The Colorado statesman., 1913-04-19
CRIME IN A|RSH|PS
Accidents" to Flying Machines
Arouse Grave Suspicion.
New Addition to New Criminal cata.
logue, Which Includes Smuggling
in Switzerland and Shady
Bourse Transactions.

Facts have recently come to light
that the many recent tragedies of the
air have not all been due to accident.
says Pearson's Weekly.
The Royal Zero club is at present
inquiring thoroughly into the whole
matter, the suspicious of flying men
haVlng been aroused by three strange
incidents that happened recently at
Herndon. On two occasions the car
pureters Of aeroplanes were found
nlled with water. which could not pos
slDly have got there accidentally.
Luckily its presence was discovered
in time, otherwise the engines would
suddenly have stopped in midair. With
a pilot who was inexperienced or lost
his head there would have been one
more aviation fatality-"due to some
faults in the engine"
The latest case was even graver. A
naval lieutenant flying with a passen-
ger suddenly heard grating noise in
his engine. which stopped. BY great
luck he managed to reach the ground
in safety, though the monoplane was
smashed. The engine was examined,
and large steel nut was found lying
in it. This nut did not belong to the
engine and was in such position that
it must have cost some one 20 min
utes' hard work to get it there.
A significant point is that all three
recent attempts have been made on
the same type OF engine, as If to dam
age its reputation. However, that
may be, it would seem that murder in
midair will have to be added to the
list of crimes.
Another 1913 criminal is the midair
smuggler Between Switzerland and
Italy there are high customs duties,
and for scores of miles literal tar
iff WALL has been erected in the form
of a high barricade of wire netting
this boundary being patrolled by
| guards. During the last few months
there have been repeated rumors as
to mysterious airships being seen and
heard at night.
The Italian authorities refuse to
speak on the subject, but atfidavits
have been published in the Milan
| Press from peasants and patrols to
| thO ChSSl ludI Lley uOl Ouly SSeu
a small airship but fired at it. And it
is known that large consignments of
contraband have lately got through.
A wireless telegraph operator re-
Gently appeared in a Berlin court on
a curious charge. A message had
come from Hamburg transatlantic
liner to the effect that an American
copper king had suddenly been taken
seriously ill on board and was not ex
pected to live.
The copper magnate, it seems, had
not been aboard at all, but was in
Calumet in excellent health. A con-
nection was traced between the opera
tor and a couple of shady bourse
financiers.
The object of the lying message had
been to bear copper shares. e., to
buy them as they fell in order to sell
them on the rise that the contradition
of the false report would bring. The
law was stretched to meet the case.
and the foolish young wireless" man
is now in prison.
The very newest form of the conf
dence trick was. as far as is known,
invented only a few months ago, and
is really very neat. Lots of clubs and
hotels are complaining just now of the
well dressed men who, after turning
the conversation on thought reading
and telepathy, bets that he has a
friend gifted with such strange pow
ers, that even when miles away he
can tell the name of any card selected.
The challenge is usually taken. A
card is turned up. The visitor says:
Now phone up number so and SO and
ask Mr. John Cartwright what card
that is" The answer comes back
correct and the triumphant enc col
| lects his bet.
The trick is decidedly simple one.
There is a code of 81 names, one for
each card, and the man at the other
end of the phone knows. by the name
he is asked for under, which the card
in question is.