NEWS BY MAIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 May 1921, Page 4

NEWS BY MAIL.

APE’S HUMAN GRIEF. NEW YORK, March 19

The all but human grief of a chimpanzee mother at ilie death of . her eight-days-old child is told in the current report of the New York Zoological Society.

On July 14 a, baby was born to Suzette and Bonin in the New York Zoological Park, and Boma gave himself all the airs imaginable as he sat by Suzette’s side admiring the baby. But eight days later Suzette, a very intelligent chimpanzee, having appeared on the American music-hall stage with

shaven forearms, was seen to look anxiously at her child lying motionless in her arms. She put Tier finger-tips to its cheeks and nostrils and carried it up and down the cage, frequently putting it down to examine it.

Presently the keeper came, saw that the young chimpanzee was dead, and approached Suzette to take the baby from her. After a sharp tussle he succeeded. Suzette immediately became furious and rushed madly around the cage screaming. Boma, realising the tragedy, began screaming so loudly that his cries were heard more than half a mile away. Suzette weakened by. her outburst, clung pathetically for some time to th<> bars of her cage, uttering low cries of distress. The death of the baby was duo to starvation. Its mother was unable to feed it sufficiently durng the first days of its life, and as sho carried it tucked away in her thigh day and night it was impossible to feed it by aritifioal means.

It is thought that this is the only instance of a chimpanzee being born in captivity.

QUEEN OF PASSION. NEW YORK, March 1!) Mr John Drinkwater’s new play “Mary Stuart,” was successfully presented last night before one of the most New York for some time. Tn his latest brilliant first-night audiences seen in work Mr Drinkwater lias fully sustained the reputation he established in this country ns the author of “Abraham Lincoln.”

Tll a simple setting, mainly by suggestion and wonderful dialogue, which most of the critics find even superior to that of “Abraham Lincoln,” lie portrays the love-life of the beautiful young Queen against a background of poignant emotion. Mary Stuart is revealed as a woman capable of one of the greatest loves in history who did not find anyone worthy of such a passion or able to call it forth.

Darnlcy, Biothwell, and Riccio, around the scene of whose murder the whole play is built, all fail her. In one of her last speeches to Both well she says, referring to her latent passion: “I have it in my brain. But it will not be used. The wisdom will fade away in my brain ; wither to a little cold philosophy, f shall die and it will he betrayed because none came. It is mv fortune.”

Mr William Harris junior provided a splendid cast, Miss Clare Fames in the title role gave a performance which critics describe as a remarkable feat of acting.

THE PRINCE’S SONG. . ■ LONDON, March 16. The Prince of Wales joined with Sir Harry Lauder and an audience of more than 2,000 men and women last night in singing “I Love a Lassie.” It was at a concert in aid of the unemployed of Stepney and Poplar, arranged by H and K Divisions of the Metropolitan Police at the People’s Palace, Mile Endroad. 1

1 ‘Maybe you are not in love; hut no matter. I want you all to sing the chorus of my little song,” Sir Harry Laudor said, and cocked his Highland ihat slyly towards the Prince. The Prince leaned back in his seat and laughed heartily. “Now then, just imagine you are in a shady glade to meet your love,” suggested the sentimental comedian, “and just at the moment when you think she ought to he in your arms you must sing loudest.” There was a roar of laughter, and the Prince, himself thoroughly enjoying the fun, clapped his hands with'a will. . He sang with as much vigour as anyone present. _ ’ The Prince spoke of the splendid i work done by H and Tv Divisions, and said the concert had realised £2,500. j The Prince entertained Mr John | Storey, the Labour Premier of New South Wales, to luncheon yesterday, 1 and chatted with him about his i : tralian tour. j j Mi- Storey was accompanied by -ns j ; wife and daughter, -and by Mr C’liffo- : Hay, principal secretary to the State of New South Wales. When he went to Camperdown House, ■ Aldgate, E., last evening, to inspect j a parade of the Ist London Cadet Bat- J talion of the Jewish Lads’ Brigade, 1 the Prince chatted with a number of old hoys of the brigade who served during the war, including Jack White, tlie fiist Jewish soldier to win the \ .C. in the

CHORUS BEAUTY. NEW YORK, March 19 There was a new development in the Stillman divorce case, the principal topic of conversation among all classes, through the filing yesterday by Mrs .T. A. Stillman of an amended ansuei to her husband's charges of misconduct with an Indian half-breed hunter. Mr James A. Stillman, the millionaire hanker, also denies the paternity of his wife's youngest child. Airs Stillman now alleges misconduct between her husband and 1' lorence Leeds, a beautiful young chorus girl who, she alleges, had a child by Mr Stillman, at the same time as her own child, of which Mr Stillman says l;e is not the father, was bom. In her answer Mrs Stillman, who as

"Fiti” Potter, daughter of Mrs Brown Potter, the actress, was one of the loveliest debutantes ever known in New York, describes the investigations of her agents regarding her husband’s alleged association with Florence Leeds. The latter is now in Florida, hut for .3 years is stated to have lived in a flat the rent of which was £9OO a year, in a fashionable quarter of New York. There, it is alleged, she was visited two or three times a week by a man known to the servants as Mr Leeds and now identified by them as Mr .Stillman. Florence Leeds is a tall, willowy girl, about 2G, with a wealth of Titian hair. She became well known on account of her good looks after her appearance as the “Chicken” in the revue “The Century Girl.”

PARACHUTE FROM PARACHUTE. PARTS, March 19. A double parachute descent has been made at Nantes by Major Orde Lees. Taking two Guradian Angel parachutes with him in his aeroplane, lie jumped with one of them from a height of 1,500 feet. When about 1,000 feet from the ground he cut himself free and began a new fall with the other, which

opened after a drop of only 100 feet. Major Lees landed in the top-most branches of a tree.