A MADMAN IN THE VATICAN.

Patea Mail, 17 May 1881, Page 4

A MADMAN IN THE VATICAN.

A curious incident occurred at the Vatican recently. An unknown cardinal appeared in the Loggio of Raphael among the many persons gathered there on the occasion of the anniversary of Leo XIII s coronation. For a few moments he was supposed to be a foreign cardinal whose appearance was unknown to the officials, and some ladies present arc said to have kissed his hand and received the benediction from him. It was. however, soon noticed that he wore a moustache, and that some of the accessories in his dress were incomplete ; and on his being then questioned it was found that the supposed cardinal was a poor madman who on several occasions presented himself at the Vatican, asking to be presented to the Pope. Having managed to pass the Swiss Guards he had made his way, it is stated, equally unobserved, to the apartment of Cardinal Jaccobini. where he changed his clothes for a suit of his Eminence’s robes, and was proceeding tranquilly to take his place among the members of the Sacred College in the Sistine Chapel, when he was discovered. He was removed quietly by the guards, and taken to the asylum.

Playing Football in Towns. —On March 1 the old-established custom of playing football in the public streets on Shrove Tuesday was observed at Atherstone, England, the town being crowded by persons anxious to witness the game. At Nuneaton the same custom prevails, but the police attempted to stop the practice by seizing the ball. This action was met with great determination on the part of the players, who managed to retain the ball, and continued the game until nightfall. Some constables were roughly handled.

Mr Beetbam, M.P., of Victoria, and an English capitalist, have been examinaning the resources of Taranaki in an agricultural and pastoral point of view. They were favorably impressed. They took away some samples of the metal made from ironsand.