NEWS BY MAIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 40, 27 May 1910, Page 7

NEWS BY MAIL.

THIRTEEN HOURS OVER A PRECIPICE. GIRL'S TERRIBLE ADVENTURE ON THE ALPS. Geneva, April 6. The tragic story of a girl's splendid heroism was revealed by a band of Italian smugglers yesterday. While crossing the Baldisto Pass the smugglers heard fait cries coming from summit of a neighboring mountain.

They threw down their burdens, and after an exhausted search found 1 a young girl half-buried in the snow and in a state of complete collapse. A rope was wound round her waist, and she grasped in her ice-.old Hand a broken alpenstock. She \.<is lying on the brink of a precipice, and, leaning over, the smugglers found at the end of the rope the form of a man.

Some of them raised the girl, while others dragged aip the man. He was found to be dead. It was not till some hours later that the girl was aiWe to relate the tragic tale of her adventures. Her name was I'oretti, and her age was nineteen. The dead man was her 'brother, with who she set out on what proved to be his last journey.

"A heavy snowstorm came suddenly on us," she said, "and we lost our way. We wandered far, seeking 'beaten paths, but in vain. At length we roped ourselves together. "Suddenly my brother disappeared, and I was dragged along for several yards. My alpenstock snapped, but fcfae gathering snow stopped further (pro-t gress." Mile. Poretti, with wonderful heroism, bore the exhausting cold and heavy strain unfalteringly for thirteen hours. She tried in vain to draw her brother into safety, and would not sever the rope that bound her to him.

Some of the smugglers carriefl Her home to Chiavenna, while others bore the frozen bodv of her brother.

WAR WITH MOUNTAINEERS. ALBANIANS FIGHTS FOR RIGHTS OF BRIGANDAGE. Constantinople, April 7. Twelve battalions of troops despatched to Northern Albania to put down the rising which has occurred are insufficient for the work, and the acting-Governor has aslted for ten more battalions. The Albanians are fighting for their ancient liberties, including brigandage, which the new Turkish regime is attempting to put down. The acting-Governor has requested the Government to withdraw some of the reforms which have been introduced, which are unpopular, but the Government is determined to ta:ke strong measures. There is at present every prospect of a' sharp and protracted campaign. Serious fighting has already taken place at Apek, where the Albanians were defeated. Prizrend is disturbed, necessitating the closing of the bazaars, and sharp" encounters are reported between Vutchitru and Frisiina. The revolt is spreading towards Mitrovitza, threatening the rail. The cause of the trouble is the objection to conscription, which has been introduced for the first time, to the payment of taxes, notably the octroi, stupidly imposed at Pri-tina for the embellishment of the town, and to the restraint which has been imposed on lawlessness. Brigandage has been Hitherto recognised as "quite an honorable provision.

TEN MILES OF FIRE. ETNA'S RIVERS OF LAVA GLOW A'J NIGHT. Catania, April 5. There has been a rescrudescence of all branches of the lava stream from Etna. Portions of the central crater are falling in, and 'it is furrowed on all sides by enormous crevasses. At night the mountain is lit up by a fiery stream ten miles long. The principal branch of lava is flowing towards the district of Cisterna Regina at a, speed of from eight to ten yards per hour, invading the cultivated lands, orchards, vineyards, and the olive plantations. The depth of the lava streams varies from eight to twenty yards.

A SURPRISING SEAL CATCH.

300,000 OF THEM.

St. John's, April 5. The steamer Labrador, which has lieen sealing in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, arrived in Forteau Bay, in the Belle Isle Straits, this morning. It is found that she has a catch of 15,000 seals, although she was supposed to be empty. This catch brings the total seal catch up to 300,000. It is generally believed that the whole seal fishery of the year will be the largest of modern times. HONEYMOON TRACED if ON VESUVIUS. BRIDE KILLED ON THE FUNICULAR. j Naples, April 5. A French ladv has Ueen killed and her husband dangerously injured in an accident on the funicular railway up Mt. Vesuvious. Their identity has not yet been established, but it is believed laat they were on their honeymoon trip. The accident was due to a runaway material car from the top smashing into an ascending passenger car. The driver was seriously hurt. ROMANTIC LOVE SCENE IN COURT. GIRL PLEADS FOR A SUITOR WHO SHOT HER. Paris, April (!. A most romantic scene took place in court here yesterday at the end of a trial for attempted murder. Marcel Rochois, a former sergeant, appeared on a charge of firing his ievol\ei at Germaine Hubert, and wounding hei in the head. The prisoner, who pleaded guilty, declared that" for a, long time he had been endeavoring without success to wiu the affections of Mile. Hubert, whom he loved more than his life. When one day he saw her on the arm of a rival 'he resolved to shoot her and then commit suicide. He was arrested before lie could complete his purpose, and he now assured the magistrate that lie was ready to meet his death on tlie guillotine. The unhappy suitor was_ sentenced instead to eight months' imprisonment, and was leaving the dock when Mile. Hubert rushed forward. With clasped hands she implored the magistrate to pardon Marcel. She said that she had never cared for the man before, wit from the moment that he had shot her she had fallen hopelessly in love wtth him and was ready to many him at once. The isirl's appeal was granted, and the two happy lovers left the court arm in

FIVE -MILLIONAIRES ARRESTED. TELEGRAPH WIRES TAPPED FOR EVIDENCE. New York, April 3. The Government, yesterday raided bucket-shops in live cities in the .States, to .put an end to swindling Sitock Exchange transactions, and arrested thirty men prominently connected with the establishments.

Among the concerns compromised are the E. S. Dobbs Company, the Price Company, and the Standard Stock Exchange, which through '230 branch houses control tlie -bucket-shop business of the country. The Consolidated Stock Exchange of Philadelphia, which is popularly known as "The Con.," which acted its the clearing house for the bucketshops, is closed. Messrs R. E. Preusser, Leo Mayer, George Turner, Angelo Cella and Louis Cella, who are five of the men arrested, are millionaires, the last-named beintr a "multi" race-track owner, and widely known in the racing world.

The Government made the arrests after numerous complaints had been maiie of shady transactions. The bucketshops, connected -by private wires with New Yorlk 'houses* obtained the movements of the stocks on the New York Stock Exchange fifteen minutes before Stock Exchange "tickers" in the outside cities recorded" the transactions. They could thus pretend to execute orders when their -private reports showed stocks were moving in a favorable direction. If the -prices were going in the wrong direction they would fail to execute the orders, giving plausible excuses. Thousands of people are said to have been swindled in this manner. One firm which maintained eleven thousand miles of private telegranh wires to branch houses, made £250,000 during the February slump, wiping out £150,000 bull accounts, as most of the bucket-shop clients deal in small sums.

The Government secret service was uii'ililo to set the evidence on which the indictments are teed by visiting ide bucket-shops. They therefore tap>ped the telegraph wires, and thus secured all the information entering and leaving bucket-shops. f The detectives did not meet with any difficulty in making the arrests, as the ■principals surrendered readily, prepared to figitit the cases in court.