Wrestling tragedy, Sinn Fein prison escape, and Russian exploits

­— Double tragedy

PROFESSIONAL wrestler, named H. Chennels, of Lambeth, jumped from the upper window with his throat cut. His wife was afterwards found in the bedroom with her throat cut. Both were dead. Chennels was the trainer and wrestling partner of Relwyskow, who won the world’s lightweight wrestling championship in 1909, and who is now appearing at the Theatre Royal, Pontypool.

Prior to jumping from the windows the man cut his throat and severed the arteries of both wrists, almost amputating one of his hands. In doing so one foot was found badly lacerated through catching the spikes of the railings round the house. On forcing an entrance to the premises the police found a woman lying on the bed dead, with a terrible gash in her throat. Papers found in the man’s possession point to his name being H. Chennels. He was about 30 years of age, and the woman was between 25 and 30.

It now transpires that the man had just returned from a tour in Wales, where he had been taking part in wrestling competitions. The dead woman, it is stated, had been a member of the WAAC’s attached to the Royal Flying Corps, and her uniform, saturated with blood, was found in the bedroom. When the police entered the room it presented the appearance of a shambles, and the bed was soaked with blood. A blood-stained razor was found near the woman’s body.

Relwyskov, in conversation with an Argus representative this afternoon, stated that Chennels was formerly his partner, but that the association had been severed for some time.

­— Sinn Feiner rescued

TRAGIC occurrence took place at Knocklong, Co. Limerick. An escort of four policemen were conveying a Sinn Fein prisoner to Cork Gaol by the night train from Thurles.

On arrival at Knocklong Station, the compartment in which the police and prisoner were was entered by armed men, who shot one constable dead and seriously wounded another. Several shots were exchanged. It is stated that the third constable is missing. The prisoner and rescuers got awar, taking two rifles and revolvers.

­— Soviets padded with bank notes

STOCKHOLM, Tuesday.– A Petrograd telegram gives the substance of a remarkable interview which the Russian paper Russkajajisjn has had with Colonel Balakhovitch, commander of the Russian troops in Estonia. He states that Soviet commissaries, when pursued by rebellious soldiers with bayonets, shouted: "Don't thrust – you will destroy bank notes!"

It was discovered subsequently that the commissaries had their clothes entirely padded with 1,000 and 250 rouble bank notes. The colonel further related how his forces penetrated the Bolshevik lines to a great depth, and were everywhere sympathetically received by the peasants. At Petrograd the population had become apathetic through hunger, but Colonel Balakhovitch believed if a moment of revolt were let loose, many of the people would take up arms. Colonel Balakhovitch gives a graphic account of the atrocious torture inflicted by Chinese gaolers on the inmates of Russian prisons, which principally takes the form of causing drops of icy water to fall from a great height on to the heads of the unfortunate prisoners.