumisthal, near Berlin. The Allies’ previous veto oii aeroplane construction ceased on June 20, and German aeroplane firms are making every effort—including the introduction of race meetings witli totalisator betting—to raise capital.

PRISON MASKS OPTIONAL. BRUSSELS, June 28

M. Vandcrvelde, the Socialist Minister, lias arranged that prison libraries shall he stocked with, the best books. Prisoners may wear a mask or not, according to whether they judge it well for their fellow-prisoners to recognise tlieni or not. Hitherto the mask lias been compulsory. Prisoners will work under up-to-date conditions. They will have an eight hours day.

CONVICT’S COFFIN CANOE. PARIS, July 1

Rowing across the Maroni River in a coffin which he had dug yip in the cemetery, and using the gravedigger’s spade as a paddle, Albert Juge escaped from the convict settlement Laurent, French Guiana, where he was serving a 20years’ sentence. He was rearrested in Paris to-day.

ACTRESS’S PISTOL ACCIDENT. NEW/ YORK, July 1

The chief of the Chicago police has absolved Miss Kitty Gordon, the English actress, from blame in an accident on Friday at the Palace Theatre, Chicago, when Joseph Hack, an acrobat, was accidentally shot dijring a scene in which Miss Gordon fires a pistol supposed to be'loaded with blank cartridges. Hack is recovering in hospital. Yesterday he received a bouquet of flowers from Miss Gordon. “I forgive Miss Gordon,” he saifl. “I do not bold a. grudge. I never met the lady until last night, but when she shakes hands and says she’s sorry, it was an accident, I’m satisfied.”

The pistol used for the act is the property of Miss Gordon’s husband, who said it was bis habit before every performance to reload the weapon with blank, cartridges instead of ball, and that lie did this ns usual yesterday.

PARIS LAWYER DUEL. PARIS, July 1. Early this morning on the grass of Vincenges racecourse the first duel since the war took place. Neither combatant was wounded, but this afternoon all Paris is talking of the affair. M. do Moro-Giaffejri, the fiery Corsican barrister who defended the exPremier, M. Caillaux, met a colleague, M. Henri Torres. The encounter had been kept a secret and nobody was present on the ground this morning save the four seconds and a doctor. It had been decided that the duel was to he witli pistols, and that, as the reasons of difference between the parties were purely personal, no statement was to be made to the Press. The bullets flew wide, and a gardener within the line of lire, went on mowing as if nothing had happened.

MIDNIGHT BATHERS. LONDON, June 28

Thousands of City workers spent the end of a. perfect summer day, with supper basket and lantern, on the river last night. At Richmond crowds on the Terrace heights watched the never-end-ing stream of boats —a kaleidoscope of colour—until the dusk, when they became mystic phantoms. At 10 o’clock one boat-shed alone had more than 300 boats out, and many had taken camping equipment for the night. After a strong pull against the stream young men discarded 1 their flannels for bathing suits and plunged, into the river. In the more secluded reaches night, bathing was in full swing. At Margate, also, people were bathing from the sands until nearly midnight. After the dances at the hotels, many of the dancers trooped on to the beach in their evening- clothes, carrying towels and bathing costumes.

TRIPLE MURDER SUSPECT. PARIS, June 28. Accused of three murders an a Alsatian named Gaertner, who served in the German Army during the war, is. being searched for by the French police. Suspicion fell on him owing to statements made by him in a village inn when he was drunk. He is alleged to have killed a married man last Christmas during a drunken quarrel, and to have poured petrol on 1 the body, and setfire to it. The widow, it is said, because she was terrorised by Gaertner told the police it was an accident. She alleges that on the night of the crime Gaertner confessed to having killed his fiancee and a man.

SHEEP’S NERVE FOR A MAN. LONDON, June 28. How soldiers who had portions of their nerves blown away bad them rejoined by the grafting in of lengths of animals’ nerves wa-s told by Sir Charles Ballance at the Royal Society of Arts Hall, W.C., last evening. “An officer was wounded in the arm,” he said, “and two inches of a nerve were blown away. I went to my butcher and told him I wanted two inches of a sheep’s sciatic nerve. He killed a sheep while the nerve was still alive I cut out and grafted it in immediately. Tiiat officer made a complete recovery.

FOUND BY BLOODHOUNDS. LONDON, Juno 28. A two Jays’ search with bloodhounds of the woods' around Albury, Surrey, has cleared up the mysterious disappearance of Mr Alfred jftlarcellinc de Pouthonier, a companies’ director, of Bedford Park, W. Mr Pouthonier was on the verge of a nervous breakdown and went last week to stay at the Diamond Arms Hotel, Albury, with his brother-in-law, Mr James Murland Hunter. A few days later he disappeared. As the thick woods baffled search, Colonel Johnson was called in with two bloodhounds, and late on the second evening the dogs led Colonel Johnson and the police to a lonely spot in Weston woods, on the hills to the north of the village. Police-constable Edwards, describing to the West Surrey coroner the finding of the body, said there was a razor in the right hand. There wore several cuts in the throat, obviously self-inflict-ed. The razor was identified by a guest as having been taken from his room. A verdict of Suicide while of Unsound Mind was returned.