MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 24 September 1927, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

TRADESAIEN DUPED. LONDON, Aug. 2. Portsmouth police are looking for a swindler .who specialises in duping tradespeople. His method of operation is to advertise that lie wishes to invest in a business. He then induces those with whom he gets into touch to cash worthless cheques for him. In Portsmouth he got into touch with a local business man. ami arranged to invest £1,500 in his business. On the day that the transaction was to be completed he arrived with a cheque for '£1,571. Tie explained that he, wanted to close his account at the hank, and was given by the tradesman a cheque for £7l. He also took away leather goods to the value of £l7 odd. AYlien the tradesman presented the cheque for £1.571 it was returned to him marked “No account,” but his own cheque for £7l had been cashed, and the supposed investor had disappeared.

THE LATE LADY LAUDER. LONDON, Aug. 2. “My wife has been the great mainspring of my professional career. I have never done anything on the stage without submitting it to her. She is my best critic.” That was the tribute .Sir (then Afr) Harry Lauder paid at a Burns dinner ninteen years ago to his wife, whose death following an operation was reported yesterday. As the years went on and his fame and position grew he continued to pay the same tribute to her. He and Lady Lauder were devoted to each other; sometimes even in his stag© patter he would affectionately refer to her.

Lady Lauder was a quiet little Scotswoman. who, as Annie Vallanee, had married the comedian before he gave up the mill and the mine for the stage. She shared his early struggles and continued to mother him when wealth had come their way.

£12,600 THROWN AWAY. NEW YORK, Aug. 2. Frightened l>y a traffic policeman, “Boston Billy” Monahan threw away a pearl necklace ho stole from the country home of Mr Jessie Livermore. That this daring bandit discarded the gems for which he had risked so much is disclosed in an advertisement offering £6OO reward for the necklace, which is valued at C 12.000.

After his accomplice had confessed, Monahan started hurriedly for Boston by motorcar. Near Darien, Connecticut, lie was stopped by a traffic inspector who wanted to see his motor licenco. The policeman looked at Monahan so closely that the latter became alarmed, and when he had gone a short distance ho threw the necklace and the revolver lie was carrying into the hushes at the side of the road. Next day, he says, he realised his folly and returned to find the pearls hut was unable to locate the spot where he had flung them.

LINER RAMS WHALE. LONDON, Aug. 2. On the arrival of the White Star liner Baltic at Liverpool from New York yesterday it was reported that the vessel had run down a large whale. Off the south coast of Ireland on Sunday afternoon a bump was felt forward, followed by a succession of slight blows. A whale about 18 feet long was found impaled on the bows of the ship. The sound of blows was caused by the monster’s huge tail flapping against the vessel’s side. The ship’s engines were reversed, and the whale floated clear. It had received a wound about 3 feet deep in 'the back of the neck.

CRASH INTO OFFICE. ■ LONDON, Aug. 2. During bombing training tests under the direction of Marshal Sir Hugh Trent-hard, at Leucliars Aerodrome, Fifeshire, yesterday, a two-seater aeroplane fouled some telegraph wires at the roadside and crashed ip to the accountant’s offices at the aerodrome where Flying-Officer K. B. Money and Lieut. C. A. E, I. Brownlee, the base medical officer, were seated. Flyinp-Officer Money was hurled against the wall and received serious injuries to his head and legs and Lieut. Brownlee received injuries to his legs. Flight-Lieut. Winekler and P-*ot-Officer Jack, members of the Edinburgh Auxiliary Air Force, who were in the machine, ,were cut on their faces but not seriously. The machine was wrecked.