MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 1 August 1923, Page 1

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

.MAN'S TEARS IN COURT.

ORGAN GRINDER WHO RECEIVES f ill A WEEK.

"He is a mendicant wdio can laugh, erv, or look miserable when lie likes,” said Superintendent Hannan tit Blackpool Police Court recently. He was referring to Arthur Sedgwick, a onearmed organ-grinder. Sedgwick cried ill court, and promised to sign the pledge when his wife said lie came home and boasted of drinking twenty pints.

"It’s a dry cry,” commented the chairman.

It wtts slated that Sedgwick in.ncie £lO a week in the summer and £ I a week in IDo winter. He was hound over for neglecting his family.

JOKE NEARLY A TRAGEDY. BOY PLAYING AT HANGING' ALMOST STRANGLED. A practical joke nearly ended in the hanging of .linin'- Drown, aged Ifi, an errand hoy employed by Mr Brocklesby, butcher, of Grimsby. Drown went into the hack kitchen, and, fixing a. cord to ti nail in the hack door, stood on a ledge, passed the other end of the- cord round his neck, and called io the maid, ‘‘Nellie, come and look at me.”

The maid, suspecting a joke, did not go. and the hoy must then have slipped from the ledge, and the cord tightening about his neck, almost strangled him.

Dolly Broeklesby, aged seven, found him unconscious. The maid ran and Held tip the hoy wihle the child cut the- cortl. Diown was restored to consciousness by oxygen administered in hospital.

BROADCASTING FILMS. Wo an- on the eve of tremendous developments along the lines i f “seeing Lv wireless”, in the race in which scientists and inventors of many countries are engaging, British inventors are well ill llie van. The hrnadeasling of films is a possibility brought, within range of realisation by an invention called the Television, the patent of I lie General Radio Company, of London. It is the joint invention of Mr W. S. Stephenson, genera] manager of the company, and Air George Walton, an engineer employed hv tt:o firm.

The Television .transmits sounds and images simultaneously, so that the

iwoadcateher will he able to watch every action of- a speaker, singer or hand while listening to their delivery.

it is stated unofficially that moving as well as stationary objects have been transmitted in natural colour, distance proving no obstacle. Tile invention i< still in process of completion.

BLACK HAND IN P.S.A

Four men have been hanged at Afoumlsville. West Virginia., as members of the villainous Black Hand Murder Syndicate in that Stale. The syndicate specialised and gloried in til! kinds of degrees of clinic. ranging Horn ei'mineroinlLsod prostitution to deliberate multiple murder. Other arrests and penalties may follow. 'J no sentenced men were: Hanged: Nicholes Snlamante. Philip Cennizaro, Dick ferri, Samuel Aluratoio. Imprisoned: r.ir.-y Cm hi. tor life; Philip Alissisehe, IS rears.

This Black Hand organisation was lull a branch of the Italian Black Hand Society of America, that mis branches in various parts of the country and many ramifications in Chicago, New York and other large cities. The brunch had its headquarters in Fairmont and Clarksburg. Its members were charged with murders, bombings, burnings and other crimes over many years.

No fewer than seven murders committed in Clarksburg County alone uv.o charged against this hand of criminals and the secret papers of the organisation showed nine other persons li-leil for death.

The ritual, all in Italian. when translated for the police along with other papers confiscated, hared the innermost secrets of the Black Hand. Like fraternal organisations, it had ditferent degrees, the highest and most honoured —the Santa. N'ozita-requiring the commission of at least seven minders tis a. pre-requisite. The others ranging in the order of their importance, were the Kigarrn, the Carnot ra, pitormo, and the Piciotti. Here is a ((notation from the ritual: “By good members in this society is meant those capable of performing the most murders, robberies etc., with the utmost secrecy.'

According to Horen Fiorello, star witness for the State in the Black Hand pro.seetdio.n, who was a former secretary of the Caniorra, and who turned State's evidence against the organisation. Dick Fen i. "ho drew a death penalty ‘for his part in one murder, had committed seventeen different murders, and was a- highly honoured Santa. N'ozitn. of whom there were onh t wen tv-two in the entire t nited States.

TWENTY-FOOT DIVE THROUGH OPEN WINDOW. A fight in the dark between police officers ami alleged thieves, followed by an exciting chase, was described West London Police Court, when Piene Vamlerborgbt (-10). a Belgian subject, described its moulder. Albert Jackson (‘J4I. bricklayer, and William Smith (24!. labourer, were charged with hicakiug into St. Paul s school with intent to steal. On the charge sheet was the name of a. fourth man—Victor Hugo—but it was staled that he was too ill to be o mu'll it into court. Police constable Greetliam said at ll.J') cn Saturday night lie was called with two other police officers to St. Paul’s school. He went round to the. armoury, and looking through a broken panel in the door, saw four men inside. Smith and Jackson were sitting on the stair leading to the main school, smoking, while Aanderhorght and Hugo were trying to force an itttmer door. One of the men said. "Hark. who s that?” and at once switched elf the ole', trie light. Yandcrborght climbed through the broken panel in the lobby tfior.'and seeing witness jumped at ■mu. Witness hit him on the shoulder with his truncheon and knocked him hack inside the building. The other officers- came up. and a tree fight followed between them and the prisoners. Just then the lights in the school were switched oil by someone. A anderhorght was taken into custody by another officer, and witness ran after the others, who ran up the stairs lending to the school. He threw his truncheon at Hugo, who dived through a window. Air Alead: AAThat, by the head —No with his hands first.

Was the window open or shut? It was shut.

Was tlte window far from the ground ?- About twenty feet. I should

say. Wliat did you do?- [ went after him. What, through the window?—Yes; I climbed through and dropped to the ground. The officer further said he caught Hugo, who fell to the ground bleeding and exhausted, and was afterwards taken to the hospital. Prisoners were remanded.

POISON MISTAKE. Following on the death of the Afahr.rajah of Akalkot in Poona Hospital at the beginning of April, after he had boon given poison in mistake for another drug. Air Naidu. the assistant surgeon at the hospital, who was charged with causing the Afahnra, jab's death by administering poison, has been sentenced to three mouths’ simple imprisonment for administering the drug without examination. The dispenser at the drug stores who made the fatal mistake, a man of 00. was let off with a fine, of 100 rupees, in view of his straighfonvarcl admission of the mistake to the police.—Reuter.