WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 53, 24 August 1911, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted by "Eileen"). | A VAMPIRE MAN i SCOI'XDREL WHO PREYED ON ' WOMEN. London, July 5. ' "I think the earth never contained a more infamous scoundrel than you," declared Judge Rentoul at the Old Bailey yesterday in sentencing Geo. Wm. Lucid, alias Leslie, Moran and Lay, to seven years' penal servitude for bigamy and heartless frauds on a large number of women. Lucid, a clerical-looking, plausible man' of thirty-nine, published matrimonial advertisements, and in this way became acquainted with many women. No fewer than 2700 letters from more than seventy different women were found in his rooms, and he had obtained sums varying from £1 to £65 from fifteen women by promising to marry them. At one he was sending love-letters interlarded with appeals for money to thirty women. He was born at. Tipperary, was the son of a farmer in good circumstances, and was educated for the Civil Service, but at the age of eighteen he enlisted in the Royal Irish Rifles and rose to the rank of color-sergeant. In 1891 he was reduced to the ranks for embezzlement, and some time afterwards he was sentenced to seven years' penal servitude for a theft, the blame for which he threw on his fellow soldiers. When ho was released he had many opportunities of regaining his character, but he embezzled £IOO belonging to one employer, ruined a Roman Catholic suitors' home at Plymouth, and began to prey on women.

His first wife died in ISOB, and between that year and 1006 he obtained £IOOO from ten different women. He married Kate Ramson in ]<M)G, but deserted her after obtaining £lsoofrom her; in 1007 he committed bigamy with a woman of means at Bristol, and in 1000 he committed bigamy with Ethel Selfe in London. At this time he was writing love-lefc-ters to dozens of women, and he continued his career of fraud unchecked until ho was arrested recently.

LOVER HIDDEN IN A WARDROBE. CONCEALED FOR THREE WEEKS. London, July 7. A romantic story of a girl who hid her sweetheart for three weeks in her father's house was told at the Old Bailey yesterday, when Joaquin Rodrigo Perez, the svp"tbenr<-. was accused of attempting to shoot Arthur Weech, the girl's brother. Miss Weech was lady's maid to a countess in Spain, and while in that country, she met Perez, who is a mining student. Recently she returned to her father's house at Wimbledon.

,A nurse happened to open a wardrobe, and was nstonished to find Perez within. .He was.ejected from the .house by the. ■girl'f father and brother, and footer, in J the, flajjr be presented a Revolver a t the I brother iff.-the street. | "I met tiie'girl;in Spain, amffollowed I her to England," he told the police. "I I been j staying with her for three weeks it ,hjer, father's Reuse." "There is' no doubt," said Mr. Oliver, who. prosecuted, yesterday, "that this': was the. case.. The father noticed that a great deal of food was being consumed.. He and his son were out all day, and when they, returned at night Perez hid himself in the girl's room." "Does, the girl intend to marry him?" enquired. Mr. .Justice Darlin. ,"I. aro't-oldsp/' replied Mr. Oliver . "Will; he ' marry. her?" asked the judge. . ; ' . Perez answered, through an interpreter,, that he must first obtain his father's. p_erjjii#Bion to take up some other care.ef,.for his studies as a mining enginer would not be completed for two years. - ( ~ , . talked in his room with Miss Weech, 'a. pretty girl, dressed in black, who.smiled at. Perez as she passed him. When ,t.hc judge returned into court .he said he .wpijild pdjoiirn the ease to the next s'es's'ipiis .'ii,' order to see if Perez would : be in'.jv position to marry her. % .underhand .that in all probability his father wjj.l consent," said Mr. TullyChristW, who., defended. "It* is only~a question'pf.co.inmunicating with him." JBail was.refused, but Miss Weech was granted permission to visit Perez.

, f -FEMININE POLICE, A new.prqfes&ion is about to be opened for women. Berlin, it is said, has made the experiment of appointing thirty, feminine .policemen, with a view to making a substantial increase in their number should 'the attempt to justify their fait|i ill. the, capacity of their women citizens. Guardians of the law belonging to the feminine half of the community will have, children as their especial charge. i 'No;t only will homes.be visited, but'the'pttlJeeWbman may walk into any house at' herWh discretion, but schools and instituiidns where little people are boarded 'and,educated will be enteret and examined at will. So far no information is forthcoming as to the rate at which ; this new; wage-earner is to be paid; or ■whether her hours will be the same 'as 'those of the "polizeidiener," whose.'military discipline and hard work have-earned for him the fear and respect o( German communities. One piece of knowledge is to hand, via., that the woman representative of the power of the laWwill carry a revolver. Since Cer-i man law is like that of other countries,! that no one human being may slaughter any other, even in self-protection, it is hard to understand where the revolver comes -Hirer where and how it will be carried. Should the right to use a revolver, tje/.a fpngession to feminine weakness, it scarcely brings home the argument that women are just as well qualified to act as policemen as men. Ft might alsri be taken as an indication, says an English writer, that the weaker supporter of >law and order will probably receive.a. smaller rate of payment than the. one with whom residents in any town are familiar, a state of matters to be sadly, deplored, since it is but one more .destructive invasion of the labor market.

THE HOBBLE SKIRT. [ The hobble skirt is no more, and it seems likely that the extremely tight skirt which owes its discomfort to lack of material and . not, to the confining band, will soon follow suit. The change is coming about gradually and without any fuss, but evidently a good deal of [ excitement at the coming exit exists in | America, a writer in New York presenting quite a harrowing picture: "Although the reign of the hideous hobble skirt is practically over, it leaves a record of misery in its train which is unparalleled in 'the whole history of fashion. Through its disgraceful vogue 3000 mill girls are now without work, owing to the closing down of the mills. The demand for cloth has so decreased through the small quantities needed.for the hobble skirts that nearly half the mills in the State of Rhode Island have completely failed. So great is the power of fashion, and so thoughtless the women who pander fo it!" This harrowing account is probably a little bit, exaggerated; let us hope that it is

USEFUL HINTS. The Wringer.—Loosen the screws of the wringer when putting it away iifter using; and also be sure that the washboiler is emptied and thoroughly dry before putting it away. Careless housekeepers sometimes leave the boilers for days with water in them, and then express wonder that their clothes are rusted, .

To Clean Straw—A little salts of lemon dissolved in hot water .will clean nil kinds of white" straw ha,t,s. A little nail-brush should be dipped in the solution and the straw gently scrubbed. Afterwards rinse the hat with cold water, and then Jet it dry. When the band is readjusted the hat looks new. White Clothes.—Handkerchiefs and white clothes that have become yellow from the use of too much soap or any other cause may be whitened in the following simple manner: After they have been washed in the usual way, lay them to soak overnight in clear water into which cream of tartar has been put. A teaspoonful to a quart of water is the right proportion. When ironed .they will be as white as when new. To Make Bristles Firm.—Old hair brushes often become very soft from repeated washings. To make their bristles firm again, dip them in a strong solution of alum. Dissolve a little bit at a time in hot water.

Saving Gas Mantles.—Put a hairpin or a piece of wire through the loop at the top of the mantle, and then suspend it into a jar of vinegar, taking care that the mantle gets well soaked. Let it. itand for a few minutes, and then: place It over an empty jar to allow it to drip. When thoroughly dry place it on 'the. burnor, and burn off the outer coating in the usual manner. Mantles treated in this way will last twice as long, and will even withstand a draught from an open window. ■ . - The Oil Lamp—When the oil-lamp has been ■filled with paraffin, take a soft cloth dipped in vinegar and rub the reservoir with it until quite dry. , This will prevent the lamp from sweating, as they always do. Discolored Enamel.—Whqn enamel becomes discolored', scour, it with- aidaqSjj flannel: dipped in garden soil, then rinse it irplenty of water. , lii this way tb,e' : cleansing is effected without causing scratches or other damage. > A Useful Hint.—lf you are,, bothered with mice, try putting mint down near the holes. They have a strong objection .to the smell, «nd will seldom come anv- : where near it. ■ ' ■ i ''' ~ A good dodge is to keep all -woim-out incandescent gas mangles, and us«! them for cleaning jewellery. Crush them;,io a fine powder in the palm of. the. liand*nd..then proceed to rub the chain,! brace-' .let,.or whatever it may be, in it. finally polish off with a clean chamois, afid the things, look beautifully bright and hew. Clean Saucepan Lids.—Be very careful to keep Hie lids of saucepans perfectly dean, .for the flavour of one> dish may cling to a lid which has not beeb pro-, perly washed, and spoil a second dish which is prepared in the same pan-.