MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 17 February 1928, Page 1

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.) GAMBLING MANIA. SISTERS’ HUGE WINNINGS. PAULS, Feh. ft. Extraordinary scenes have been witnessed at the Baccarat tables of the Cannes Casino. The town was held 111 the grip of a gambling mania, and it is alleged that one well-known syndicate went down for over £200,000, of which the Dolly Sisters, lainous dancers, look more than £130,000. Play proceeded continuously day and night. Rosie Dolly, who had a had cold, insisted on leaving her bed and going, closely wrapped, to the baccarat room in order that her run of luck should not he broken. INCREASE OF 195. NEW YORK’S SUICIDES. NEW YORK, Feh. 9. New York had 195 more suicides last year than in 1926. The increase was mostly among young men of from 19 to 22 years of age. £67,000 LAST YEAR, SINGING TO FORTUNE. KANSAS CITY. Feh. 9. Aliss Marian Talley, the amazing 19-year-old soprano, who two years ago left her home town. Kansas City, and took New York by storm, lias admilled in her income lax returns that her net earnings last year were £67.000. FATE’S PRANK. SAW OWN STORY ENACTED. LONDON, Feh. 9. After receiving £5 irom a playwright foi the narrative of his fourteen years’ life of crime, William IJurley, an elderly tailor, on his release, after serving another term, homeless, penniless, and alone.” tend in a newspaper that the playwright had received £14.000 for the film rights of his successful play, based on Hurley’s manuscript. “Imagine my feelings,” Hurley said to the magistrate, after admitting a theft from an omnibus. “I’ve suffered more than anyone in the world as tin* sport of fortune. T sat in the stalls watching my play with a ‘tanner (sixpence) and throe-lartliings in m\ pocket, All the manager offered me was a whiskv-soda and a stage job as a convict.” The Magistrate: Your record is terrible. Eighteen months. OLMYPTC GAMES. LONDON, Feh. 15. In striking contrast to the groat German hid is the position of British Olympic athletes. Thirteen of the most, noted performers of 1921 are broadcasting a press appeal for funds to allow a worthy team to participate. Thev sav it would be idle to pretend that Britain always expects to he on top in sport, hut those, interested were anxious that, she should he represented at the Olympic Games. “The host men and women in other countries were given Government subsidies. We believe, however, that in the best mtCrsts of sport, our teams should ho financed voluntarily.” NELSON TOBACCO. LONDON, Fob. 16. The brokers have informed Sir James j Barr that five grades of the 698 pounds of the first consignment of Nelsongrown tobacco, with one exception, was most satisfactory, and more closely approximates the American leaf that most dominion grown. AA ith care in grading and curing, there should he good prospect for the industry. Hie prices realised were 10d, Is 3d, Is 66, Is Hid. 2s 2d per lb. ON ONE LUNG. HOW SOLDIER. LIVED. LONDON. Feh. 9. Ex-soldiers sufferings after they were captured at Kut-ei-Amara. Afesopotamia. wer recalled by the inquest upon Herbert Burns, who joined up at the age of 17. His wife gave evidence that Burns toil her that a Turk cut his throat with a Gurkha’s kukri, necessitating his wearing a tracheotomy tube. He also underwent 25 operations. The doctor said Burns was recently employed as a lorrvmnn. He had a lit of coughing, which broke the tube, part of which' lodged in his left bronchus. and he died under the operation for its removal. Sir Bernard Spilsbury. the noted pathologist, gave evidence that Burns hail an old scar, extending from Ins breastbone to his chin. He had been living on. one lung. AVar strain and the cut in his throat had weakened his heart, A verdict of death by misadventure was returned. ALACBEATH UP TO DATE. AIaCHINE-GUNS AND ASPIRINS. LONDON, February 9. Following the production of CTiakespear’s “Hamlet” in modern dress in Britain and America. “Macheath” was brought up to date last night at the Court Theatre, so much so that it seemed like a war play.

Macbeatli appeared in kilts, and Lady Alai heath was a shingled product of 1928. In the sleepwalking scene she wore a daring crepe do chine nightdress. It was noticed that she took aspirin tablets to sooth her frayed nerves, while the background for the appearance of the witches was a broken windmill, and the vicious chatter of machine-gun fire. Alalcolm, son of the murdered Duncan was dressed in the uniform of a modern general, complete with red tabs, brass hat, and varnished jackboots. He might have been a divisional commander on leave irom Franco. A wounded sergeant in “tin” hat, muddied khaki and puttees, told his story until he collapsed from loss of blood and was carried out on a stretcher by Red Gross details. The fight at the end. in keeping with the production, was waged with modern firearms. The audience was very appreciative of the modernising of Shakespeare, and Lady Macbeth’s curse was quite a. bloodcurdling as in the orthodox setting.