1960-06-07 — Page 6

Page

Nothing but the

truth...

W name?

is your fuit

This week the Beau Brummell of the stage. The man who glitters in spangled suits and woos us unashamedly with senti- ment-- LIBERACE.

QUESTIONS BY

Legally Liberace is my tull GORDON JACKSON

name, but Wladziu Valentino Liberace,

Christened I was

What nationality were your parents?

My father was Italien, my mother was Polish,

Let us say I could have been

Why have you never married? I haven't Simply because found the right mate.

flow many proposals of marriage have you had? married several times it I had My father was a professional wanted to, many on a trial basis. musician

he played the But my religion doesn't permit French horn -- and my mother 11. I don't believe in divorce. an amateur musician. She play ed the plano.

Were they musical?

Where were you born? Milwaukee, Wisconsin. How old are you?

Forty-one.

What do you weigh? One hundred and pounds.

Are you slimming?

THE CHINA MAIL, TUESDAY, JUNE ZNK1960.

THE TERROR OF FANLING

RECEIVED so many letters, concerning the

article I wrote about the tiger at Fanling, that I am convinced that my efforts to restore the records of the Colony are of interest to many besides myself.

I could not hope to reply to everyone, but 1 Iwould have replied in these columns earlier, had I

not received an assignment to Japan.

However, with thanks everyone, here goes:

to

The tiger's head still exists, it hangs in the Central Police Station, I hope I am not telling tales out of school when I report it needs a new set of teeth. since, so I am informed, a cer- taln mess night.

I think Mr K. M. A. Barnet: had some other beast in mind when he recalls seeing the Bur- lingham Tiger in the Museum of the old City Hall, By the time the tiger reached Hongkong, it was beyond the repair of the taxidermist. Thanks also to Mr Dewer who called the tiger a lion, and said that its head still graces the portals of Central Police Station.

My report was accurate enough, but in one detail. I could be said to have written in a matmer not in keeping with the tragedy of the subject. That was concerning Sergeant Goucher, But the information I had at the time did not mention the tragic consequences of the tiger's attack as far as Sergeant Goucher was concerned.

The report I now give is based upon a report made at the time by Mr S. H. Peplow, sometime in the District Office of the New Territories South, with a few details received from people who recall the incident one way or another.

So remote was Fanling in the year 1915, that it was not until early Tuesday, March 9th

the netes 1915, that

MOS

brought to town that a. Euro- pean Sergeant of Police had been badly mauled by a tiger the day before.

Details

Later in the day detalls were gathered of two desperate en- counters with the beast.

By:

JOHN

LUFF

This is what happened, About two months previously, spoor of a tiger bad been the seen in the neighbourhood be tween Fanling and Shengshui.

The country was thickly wooded affording ample cover for such a large beast while the local livestock provided food for such a savage hunter,

The Chinese villagers kept coming in with reports concern- ing a tiger, but "tiger" was shouted so often, that none took the matter seriously.

Clamour

But

the SO certain were Chinese on this occasion hav Sergeant Goucher decided to do something about it, so he and Constable Hollands set out quite unbelieving, but determined to satisfy the clamour of the vil- lagers.

It would seem that the police men considered the tiger to be a large wild cat or a savage dog at the worst.

carried

Sergeant Goucher only a shotgun; Hollands a very light revolver.

The Chinese led the two policemen to a small thicket where the animal was said to have been last seen,

But there was nothing to indicate the presence of the The policemen were tiger.

THE

HE terror of Fanling, which was killed after two policemen lost their lives, seen with a background of Police, reporters and onlookers. In the picture, old residents of the Colony will recognise Mestri Tim Murphy (Police), W. G. Fitzgibbon (PWD), J. Tevnaŋ (H.K. Telegraph), T. C. Wilken (S.C.M. Post), and F. Khapton (China Mail).

animal

But the revolver was so small that its bullets were more or less

the ineffective against huge beast..

emptied his revolver at close Kowloon and was taken across lowing particulars of the tiger range into the body of the the Harbour to the Civil Hospi- mentions that the body of the

lal in Hongkong. Here he died beast was riddled with bullets.

Feet Inches three days later.

Length (tip to tip) 8 Height to withers 3 Paw (across) Fore Leg Hond (around) Girth

Mr Burlingham led his men to the tiger's lair. They were heavily armed as they closed in and commenced åring.

However, the tiger considered it had had enough for the time Reports say the tiger was hit being, and it retreated to the several times, but such was the thicket

badly nature of the beast that it de- Tail leaving the mauled Goucher behind,

elded to turn on its attackers.

Deserted

€

$

1

9

1

The carcase weighed 28 lbs:

A grow!

Severely wounded, it sprang from its lair-and before any-

"The head of the beast is now one could do anything, it had

the Hongkong Museum," struck P. C. Rutton Singh to the in ground, and bilten him through writes Mr Peplow,

told the head

Mr

Charles Terry

down on the Kowloon water front, waiting for the craft that would carry them with their burden to Hongkong.

While waiting, the process of occasioned the decompositio tiger to half rise and release a muffled growi before it fell back to its former lifelen, state,

But this was enough for the coolies. They fled and abandon- ed their burden, Several people have told me of Mr Burlingham who was associated with the ccident, and that he died only a few years ago.

Mr John P. Prettijohn of

By this time, the heath was deserted save for the injured Goucher, the scared Hollands, and two Indian constables who had hastened to their assistance, The police report gives the me the following: The tiger was the staff of the South China A report was sent to Mr following times. Reports of the brought to Hongkong by train, Morning Post told me that he Burlingham and he hastened to tiger's progress made to the and carried by coolles, as shown covered the occasion when the the scene with a party of con- Police on Sunday, March 7, in the photograph I published ashes of Mr Burlingham were returned to the Colony to be Constable Hollands, at con- stables.

1915. The tiger was attacked with the original article.

Talpo The coolies carried the tiger scattered over Sergeant Goucher was placed and killed on Monday, March 8. siderable risk to his own per- Son, ran up to the tiger and upon a special train leaving for Mr Peplow in giving the fol- from the train, and then set it, district he loved so well.

In the first instance, Sergeant Goucher was seriously injured, about to enter the thicket when

two one of

the Chinese throw a his arm being broken in

side clod of earth into the bushes. places, and his back and

With a terrible roar, the tiger were most dreadfully lacerated.

In the second tragic encoun- sprang out, and fixing its claws What is your religion?

ter, P. C. Ruttan Singh was into the Sergeant's shoulder, I am a Roman Catholic.

Ikilled outright, the tiger spring threw him to the ground, Why does your act appealing upon him and biting him through the head as he lay help mainly to middle-aged women?

Your question is based on old less upon the ground. hearsay, I don't think it does appeal mainly to middle-aged

eighty women. You have only to go and look in the audience to see the mixture of sexes and age

entertainment groups. My aimed at the family.

I have slimmed but i am not trying to lose weight any more, I am probably as thin as I will

be. I used to be 284 pounds.

Why did you start wearing flashy suits?

It started subtly at first and then the publie caught on to it and it became a part of the showmanship of my set. They scented to enjoy it.

What do they cost you? They range from....none un der 1,500 dollars. The most ex- pensive cast 10,000 dollars.

is

Who is your favourite com- poser?

Chopin and Liszt. Of the

This fascinating new

THIS is a fascinating

moment in the life

modems, I like Forter and of Muriel Spark — a Gerstmyin.

moment when the world,

Don't you feel twinges of

conscience at adapting the having been blankly in classics to your own purpose? different for years, sud- denly begins to applaud and reward her.

adapt them to the taste of

my audience. The people who follow me are not necessarily musical purists,

How much do you earn? From entertainment, which would include personal

-Do newspaper descriptions pearances. records and TV. like ogling, winking, sickening, about a million dollars a year. wriggling, affect you?

How biz Is your personal wardrobe?

About 40 suits.

I think as long as they pre- sent someone else's observations they don't upset me. As long

they are £9

not vulgar in describing me, or below the belt criticisms.

Do erities?

She, in case you don't read novels, is one of the brightest and wittiest literary arrivals for a long time. And at the age of

40 she is learning at last what it is like to be successful und prosperous.

What is your favourite food? A musical?

I prefer a Continental menu, Her new novel, The Ballad Your feelings at of Peckham Rye, is selling mer- What were being asked to perform at the rily. There is talk of making it newspaper Royal Variety Show, and meet into a musical. Americans are you bate

Ing the Royal family?

buying her books. She has ad- No, I never hated them. It was the greatest thrill of other novel coming out in Brt There was only one that I was my life. disturbed about sufficiently

What is your favourite lelspro activity? take action against.

to

How long are you staying in Britain?

Until the end of August, Have you brought your special plano and candelabra with you?

Yes,

arrival in the

world of books

by

M. THOMPSON

travel. I've never even been to Parls, or anywhere like that. I've only been 10 Continent once I went to Austria last

summer with friends. All my friends seem to have been everywhere.

,

'Hopeless... "I've learned

The house is one of those tall, being successful and prosperous prim properties where Camber still looks rather flimsy and in- well has tried to be a bit above substantial. itself. Muriel Spark lives on the my lesson," she said.

"It seems strange. All the top floor. Her room has a single off-centre window with a pros- and s cigarette; small, plainly I wrote about take their foreign She sat with a gings of whisky little working girls of Peckham Pect of back gardens.

Was she not enticed by some Ing with a hint of tension.

and darkly dressed, good-look- holidays quite naturally, and I

have hardly been anywhere." (and It is not easy to predict what more chic

expensive)

There was a certain irony in Well, it does seem strange. all this will mean to a woman address, I wondered, now that

This, for Mrs Spark-she was married at who has slogged away obscurely the daily problem of being hard what she told me.

21 was not com- for year after year. Even so, I up had disappeared? She sadd example, is not what one ex- 18, divorced soon after, and has Dors. Are you very friendly?

was frankly rather surprised to she wasn't, she found life quiet pects to hear from a successful, a son now

worldly-wise, witty novelist: plaining, though. She chose her Yes, I have known her for ind her still living in an un- and peaceful in Camberwell.

own life. some considerable time. She is sophisticated and neutral-hued And after so many years of

Swimming.

I understand you know Diana

very charming.

tain in October.

corner of South London

being

"I've never had any money,

never been able

poor, this business of no I've

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to

She could have made a steady, humdrum career in any one of a dozen jobs she has had, but they were only temporary expedients to support hersel. She was determined to be a writer.

the

Muriel Spark and book-after poverty comes applause. And some writers who al- servation, inhabit her most sus- For years the lived by her ready knew maccess gave her cessful novel shorthand and typing while she money to live on. One of them "I hope to make a long trip produced rather scholarly books, was Graham Greene, whom she this year," she told me, "to the studies of 19th century authors: has still met only otice.

Holy Land

Israel." As a and occasional abort stories.

Catholic with a Jewish father, "I worked in all sorts of And as she convalesced in her the terms come, interchange. offices,"

she said. "I can't cottage a letter arrived from a ably to her. remember them all. There was young but far-sighted publisher

·

"That is a theme I want to

a tea Arm, a conning Armi, a who had admired one of her tackle one day in a novel the publishing firm.

short stories. He was Alan half-Jew: So far I think of my- "I was always very good for Maclean, of Macmillans.

self as having written only about a fortnight. Then they

would offer me more responsi-

"So many half-Jews deny their Jewishness, and that akusta

Would she, he asked without minor povels. Perhaps that

would be a big theme, novel? bility and perhaps even more warning, wribe him a money, and I would suddenly With royalties in advance? become absolutely hopeless. I suppose I just didn't want to door. Mrs Sparks began at once a door on something valuable, make progress that way."

So painful

It was like the opening of

although she had never thought on that great spiritual stamina

of writing a novel before. And of the Jews in the new world which the Her ideas

door led to, she found hersel Every time she sold a short wonderfully at home.

The book she has just finished

inside two pionibade

story or an article, she gave That first novel was written written at her usual, sprinter a notice and lived on the cheque with exhilarating speed. It had pace, while it lasted are

a reasonable success. She wrote about the bachelons of Landon. Then for two years she de- another. More success. And an- There are so many of them, cided to live only on her writ other

she says, "with their funny kitie

ing. Her income never rose So, suddenly, the pattern ways and eccentric ideas doing above 25 a week; “Aske

changed.

The critics offered their own, shopping and washing The experiment was a painful, flattering words to be quoted on out their socks in hand-brass.” one. It ended gwhen ber health the book-jackets; ("Brilliant”........... broke down. And there she Evelyn Waugh that kind of of ideas for books wit 111, penfleas, uaonloyed.

thing.) Sales are, rising,

Stil, the bad triends and per- PUNAK KA M

And her mind la always; full

write one day be bro

"As a matter of fact""" she ple who believed in her talent,

Mrs Spark, who walled our sounding a little be- She had lately become a Ramen a long time for all this, is slay wildered, "novel writing to the Catholic (Chew halt-Tewis ng contiously in Camberwell castest thing I have ever done by birth) and the Carmelites She owes South London ay and I still have the feel- helped her. They offered a pot-, debt, anyhow, for it provided ing that anything worthiphite is lage in Kerk, very teclated and her with the character who, zone with car les liquor deve

beneath her burning-glam ob