NEWS BY MAIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 August 1928, Page 1

NEWS BY MAIL.

TRUSTED WITH £42. BRUSSELS, July 6. Brussels is becoming the favourite ground of the confidence trickster, and Mr Herbert Seeley, of Los Angeles, is the third victim in five weeks.

Yesterday ho met an Englishman whose acquaintance he had made in Paris and went for a walk with him. In front of them was a benevolent-look-ing gentleman who accidentally dropped a rosary which the Englishman retrieved and returned to its owner.

The three adjourned to a cafe, where the stranger said lie had unlimited confidence in human nature, and to prove his words handed Mr Seeley a 100-dollnr note and told him to go with his friend for half an hour’s walk—lie was sure they would bring his money back to him. They did.

Then tlie stranger asked Mr Seeley whether lie had as much confidence ns the other two. He had—and he gave them £42 and two valuable rings to take for a walk. Unfortunately they have not come hack yet.

A THIEF’S TASTE. PARIS, July C. Major Keith Trevor, the British sportsman, and bis wile, who beiore her marriage was Mile. Jane Maniac, the popular Parisian actress, have been the victims of a burglar who entered their Hat lute on Saturday night and stole jewels, furs and other articles valued at more than £5,000. The thief, who obviously bad artistic tastes, and was somewhat of a literary connoisseur, first broke open a secretaire containing valuable jewels, then selected the finest of -Mrs Trevor’s furs, and finally made a judicious choice in the library of rare first editions, including Beaudeinire’s “ Fleurs du -Mai,” Verlaine’s “ Fetes Galnntes ” and Oscar Wilde’s “ Portrait of Dorian Gray.” The-, police are looking lor a valet who was engaged by Major Keith Trevor a week ago.

SMOKING IN COURT. BERLIN, July G. A newspaper reporter was greatly astonished when he entered a law court yesterday and found the judge, members of the jury, the clerk, defendants, witnesses, and members of the publicmil smoking cigars. He was still more astonished when the judge said to him: “Have you had your cigar yet?” A policeman came forward with a box of cigars, from which the reporter, who was getting more and more bewildered, selected one.

He learned that the defendants were accused of palming off bad cigars for good ones. They maintained that the cigars were “noble weeds.” and to settle the matter the judge decided that they should be tested on the spot. The defendants smoked with a beatific expression on their faces, hut to judge by the faces of the others the plaintiffs have a good chance of winning the case when it is reviewed.

GEORGE SAND. PARTS, July G. Madame Aurora Lauth-Sand, granddaughter of George Sand, the famous French woman novelist, has lost hei case against 51. Jacques Boulanger, critic and literary historian, who in a recent book recalled her grandmother’s love affairs with illustrous people of her time. M. Boulanger in his work referred to George Sand’s liaisons with such famous persons ns Alfred de Musset,. t,u ' poet, Jules Sandenu, the playwright, and Chopin, the composer. Mine. Lauth-Sand complained that this constituted an attack against hei family’s name. Yesterday the Paris courts decided that when'the fame of a writer has made of him a historical personage, the whole of bis life is open to review and comment, provided always, that this is done truthfully and without malice. As no error of fact or malicious intent had been proved against M. Boulanger. it was declared that Mme. Lauth-Sand had no grounds for her suit.