NEWS BY MAIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 262, 11 December 1909, Page 3

NEWS BY MAIL.

HUNDREDS OF DUPES. PHOSPHORIC -MEUIUAI,' DETECTIVES .MAKE A RAID AT A KEAKCE, JJerliu, October IS. Paul Abeud and his wife, who cameu on a thriving trade as agents between this world and the domain of spirits, were afrested last night on a charge ul systematic fraud, and cunveved to the police headquarters to uwaifc their indictment by the Public Prosecutor. They hud carried on thei.<- business for years, figuring publicly as masseur and masseuse. Frau Abend, however, had obtain a reputation as a medium, and she and her hus'band 'held seances every day for customers who came and paid considerable sums of money to be put in communication with departed relatives and friends.

Yesterday a seance was taking .place in 'a darkened room when a detective, who had obtained entrance by sLealiii, suddenly seized Fran Abend as (die was becoming transformed into a ghost to receive communications from the other world. The police oflieer caught her in the act of drawing from her sleeve, where it had been concealed, a phosphoric veil which would give her a ghostly appearance. Frau Abend immediately collapsed, and lore her clothes in pieces, hoping to conceal the phosphoric veil in the <»en eral confusion. She also called tocher husband to 'remove her dress, but he was helpless, having been, seized by a second detective, who had also* succeeded in obtaining admission. Preliminary investigations into the lease show that this couple had many hundreds of regular customers, not only in Germany, but in many other European countries. It is estimated that during the last three or four years they earned an annual income of approximately £3OOO.

WAR AX WADAI. HEROES OF THE FOREIGN LEGION. m JIEX DEFEAT AN ARMY OF 12,000 FANATICS. Rome, October 17. A dramatic story of the conquest of Wadai and the occupation of its capital by the French is told iu a letter ivmci Reuter's Agency has received from u'. Karl kumi;i, general secretary of the Soudan Uuitcu Mission, who is engaged on an important mission across Africa from the Niger to the Nile. | Wadai, about the size of Italy, ms , the last stronghold of the Mohammedan fauatics in the Central Soudan. Irreconcilable remuants of the iihalifa forces of Ouidurinan, of Rabija, of Dikao, ol Fad.r-el-Allah, of the Sultan of Sokoto, and others had congregated in Wadai. The a'lieikh Senussi, acknowledged J -is the spiritual leader of * the people oj Wadai, had from nis headquarters in Borku, by way of Tripoli and iuCroduced large numbers of modern lirearms, Winchesters and Lcbols, as well as several caunon, into the country, and the army of Wadai was reported Lo be armed with 8000 new repeating rifles.

The French forces aud the Wadaiaus met in several small engagements during the past two years', with varying success, but for six months prior to May last there was a suspension of hostilities.

As Wadai kept on strengthening its forces and fortifications, however, and as theie seemed no prospect of coming to a peaceful understanding, it wqs decided to make a determined attempt lo take Abesher.

From the various military posts in the Shari-Chad protectorate all ti-' troops that could be spared were ordered to concentrate in the beginning of June on the Wadai border. The whole force would have consisted of some four hundred tirailleurs will three or four guns, led by about fifteen white men, but before the various contingents of this important expedition had arrived at their destination the die had been cast, and Wadai had fallen.

Captain Fugens'chuch, a German of the French Foreign Legion, had been asked to lead the advanced guard, which consisted of Lieutenant Bourrand, Lieutenant Kupier, of the artillery, Lieutenant Leandri, two sergeants, ISO tirailleurs, and two guns; but Captain Fugenschuch and Lieutenant Bourrand, two men of the type wJiich the Vankees of the West call "skeercd-o'-nolhings,' marched their force against Abesher without waiting for the other troops. Fifty miles from that town they encountered the army af Wadai, consisting of 12,000 men. A light ensued on Ist June, and the report which has been sent to the Minister in Paris says: "Wadaians soundly beaten. Captain wounded in jaw. Lieutenant Bourrand left him and pursued the enemy to Abesher, took the city by storm, waits for fresh forces, and proposes to follow the Sultan of Wadai, who has escaped in the direction of tho Darfur border."

These are very few words but they mean a great deal for the Central Soudan. They mean slavery abolished, -Moslem eonijuest checked, and pcaec probably for the first time in the history of these regions.

VOLUNTARY EXILE. TWO GIRLS GO TO SIBERIA. THE ROMANCE OF AN EXGLiMI GOVERNESS. St. Petersburg, October 15. Mile. Lopukhin, whose in their, the late chief of secret police, was recently sentenced to five years' transportation to Siberia, will leave here at 7 o'clock this evening for Moscow, accompanied by the family's* English governess, Miss Russell, en route for M. Lopukniu's place of exile. • Miss Russell has decided to share the lo! of the family in Siberia. The final stages of the journey will probably not be accomplished until the suow permits of sledging. Mlie, Lopukhin will be remembered by Londoners as Ihe young woman wuo vanished so mysteriously in 1007. She was accompanied on the visit by Miss I'nssell, the English governess, and her sister Maria, aged twelve.

They stayed in Illoomsbury. and on the evening of 24th October went to the Ald wye h Theatre. As they left the theatre Miss Lopukhin disappeared, and nothing way heard of her for two days. Then a note was received stating that she had been kidnapped, and was lying in a damp cellar suffering from a wound. Scotland Yard took part in the scarcil which followed, a reward was offered, and .M. Lopukhin himself came over from Russia to direct the operations. But it was all of no avail, and it. was suggested that the young woman had fallen into the hands of some Russian i , volutionarie> who desired to be revenged on her father. A week later, however, 11c. Lopukhin calmly walked up to the door of the, house at which she had been staying and rang the bell. No explanation -was ever made public of the mystery of her disappearance, MYSTERY Ol" A ROYAL ENGAGEMENT, KING OF PORTUGAL AND PRINCESS ALEXANDRA. Lisbon, September 24. I was informed to-dav by a dignitary of the Court that King Manuel's betrothal to Princess Alexandra, the elder daughter of the Duke of Fife, has been arranged, and that the official announcement will be made on loth November, the King's birthday, during his Maje-ty's I visit to Windsor. I

On making further enquiries 1 received an official statement that any report to this effect made at pre>ent would be premature, and would probably be officially denied by the Hrilish Government.

The King's plans' for his visit to England are not. yet completed. The .Marquis de Soveral has charge of the arrangements.—Express correspondent. The Ccfilral News Lisbon correspondent states that the Seculo, which iis usually well informed, declares that King Manuel's marriage will take -place in Lisbon early in April next. According to tliis journal l.he King's tour will occupy three weeks'. Mis Majesty will leave Lisbon abuut oth November, going first to Madrid, whe-rc he will spend isix days. From MadrM the King will travel incognito through France lo ( lierbourg. wi-iMv the French fleet under Admiral ,\:-!nrt will be assembled ill his honor, anl will lire a royal salute. \( Cherbourg King Manuel and Ins >nite will embark' for Portsmouth, being. escorted across the Channel*by two British cruisers. I