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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1958-10-16, Page 3Sigel Talk Caught Murder Gan One of the strangest cases of crime detection on record was sparked off by a savage village murder in Bengal. A well-to- do villager had been stabbed and beaten over the head. His wife claimed that the killers had looted their home, stolen her jewellery, and threatened her life, too. Police Superintendent E. C. Gouldsbury's investigations were unavailing, for the whole village seemed to be scared into silence, But Gouidsbury, a resourc e- ful officer, had enlisted a num- ber of Indians, as detectives. One of these, Kali Dass, was a low -caste Bengali and former associate of thieves and dacoils Skilled at disguising himself, he joined gangs, learned their plans, helped the police to set traps and often secured evidence to convict criminals. Dass agreed to go and live in the village disguised as a fakir, a holy man. Gouldsbuiy would withdraw the police and an- nounee that the inquiry into the murder was closed, to put the villagers off their guard. One night the old blacksmith who offered the poor "holy man" temporary lodging told. him that a deaf-and-dumb mid- get was joining them. He'd been living in the murdered man's household as a kind of pet be- cause the man had been sorry for him, but the widow had now turned him away. "It is a pity he has not the use of his tongue," said the blacksmith, "for he was in the house the night of the killing " When the midget arrived next day, Dass at once recognized hint. The little man with the grotesque face and odd shape recognized Dass, ton. despite his disguise. He bounded up and down, making muffled animal noises in his throat and strange motions with his hands. Years earlier, Dass has joined a troupe of strolling musicians and mummers.One of there was the micigct. A straiiee friendship had developed Le- tk•ecn them, and Dass had taught him a simple sign -lan- guage by which they could com- municate, Prompted by Dass, he • used it now to tell what had happens d on the night of the murder. 1-te slept in a small room linked with that of the husband and wife by a narrow passage. A cold wind that night made him quit his room and curl up under some sacks in the passage. Wakened by the sound of the wife rising from the bed, he saw her, by the dim light which was always kept burning, go to the main door and let in four men: one was her secret lover, the others his brothers, all four the sons of an important vil- lager. The lover carried a short dag- ger, one of the others a heavy club.,, They stole towards the sleeping husband, one thrust a cloth over his mouth, another grabbed his arms, then the arm- ed couple killed him. After- wards, they broke open a chest to fool the police with a fake robbery. When they'd gone, the wife hid her jewellery in a hole dug in the floor, then ran out of the house screaming murder. Scar- ed by what he'd seen, realizing that he could be in danger, the midget slipped back to his own room, and was there, feigning sleep, when roused by the vil- lage headman. Later he'd been kept in a cell by the police, whom he feared because he couldn't communicate with them. When he was released the widow would not have him back. Dass promptly reported to his chief. The widow and the four brothers were arrested and the widow confessed. At the sub- sequent court proceedings, Dass acted as interpreter of the deaf- mute's evidence. On it, the 'four brothers were found guilty and hanged. This the strangest case in Leonard 'Gribble's "Great De- tective Exploits," a well - writ- ten record of crime -detection in many countries. Strange, too, was the case of John R. Birchall, former scholar of Brasenose College, Axford, who advertised in several London newspapers, - giving a St. James's club ad- dress "Canada University man hav- ing farm wishes to meet gentle- man's son to live with him and learn the business, with view to partnership; must invest £500 to extend stock; board, lodging,. and five per cent. interest till partnership arranged." Two ,young men, named Petty and F. C. Benwell, responded and paid the £500. Bichall, who had no Canadian farm, went to all the trouble and ex- pense of escorting them to New York, accompanied by his wife, who knew absolutely nothing of his foul relieme, When the four arrived in Buffalo, he announc- ed that he Vas leaving with Benwell for a few days to trans- act some private business and asked Petty to look after Mrs. Birchall. He returned alone, explain- ing that Benwell, impatient to get to the faun, had gone there, and they would join him. Mean- while, he would like to see Nia- gara by moonlight. Polly could come, too. Petty was frankly nervous, scrambling along perilous ledges by the Falls. As he ap- proached the edge of the chasm, Birch: Il, taunting him, carne up close lehincl. At that moment, a stranger apprarcd along the ledge* and Pclly caught a etre nge, frightening look on Birchall', face, Ile quickly recovered himself. they retraced their stops, and on the way back had to cross a narrow brid,:e over a torrent. They were almost across when Birchall app.aircd to slip, stuur bled sideways into Polly, and threw him off balance. "I still don't know bow I stop- ped myself from going over," he Inter told Supt. Murray, chief of the Ontario C.I.D "But I knewe then Birchall had been prepared to murder me — twice!-" Deciding to write off the £500, he left for Montreal the next day while Birchall was away from the Buffalo hotel. There he Teed that a man's body had been found at Blen- heim Swamp, near Princeton, Ontario. IIe had been shot twice through the back of the head, left with nothing that could establish his identify. Polly thereupon decided to con- tact Supt. Murray, who had taken charge of the case. It was eventually proved that Birchall had taken Benwell there on the pretext of showing him the farm and murdered hint. IIe knew the district, hav- ing once visited it while posing as. "Lord Somerset," and had planned to kill two men for a paltry £1,000, less the expenses of the trip! This historic building at 17 St. Louis St., Quebec City, is being preserved and restored by the Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources which now has the authority to acquire buildings of national historical or architectural interest. The Quebec building is one of the best examples of early French architecture in Canada and dates from the early 18th century. During its history it has been occupied by many distinguished residents .of Quebec City: TV SPECTACULAR — It's no western drama or murder mystery that is showing up on the screen in upper left, What is being watched is a medical break -through. A newly developed X-ray machine for the first time allows an entire internal organ to be viewed as it functions, in this case a heart. Technician Bob House and a model, Erma Bowersock, demonstrate the machine. LE sic vz. Andt'cws. Apple pie, considered a real Canadian dish, is made in many ways. Different spices are used by different cooks;• tapioca for thickening, the addition of rais- ins, different erusts, etc„ make the variety alntcst endless. What may be considered a basic recipe for this pie follow:: Apple Pie Pastry for 2 crust 8 -inch pie ii eup sugar • ?: teaspoon cinnamon teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons flour 2?`2 cues reeled, sliced apples 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon .grated lemon rind (optional) 2 tablespoons 'butter Combine sugar, cinnamon, salt and flour. Lin:: pie pan with pastry; arrange sliced apples in layers, sprinkling sugar-cinna- men mixture over each layer. Sprinkle with lemon juice and ,,Ks dot with butter. Cut slits in rolled dough for top crust. Place on pie; fold edges under bottom crust. Seal well and flute. Brush crust with top milk or egg white and sprinkle with sugar, if de- sired. Flake at 425°F. 30-35 min- utes. ,S'.erve with cheese. H "Pliny, in Italy in the first century, A.D., described 10 kinds of cherries... He also referred to the cherry as having been taken to Britain. Another Roman, Marcus Terentius Varro, in his book on farming, written about 50 BC, discussed grafting of cherrice, end by implication in- die„ted that neither cherry cul- tur^ nor e.rafting ww whe he wrote•.” says the ere Geograpnohicn. Cherry Meringue Pudding 2 cups canned dark sweet chcr- racs 1 cup cherry syrup 3 teblespcons flour 1 cup cake lour 2 teaspoons baking powder le teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons shortening 1 egg, separated 6 tablespoons milk 2 tablespoons sugar Combine cherries, syrup and the 3 tablespoons flour in sauce- pan and place over low heat. Stir occasionally as it thickens. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, salt and 2 tablespoons sugar. Cut in shortening. Com- bine egg yolk and milk and add to first mixture. Place dough in bottom of an 8 -inch baking dish. Add heated cherries and juice. Bake at 425°F. for 30 minutes. Beat egg white and gradually beat in 2 tablespoons sugar. Re- move pudding from oven and place meringue on top. Return to oven to lightly brown mer- ingue (about 5 minutes). Serve warns. , , e Sweet -glazed Bartlett pears make a dramatic appearance at the table in the following big, puffy souffle. It's probably the easiest souffle you'll ever hope to make. A few chocolate shav- ings and a creamy marmalade sauce complete this poached pear dish. Marmalade Souffle with Fresh Pears Orange Poached Pears: Halve and corse 4 fresh good- sized Bartlett.. pears. Cook gent- ly in 1 cup orange juice, ?-e cup sugar, and the juice of 1 lemon, When pears are barely tender, remove from heat. Remove fruit from pan,pour juice over it and chill for 1-2 hour, Marmalade Souffle: Beat 3 egg whites until stiff but not dry; gradually add 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 3 tablespoons orange marmalade. Fold in to teaspoon orange ex- tract, a pinch of salt, and ee cup finely chipped almonds Pour mixture into top of buttered double boiler. Place over gently simmering water and cook, cov- ered, for 1 hour. Turn out on i warm plate; surround with pears and serve with the following sauce. Orange Sauce: Beat 4 egg yolks sli;litiy; add 1 cup orange juice (use juice in which pears were simmered) and 2 tablespor.ns orange marmalade.' Mix 1 tablespoon flour with 1 cup swear and add to egg mix- ture. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth. Allow to cool before folding in ee cup heavy cream, whipped. Makes 8 servings. Makes . His Living By Sniffing! Imagine having a job which entails sniffing most of the day! One man who does this, and en- joys doing it, is M. Jean Carles, who won a silver medal in Paris by a nose the other day. He is employed as a "smell consultant" at Grasse, centre of the French perfume industry. He won the medal for his contra- button to French elegance. In his task of selecting perfumes, M. Caries is said to resemble a painter choosing the right col- ours or a musician choosing the right notes. There was a Persian perfume expert a few years ago who in- sured hisnnre for $75,000. He had devoted his life to the tlend- ing of rare and subtle perfumes. "My sense of smell is my life," he once said. MUSIC IN THE AIR --Latest Paris musical invention is this pneu- matic guitar, featuring en air- filled plastic cushion instead of the usual wooden frame. It's only one of a series of futuristic instruments designed by French- men Francois 8asche.t and Jacques Lasry, What Palakes Drugs Co ►;ol„onsiwo? acid money grants. "T r u ee; a doctor : agreed, "but of all the. marvels of mo- dern pharmaceutical science, one of the greatest is the abil- ity to devise trade names." What magic, what wonder, what power lie In names like Achromycin, Tetrac!n, Tetrex, Panmycin, Steclin. And what competition. For firm said. "We want to keep our name before the doctors, so we want a complete line of pharmaceuticals." It is the company -name selling that leads to trade -name com- petition. Consequently, the dis- coverer of a drug may not lead the sales. By WARD CANNEL N.E.A. Staff Correspondent NEW YORK - (NEA) The price you'll pay in the future Inc ethical drugs — those life-saving, expensive po- tons your doctor prescribes— will be at stake at a govern - c ent hearing next month. Beginning Oct. 1, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission will have been listening to six ethical drug producers answer tete commission's charges that they fixed the price of certain antibiotics. Also at stake, is the whole marketing and promotion structure of a two -billion -dol- lar, vital industry. And if the industry talks, it will be a wel- come sound to many doctors, druggists and consumers whose pressure and anger has not been strong enough to break the silence barrier. A reporter wandering among the drug makers with the ques- tion "why" is • in for a difficult time. The industry would pre- fer not to talk about: Why five firms sell precisely the same antibiotic under five different trade names. Why the same situation exists among six firms and six identical steroids — com- pounds used to treat allergies, arthritis, etc. Exactly how much does it cost to promote each trade name. How much to get a li- cense to make or sell a drug another company has d i s - covered. Who pays this promotion cost. And why competitive drugs seem to cost exactly the same in any one drug store. How sensitive t h e industry is on these matters comes through sharpest in t h e un- consciously ironical words al an antibiotic company spokes- man: "Look h e r e. We're not in business for our health." Another, calmer executive, commenting on one drug com- pany's $100,000 expenditure for a pharmaceutical display at a medical association meeting, put it this way: "Nobody criticizes General Motors for its spectacular tra- velling motorama show. So Why should we be the object of public concern?" There are plenty of answers to his question. 'But even the .industry's severest 'critics ad- mit the drug companies have made vital contributions to mankind's knowledge, health and -life span through research Bristol, Upjohn and Squibb pharmaceutical companies. The same story is true for the sterioids: Deltra, Deltasone, Meticorten a n d Paracort and their packagers. It is also true of the popular tranquilizers: Miltown and Equanil. And true of many other families of the drugs you buy. Each year about 100 new drugs are put on the market under approximately 400 new trade names. Why? Because it is a profit- able business to sell drugs — even if you have to buy the right to sell them from their discoverers, drug company spokesmen say. "We're Iike any other busi- ness," the vice-president in gists, doctors, companies — and you get a fairly clear pioture of the two-way street fighting that makes the Federal Trade Com- mission interested on behalf of consumers. Irritated, exasperated and tightly reined by his superiors, one pharmaceutical advertising executive snapped at this re- porter: "We can't cooperate with you. It's not in our interest. We dein'$ want the public sticking its noso into a problem that is strictly be- tween us and the doctors and druggists." In defense of i t s campaign with doctors, the drug industry claims it is providing post- graduate education with up-to- date information for many doe - STEROID COMPOUNDS ARE PREPARED at the E. R. Squibb and Sons research laboratory. The company and the federal government are cooperating in a five-year, $7,000,000 cancer re- search program. Tranquilizer Miltown, for ex- ample, was discovered and mar- keted by Wallace Laboratories a smaller firm. Some time later Wallace began to sell the tranquilizing powder to Wyeth, who stamped its own pills under the name of Equanil, Today, Equanil is outselling Miltown. Today, a reputable doctor says: "I prescribe Equanil because it seems to have fewer side effects than Miltown." And today, a druggist com- plains that he has had to triple his prescription drug inventory because; different doctors pres- cribe different trade -names of these are identical - fermis, drugs sold by Lederle, Pfizer, charge of sales of a mammoth the same drug. Within the tremendous cost of promoting competitive drugs is a relentless barrage of personal calls, direct mail brochures, ma- gazine advertisements, reprints, samples, gift subscriptions and books — all aimed at the Pres- cribing physician. There are about 130 000 doe- tors in this country. Each doc- tor gets at least 23 pieces of drug promotion litoretuie each nay. And in ' addition, the drug companies send an army of 10,- 000 trained detail men out each day to speak personally with. the doctors. Put them all together--drug- tors who don't have time to keep up with their journals, symposia and conferences, On the other side, comes a report from the Albany College of Medicine, which recently ran a special project investigating the claims made in drug com- pany promotion, "At the conclusion of the proj- ect," Albany's report reads, "the students indicated a marked ut- vrenee in skepticism concerning the validity of advertising claims. "it is hoped that approaches of this nature will help solve scene of the problems facing the physician who is bombarded with advertising claims."