AMERICAN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 October 1924, Page 1

AMERICAN ITEMS.

[Reuters Telegrams.]

AUTHORESS DUAL. XI'MY YORK. October 2G. Laura. Jean I.ibhy, the authoress b dead. She was only ill a short time Aged G 3.

RECORD FLY. NEW YORK, October 20. Aboard the dirigible Shenandoah, a new history in lighter than air navigation. written when the Shenandoah hovered over hangars at Lnkelmrst, New Jersey, completing a recordbreaking nine thousand mile cruise. It crossed Fuited States and return, c*.!, 110 hours elapsing since, the start. She flew with an engine running 257 hours 38 minutes.

LIQUOR LAM’S. OTTAWA, October 27. Five years ago Ontario adopted temperance legislation by a majority of lour hundred thousand, hut sentiment in lavotir o.f sale from Government stores, the saint* as Quebec. British Columbia has been growing and new v otes taken resulted in a decision to retain the legislation by thirty thousand. The cities voted overwhelmingly wet, and the country dry. Government is now faceod with a quandary with the cities demanding liquor, making it almost impossible to administer dry laws. Some form local option may be inaugurated.

FOUR DESPERADOES HANGED. .MONTREAL, October 25. Four desperadoes, whoso sentence was cabled on July 11, were hanged at Montreal at daybreak today-. Their original number was six, but two bad their sentences commuted to life imprisonment. Precautions wore taken, owing to tlie threatened attempts at rescue. Scores of police guarded the gaol inside and out throughout the night. Tile executions were carried out at dawn, with electric lights casting a ghastly glare on the gallows. One of the condemned men who was a former athlete and detective, died gamely, lie left a pathetic letter to bis children. The second whimpered but braced himself up at tlie last moment, and kissed a crucifix as the noose was adjusted. The remaining two were in a stale of collapse, particularly tlu* "king of the Red Light district.” who bad been ill a pitiable condition for tile last two days. lie had to be carried to the scailold. The executions aroused enormous in-

terest. Hundreds of morbid people collected outside the gaol. GRAFT IN CANADA. LEADING CITIZENS G.\"LED AND FIN KD. OTTAM'A, CM. 2G. The highest lines ever imposed in a Canadian Court, accompanied by sentences in the Penitentiary, were imposed on two leading citizens who were convicted at Toronto ol '‘grail against their own Government. The Honourable Peter Smith, a member of the Cabinet of Premier Drury's former Government two years ago, and Emiliiis Jervis, were sentenced to three years and lined six hundred thousand dollars each. The payment of this huge amount will break Smith, but Jems will have something left for lie is a millionaire several times over. Jervis is Canada’s leading yachtsman and lie entertained the .ITinee of Wales several years ago. lie is also the head of the* largest bond dealers in the Dominion. 'l'lie jury decided that lie marketed Government of Ontario bonds for ten million dollars, obtaining tin illegal rake-off of eight per cent besides ordinary commission. Jl was shown that he divided the money with Smith, who gave him an order on beliall ol the Government. Smith took this loot to the hank and placed in the savings account the exact amount of the percentage shown in Jervis’s hooks he had received as graft. The case is the most notable of its kind in the history of the Dominion

CAUGHT IX THE IC'E

FOUR MEN'S FATE

OTTAWA, Oct. 20

Ailvios from Xomo filato the Arctic has claimed four more victims. The schooner Silver Wave was caught in the ice and drifted away into the dark and hopeless region ■where it never more will he heard of.

The Silver Wave is the fourth vessel lost beyond Behring Sea this year. She was caught in the same field which enveloped the Kindersley. hut after that ship had disappeared. The Silver Wave had a. dozen passengers who were landed safely by Captain TTegness and the engineer, who campd there all night in the slush ice. which next day prevented their only small boat going out to bring ashore four of the crew. Captain Hognoss waited for hotter weather which never came, and the wind carried the ship and the ice-field seaward.. When last seen the signals of distress were still flying. Captain Ifogness kept up a hopeless search for a fortnight.