GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2027, 11 September 1919, Page 1

GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

To hold their trade and keep up their established brands, champagne manufacturers are now established in Spain, and will continue to operate there until the damage they suffered in France can be. repaired. A “dinner of death” recently took place at Sunken Creek, in the Yukon. The guests at this dinner numbered 36, and a few hours later a third of them were dead from ptomaine poisoning. The origin of the poison is uncertain. , . . ; The most" powerful lamp in the world is in the Do la Hevc lighthouse, near Havre. AVilli (lashes one-tenth of a second in duration, it actually gives as much light as 2,500,000’ candles.

Captain Starkey asked the Minister of Munitions in Ihe House of Commons recently if facilities would be granted for (he use of smoke bombs by fruitgrowers to see how far a smoke screen would ward off spring frosts. Mr Kellaway said lie would bo glad lo offer facilities if there was any demand. A millionaire whose identity was not disclosed headed the list ot investments in the Victory loan in Manchester. The amount of his investment was £1,000,000, and it was announced through his bankers, the Manchester and Liverpool District Bank, that there were two other anonymous investors, one of £-,100,000, also per the District Rank, and one of £75,000.

Poor shattered Ypres has had but little time to prepare for visitors in anticipation of the coming tourist season, but a wooden hotel, with the euphemistic ; name “Restaurant Yprian,” has already been erected. The shell holes have vanished from the streets, and a few of the inhabitants have drifted back and are dwelling In temporary shelters.

The medical stall of the Aberdeen Education Authority found it necessary, for reasons of health, to cut the hair of certain girls at an elementary school. The parents contended that this should not be done without their consent, and a crowd of men, women and children mustered outside the buildings and smashed the windows and did other damage amminting to .I*2oo. Forty policemen were on duty, and the crowd was estimated at 15,000. AH those who took part in the discussion'of the Treaty and its drawing up will receive a commemorative plaque, of small dimensions and oblong in form, executed in gold, silver-gilt, and silver." It is probable that only four gold plaques will be cast, to be ottered to ill, Clemenceau, President \\ ilson, Mr Lloyd George, and Signor Orlando. The obverse of the plaque depicts a graceful winged female?Oguve, backed by the shining sun of Peace, The reverse shows a cairn country-side with peasant folk busy harvesting..

A remarkable story was told in the Bombay Police Court, when Abba Ahmed, a Mahommedan, was charged with receiving stolen diamonds. It was staled that a _cliamond mei’chant wits entering a tram in a luu’ry when he had diamonds valued at £7,500 stolen from his pocket. Most of the jewels were subsequently recovered by (he police from the house of Abba* Ahmed. Abba Ahmed, who is eighty years of age, said he paid 30s for the jewels, believing them to he imitation diamonds, in which he dealt. He was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.

The King lias awarded the Edward Medal to George Hoyle, a boy of 14, for saving 25 women at the risk of his own life by his coolness and courage during a lire at Nahum’s. cotton factory, Halifax, in November last. Bushing from the basement to the upper Hours, Hoyle wanted (he women at work, but their i’otreat was cut off by the blazing staircase. He opened the crane door, and, after seeing that: the chain was mix out to its full length, drew it in and assisted (he women to descend by it. Ho remained until the last, and then descended himself without injury. Fifteen minutes after the fire broke out the roof of the factory fell in.

The long arm of the law at Kansas City has laid hold of Chester Yates, the bank robber, bandit, a*nd gaol-breaker, who six years ago escaped from Sing Sing after serving four .months of his twenty-one years’ sentence. He had been at large ever since, with the exception of a few days in 1915, when he was arrested for planning a bank robbery at New Orleans. He was a, fortnight in the local gaol waiting for an escort from New York,’and escaped before the escort amved, and was not seen again till his capture was made a few weeks ago. His identity was established by lingex’prinls and a photogx’aph taken at Sing-Sing six years ago.