AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 4028, 26 May 1931, Page 26

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

NEW ZEALAND INVENTOR. MELBOURNE, May 19. John Pomeroy, the New Zealander who invented the explosive bullet which brought down the German Zeppelins, is selling “ hot dogs ” to homegoing theatre folk outside St. Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne. In an interview he furnished ample proof of his identity. He possesses a photograph of the Admiralty’s cheque and still treasures a War Office certificate of admittance to Industrial House, London. He declares that £ll,OOO was spent in experiments and a further large sum in litigation in trying to secure the award of £25,000. He lost the balance of his investments. He is now perfecting a method of freezing citrus juice in such a manner that it will retain its flavour, and is also experimenting in other directions, while at night he sells “ hot dogs.” He was originally a farmer at Invercargill. John Pomeroy, who received a reward of £25,000 for inventing an explosive bullet which brought down the first Zeppelin, is the eldest son of the late J. H. Pomeroy, for many years engaged in the fish business in Southland, who died recently at Healesville, Victoria (says the Christchurch Star). Before the war, Mr J. H. Pomeroy experimented with the bullet and tests on large forest trees demonstrated its highly destructive effects and value as a weapon of war. The bullet was patented and Mr Pomeroy and his son endeavoured to float the company, but apparently unsuccesfully. On the outbreak of European hostilities, Mr Pomeroy junior was in London and when the Zeppelin seriously menaced England he satisfied the War Office of its efficacy, with the result that the bullet was successfully used against German airships.

BANK NOTE ROBBERY. SYDNEY, May 19. The value of the notes in the Commonwealth Bank safe deposit amounted only to £lOOO. The remainder were found buried in a Penrith farmyard. One man was charged with stealing and two others with receiving. The detectives were amazed to discover that one of the suspects owned an aeroplane housed at Mascot aerodrome. The police believe that they would have been frustrated had it been flown to another State with the money and jewels immediately after the robberies. The three men who were arrested following Cohen’s jewel robbery and the mail bag robbery were before the court

to-day. Joseph Ryan, aged 31, was charged with having stolen £lO,OOO in notes. Arthur Collins, aged 35, and James Caffery, aged 30, were charged with receiving portion of the notes, knowing them to have been stolen. Collins and Caffery were also charged with assaulting. and robbing Solomon Cohen on May 6, and breaking and entering Cohen’s shop and stealing jewels and other property, valued at £3536. The trio were all well dressed. The police opposed bail on the ground that two of the men had an interest in an aeroplane and might clear out. Bail was refused. MATSON LINERS. SYDNEY, Mav 20. , Matson liners are to call at Auckland. The first vessel will be the Sonoma, which is due early in July. > KILLED WHILE RIDING. SYDNEY, May 20. Miss Norma Davis, aged 18, a visitor from New Zealand, was riding a horse at her aunt’s property at Dubbo, when the anima] bolted and dashed her against a tree, breaking her neck and fracturing her skull. Death was instantaneous. WATERSIDE VOLUNTEERS. MELBOURNE, May 21. A thousand members of the Waterside Workers’ Federation to-day attacked a small number of volunteers who were engaged in unloading the interstate steamer Manunda. Several were knocked down and kicked, and their lunch baskets were thrown into the Yarra. Bicycles were wrecked and stones were thrown. Police reinforcements soon arrived, restoring order, and. affording protection to the men at work. NEW ZEALAND’S TRADE. SYDNEY, May 22. Mr L. J. Schmitt, the New Zealand Government trade representative, will sail for Java to-morrow in the Nieu Zeeland with the object of extending the trade openings there. He will also present New Zealand tourist attractions, for which he carries a wide range of films and photographic matter depicting scenic resorts. A close investigation and. survey of the trade and industrial position will be made during his visit, which is expected to last till August. SYDNEY CIVIC SERVICES. SYDNEY, May 23. Retrenchment and further salary reductions in the civic services are foreshadowed. The Reform aidermen propose to investigate every department of the City Council with the object of discovering in what direction further economies can be effected. Many dismissals are regarded as -inevitable. MISSING BENEFICIARY. SYDNEY, May 23. Mr Murdock M'Kenzie, of Annandale, Sydney, who died in 1929, bequeathed a share of his estate to a New Zealander named Fritz Carl Jessen, otherwise Christensen, whose whereabouts have been unknown since the Boer War. The executrix, Isabella Munro, having taken all reasonable steps to find Jessen, or Christensen, the Supreme Court has ordered his share of the estate to be apportioned between her and the third beneficiary, John Milne.