PERSONAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12145, 6 January 1909, Page 5

PERSONAL.

A press wire from Dunedin, received yesterday, reports the death of D. Crawford, Otago tootball representative from 1889 to 1»92.

The death occurred at New Plymouth of Mr Reginald Bayley, aged 64 years, for many years in the Deeds and Stamps Office. Inspector Gillies, of the Christchurch police force, has received several newspapers from Mr J. B. Tunbridge, who tor six years was Commissioner of Police for the Dominion, giving particulars of his installation as Mayor of Folkestone and Hythe. The papers contain pictures of the new Mayor and very full accounts of the ceremonies in connection with the installation, including a banquet, at which there was a large attendance of local and British celebrities. Mr Tunbridge was first elected a councillor in 1905, and has long taken an active , interest in municipal matters in the boroughs. The following were visitors at Foster's Hotel, Wanganui, during the week:— Mr T. H. McLean, Mr A. T. Taylor, Mr H. J. H. Grave, Mr W. B. Jourdain, Mr and Mrs Phillips-Turner, Mr arid Mrs C. G. Hume and family, Mr J.. V. Kelly, Mr G. Brownlee, Mr L. E. Johnson, Wellington; Mr and Mrs J. E. Smith, Hamilton; Mr A. L. Jones, Mrs Gray and daughters (3), Mr J. H. Gray, Hastingsj Mr G. L. Cook, Stratford; Mr M. C. Lowson, Mr J. H. Tate, New Plymouth; Mrs and Miss Tesseson, Pahiatua;/Mr € .C. Graham, Mr H. Lyders, Mr P. A. Lyders, Dunedin; Mr S. W. MofFett, Christchurch; Mr and Mrs A. Turnbull, Miss Turnbull, Mr F. R. Turnbull, Miss E. ftowe, Mr A. A. Piper and son, Hawera; Mr H. E. Jackson, Mangaweka; Miss A. B. Hill, Mr H. M. Simmonds, Mr .J. Brady, and Mr fcS. Price, PalmerstonNorth. Father John, of Kronßtadt, news of whose death was cabled on Monday, had been a prominent figure in Russia for several years past, owing to the reputation for sanctity he had acquired among the peasants * who to ere with difficulty dissuaded from worshipping/ hi,m as a second Messiah. At the time of the outbreak against the Jews in Bessarabia he denounced the perpetrators, but subsequently retracted his statements, saying that he "had received trustworthy private letters from Kishineff showing that the Jews were to blame for the massacre. " The ignorance and. the religious fanaticism of the Russian peasantry (wrote the St. Petersburg porresj pondent of " The Times " a few years I ago) are illustrated in a striking manner by the almost blasphemous veneration of which the famous Father John of Kronstadt, much against his will, is made, the object. A short time ago a peasant in the government of Kostroma wrote a hymn in honour of Father John, placing him almost on an equality with the persons of the Trinity . The Kron-; stadt priest wrote a severe letter to the peasant rebuking him' for his blasphemy, but this had no effect, so that he was compelled to go in person to Kostroma in order to put a stop to the growth of a sect which was being founded to worship him." ' When a serious mutiny broke out at Kronstadt and other places in the Empire three years ago Father John denounced the revolutionaries, who sent him a summary notice to abstain from interference. His safety, however, was assured by the authorities.