The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-07
BELL MYSTERY
 STIRS CITIZENS
 OF FRENCH COAST
Reported Sale Of Relic Of 1630 To American
 Brings Protests
(By Associated Press)

of an ancient bell reported to have been sold to an American woman, from the tower of the abandoned little church of St. Laurent de Calvados, near Deau- vile, has created a sensation along the Normandy coast compared to which mil lion franc Bancos at Baccarat, sensa- tional bathing costumes or 100-to-1 shots at the track appear mild.
 Rumor has it that the bell, which vas presented to the parish by Henry W in 1880, has been missing from the tower since August 15. Recently M. Helitas, prefect of the department of Calvados, received petition signed by . hundreds of citizens asking: "Why was the church bell of St. Laurent sold to Mrs. Spencer Eddy of America? Who authorized the sale? How much was paid for it? Where did the money go? We want our bell back"
 The prefect was much puzzled. It z was the first news he had had of the : sale of the bell, authority for which un- der the French law must be received from his office. He is trying to get in touch with Mrs. Eddy to obtain con- firmation of the alleged purchase.
 Tiger Guards Manuscripts
 rOTmeF 1- TtilleF SleueliCcdu TeuudlHS completely apart from the present po- litical developments, being profoundly engaged in writing philosophical work the present nature of which he declines to disclose even to the intimate friends who occasionally visit him at his home on the Vendee coast.
 The aged statesman lives in an adobe building such as is frequently found on the Texas border with Mexicans as in- habitants. It is built on the sands close to the seashore in desolte country.
 The tiger has had a high wire fence erected around this place which suf- fees to keep out undesired visitors. Fishermen draw their boats up on the shore nearby and offer him fine speci- mems of their catches. These he always accepts with pleasure, but he has re- fused every other sort of gift, with the exception of one, an automobile of ex- rtnsive make.
 The wartime premier has refused all suggestions that he write a narrative of the great events through which he passed as head of the French govern ment.
 His papers are described as in com plete disorder. He has no secretary, but q chauffeur, a valet and cook, the last mentioned being regarded as one of the best in France. These three servants are his only attendants.
 He has installed a bathroom, access:- ble only from the outside of the house, but as there is no running water it has to be carried in from well.
 Bursting Test Planned
 Owing to the bursting of tire" is the stock formula with which French reporters explain automobile accidents. Expert motorists maintain that this is hardly ever the cause of a smash ex- cept in the cases of neophytes or excep- tionally nervous drivers. Accidents, they declare, are due to imprudence rather than to defects in the machines.
 To prove this point the sporing pa per L'Auto is organizing tire burst ing test in which drivers will go at high speed over a rough road filtered with glass, their machines equipped with ragged old tires. The purpose is td de- termine exactly what happens when a tire blows out with a skillful driver at the wheel of the car.
 Discussing accidents, writer in L'Auto relates that his father, in teach ing him to drive many years ago, in- culcated the following wise precepts, which he was always to have in mind:
 "Behind every turning turks hay wagon with a drunken driver.
 t.'The man crossing the street in front of you has quarreled with his wife and seeks forgetfulness in death.
 '"The driver of the machine approach ing us has just come out of the lunatic asylum.
 '"Fhe fat woman sitting on wonder bench will start across the road as soon as you reach here, The brakes may fail to act''
 Old Building Crashes
 Louis XIV furniture may be popular, but buildings of that period are in bad repute in Paris just now. While Mime. Normand and her family were finishing their luncheon one day last week in a room on the second floor of a lodging house a sharp cracking sound came from the kitchen and the flooring began to give way.
 The 35 lodgers from the five stories were hardly cleared out when the sec ond story collapsed through into the restaurant on the ground floor. How ever, no one was injured and the build- ing itself was absolved from blame when it was found to date from the early days of Louis XIV.
 Five auto bus lines pass the corners where the building stands. It is be- lieved the vibrations caused the collapse and that the old house would have con tinued in service for an indefinite time except for the tremors due to cause undreamed of when it was built nearly 300 years ago.
 REGT TATRANT MEN