-NO WATER, NO HERBS, NO NUTTIN’*
THEY SELL MIRACLES
by JAMES LEASOR
KINGSTON, Jamaica. Children Jumped on the bum-
·OSPITAL patients were Haragged
pera.
When the ball doors
were
from their oficially opened, 2,000 people
to
1 The beds by friends and rela took six minutes
As many more hang building. tlons here the other day, bu
around outside. People swarm- and trundled through the ed in through windows, up fire city streets in hand- escapes, through safely
exits.
carts. AÐ that a white They came to see miraclen per- faith healer, 25-year-ak formed. Brother Tommy Osborn could rebuke the "foul de- mons" that made them ill.
Outside the school hall, where the meeting was being held. the singing procession clashed with a funeral. Horses reared; mourners screamed,
Some of the slek were tipped from their carts and lay groan- ing on the pavement. The blind lost their gulties.
And the nimble-limbed took advantage of the chaos to jump the queues.
Such scenes have been wit- for nessed most evenings here several weeks-ever since two smoothed faced, fast-talking
Amerleans mid-Western
the
Miami.
piane Kingston
Brothers Tommy Osborn and Lawrence Iverson are the white faith-healers Jamaien has
And with them come some- thing from the hot, dark, nolay went night, something that back across the long, unhappy Spaln years to Afrien and old and beyond, They brought their faith in out of the night with them. They also brought their ailing
their
Bilnd men sat upright in schoolboy chairs, white hard, sticks gripped between knees. wamen wept.
A fow hysterical Mules squenicd with shivery animal noises. The crippled clutched their crutches. All nursed their faith.
HYPNOTIC VOICE
DAISIE, Osborn's wife, softened the audience
quick-fire
Look
NISTER
from
with п
speech.
"You're
first
done
gonna Scr mirnėles tonight. folks,"
.Assured
she them. "Yessir. Just
110
Flible. Only
the
better, folks."
Envelopes for handed round.
seen in 20 years. They claim: "We use no oil, on water, herbs, no nutiln', see, but Word of God,"
LUXURY
these miracle
mc1
THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 1949.
DESIGN FOR STATE
BOARDING HOUSE
Sho
Well, Clem-what sort of landlady are we going to have?
TYPE
New Wig Every Two Years
B
EFORE the National Health schoma came into force in Britain, þald people made their wigs last about five years.
Now the State says that they can have And
a new wig every two years-free. they are going to have it:
Wigmakers foresee a yearly demand of 100,000, but the present output is only 60,000 wigs. »
Hair which has been baked for a week and boiled for a week, having previously been cleaned with a spirit, should not be fit for anything but stuffing cushions.
This, however, is the process used by the wigmaker to give straight hair natural-looking wave.
A
Fifteen thousand hairs go into the making of a wig, and each hair is fastened separately by hand. A knotting needle, looking like a fine crochet hook, is used..
The best human hair is imported from Northern Italy, although a little is bought from English convents,
Wigmakers consider that Chinese and Japanese hair is too coarse and, like Indian hair, is suitable only for making theatrical
wigs.
THE PARASITES OF PARIS
THERE were gaps along the glossy bar-tops of some
of the most expensive hotels in Paris. Some of the regulars have gone underground.
The regulars, as the barmen will tell you, like you've read about in the Englishmen "Young fellows, always with fistsful
one-thousand franc notes."
these will
be
were
of
Many of these slick ambassadors from Britain do not even speak French; their only language is the inter- national one of easy money, their ranks depleted because the French Surete has arrested an Englishman on charges Brother concerning black market petrol coupons.
afferings were A number were handed back empty.
Aflet BON: muse-hall
choruses,
style. the
Osborn spoke.
Ert
SAW
a meeting on before
their luxurious verandal of green-roofed bungalow, a few
His voice boomed. In the haze miles out of town in the smart
Tree sulmrb. A or hent, ode voiers cried out: Hall Way
"Amen," Lord," rent Praise the their "believer" pays
brand Alleluia." His power lay not In Another gave them a
his words but in his hypnote new ear,
abandoned voice. the white saferi shirt he wears
Brother
Osborn
A thin straggling line of si
for his meetings in favour of formed up along one wall. A more homely attire. Ile down to tea in his shirt sleeves, erippled woman led them
sat
his blue serge trousers kept up by braces, and a belt with his Initial on the buckle,
Osborn is tallish, sallow, with sad brown eyes. He seems suffer from denies he is ever Iverson, a
So the racketeers in that line of business have lem- porarily suspended operations. The Surete has found out how their organisation obtained thousands of petrol coupons every week.
Chiefs of the organisation are an English ex-officer and an Austrian. Both were questioned by the Surete recently, but not enough was known of them to
released. knelt in front of her and bel-make charges, and they were lowed:
to the stage.
on
Brother Osborn
woman.
I of
"Come out, thou foul deman to that cripples this he rebuke catarrh. But
thee In the Name f11. Brother God."
Silence swelled and filled the intle, tubby man.
robbed with lizard-like eyes and hall. The old woman
the with liz
scratched at did round head.
the Her crutch
of the stage ins. He ute, inlked, listen Tough boards
It Nothing
the else happened. Said ed, gesticulated all at once.
Brother Osborn quickly: "She'll was an impressive performance
brothers and "Dis Brother Osborn wus saved be cured soon.
sisters. 1 know God wants her was a kid, see.” when he
butter well." wavlig a explained, knife. "He was at a bush ar- meeting- .open-air bour-an
Tulsa, Oklahoma, hours. one day in
ភ
Smuggling, thieving these Britons make
a fortune in francs
by ARTHUR COOK
Later that day I met the ex- private again, and asked him what luck he had at the races. "Made more than. a million francs," he said gaily. "it's easy
and safe as houses."
In their petrol squad were a young Englishman from Cheisen and an American cabaret artist. bor- The fraud was worked by rowing passports from English visitors or "regular" Englishman who frequent the bars of Paris Payment was £5 for the loan of
ciny.. for passport "Regulars" were paid more.
But back in London. I learned that the "houses" became a little with forged tog-books less safe over the week-end. The Then,
the French Surcle, working hard to tion-existent cars,
undesirable out these organisation would draw the full clear
of petrol Britons, and encouraged by the allowance Visitor's coupons-more than 300 gallons small fry they have caught. have to help for three months. The coupons asked Scotland Yard
bigger fish were resold on the black market them to catch the
with for as much as 55. a gallon.
erost-Channel organisa- tions.
fot
And so it went on for two no Bui there were
miracles, 1 cures.
and
So the
1
come
DUPED CROWD He temper of the audience was hardening They were disappointed. They had prepared for so much, much they had seen were the collee- tion envelopes passed furtively from hand to hand.
#11
!This
Among the English racketeers Is an ex-Army private. In three- years of fraud, rabbery, deals, and confidence tricks, b hus amassed a fortune which French police belleve must run into millions of franes, francs equal £1)
(1,060
Arms And Planes
ABLES have been intercepted both sides of the Channel, and telehpane conversation have been tapped. From some of these
French police report: 'We are all baffled- these crooks are so loyal to the bosses..."
were called there from England and Rame by the 'Englishman and his French partner, dun! It heads of the organisation.
not to be an ordinary smuggling job; it was plain robbery.
was
Six brand new Hawker Tem-
fighter-bombers pest
were known to be dying from Eng- land, bought by the Pakistan Government as part of the alr force they are now building. The planes left England Just crossed Christmas, before France. and were due to land at an airfield near Rome for refuelling.
two of them English-and the planes were to take off early one morning for Palestine. Ready money for them had been promised there, in any currency the organisation pre- ferred.
Bus-
The plan failed because off- cials in Rome became pielous of the attention paid to the planes. Day and night guards were provided, the Italian police were informed, and the pilots and agents dis- appeared-lootless-from city.
the
The tall. distinguished-look- Ing Englishman drank one champagne, called for another glass. Very sad
Scotland
The most popular colours for women are light browns and blondes, but men prefer dark brown with a mahogany tinge...
Grey Hairs Added Men frequently have a few grey hairs added to their wigs as they get older, but women never do.
Hair for wigs is seldom dyed.
Jet black hair is scarce, but ocensionally be bought
and the it is blended. Yard Army's
Investigation Special Branch have been checking the can deals but gigantic briben and Wie "loyal"
underlings block way to absolute proof of the part he played.
.
from Ireland.
Blue black, grey black, and usual. brown black are more White hair, once it has been cut from the head; goes yellow quickly.
the In a small hotel; under
There are many
more bald of shadow
the Arc de men than bald women, but an Triomphe, Ilves the second-in-average of ten women to one
man wear wips.
command to a Polish racketeer. ife is a good-looking, dark
man
There was a time when you
extraction. of doubtful His house guests are the carri-1 could buy a "beautifully waved
best wig" for 50s. ers of smuggled goods-mostly young ex-R.A.F. officers.
From Britain have come £1 notes by the thousand--smug- gled by sea and alr-for sale black morkel. on the French Back across the Channel have Kone watches and jewellery for "black" sale in England.
The Pole has an Interest In busi- thing," ire a Jewellery and watch said. "We missed £30,000 on ness, and the profits are known that. Never mind, we'll make to have been good in Britain. up for it on something else."
A Million Pounds
MY investigations in Paris sux
A transformation, for people with hair only on the crown of their hands, cost 30s., and toupees, to cover a bald patch and made in all sizes, were 30s. also.
A pin-fringe was 18. 08., and a pin-curl cost only Od. Today, unless you get a National Health wig, you have to pay anything from 12 to 33 guiness.
Loss By Shock
Most women these days have long bob.
their hair styled in People are more sensitive about wearing a wig than they are One thing has been common about any other artificial aid,
often' and the wigmaker is to every Englishman arrested
sense of loyalty. sworn to secrecy, so far-his
This Ja especially so when This quality, which the French grew to admire during the war, people were not born bald, but is now the most frustrating lose their hair suddenly through
gest that there is no reason to doubt his condence. At a aspect of the Surete inquiries. nn illness or through shock.
20-a-head dinner at the Plaza
Many Tank Corps men during
nine
Coventry
Hotel, the seat at the head of
A French police official told the war suddenly lost their hair
women in a the table was occupied by an- other Englishman
hospitul who would me: "Their loyalty-it maddens
during the bombing All we want is evidence found their hair on their pillow laugh at a loss of £30,000.
they are against
*125.
the
men
So the
CX- with
The His illiterate speech and un-working for the big men. But after a heavy air raid.
pores in the head cultured voice would make they will not speak.
panded and contracted people in Britain hesitate to rackets go on."
fright, and the hair simply fell lend him a fiver, but at this
oul. And until that warped sense
Boldness can be hereditary. Paris dinner, with his lieuten- ants and their girl friends, the of loyalty is broken, the los A bold woman had three bald talk was of a million pounds niest bars of Paris will count children who
made
and out of the arms theft of the At Rome, the six planes was to have taken equipment which have vanish-
Pilots were engaged-ed from Germany." place.
among their patrons the para- sites from Britain who prefer Btted with wigs. easy money to honest work.
when de Lord said to him:
Dat's it, feller, fast pray. Go do that thing."
Osborn he gets Brother Call, and he goes round healin' guys and dames an' dat.
one day he rings me "And long distance in Los Angeles- he's in Cleveland, Ohio and he says: Brother Iverson. I've got off to de Coll again. I'm
Brother Osborn sensed their ran Jamalca. Will you come
Browing Indifference. The "And I says: "What can
#tuge, down the back
His battledress is now changed messages, police have deciphered jose, Brother? Where de Lord off the
to a wardrobe of two dozen a code by which illicit dealing in wanna be stairs, and was out in his 34 that's where
Savile Row suits, and the truck arins and planes has been con- are," And before the people praying
the dusty playground could beamed
hin. The show he drove in the Army has been ducted for more than a year. shout after
Most replaced by expensive cars.
of the bigger racket The crowd fell round the table, a cherub in
Paris came into Wax silk shirt and tailored slacks.
In London he became known operators in duped.
big money first really had been
Ye! we did see a miracle in for black market whisky deals. their
plancs, first last year when arms, hall-In Parts he made his that hot, heavy-aired
other war supplies were taking credulity. The fortune working for a man re- and the miracle I arrived
Two hours miracle was that the audience puled to have made a million "disappearing regularly from Soviet Army and not argu-, Berlin, if they ask for an op- Ford tati
rise and rend these
pounds on deals in arms and England, America, and almost ing back. opening did not advertised time the streets round about prophets without performance.
The miracle is that the hall people. with jamined were Women beat on my car doors. was full the next day.
Yessir! So here we
little Brother Iverson
WHEN
L
school
ahend of
HYSTERIA
at
ان
car in
AMERICA TODAY
By C. V. R. Thompson
Dean
lot of these
NEW YORK. "I began to discover that
people of wealth Acheson,
are not deserving of what they of State
possess."+ who dresses like Anthony
M Secretary
in the US..
nTe
hilling
equipment from Germany
every European country,
have all been
~~~M.S.
ROLY POLY EBERT SITS WONDERING
LD Fritz led Germany to freedom. But his son is the
orders from
#1
his
BY DANIEL DELUCE
Factory at Detroit, and pointment. From
early other sights on a U.S. trip in
he 1927. days as a Socialist editor, A roly-poly little man in
currles over a friendly attitude. hla In the bar of the George V. wrinkled, green suit, Friedrich Palleemen don't hover at
door. the Berlin City office
You're greeted Money came quickly to the
he went into Hotel in Paris I was told by a Ebert sits in ex-private, so
account. tall, distinguished looking Eng- Hall on Parochial Strasse and with a smile, not frowning sus-
whether the political plcian. business on his own
most wonders of the of one
having his father's People who are n few thousand lishman
recent "deals" in planes which magic of
It is like a reunion with some- them put name is a blessing or a curse. lighter for knowing him francs
་ was planned.
times false issues "Sometimes when have a body you've met many say he posed as the relative of
the well-meaning. an English nobleman.
very difficult problem," Ebert before:
Socialists in Iron- He Is He recruited girls. English and about the deal; it did not come says. "I ask myself whot
my earnest planning Continental, to get him Introduc. off,
The plans father, the first President of the Curtain countries like Hungary mention
tried last November, tions to well-known moneyed came to nothing.
with the Com: to co-operate were laid in Paris, and agents German Republic, would have and Czechoslovakia who people in Parle.
munists. How many still sur-
Usual Technique THE ex-private's usual tech- nique was to collect a large against forged sum of money
No onc Lave, him securities. away.
Eden, beat President Tru- poOTLEGGERS man in the annual contest D the trails out of Kansas for for the ten best-dressed men Oklahoma and Mississippi, the only two U.S. States which are of still dry. Kansas, the cradle Guild prohibition, has gone wet The Custom Tailors chose Acheson as No. 1 in the the first time in 60 years, and
State-owned the from now
af shops will get the £15 million exploited by the ex-private.
for
Wis
The negligible risk of exposure guaranteed by involving
In people "respectable"
and it was further
wine-schemes,
a year business upon which the
Government section for "aggressiveness and poise" his clothes.
Truman, who has a high re- bootleggers have been flourish-
American ing these lant 09 years. putation
among tailors as a man of fashion,
was runner-up.
his
mar arranged zame This "robberies" in Paris, promising big profil on the proceeds. The scenes of the robberies have
FIREMEN poured 300 gallons actually been flats belonging to Clark Gable won the Holly- of water on a burning lorry confederates, and when Die finla wood division and was praised for his "skill in selecting clothes at Zephysville, in the heart of have been broken into" the ex- orange country, but private has quickly collected the for the "priceless to accentuate his rugged man- Florida's
the fire went on burning. Then money liness."
He was just a lapel ahead of Richard Widmark,
MAR JOSEPH UIHLEIN mado M£300,000 last year.
And 73. But Mr
they hooked up their hoses to jewellery" "inken. a tank Alled with orange juico
and the fire went right out.
DUSINESS
In Paris today quite a few people who hoped to make enty money are wondering what to do with a pile of fake jewellery.
U.S. men in the are becoming Just as an- Mr Uihlein is
"It is so easy," the ex-private from
told me when I met him at an Uihlein has resigned from his xlous over competition
business men great Milwaukee browery, and Japan pa British
to are over competition from Ger- hotel on the Champs Elysees. "I always pick on the people his great. Milwaukee bank,
many.
Top men in all the industries who are afraid to report me His plans are to form a
bombard because they have made money for American white involved decided to union
on shady deals themselves." for Said he: "Washington with requests collar workers.
Xa Interrupted our talk to Japanese silks six million an embargo on bollave five
English friend. on prevent "coolio telephone Americans can better their lot and rayons to
become a labour organiser.
10
by joining up. I havo been labour competing with the high "I'm going to the races today," of American work-ba said. "Do you know any
Jockeys there we can fix?!....
thinking about this for about 15 standards o
men."
YESTE
The Englishman was sad
and weeks of
INTELLIGENCE TEST
Not a happy evening
done.
"But he died 24 years ago vive?.. and condilons are very dif- ferent today. I ask what would Old Fritz have done, But there is no answer."
Soviet-controlled press him as a great democrat.
The run by hails but Ebert Committee.
Mrs.
by T. O. HARS Twas not a happy even-
Ing." wrote
"Wo March to a friend.. made up two tables at Bridge with the Aprils, the Mays and, the Junes. It was agreed that each husband should be partnered by the wife of one of the others. "The first incident was when Bill April rofused to play with Mrs, June. Then Mr. June, who was playing the hand at Six Spades, revoked--and, of course, blamed me. It's always Dummy's fault if Doclarer revokes," he said, Next, Mrs. May accused my husband of taking a peep at her cards Finally, Flora led out of turn when my partner was playing another Slam contract; and there was such a rumpus that the rubber was aban doned.
Who was Flora's partner?
Solution on Page 13
~
he
when the house in Potsdam Berlin democratic bloc sudden- ly picked him. It can be taken. for granted he was cleared in advance with the Soviet Army.
Rumour has it that the Com- munists gave him no choice but "If I know anything about to accept the Lord Mayorship. Americans, I know the majorly They needed his name. But want to live in peace with the there are indications they have world,"
says. "Most of been nervous over a West Ber- common sense above in whispering campaign that
take Ebert would
the first of prestige."
chance to flee to Western Ger- careful, however, to many.
visit to Moscow his
from
"We saw the
demonstration
P
It takes him 90 minutes to drive to the
from City Holl "We were a group of dele- Potsdam, because his choufleur makes a long detour around the gates
the German People's Council. Herr Molotov Intervening American sector,
} BERT'S felong allegiance invited us to a banquet on the was to the Social Democratic anniversary of the revolution. fe repeals the Socialist Unity general political Party of his father until he left We were Germans, but were Party line on
with the Com allowed on an equal social foot- questions. Allied nuthorities and Wes- for merger
In 1946. Out of
Berlin blockade? "We aren't iting with all foreign diplomatic tern Germany newspapers call munists
blockading anyone. The Allied Ebert
came the Socialist Unity Party, guests. We appreciated it, a stooge, puppel and
Moscow-tralned. Reds,
'oirlift is a waste. We've offered Quisling of Communism.
is on the Centra
to supply all necessities to all Berliners, if they'll register for In Red Square. First come a
of the Russian Wehr- tallons in the East sector. About He manages to chuckle when, march
have done 80," 100,000 The Rusalan occupation army
and Ebert gives he is now Lord you ask if
a matcht," has recognised him as
slight shrug, then the Wehr- (2,200,000 live in West Berlin). Mayor of Greater Berlin since Communist. He retorts:
macht was followed by a huge a self-called "democralle bloc"
COMPROMISE? "Either the "According to my definition, a parade of the people, the youth, mechanical chose him by n
-proelical the women, the workers. That A Western powers must live up- Is n show of hands at an opera- Communist
Socialist. And I'm a Socialist. we really enjoyed."
to the Potsdam agreement, house rally last November.
We all stand on the Communist
they must withdraw their gar- and The Germona were lodged
risons. Talks of including Ber Hole), Manifesto, which Marx
at the Moskva
the Engels wrote a' century ago."
lin in a West German State la, Busstan capital. ridiculous. the best in
could you How Ebert wears horn-rimmed Ebert says he carried away a
carve a corrider for 100 miles 10 Ilkes a social drink, "deep Impression of the firm through Eastern Germany a long time: "It is an error to glasses, think that the early evacuation dabbies fn gardening, collects unity of the Soviet people with th of Russian troops from North copper etchings, regrets he
Mayer's personal. Koren will hold good for this too busy to use all his free
The Lord and
describing But he hedges an abhora ilckets, more testre Gormnify la country.
smoking. He
Com the Soviet standard of living, staff is exclusively women. Two complicated"
muniht press photoftspher who Instead he tells of the high an attend him, which, he is inter
viewed, and they take notes. Ifo <TI But he adds:
women should have all entered the Lord Mayor's office thusiasm of Russian workers.
BOYB foreign armies would leave at one day with a lighted cigarette.
admits he was not a larger shore in Berlin's govern- Ignored We need a peace treaty At the same time, he
of Berlin when he ment because they outnumber and one Germany again. We a large cigar being smoked by clilzen
popped up as Lord Mayor of men by 30 percent. need rescue from being hand an American cameraman.
what the Allies call a Com-
Hó says lio rarely sees Major- cuffed to the tug-of-war
Ebert exhibits a warm spot in munist rump government.
Alexander Kolikov, the General President of He was for non-political. heart
the Brandonburg State Parliament. Soviet Commandant. "He has the He had just finished building a his work: I havo mine."
All sides agree he has a hot seat in the "cold war."
the Ebert himself Soviet Army to be around for
once.
expects
tween West and East."
wish
be-
It has been relatively easy his for Allied correspondents to see Americans, having visited Ebert in the Russian sector of skyscrapers of Manhattan,
15 their government."
Ebert
ОЕ
a