From Many Lands

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 868, 11 January 1930, Page 19

From Many Lands

TABLOID READING FOR THE WEEK-END.

SYNTHETIC SHELL-SHOCK YOUNG WOMAN’S COLLAPSE Synthetic shellshock -was the diagnosis given the ailment of a young woman who collapsed and became hysterical at a moving picture theatre in Denver, U.S.A., while witnessing high tension scenes in a picture of exploding shells and wild shooting. COURTESY COSTS MONEY UN A BELFAST BUS A roan said at Belfast Summons Court that he gave his seat in an omnibus to a woman, and that afterward his name was taken by a constable for overcrowding. “It was a kindly act, but the law must be obeyed,” said the magistrate, imposing a fine of 3d with 2s costs. A FAVOURITE HORSE BURIED IN COFFIN A horse belonging to Mr. and Mrs. D. Burchnall, of Marklield, Leicestershire. which has been a pet of the family for 30 years, has died aged 40. It is to be buried in a coffin in its favourite corner of a paddock near the house. YOUTHFUL RUFFIANS BLACKMAIL SHOPKEEPERS Youthful street ruffians in Glasgow are leaping a rich harvest from small tradesmen in a '‘blackmail racket.” The most notorious gangs which police have not been able to break up are “The Nudie Boys,” “The Pikers,” "The Kelly Boys.” “The Billy Boys.” Their game is to make shopkeepers pay tribute weekly on the threat of wrecking their establishments. Most of the shopkeepers find it cheaper to pay about 2s a week rather than complain to the police. If a shopkeeper becomes delinquent, a brick is tossed through his window. BOOK OF THE DEAD VICAR S STRANGE FAREWELL When the Rev. Bernard Hancock, rector of Bishopstoke, Hampshire, who has exchanged livings with the rector of Monksilver, Somerset, bade farewell to his congregation, he did not preach. Instead, he read a list of the 185 persons whom he had buried since his institution in 1922. At intervals verses of varous hymns were sung, the whole occupying about 20 minutes. “One hundred and eightyfive burials in seven and a-half years! What a responsibility for me to face!” remarked the rector. “How far have my actions helped these people during life?” he asked.

WOMEN’S ADVANTAGE LONGER LIVED 'THAN MEN Dr. Maurice Ernest, secretary of the Centenarian Clubs, states, says the “Daily Express,” that in 1921 there were 36 men and 109 women in Great Britain used 100. “We are particularly interested,” he said. “in the medical reasons which cause women to outlive men. “To begin with, women are not so much exposed to outdoor work, but more important than this is the fact that they breathe much more frequently in the course of a minute then do men. By this more active breathing they burn up more 0! the waste products in the body." PRISON AT 88 OLD MAN’S LIFE OF FRAUD Frauds on women by a. man of 88 were described at Brighton, when Edward Robson. described as a journal~ ist, was sentenced to six months’ hard labour for obtaining £2 by false pretences. There was a long list of previous convictions against Robson. whose real name was said to be John VVilliam Rawlin. They included fraud, bigmy, forgery and false pretences. and he was said to have lived by fraud since 1880. One of his recent exploits was described by the police. Robson, said 3 superintendent, took lodgings at Southend with a Mrs. Stewart. He threatened Mrs. Stewart and her 16— year-old maid with a stick, and on another occasion held a handkerchief leinst Mrs. Stewart‘s mouth, and threatened her. He finally locked her in a. room until she agreed to marry him. This the did, and he deserted her three days later, taking £l6 of her money. Robson pleaded for mercy, saying he 1'? “an old man, who had suttered a o ." FARMER V. TIGER AN EPIC FIGHT On a farm near Poona a tiger at nitht killed and made a meal on a bullock. Armed with a four-toot stafl, the Young farmer, named Marange. went to his field and saw the tiger asleep. It being against the code of his people to attack a sleeping animal. he stoned the tiger till it woke. Then he challenged it. The whole village watched the encounter. Waiting tor the tiger to spring at him, the farmer moved rapidly aside It the critical moment, after the manner o! a bull-fighter, and at the same time dealt a smashing blow with his ltafl on the animal's head. After a 20 minutes' battle, Marange killed the tiger with a final blow on the head. It was found that the tiger's skull had been completely smashed. although there was not a blow on the You 01! the body. ‘ MRange, although wounded in many places by the slashing paws or the ,_ tiger, ll prggressing tavouraleM- I _

DIDNT MISS HER I WIFE FALLS FROM CAR When Benjamin Hatton, of Nottingham, was fined £lO at Southwell, Nottinghamshire, for being drunk in charge of a motor-car it was stated that his wife was thrown out of the car but he did not miss her until some hours afterward. She had then been taken to hospital. 1 ARMISTICE DAY ' A. NOISY MILL Operatives at Rutland Mills, Shaw Lancashire, one of the largest mills in the district, went on strike because the machinery had not been stopped for the two minutes’ silence on November 11. At lunch-time the operatives decided not to resume until the management had apologised. They attended the mill the following morning to await the apology. A CHARMED LIFE SMALL BOY’S MARVELLOUS ESCAPE A five-year-old boy, Donald Coase, of Benfleet, Essex, who had been missing all day, was found toddling along the railway line at Basildon, ten miles from his home. Dozens of trains to and from London must have passed him. He was carrying his shoes in his hand because, he said, they kept coming off. The soles of his socks were worn through. Donald, having rambied from home over some marshes, struck the railway and thought of visiting his grandmother at Laindon. At Pitsea Station he tried to find the booking-office with the intention of persuading the clerk to give him a ticket to Laindon, but the office was closed. He continued along the line until found by two railway men, who took him to their home, bathed his feet and fed him. Meanwhile, Boy Scouts, motorists and the police had been searching for him. “THAT RED-HAIRED GAL’* FELINE TEMPERAMENT A female cat which is claimed to be unique in type and colouring, is owned by Mr. H. C. Brooke, of Taunton, Somerset. It has short hair which, from whiskers to tail tip, is dark red, without any lighter shades or signs of tabby stripes. It rarely sits about like the everyday cat, but paces or trots to and fro continually.

EUROPEAN SLAVES CAPTIVES IN MOROCCO A number of Spaniards, given up for dead long ago, are now believed to be living in captivity in Morocco. After an exciting escape, a fugitive has arrived at Granada. He tells of a lieutenant—captured by the Moors in 1924, after a five hours’ fight, in which all his men were killed —who is now working as a slave in the fields. Altogether over 100 Spaniards (the fugitive states) are being kept in this condition by the Rafia tribe, whose territory is in the French Zone. “BUS THEM TO CHURCH’* VICAR’S NOVEL PLAN. There was a good congregation at the beautiful little church of Chevening, near Sevenoaks, England, recently, and about 40 of those present came by the "evensong bus.” The Rev, James Cairns, rector of Chevening, realised some time ago that it is not easy to get people to church in the country if they have to walk four or five miles along unlighted roads in perhaps extremely bad weather. He decided, therefore, to hire a bus to bring his parishioners to church and take them home afterward. “The bus makes two journeys before the evening service,” said Mr. Cairns. “After the service the people are taken home again. We charge 2d for the return fare and it costs us £1 to hire the bus. We have a collecting box in which those who use the bus drop in what they can, and we have entertainments in aid of the scheme, and a certain number of subscribers. We hope to be able to pay our way through the winter.” Since the bus scheme was introduced, the congregations at Chevening church have been much larger. FASTING TO A SKELETON A PRECARIOUS HOBBY Ricardo Sacco, the fasting man, died at Blackpool recently, six weeks after having abstained from food for 65 days.

A quarter of a century ago Sacco, who then weighed 15 stone, and was more than 6ft high, set out to beat the fasting records of his then employer, Succi. He was bricked up time after time for weeks on end, with nothing but mineral water and cigaret Last year, at the Southend Kursall, he was compelled, on medical advice, to break his fast on the 44th day, when he had lost 531 b in weight, and was almost in a state of collapse. He tried again this year at Blackpool His weight was only list 21b. At the end of 65 days’ fasting he weighed onlv Sst ISIb, and was nothing but a skeleton. Six weeks of convalescence and careful nursing could not bring him back to health. He was aged -48 and leaves a widow and a daughter.