NEWS BY MAIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 April 1926, Page 4

NEWS BY MAIL.

EX-LUNATIC CAR DRIVER. LONDON, Feb. 27. How, after spending 15 months in the county lunatic asylum, James Wlietton, a bricklayer, immediately bought a motr-car and started driving was related at Swadlincote Police * Court, Burton-on-Ti'cnt, yesterday. He was charged with dangerous driving. AVhetton forced another motorist on to the grass by using the wrong ( side of the road, and then been mo ( abusive. ( A ehaitffeur said that AVhctton talk- ( ed strangely about spiritual affairs and ( drove quickly away. ( A police inspector stated that AA'hetton was not always responsible for his actions. The magistrates, holding the defendant unfit to drive a car, suspended his driving license for two years and lined him 51 Is and costs. TUBE HOOLIGANS. LONDON, Keb. 22. Strong measures were taken last night and on Saturday night by the Underground Railway authorities and the police to prevent a recurrence ol the disorderly scenes caused recently by drunken people returning to Fulham and Hammersmith on the Piccadilly Tube alter a drinking excursion in Knightsbridge, where the licensed houses remain open an hour longer than in the former districts. | Metropolitan and railway policeman I were stationed at the entrances to both Knightsbridge and Brompton-rnnd stations to ensure that no intoxicated people likely to cause trouble gamed admittance to the platforms. A number of people were turned away limn Knightsbridge on Saturday night owtheir drunken condition, hut they (lid not cause any tremble*. To deal with any outbreak ol lighting on the trains, police > n pbim clothes travelled to and fro between Knightsbridge and Earl's Court AVhile the scenes at Knightsbridge on Saturday night.* were quieter than usual, there was much to disgust psts-sers-hv. Several people were taken into f'lixlt'.dv. and one woman was s*> violent that she had to he strapped to a wheeled ambulance and taken to the police station. ! BERMAN PRINCES AND THEIR funds. BERLIN. January 20. •■Not a pfennig for the princes,” are , the voids to be seen on an appeal which is placarded all over Germany |nl* a plebiscite cm the question whether i H e twenty royal princes of Germany * -Lull be given the millions they are i claiming. Six thousand people attended at > I'rankfort-on-.Alain last, night a meeti lug which passed a unanimous resold- * tiem demanding that the Reichstag * should quash the donations to the . princes and that, if necessary, a plebi iseite should he held. *• Where else in the whole world i would it he possible lor the* very man - who lost the war to extort enormous ■ riches from the people!-' ’ asked one ol ; (lie* speakers. Dr Thormann, a member > of 11 10 Catholic Centre Party.

Royal claims to property are left to th<> law courts, which have almost always given judgment in favour ol the former kings and princes, and the State has been forced to drive bargains with them. The 1 lolienzollerus drove a verv hard bargain, and if the Reich-

stag does not interfere Prussia must hand over to them cm April 1 property estimated to he worth £25,000.000. Sonic* of the princes have already secured their share by decision of the courts. Thus Prince Frederick Leopold, cousin of the ex-Kaiser, has established his rig'll to lour valuable estates worth several million pounds. Dr Leopold Lehmann, writing in the " Netie Berliner Zeitung,” gives an account of this prince's life. He states thal during the war, when there was a terrible shortage of food, bis ) dogs were fed on meat and the favourites among them were given veal cutlets. lie treated his servants abominably, ee'erding to I his iiocount. line serinnt had to drink three bottles of c Limpa.giie one alter the other and the prince said to him, " Don’t think you are drinking for your own pleasure. A'uii are drinking for mine.'' Another was forced to drink a horrible cocktail of bitters, pepper, port and sherrv while the prince and princess roared _ with lauoliter at tile wretched man’s grimaces. Another had tn travel round the room cm all fours .making a noise like a dog and to eat from a plate cm the floor. Dr Lehmann asks whether such a person deserved consideration from the nation.