NEWS OF THE WORLD.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3687, 23 November 1912, Page 10

NEWS OF THE WORLD.

A DASH FOR FREEDOM. A message received recently from El Paso, Texas, states that Mr Walter uouglas, the manager of the Mexican Copper Mines, belonging to the Phelps Dodge Company of this city, had been captured by Yaqui Indians, who had allied themselves with the revolutionists, and was being held for ransom (says the “Daily Chroncle.”) Mr. Douglas is a very wealthy man, and is largely interested in the copper mines, which are in the State of Sonora, and the American colony at the mines has long been menaced by the rebel troops. The Yaquis threatened that unless the ransom was paid within a. short time Mr. Douglas would be put to torture, and then to death. The mining company made an immediate appeal to Washington, asking that an expedition should be sent to secure the release of their manager, but a later message was received at the company’s offices from Mr. Douglas himself, who announced his escape from the Indians and his safe arrival at Agua Pricta, on the border of Arizona.. In his message Mr. Douglas states that he had a most thrilling experience, and that his escape was effected in desperate circumstances. He managed to elude the vigilance of his captors, and seizing « bicycle rode off at high speed, pursued by the rebels, who shot after him so long as he was in range. He afterwards seized a motor handcar on the Naeozari Railway, on which lie made his final dash into Agua Pricta.

THE INFERIOR SEX. Woman, according to the latest scientific conclusions, is man’s inferior because of the smaller percentage of chloride of sodium in her blood. So said the “Matin” recently. In other words, the blood of the male is more salt than that of the female, and observation of animal life .shows that the more salt there is in the blood the higher the intelligence and general development. Woman, it is declared, is inferior to man in everything—intelligenc-'-. reason, and physical force. The indictment is oven more severe. The facial angle of the fernal". it is stated, more closelv resembles tlicf of tbe higher animals, than does that of the male, while woman’s senses are loss keen than those of man. oed slm feels pain less. The scientific explanation is that the blood of the female is poorer in red corpuscles, .and therefore relatively noorer in brine, which is the important factor in the development of tho individual.

UNITED AFTER FIFTY YEARS. A romantic wedding has just been solemnised between a couple, aged respectively 70 and GS, who were lovers before the American Civil War, whi'h separated them 50 years ago. The happy bridegroom is Mr. John Coward, of Kearny, New Jersey, and the bride Miss Mary Johnson, of Brooklyn. Mr. Coward was 20 years of age when lie volunteered for the war, and was sent to the front. During tiro war the couple were unable to correspond with each other, and when peace was restored Mr Coward went west, where he made a considerable fortune. A chance meeting brought them together at a church lawn party recently, and a mutual friend introduced them. Mr. Coward at once recognised his former love, and it turned out that neither had been married during the 50 rears’ separation. Tho courtship was renewed and resulted in the marriage of the couple.

A GRUESOME DISCOVERY. Aii extraordinary discovery has been made at Lo Terreux, near Paris, where the body of a wealthy man who committed suicide 18 months ago was found in the house in which he resided alone. Four years ago the man in question, M. Dnielan, disappeared. He had gone to a hospital to undergo treatment and when lie returned ho raised a strong protest because some neighbors had entered Ins house, thinking he must bo ill as they had not seen him about. They promptly vowed never to cross his threshold again. In March of last year Dnielan again vanished, but nobody paid the least attention to the fact until recently, when the police broke into the house and found the man’s skeleton in an armchair. He had committer! suicide 18 months ago, leaving a letter saying that he wished to be cremated!

COMPLIMENTS BARRED. The United States War Department lias adopted a new system of correspondency designed to save time and labor by the elimination of what were termed “superfluous phrases of a complimentary character.” Officials of all departments of the Army have been instructed in future rigidly to avoid forms of address and signature involving the use of such words as “respectfully” and “I have the honor.” 'Hie list of banner phrases includes “Sir,” .“I would respectfully” “very respectfully.” “respectfully referred,” “respectfully forwarded,” and so forth. At the head of each letter is to be stated by whom and for whom the letter is writtend and its subject. Officers signing are to use only their names without their titles, as these will be included in the heading. It is calculated that these short-cuts in the Jorrospondence of the Armv will effect a noticeable saving of money.

THE JOHANN ORTH MYSTERY. Tlie death from a broken heart is reported of the major-domo of “Johann Orth,” the Austrian Archduke Johann Salvator, who quitted titles, possessions, and honors 22 years ago and disappeared after sailing for 'South America with an operatic singer whom he had married. Herr Franz Mayerhofer was loft in cliargo of the estates of the archduke when he abandoned his royal rank in 1890. Among tho castles possessed by the archduke was one standing on an island of the lake of Gmunden, in Upper Austria. Here valuable art treasures were stored. Everything in the castles lias been left untouched. A declaration that after the lapse of 20 years the death of the archduke could be considered as -established was issued last year. The castles and the treasures in them are now to be sold, and the major-domo, who cared for every single possession of the archduke for so many years, pined away and died on hearing that the treasures were to lx* scattered. For many years stories circulated of the reappearance of Johann Orth; but it is now generally accepted that he was drowned with his wife in the foundering of his ship Santa Marghnreta on the night of July 20, 1890. near the entrance to the Straits of Magellan.