NEWS BY MAIL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 187, 11 September 1909, Page 3

NEWS BY MAIL

KACI.VG TRACK TRAGEDY. BLAZING MOTOR CYCLE IN A GRANDSTAND. WOMEN'S DRESSES ON FIRE. I Berlin, July 18. A terrible accident occurred to-day on lie new bicycle track in tbe old Botanic lindens here. During a race two motor cycles which ,vere acting as pacers caaie in collision, mil one of Ihein. which caught fire, was iiirleil over the barrier and fell among be spectators. Pour persons were killed Hid thirty seriously injured. The accident occurred at half-past five, luring the progress of a long-distance ace. One of the motor pacers, ridden iv a man named Ryscr, suddenly cxiloiled with a deafening report, and tnc voTife machine, enveloped in ilames, milled through the air into a dcnscly--rowded stand, A scene of indescribable horror folowed. Tbe white dresses of the women auglit lire before their wearers could et nut ipf the «-av of the rapidlyprcniltnp; flames, aim one lady, shriekng in agonv, ran about in the crowd a eritable pillar of fire. The injured were taken in en Ik ni".l inbulances to (he Elizabeth Hospital, he dead taken out of the charred ruin* f the stand were literariy burneil to indcrs. The track was made of wood and was lighly banked. It was originally co,'-. red with tar, which was yesterday par-. ially removed by the application of benline, and this made the surface extreme- ] _ y slippery. | ~ The accident was primarily due to tiie , kidding of Ryser's motor-cycle at one if the turns. Ryse*, who is in hospital icriously injured', lost control of his machine, which dashed up the, gradient, iOinersiiultcd into the stand, and tore through the spectators, many of whom, in "wild panic,'jumped over the barrier mil slid down" the slope of the track, ivherc they were run over by the other competitors in the race. Nearly all the injured were badly hurt. The casualties include a father and mother with a child, who had come to watch a grown-up son racing. The whole family was injured. Since ilie removal of the botanic collection to iialilem the old Botanic Gardens has been used as a recreation ground, with tennis courts, a roller skat, ing rink, and the cycle track, which was only used for the first time last Sunday. I Owing to their easily accessible position the gardens have been very popular, and the fine weather this afternoon attracted thousands of pleasure-seeking Berliners whose traditional Sunday afternoon amusement is cycle racing. PRINCESS BEATRICE. HER PRINCE IN DISGRACE. ROYAL TITLE SACRIFICED FOR LOVE. Madrid, July IS. The Infante Alfonso of Orleans, a first cousin of King Alfonso, has been deprived of his title, all his honors, and his rank in the Spanish army for marrying Princess Beatrice of Snxe-Coburg-Gotha, wlio is a iProtestant and a niece of King Edward. The innrriage took place at Cobnrg on Thursday last, n'fter an engagement lasting two years. It was greatly desired by both King Alfonso and Queen Victoria, who is a bosom friend of Princess Beatrice, and ninny efforts were made to Induce the Princess to change her religion and become a Roman Catholic. Princess Beatrice returned a. firm refusal to all entreaties, and as the Pope's sanction to the Infante's mari-inne with a Protestant could not be obtained, the young Prince, who is not yet hventytliree years of age, decided to sacrifice all for love. Tt was with the greatest reluctance that King Alfonso signed the decree depriving the Prince' of his titles and honors, but he had no option but to give formal olVcct in this manner to the traditions of flic Spanish Bourbons, lie dare not offend the Church and the Dowager Queen's religious susceptibilities by consenting to the union. The decree was published in the official (lacetu yesterday, and states that the Prince is deprived of his title for nißrrying without the Royal consent. In addition, it denrives him of the Orders of the Golden Fleece and Charles 111. The Prince left the military school at Toledo only a few days ago with the rnnk of sub-lieutenant, and was immediately promoted by King Alfonso to a lieutenancy in flic King's regiment. At his own request he was to have been senl lo Melilln witli a brigade of chasseurs; to take part in the campaign apiiinst the Moors. lie has now been removed from his regiment, and he is to be tried by courtmartial for marrying without the consent of the military authorities. His decision to marry Princess Beatrice at once appears to have been us sudden as it 'was unexpected. On Tuesday last he and his mother, the Princess Eiiliilia, left for IParis. His mother remained in the French capital, while he proceeded to C'oburg with the avowed intention of bidding Princess Beatrice good-bye before setting out for Melilln. To the surprise of all, the marriage took place on the day after his arrival. A civil ceremony was gone through first, and was followed by rites in both Lutheran and Roman Catholic churches. The Prince is the son of the Infante Autoine of Orleans and the Infata Eulalia, aunt of King Alfonso. He is a great-grandson of King Louis Phillipe of France.

Princess Beatrice is the youngest daughter of the late Duke of Edinburgh. Slie'wa* born at Eastwell Park, and is twenty-live years of age. A similar instance of Royal prerogatives being renounced for love occurred ill IS4S, when the Infanta Josephine dc Bourbon married Don Jose.

FIGHT FOR LIFE IN A DARK ROOM. GTAXT BURGLAR SHOOTS TWO DETECTIVES. MURDERER'S SUICIDE. Paris. .Tulv 18. M. Blot, (he second in enmniand of tlie Paris detective force, and an inspector named Mugat were shot dead yesterday bv a burglar who afterwards committed suicide. M. Blot was the Tight-hand man of M. Hamard, chief of I lie force, and in due course would have succeeded him.

. For months past M. Blot mil his eoi- | leagues have hoc,, searching I'm- a bund ' offiurglars who. since t.he end of Muv, ' 190 S. have robbed churches ami museums nil over France of valuables a-.nl ' works oT nil of all kinds. On Thursday, \ night several arrests were made, anil • one of the bund—a "fence" or receiver of stolci iii-oportv—told U Wot that llic leader and organiser of the burglars ' was a man named Delaunay, living in a ■ t rnemeiit house in the Due de la Folio ! Mcrieourt. in the working-class i|iiartcr • of Paris. •■ <; TTo is a dangerous man." said the ' "lenee." "and you will have to be carei fill." "T will'arrest him mvsclf," said '■ 11. Blot smiling. ■ At about six o'clock last night If. 1 Blot, with his secretary and three police i inspectors, went, to the tenement bouse j where Delmmav lived. Thev knocked' at the door of the little flat, and it was 1 oiM'-.ied by a. charwoman. Delaunay. a giant of lift sin. was standing in the. middle of his dining-room. "Your name is Einile Dclaunav. is il : not';" said .\l. Blot. Before the winds were out of his mouth Delaunay drew ■■< revolver from his trousers pocket an I fired at M. Blot point-blank. Inspector, llugat. who was just behind, and who wns also a man of great strength, sprang at Delaunay and caught him round the wnist. The two men. struggled, and n* it 'was dark in the room the other rolieeinon wore afraid to use their revolvers. Suddenly Delaunay forced Mngat backwards into the 'bedroom which opens out of the dining-room, and, holding his bead down with his left hand, put hi*; revolver between his shoulder-blades mid fired. Jlujnit fell dead, and Delauur.y slummed the <loor of his K'droiun. pushed the lied up against it, a'ild shouted from inside that he would kill aiiv.uiau who broke in. Tire two inspectors remained on guard outside the bedroom door while the neighbors and 11, Blot's secretary took the dying man to a chemist's Re Iliad recovered consciousness, but ten minutes afterwards he said, "Break the news gently to my wife," and died. Police reinforcements had come up and forced their w«v through an Im-' mi'nse crowd and upstairs to Delaunay'n flat. As they entered it and were trying to Torce the liediwm door another shot was heard. They broke the door down and found Delaunay with his skull smashed, Iving dead across the body of Inspector MugaTT M. Bejimis, the chief of police, wh« had been called by telephone, arrived i soon afterwards, and for the first time,, in liie career was seen to shed tears

GIPSIES USE BABIES AS WEAPONS. I REMARKABLE BATTLE OX A NEW SOUK x'IKK. I New York, July 22. A score of South American men and | women gipsies who were being deported i fought with the immigration inspectors on the quay at Brooklyn to-day, using babies as clubs, before being driven aboard the liner Verdi, en roltc to Buenos Ayres. The gipsies showed bad temper while i aboard the tug going from the Ellis Island detention dejrot to Brooklyn.

When landed on the quay they refused to embark on the Verdi. The immigration inspector* started to push them aboard,, when the gipsy "king" seized a ten-montlis-old baby from its mother's arms, swung it by the ankics as a club, and felled three inspectors. Another gipsy seized a second baby and belabored the inspectors, while a gipsy mother throw her baby at another inspector. \ The gipsies were finally driven aboard the Verdi, carrying the infanta, which were seriously injured. They were hurried into the hold and guarded by arinel sailors until the liner sailed.

Several women passengers aboard the Verdi fainted as the infants were carried aboard, while there was almost a riot on the pier, where men were trying to get at the gipsies for the purpose ol lynching them. KING ALFONSO'S UNPOPULARITY. SPAIN REVOLTS AGAINST" THE .MOROCCO WAR. San Sebastian, July 22. King Alfonso is confronted with a grave crisis in the new Moroccan rising. The opposition of the people to another expensive campaign ia Morocco and the growing unpopularity of the King himself owing to his support of this policy, are elements In a situation which is regarded with the deepest concern. Tku departure of King Alfonso and Queen Victoria Eugenie for Cowcs has been postponed owing to the gravity of the Moroccan questidn, and it is possible that their .Majesties will not be able to visit England at all this summer owing to the prevailing discontent in Spain unit the dillicult task of restoring Spun- ; lib prestige in Morocco, i King Alfonso arrived here this mornI iug from Madrid, accompanied by the Foreign Minister. The reports laid before his Majesty to-day showed the extremely serious nature of the popular revolt against the Government. A holy war has been proclaimed against Spain as the outcome of the lighting at Melilla. ' According to the latest telegrams received by the Madrid newspapers from Melilla, the fighting ■was of the most desperate character, the Moors repeatedly attacking the Spanish positions. The "Espana" states that the Spanish casualties in the last light amounted to three hundred killed and wounded. No further details have been received. latense anxiety prevails throughout the country. I hear from a trustworthy source that the Government 1 is determined to scud 40,000 reinforcements if necessary to the Riff country, despite the riotous demonstrations against this policy that have taken place at Madrid, Barcelona, and other places on the departure of troops fo r Morocco.

I The unhappy position of the King is complicated by the fact that the departing soldiers do not want to fight, and among all parties the campaign is the most unpopular that the country Jias ever undertaken. Nevertheless, the Government is obstinately determined to crush the rising in the Riff country and overawe the Moors by an overwhelming display of armed force, no matter iwhat the consequences may be at home.

RIOTERS CLUBBED. 250 PEOPLE INJURED IN PITTSBURG New York, July 1(1. Most serious rioting is reported from Pittsburg owing to the strike of workmen "employed by the Pressed Steel Company on a question of wages. Two hundred and fifty persons have been injured, six mortally. Mounted troops were yesterday drafted into the company's works, which are situated a few miles out of Pittsburg. On their arrival showers of stones and bricks Avere hurled at them. A charge was then ordered, and the troops clubbed the rioters right and left, while the men, who were accompanied by their wives, replied with brickbats and rille[shots.

The mob was ultimately driven back, and the company's premises are now closely guarded.

The strikers committed numerous acts of violence duri?ig the <lay, in most of which they were aided bv their women folk.