WOMEN'S WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 302, 14 May 1913, Page 6

WOMEN'S WORLD.

( YOUNG WIFE'S RUINED LIFE I DOWNFALL OF THOS. CHIA. Sydney, April 30. The young Chinese, Thomas J. Chia, convicted of having shot at Mr. Yung Liang Hwang,' with intent, was in Melbourne yesterday sentenced to five years' imprisonment with hard labor. Chia was till a few months ago an idol of Melbourne society. He was believed to be very wealthy, but it now turns out that he was up to his ears in debt. Last year, at the Governor's party, he met Miss Unie Russell, whose parents move in the best circles in Melbourne. At that time he was.secretary to the Consul, but he lost that position a few months ago. He paid his addresses to Miss Russell at her parents' residence at "Oakwood," Brighton. The prospective, alliance found no favor in her parents'eyes, Mrs. Russell being- specially antagonistic. In order to give, an opportunity for -fhe girl' 1j to" break "with Chia, Mrs. Russell took her daughter to England. However, before leaving, Chia persistently followed her about, and finally secured her consent to an engagement. He then lost no time in publicly announcing, the event. When returning to Australia, Miss Russell was so unfavorably impressed with the conditions of Eastern life revealed at Colombo that With the OHeiital : could.-liotYtafe'pfee.v '<• f THE FATAL DECISION. Chia met lier on arrival, and when notified of her intention behaved like one 'distraught. He prevailed upoji her to keep the fact a secret for six weeks. To this she consented. Ultimately he persuaded her to reconsider her decision. The wedding was a very fashionable affair, and t an incident of it that was much talked about at the time was the late arrival of the bride. She kept the bridegroom, the clergyman, the guests, and everyone else—the church was crowded—waiting for more than two hours. The story now told is that at the eleventh hour her parents entreated her not to make the alliance, but the girl took the view that matters had gone too far, and went through with a coremony that has meant the ruin of her life. SADLY DISILLUSIONED. Miss Russell —she disowns the name of Mrs. Chia—believed that the Chinese was a wealthy man. He had told her he was. She also believed that he was a man of very high. character. • He had always posed as such. She had been sadly disillusioned. She left the other day for England with her mother, and before going made the following statement: —"My marriage is a page in my life which I have turned down an<l to which I never wish to refer. I feel that Mr. 'tlhia is dead to me. To this man, now exposed as a trickster, the man I pictured in my romance, bears no resemblance. I cared for the man I thought he was—not the man he really is. Some of my friends have upbraided me for not standing by Mm in his. hour of ordeal. Had lie not ' /roved himself a dishonorable man in every way,. I should have done so; but lie has lied' aM'derived people all along . the line. He never even admitted that lie had been dismissed from the Consulate, but said that he would possibly be appointed Chinese Consul for Vancouver. If he remained in Australia, he stated, it would be as commercial attache, or fflraething of the kind. ■ CONSISTENT DECEPTION. '.'When I realise the despicable actions for Which he is responsible," the unfortunate girl added, "I feel that I have taken up the only attitude possible for an honorable, self-respecting woman. I am sorry for the other people who have suffered for his treachery, and if I hapl possession of the marriage settlements of which he has talked so much my first I task would be to repay them some of the money they have lost. On my marriage , he produced his bank book, showing £BOO to his credit. As a matter of fact, all he possessed at the time of his marriage was 3s lOd in the bank and 20 suits of clothes at Sandringham House, where he stayed after our marriage. Cocoa and rubber plantations and a bungalow,, all in the East, were mentioned as other .wedding gifts. Even on 'these alleged marriage settlements he has borrowed money. Since the expr sure I have been approached by some of the people to see if I- would not pay the debts from these settlements, which, as far as I am concerned, are purely mythical. I knew nothing of the true state of his financial affairs. He was never short of money, and showed no signs of mental distress. On the morning of the shooting affray I did not notice anything strange in his demeanor. He telephoned for me at noon, but I was not at home. Since then I have not seen him." When Chia appeared before the Court and heard the sentence'pronounced he was dumbfounded.' He, reeled as if ready to fall, but a warder secured him by the shoulders, and gently helped him down to the cells below. Prior to the passing' of sentence 'the s accused,'when asked if lie had anything to say, said in a clear and cultivated voice, but in 1 somewhat low tones, "I am truly repentent for my act. I have suffered keenly for my folly, and I ask your Honor to have mercy." Mr. Justice Hood said that he had been asked amongst other things to allow the prisoner to leave the country for a great length of time. He certainly would not do that, as that was a matter for the Executive Council, and not a court of justice. PATRIOTISM IN DRESS In an article in the Daily Mail the writer, discussing the British-dressed woman, says:—ls it possible for the welldressed woman to hold her position if she insists that every article in her wardrobe shall be manufactured and fashioned in these islands? Yes; if she has time to spare and is willing to spend more on her dress than she would otherwise do, for in nearly all that pertains' to woman's dress England has made and is making enormous strides. For good, substantial, reliable materials, for woollen goods, for cotton fabrics—in fact, fo" the solid foundation of our wardrobes- • English goods are pre-eminent, and liavt been for very many years. Only ten years ago most of the best coloring and dyeing was done abroad; now, not only can any range of colors be matched in all materials by our dyers here, but the secret of fast-color dyeing in even the most delicate shades is with the English dyers. In this respect the advances that have been made by the Bradford and other dyers during the last five years are positively amazing. English firms also lead in many silk manufactures. Their silk and wool fabrics, "silks" made from other materials than pure silk, from wood pulp, from vegetable substances, from silk waste, are infinitely better than any made abroad. English plush and velvet cannot he beaten anywhere, and certain manufacturers are now making crepon which is the envy of every foreign competitor. English hoots are still the best in the world, and the boot trade has learned much lately, too, from both America and France. But it is when we come to the necessary luxuries that we still must pause. The ribbons and laces, the buttons and trimmings, the fine embroideries, the great varieties of laces, the most beautiful of silks, gloves,

(flowers, much millinery, comes across'! . the Channel. Above all and before all, I

that wonderful creative work and great originality in all dress and fashion shown by the French and Austrians seem beyond our power to approach. But we are wonderful copyists, and as we copy we improve on the original in many manufactures, which should be a consolation.