FIGHT ON THE MAURETANIA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 190, 1 August 1908, Page 4

FIGHT ON THE MAURETANIA.

SMOKING-ROOM lUOT. , Now York, June (i. The voyage of the Mauretania, which arrived to-day, was marked by a remarkable light among gamblers, in the course of which three Englishmen engaged in a furious pugilistic encounter with three Americans, whom they accused of cheating. The Englishmen hail all lost considerable sums, and had given I.O.LVs for amounts largely exceeding .-CUM), when it occurred to them that the i[i:.T that had been used were loaded. In the quarrel which ensued, Sir. Ferdina.'.d f'rikis, described as a Cambridge graduate, came, to the rescue of the Englishmen by throwing a glass of whisky in the faces of the supposed sharpers. The smoking-room of the Mauretania then became, a veritable Bedlam, and fur a quarter of an hour the air was thick with flying spittoons, matcnstands, glasses, soda-water bottles, travs, and chairs, which the combatants used as ammunition in the fray. Tinriot was finally quelled by the officers of the ship, and one of the victims in a "miit of dice, :fii Englishman, sent " wireless message to New York asking for detectives to meet him and his companions at the dock to safeguard ther.i, as their lives were threatened if they did not pay their 1.0.U.'5. The three Americans were promptly arrested this morning, and arraigned in the .lell'erson Police Court as suspicions persons. But no one appeared to press the charge of gambling against them, and thev were discharged. Both Captain Pritchard and Air. Vernon 11. Brown, the New York manager of the Cunnrd Company, expressed themselves in the strongest terms on the affray. "We post notices in conspicuous places in the vessel warning everyone against gambling," they said, "but we cannot be expected to provide nurses for those travellers who persist in ignoring our admonitions."