INTERESTING ITEMS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 211, 19 May 1915, Page 3

INTERESTING ITEMS.

MUBDEBED IN MOTOR CAR. • News has been received in D "termline of the tragic death of Mr. William Dick, formerly of Dunfermline, who was foully murdered in Colorado, TJ.S.A.,. while conveying 6,000 dols. topay the men their wages -at Oakview Mines. Two men, who had concealed themselves in a ditch, fired four shots at Mr Dick as he passed in his car, one of the bullets piercing his heart and causing instant death c The money, which was under the .cushion of the car, was untouched, and it is possible the criminals had been scared by the approach of another car before.they had time to search. A vigorous' hunt was made for the. assailants, and bloodhounds were put on the trail, but without success. Mr. Dick emigrated from Dunfermline 30 years ago, and became a very successful business man. His fortune is estimated at .between 300,000 and 400,000 dollars. - PRIEST'S ALLEGED ADVICE TO BELGIAN WOMEN. The Catholic Federation of the Archdiocese of Westminster has received the following letter from Bishop de Wachter, vicar-general to Cardinal Merceri—--1 "My attention has recently been called by the Westminster Catholic Federation to a sermon alleged to have been preached by a Belgian priest, advocating a certain course of conduct to Belgian women who had been the victims of German excesses of >a terrible type. I beg to state that this story is entirely an invention, and as all Catholics know, is entirely opposed to Catholie teaching." . EXPLOSION OF A MAGAZINE. The Bethune correspondent of the Paris Matin reports that a violent explosion took place in the neighbourhood of a mine at Bruay, where a powder magazine blew up. A preliminary inquiry shows that a night watchman was to blame for the occurrence. The watchman, it appears, was smoking, and set fire to his palliasse, with the result that a spark reached the gunpowder. Three pits were damaged by the explosion. So far two victims are reported, but it is feared that the number of victims is higher. WOMAN TRIED AS A WITCH. The trial of an aged negress at Guysborough, a secluded town in an inaeeessble district of Eastern Nova Scotia, reveals the fact that there is still a considerable belief in witches and witchcraft among the more ignorant inhabitants of the neighbourhood. The woman, Fanny Dismal,, was brought into court on a eharge of practising witchcraft, and the evidence re : vealed that she was largely employed by persons who were ill to discover whether or not they were bewitched, and to cure disease by means of incantations. It is believed that this is one of the first aetual trials for witchcraft which have arisen since the colonial days, wlien witchcraft was one of the commonest and most severely punished offences.