MAD KING ABDICATES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 26 October 1907, Page 4

MAD KING ABDICATES

THIRTY WIVES SHOT WITH BOW AXD ARROWS. Paris, September 4. The Governor-General ot lndu-China has telegraphed to the Minister for the Colonies that the King of Annam has abdicated in favor of his second sou, aged eight, who will bo placed under lha control of a Council of Regency. The abdication, which is in accordance with the wishes of the French Government, lias, it is added, been well received by the Aunamite [jopulation. Tin: abdication follow.-; upon his internment on the ground of insanity about a month ago, when a Regency was appointed under the direction of the French Resident.

The ex-King, \{ho J,s twenty-eHght years old, has committed a series of brutal climes which makes it impossible to believe he is sane. Last year he killed one of his wives, had the body cooked, and compelled the members of the Court to devour it under the pain of death. Others of his wives were torn to pieces with pincers and thrown into boiling oil. An old man who protested was shot dead.

On another occasion the King tied thirty nf his wives to posts and slut them, one liy one, from liis palace windows with a bow and arrows.

Mr. Carnegie has refused to give an additional £SOO for the Hokitika Free Library, to which he recently gave £2OOO.

For k'\s<irig a man jn.iiii.st his will. Mrs Hicrnny. a handsome lady of was lined 12s (id at Pittsburg recently. She was in a street ear when her eyes lighted r.pjn a handsome young man \vh.i sat opposite her. Before he could realise wliat had happened, Mrs Kierney hail llnng her arms i.boul bis neck and 'iisscj him soundly, to the wild enJM'mcnt of (he entire car. The man dld'not take kimllv to the woman's strange tribute to his goo,/ l„oks. lie jumped oil' the. car and frave her in charge • I couldn't help it," said .Mrs Kicrury in court. "He looked just, too cute lor anything." The impulsive lady paid her fine, anil blushingly promised that such a lapse would never occur again. Zioii f'ifv, the tow -iir Chicago, U.S.A., which .lohn Alexander Dowie built as an exponent, of his peculiar religious ami eeoimini" notions, lias failed, as gcncrallv expected. The lace works have been sold, and '-'Overseer" Voliv.i has annoiinee.l his inleiition of b-adiie; tho-c who will follow him ill an .I her direeti,,,,. Won City was an oddilv in municipal irovcnimenl. It was without phv-iciaiH or ,|ni« -torr.-. -al.iotn or t0!,,,, a, sb .|>3. I' bad no curls :„„| „„ j.,,,,,1. || had no (li,-;.t■-.. or place of amu-omcnl. Its properl ,\ as well as (hat of the people, was l|ej,| ■n the name of Dowie. who-e ~-tcntation and lavish expenditure of money is -till iresh in the mind- of the people of f'hb.ieo. Strange as it may seem, (his fanta-tic enterprise grow, in spite hi all sorts of opposition until row of i.r.wie or M.uie appreeialion of his'real! character t0,.1: possession of a few of, the v.'ost powerful in the community, and impelled them to dethrone him. Without Dowio Ziou City was impos-J •luU, e fc vruuiblca when lie Ml,