NEWS BY MAIL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 213, 14 October 1909, Page 1

NEWS BY MAIL

| NEW CULL I NAN K'l'OltY. SAID TO BE A FRAG.UIiN'T 01'' gigantic aroxu. Johannesburg, August 21. The Cullinan diamoH.!, ihe largest ami most valuable gem the world has ever seen, has been tile subject of nianv a fantastic story, the largest of which is told in the Transvaal Lender. The Cullinan stone was found, if \vu be remembered, about four years ago at the Premier Mine, but only a portion of it, according to the South African newspaper, reached England. There is said to remain from the Cullinan a stone weighing 4323 carats, of lOin in circumference and 3'/ 2 in in diameter, though the Transvaal Leader carefully refrains from vouching for the accuracy of the statement. The story continues: "The finer and large,, portions of the stone had been discovered by native workers, and ■«- moved to safe hiding in the Magato fastnesses of the Zoutpansberg. Several prominent Dutchmen in this part of the country secured knowledge of the district in which the gem was concealed, and negotiations were get on foot for the recovery of the stone. The native chief to whom the diamond "was originally entrusted has now, it is understood, travelled to Pretoria and handed over the stone to the rightful owners on pay. "lent of a sum of fIOOOi and a guarantee of indemnity against prosecution under the illicit diamond-buying lav/. The negotiations were conducted by a Dutch-epeaking Transvaaler, who received, it is said, a large sum for having been instrumental in the restoration of the colossal gem." Nothing of the story is known in the London offices of the Premier Mine, nor does the rumor seem to have reached the great diamond market of Hatton Garden.

WO ENGLISHMEN BESIEGED. HOLD A TOWER AGAINST 800 BRIGANDS. ' London, August 2G. The Foreign Office yesterday received information from Teheran that two Englishmen ar e at present in a situation of peril in Persia, being besieged in a village fifty miles west of Kerman, which is the capital of an interior pro- > inc\

Tlic Englishmen are Mr. A. Wright, manager of the Korman branch of til ll iinpevial Bank of Persia, anil Mr. James, of the Indo-European Telegraph Company. The village is being besieged by a band of 800 robbers, and the Englishmen and villagers are reported to have taken refuge in a tower. .Sir Edward Grey's secretary stated that the position of the two officers and of the inhabitants of the village is one of considerable anxiety. 'ilie British Minister at Teheran has warned the Minister of the Interior of the dangerous nature of the situation.

THE FOREIGNER PAYS. AMERICA'S NEW TARIFF INCREASES REVENUE.

New York, August 25. The new Payne tariff is proving that it not only protects the workers against infair foreign competition, but also that t will add greatly to the revenue of the .'nitcd States.

It is admitted that the new tariff protects many more trades than the oW Dingley schedule, and the Customs reeipts, which are now collected entirely under the new imports, are showing 'iiormous advances at all ports, The. entry for yesterday showid C3or>,nno, against .€11)6,000 on the same late in 11)08 for all ports. The receipts or New York alone were £200,000, a ignry thus exceeding the total receipts roiu all ports for the same date last ear. Nearly all the duties are collected on uxuries. The working man is obliged ■lt cmiliilmte practically nothing—his lea, collec, vocoa, and similar necessities re all free.

GASHOLDER EXPLODES. MANY PEOPLE KILLED AXD IN- ' JI'RED IX GENEVA. Geneva, August 23. A terrible explosion occurred at the principal gasworks in the centre of Geneva this afternoon. Seven men are known to have been killed and sixteen injured, but it is believed that the casualties are much greater.

Tile disaster occurred at half-past four o'clock. Tile reservoir of gas exploded with such terrific force that the whole (own aud its environs within a four-mile radius were shaken. Every window within live hundred yards of the gasworks was smashed, aud in sonic eases walls were cracked as if by an earthquake. More than lifty persons were injured in the streets by the fall of broken glass. Flames from the wrecked gasworks shot up to a height of forty or fifty feet, and continued to blaze for several hours.

ISLANDS IN EXCHANGE. NOVEL PROPOSAL TO SETTLE THE TROUBLE IN CRETE.

Maricnbad, August 24. Count Adalbert Sternberg, member of the Austrian Parliament, one of the numerous politicians now taking the cure here, puts forward a new proposal for the solution of the Crete problem. The Count suggests that Crete should be ceded to Great Britain, and that Cyprus should be restored to Turkey by way of compensation. Count Sternberg has publixiird all elaborate argument in lavor of his scheme, pointing out that Turkey cannot hope permanently to retain possession of Crete, so that the restoration of Cyprus, apart from saving the prestige of the Ottoman Empire, would be in the long run more favorable to Turkish interests.

Great Urit.iiu -would gam, because Crete possesses the best naval base ia the .Mediterranean in Suda Bay. Count Sternberg tilings that the European Powers ought to be glad to solve the Cretan dilliculty so easily. lie pay* n notable tribute to British rule in saving: "There can be no doubt that Crete would greatly prosper an.l would be perfectly happy under British rule. A handful of Tommy Atkins suffices to bestow the blessing of peace and order mi the most savage people in th' world."

WOMEN FIGHT WITH ARMED POLICE. SEVEN MEN KILLED IN PITTSBURG RIOTS.

New Yurk, August 23. The strike at the works of the Pressed Steel Car Company, at McKee's Rocks, Sclioenville, near Pittsburg, Ins again led to rioting, this time with appalling results, Three policemen, a State trooper, and seven strikers have been killed, a dozen are said to he fatally wounded, and lifty more have been injured. The bloodshed is in no small measure due to the fact that for some lime Socialist agitators have been inciting the strikers to violence.

The riots broke out 011 Sunday ovenin;,', when Li liand of strikers, who are chiefly ignorant Hungarians unable to speak English, endeavored to remove from a tranicar a number of men whom they took for strike-breakers, but who were, in fact, aoncd policemen 011 their way to protect the works. The police opened fire 011 the rioters, anil a most regular battle followed. One of the most notable features of it was that the strikers' wives led the men in the attack, and assailed the police with bludgeons and stones. They fought like Aiua/.ons.

The police were unable to quell the riot. One of the troopers was killed. The troops fired a volley into the 111011 of strikers, and finally cleared the streets. making many arrests. They have now re-established order and closed all tile drinking: saloons. All gatherings of strikers are being dispersed, and the police are searching everyone in the streets for anns. They have orders to shoot at the first sign of ■.«. uewed rioting.