NEWS BY MAIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 October 1927, Page 3

NEWS BY MAIL.

AN UPSTART DEITY. MADRAS, Aug. 16. An upstart “ deity ” recently provoked a blaze in the peaceful town of Koilkuntla, in South India, which did not die down until seven people had been killed and many wounded by gunfire. About four years ago a seller of betel leaves named Jayarainiali, who lived in the vilage of Bijinevemula, about two l miles from Koilkuntla, was smitten with leprosy. His customers cleserted him, and in desperation he decided to adopt the role of a sadliu, a spiritual teacher. I Donning the yellow robe, he opened a mandiram, or place ol" worship, in the village, set up therein a picture of j Sri Rama, one of the gods in the Hindu I pantheon, and conducted lrequent bhnjnna (musical) parties. He was later joined by another trader who had suffered severe losses, j and together they accumulated a band j of followers drawn mostly from the rogues and vagabonds of Bijinevemula • and the surrounding villages. | Jayarainiali soon obtained such a, hold over his followers that he replaced the worship of Sri Rama by worship of himself, and held aloof from the general bodv of his followers. ' POLICE DEFIED. Last May a complaint of assault was filed by a villager against Jayaramiah’s chief follower. A warrant for his arrest was issued, hut, when the police officer went to execute it, he encountered a crowd armed with spears, swords, and other weapons. Later he learned that Jayaramiah’s elder brother and his wife, members of the gang, were sleeping apart from their confederates. He captured them and took them to Koilkuntla police station. Shortly afterwards an armed mob, headed by Jayarmiali, went to their rescue, and Jayarainiali told his followers that the police bullets would turn to bowers before reaching tliem. The i>olice opened fire after two police officers had been wounded by the rioters, with the result, as already stated, that seven of .the mob, including Jayarainiali were killed.

MOUNTAIN TRAGEDY. GENEVA, Aug. 16. An account of the terrible experience of a Swiss professor, named Piceardt, an dhis wife while on an excursion in the mountains above Innsbruck, in Tyrol, has just been received at Fribourg University, where M. Piceardt holds the Chair of Philology and Archaeology. Having lost their way in the Oetztal Mountains, the couple were trying to find another track when the husband slipped and was badly injured. In attempting to reach him his wife fell from a crag and was killed immediatev. The disabled professor tried to drag himself to her side, but in so doing fell still further down the mountain. In this position he lay for four days and nights until discovered by a young goatherd who brought help. He is expected to recover. A