EX-CAPTIVE'S ROMANCE.

Taihape Daily Times, 17 October 1918, Page 7

EX-CAPTIVE'S ROMANCE.

YOUNG OFFICER AND AMERICAN LADY'S JEWELS. I '■ A romantic story has been disclosed by the attempted suicide of a young French officer who recently returned from captivity in Germany. The lieutenant was recuperating his impaired health St Dax, where he fen in love with a pretty American woman. The flirtation had gone on for some time, when Mrs. W — decided to return to Paris. Lieutenant D. — accompanied her, and on arriving said he would look after the luggage. The following day he went to tea with the fair American, and seemea surprised when she told him that her luggage, including £24,000 worth o* jewellery, had not yet been deliverer. “Oh”, he said, “I will go at once an« made inquiries.” He left her, and never returned., Two days later Mrs, W. — received a pitiful letter Trom the officer, confessing that he had taken her luggago in a fit of madness and begging to *e forgiven. He gave her an adrress, »t tvhich, in a cellar, she would find her lost property. At the same time he declared that when she opened his letter he would be dead. The American communicated wlrn the'police. Search was'made, and Mrs W—’s trunks were found. They were in an antiquarian’s storehouse. The same evening Lieutenant D— was found in his room unconscious ana bleeding from a bullet wouna. He had discharged a revolver in his mouth. Mrs. W — declares that the young officer was incapable of a vulgar theft, and she believes that his mine: being urihingetl by his passion for her, he conceived the idea that if he conicgain the possession of her jewels he could induce her to run away with him, as he had so often asked her to do. SUBMARINE SABOTAGE. The “Daily Express” prints the following dispatch from its correspondent at Amsterdam: — “ Extraordinary rumours arc afloat at Wilhelmshaven regarding serioua acts of submarine sabotage perpetrated by a number of revolutionary sailors who for the last six months have been carrying on .propaganda with the object of bringing about an early stoppage of tbb submarine war. “The reports reaching me are somewhat conflicting, and it is difficult to ascertain the actual facts, but I am told on good authority that the sailors revolted because of the increasing dangers of submarine work, owing to the Allies’ new anti-submarine methods. They incited’ other sailors about to leave on submarine cruises either to attack their officers while at sea and surrender the ship or to take the first opportunity of sinking their ship and getting themselves interned In neutral harbours. More than fifty submarines disappeared, sorpetimes with all hands. “The revelations made at Wilhelmshaven caused a. great sensatibn among the people who were informed o? them. The police arrested twentythree ringleaders, who were courtmartialled and sentenced to 'death within 'hrpp days. Many of their accomplices at KieLand at other harbours have been arrested, but have not yet been sentenced.”