New-York tribune., 1908-01-06
LONDON NOTES.
II Medley of Little and Great
Things
London. December "A.

the ages. The triviaIities Gil the newspapers
and have their little runs in town talk
stranger from Mars dropping down into Traf-
algar Square and hitchng his flying machine
to the Nelson Column would have found at the
close of the year the crowds of loungers talking
about a murder case. and If he had sauntered
through Pail Mall and ST. James's he would
have heard the smartest cluDmen exchanging
theories and comments about it. young artist
who had a taste for low company was charged
with numbering in her sleep a woman with a
romantic name and since he had sert post
card to her and had made silly attempt TO es-
tablish alibi with the help of a discarded mis-
tress there was tangIe oe circGmstantial evi-
dence against him. The halfpenny papers had
been most enterprising, and the police had been
forced into making a premature arrest and then
justifying IT. and when the trial came on there
were detailed reports OF the evidence. actors
and authors in court day after day. and
the crowds were cheering in and outside the
courtroom when there was an acquittaL The
Young artist amused himself by making sketches
OF Judge Jury and witnesses from day 70 day.
and these were sold like hot cakes to the news
papers. Novelists and impressi0nist writer's
have discussed the psychology OF the case.
and turists have been drawn into long disseTra-
tions over the risks and advantages OF allowing
a prisoner to testify in a murder trial Alto-
traordinary run. but as the real murderer has
escaped suspicion while the police and the half
penny experts were the wrong scent it can
not be considered profitable enterprise-except
for the sale of large editions
II the Marian traveller had fingered in the
clubs or had taken tea in any drawing room in
Mayfair or Belgravia he would have learned
that everybody was talking about the Drucs
case That has been a better drawing card
for the newspapers than any shilling shOcker-
a web OF many inventions with one set OF wit
nesses contradicting another and the inconsis-
tencies so serious that a burial vault is TO be
opened after forty years, so that there may be
ocular proof whether a coffin contains lead in
place of a skeleton and the most energetic half
penny may have the chance of photographing
the interior of the casket. London journalism
has yellowish tinge, despite all the contempt
uous filings at the American press; and a mys-
terry relating to one of the oldest and richest
families in the kingdom is a useful. marketable
working property, even il it be necessary 70
employ gravediggers and ghouls 10 produce a
creepy feeling at the close. Meanwhile, every
cIubnan and man OF fashion has his theory
about the case, and there are as many hypoth-
eses about the beginning and ending OF the
founder of the bazaar as there are conjectures
about the Mystery of Edwin brood" More
for the shares in the limited liability com
pany which is financing the claimants case are
largely held by buffers. cooks and housenlaids-
It is having great run. but 1t VIII not be long
before something equally ephemeral takes It's
place as a popular London sensation. What a
fantastic calendar could be compiled for 1907
if things which have had runs were to be re-
corded But there would be in It little material
for history.
There are, however. practical evidences that
the historical sense is not lacking even in
world addicted TO vanity and given to lying
There is the golden anniversary Of the Indian
Mutiny. which has been celebrated this week
in a most impressive way. because The Daily
Telegraph for many weeks has been giving
the nation something really great and inspir-
ing to think about and appealing powerfully 10
patriotism and gratitude. The nobleSt chapter
of British history. IAN Had Of heroic deeds.''
has been recalled with realism and vividness
when thousand survivors Of the uutiny have
been summoned to golden feast in Albert Hall
from every section of the kingdom and the EN-
pire and nearly six hundred of them have come
to answer to the rollcall and to pass under re-
view. This generation may not witness a more
pathetic spectacle than this assembIage OF vet
Grams in their seventies, eighties and even nine
ties, with Angus Gibson, the snly surviving
piper of the Black Watch, to play The Camp
bells Are Coming" with chaplain Of Luck
now or Delhi TO say grace and with vast audi
ence rising when the health Of the worn and
battered heroes is drunk, and the Last Post
is sounded by the bugles. The men who had
helped to make glorious history were honored
after fifty years. when thousands Of English
men were interested in bringing them TO Lon
don for a hiSh. patriotic feast, and Lord Roberts
was there with his Victoria Cross TO read them
a message from the King. and Lord Curzon was
proud to address them and Mr.. Kipling to sound
their praises in moving verse This was more
useful journalistic work than still hunt after
the writer of postcard suspected OF oeinS
murderer. or degrading competition for the
ghoulish picture Of the Druce coffin IL nrousne
to remembrance q splendid past and carried the
nation to a high plane OF thought and ssnti-
ment.
There has been another supreme hour rnS
week. when the sense of historical perspective
has been quickened and London has been brought
into touch with the ages This was at the burial
Of Kelvin in Westminster Abbey One OF the
features of,these solemn services is disappear
ing Thisis the proclamation by the garter king
OF arms of the state and style Of the dead. Ths
shrf cry of the herald at the close OF the burial
Office is weird and startling. but rehearsal Of
the dignities and titles Of the newcomer jars
upon the ear. The function would not have
comported with the unaffected uiodesty and
simplicity of Kelvin's character. and was prep
erly omitted The music was simple and ma
testic as it always is at these stately obsequiss
The Ninetieth Psalm and the sentences are
chanted TO the plainest setting. and the anthem
is invariably unpretentious. and Is followed ey
a familiar hymn. The three great funeral
ra.s- nd