1948-04-17 — Page 4

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 1948.

SENTENCED TO DIE

had a elgarette and the T 16 minutes past seven Camb

on the evening of Mon. three began to talk

Camb mentioned that he had day, March 22, in the tipped First of the Dandles for the wondered if hushed court at Winchester Grand National He

anyone had had enough confidence to back it.

At 10 pm, the warders changed again. He would be there when they camo again.

By now he is getting to know his warders by their Christian names. The atmosphere is friendly, but everything Camb does is noted in

Assizes, James Camb, 31-year old deck steward in the Durban Before midnight the governor a logbook.. Castle, was sentenced to death visited him and found the three

playing three-handed men for the murder of Ellcen "Gay" whist. Camb played keenly. Gibson,

He showed no emotion as he heard he was to be hanged, but stared unwaveringly at the

Then judge's black cap. warder touched him lightly on the arm and motioned him to the door behind..

He turned, knocking the high chair on which he had been sit- ting for four days, and passed through the door with a blue- uniformed warder in front and

Every movement is accounted for. solo When he gets up, what he says, the toilet room. times of visits to his reaction to food.

In the early hours of the morn- ing he went to bed, donning the grey-coloured prison pyjames. The light remained on. The warders on the hard sa sat uncomfortably wooden chairs, rending and watch Ing. Camb slept.

Through the night the chief officer and the ofleer of the watch made cell. They merely looked through a visit. But they did not enter the the grille. Camb slept on.

At 7 am, the prison stirred. As the sound of heavy shoes clump- ing along the stone-flagged corridors echoed into the cell Camb gol up.

His breakfast was bacon and fried bread brought in and served on a

behind him. The only sound in plate. On another plate were slices the court Was the jingling of the war- ders' key chains hang-

ing from their belts.

What happens

A note is made of which books he

reads, and for how long, the time of ils exercise periods, what card games are played.

le is allowed ten cigarettes a day, of beer. He inkes and one pint half a pint with lunch, and the other

the same, half in the evening.

Every day his routine will be Ile is allowed visitors, but, so for, only his solicitor has been to see him.

Not once will any other prisoner

see him, or any other warder apart from the six on the condemned cell detail,

Nothing will change unless ho makes a request for a change of

The small door when a man walks

closed behind them

through a door out

and the three walked along £1 linoleum- covered passage with dark brown three-ply walls, up four steps and then down thir- white- teen into washed brick corridor, lit by naked bulbs.

#

of the life of

No word was spoken as the thrée descended another thirteen steps, but Camb's hend began to droop a little.

At the end of the passage Camb was motioned into the cell in which he had taken his meals during the trinl.

He walked in, collapsed on the wooden bench at the end of the cell, buried his face in his hands and wept.

For 30 minutes he sat there is hands pressed to his head, his face hidden.

When a car arrived he was told to get up.

His hair. hitherto immaculately was disordered, his face brushed, streaked with tears.

The gates close...

dlet, diferent games, or more, cigarettes. At the discretion of the governor any of these requests may be granted. Camb has no

the

cept by hours of his

menns

The last time he was able to tell the time.ne- curately was when he saw the black-and-gold clock in the court, when

men the hands pointed to 16

of bread and margarine. By its side was a pint mug of tea.

The unea was already.cut up end Camb was given a fork and spoon with which to eat.

Then he washed and was shaved by one of the prison officers. All traces of the emotion he had shown the night before had vnuished. He was immaculate

ogain

minutes past seven.

The Camb case will live in crime records because it was that rarity, a trial without a body.

'The prosecution alleged that

pushed and

through the porthole.

her body

she died in Camb pleaded that He began

his arms from natural causes, and becoming scared, he pushed her body through the porthole,

to talk of his appeal.

At 8.30 am., when the rest of the prisoners had been put to work, he

was taken

out into the yard for exercise. For 30 minutes he walked round one conner of the yard which is not overlooked by any windows.

With him went his two warders.

No thrillers

asked expressing a

ATER in the morning he

for some books, desire for fiction. They were brought to him. But no thrillers were among them. These are the only books he is not allowed.

He read for a while. lay on his bed and sometimes chatted to the

trial and of his confidence in ac-

steadily DUT he walked

into a courtyard in which a saloon car warders. Often he spoke of his was waiting for him, every window of it covered with black material. quittal. The ductor visited him Ho was put into the back seat. be- before lunch and asked him if he tween his two warders. Another sat had everything he wanted. He in the front with the driver.

Less than two minutes later the asked for some writing paper and

car arrived at the great green gates Winchester Prison. The gates swung open and closed again as the car passed through.

Camb was taken to reception office.

the prison

He had been there before, of course, when first admitted to the prison. But then he was presumed innocent. Ile now had to register again—a

prisoner convicted murder.

of

It was after 9 p.m. The other prisoners were locked in their cells,

all lights were out.

up

Camb and his guards walked In to the darkened courtyard, flight of outside stairs and into the condemned cell,

fila face was pale, but he spoke

to the warders as the cell door was locked.

12ft room

CITTING on the spring bed, with Its two white sheets and three blankets, ho looked around the place where he will live until he dies unless bis appeal succeeds or he is reprieved.

room. 12 feet

saw a

His eyes square, with cream painted walls,

a table, and three chairs.

envelopes.

H

"That's mon all ovor-ignore any now fashion and stick to the old."

NIJINSKY-NOW

FIS round face, with the high, balding forehead and cheeks puckered in a fixed, querulous amile, gives him the air of a benevolent, elderly, quizzical doll.

His bright, brown eyes dance into and away from you, while his fingers rapidly open and close in a series of nervous,

For nearly 30 years Nijinsky has been dead to the world that hailed him as its greatest Now, in a dancer. Surrey retreat, he finds hope of a new life,

by

MILTON

SHULMAN

Between 1910 and 1938 Nijinsky

Romola

to

scorched the world for n cure for her husband. "Psychin- trists like Jung. Adler and Freud could

nothing. I despair I turned to fakirs, healers, Christian

even took him Science. Lourdes," Mrs Nijinsky told me.

Then, in 1933, she found the only treatment Bhat

In- halpesi "shock Section" insulin. By this method the patient is dolly put into a deep conta in which only the circulatory functions remain, respiratory

result is to "shock"

and

of

"knock

His voleo seldom rises above a mutter and rarely says Cab killed Gay Gibson in a £t of spasmodic movements. passion

more than "oul" or "non." But even age and the prosulic. jacket uneasily-fitting sports and grey flannels, have failed to hide the essential grace and litheness of the short, slim body of Vaslav Nijinsky--the great- est dancer the world has seon. Talking to him at his retreat Most moving incident of the

near Egham, Surrey, it is difi- trial was when Gay Gibson's mother cult to conceive of this shy, our interpreter, Nijinsky told the ideal location for such an in- went into the witness box to defend inconspicuous little man as the me how much he had seen for stitution." Mrs. Nijinkky said, "My lectured, wrote and used her family her daughter's honour..

centre of violent controversics Mr. Ernest Thurtle, M. P., on that shook the artistic world or the first time, and that his husband would advise on chorco- funds to Annnco these.

The body, which would havo decided definitely which version was the truth, could not be produced.

reading her evidence, wrote these lines in n Sunday paper to express the feeling of all parents:

She stood there, pale, tense and

defiant,

moment.

The questions flowed: her answers

came back unfalteringly. shortly "I am proud to be my daughter's

as mother."

Toas no!

Junch was served after noon, In the same way breakfast, the warders sitting away "That from the table watching him cat

At p.in. the warders changed. Two new

conduct."

daughter's

were "You would not belleve' it if you inen came in. had known my daughter." and Camby said "Cheerio" to the two "My daughter had too much pride." leaving.

was And so the defiant answers ran on

Another

exercise period

attowed him at 4 p.m., followed by his last meal of the day, a stew with more bread and "tea"

Playing solo

ROM then he remained in his cell for 16 hours, until his first exercise period on the following day at 8.30 am.

To break the monatory he played Occasionally cards, sometimes solo cribbage. When he tired of thot, he read one of the books slacked on the little wooden stand.

with

became

•

WUR

Tiormal. the patient out of his schizophrenin. After 270 of such infretions-Mre Nijinsky believes no other human has had us many-the doncer was scharged from his Swiss sana- -torium os At to take up a normal

life once more.

Throughout these years Romola

for Nijinsky.

treatments

was

Dr-

In addition friends no such a project To sponsor favourite actress was Paulette Eraphy and teaching."

name

me is more fitting than that of gave them generous donations and

Д Nijinsky Foundation the early twentieth century to Goddard.

Nijinsky's. For balletomanes still its delicate foundations.

Although the Nijinskys neak in awed tones of his entrechat Ennised in London to help care for

at him. came to England last Novem- dix, in which he leaped in the air

In 1940 they left Switzerland for his feet ten times before Italy. ber, Vaslav has not visited crossing

In 1941 they fled from Yugo He has at landing again; or of his single cat- like bounds which carried him from

the sight of the Russian folk-doncing: In the witness box to defend the FOR ten years-from 1909 to London often.

honour.

1919-Vaslav Nijinsky hold tended a few concert and sen one end of the stage to the other slavia to Budapest, and when the of her dead child, this was her an incredulous world spellbound a performance by the Indian or of his trick of halting in flight Germans took over the Hungarian

the magic, beauty, ori- dancer, Ram Gopal. "I liked and remaining polsed in mid-air for capital in 1944 they hid in

forester's hut on the Austro-Hun- ginality and technical perfection him very much" Nijinsky said. a fraction of a second.

Born in Kiev in 1890 to parents garlan frontier. The last few weeks of his dancing.

"He is exotic. Very different."

were both dancers, young of the war were spent sheltering On fine days ha strolls about, the who

places like Vaslav Nijinsky danced at the age-in some mountain caves to which a Gr visits Then suddenly, with critics

countryside

Accepted into the exclu group of Carmelite nuns had taken acclaiming him and impresarios Windsor Castle and Hampton Court of three.

thesive Russinn Imperial School of them. fooding him with offers, this in the evening he listens to

classical and tango Dancing when he was 10, his ability soon recognised and by the was, dancing time he was 18 he brillant light was dimmed. He radio, with

morbid, music giving him the most delight. mystical,

leading roles opposite such famous THEN the Russians arrived. They Pavlova and Karsavina. Halled Nijinsky as one of their ballerinas strange. Late in 1919, just 29

Russian Grand and the A quarrel with

heroes. They took him to parties. apart from music DUT years of age, Nijinsky was de

д about costume

was

the sight of the Russian folk-duncing terest in anything about him. He has wearing

from the Imperial, did what medical treatment had tim of schizophrenia.

But that was almost 30 years never heard of Hitler or Stalin, and suspended

time has the political and military develop Theatre. The result was the formu failed to do. They stimulated him Since then

the Impressario Sergel into dancing again in public-light- ago.

past three decades tion-by Today ments of the worked its wonders.

heartedly, informally and

casily he danced before his own people. you might find the same Nijin- remain a shrouded mystery in his Diaghilev-of the now-famous Bal-

mind.

"We have thought it best lot Husse.

With Nijinsky as its star this To Vienna Marshal Konlov him," sky-a timid, harmless, smiling

dancers burst brought

Russian ballet company of Itusslan Mrs. Nijinsky told

artistic world Nijinsky came as a guest of honour. man-quietly enjoying the local keep these things from

shaft of sunlight Not only did he attend the per- cinema

At present Nijinsky and his wife upon the European at Egham which

the foundation like a brilliant a week. are planning

1911 they left form

formances, bu! he haunted the visits

once or twice

each hearsal. For him the Lea Speaking & hesitant, almost in- of an international theatre of the from the, East. In

and turn, would perform, study audible, Russian and French to dance. Here all great artists of the Russia. Nijinsky was never to re-

England

Not the least interesting part Sylphides one of Nijinsky's greatest nged his wife Romola, who acted as compose., "We think

little, of Nijinsky's life is the story of his triumphs-and

tears at the marriage to Romola do Pulski, a dancer wept grateful Hungarian society girl who became beauty and charm of the ballerina 50 fascinated by his dancing that Ulanova. she followed the Ballet Russe all through. Europe merely to be near him. In Buenos Alres, hardly having

to the end.

The mother stepped down. She had

kept faith with her child.

"if I were drowned in the

dreptat sea.

Mother of mine, O mother

o', mine!

I know whose tears would

come down to me, Mother of mine, O mother

o' mine!"

Tom Tullett

he

clared incurably insane, a vicdance, Nijinsky takes little in- Luke resulted in Nijinsky being The sound of the balalaikas and

he

ballet

inc.

You might as well say that

THIS business of the Gunte- malans and the Argentinos

They saw a triangulor shaped claiming that bits of our Empire

wooden stand with two

shelves, really belong to them scrubbed white by hundreds of

some interesting issues, former

prisoners, which he will use

for his toilet articles.

raises

If every Tom Dick, and Pedro

They saw a little, frosted window, is going to start hoisting his high up in the wall, with thick flag on our land we ought to look over the title deeds to find

bars shadowed behind.

They saw three doors, and the out who will be next. entrance to the cells, with a grille

four feet from the floor, one leading

to the toilet, and one

to the scaffold.

Any day now we may have the New Zealand. Belgians claiming lending

They've just as good a case as the

New Zealand is Belgium's!

by BERNARD WICKSTEED

The warders took off their caps Guatemalans have to British Hon- nationals who'd

buccaneers, mutineers.

is

and Pitcairn by our

Are we going to stand by now and watch our gazetteers changed by racketeera? "No. (Three cheers.).

wo are not.

Who

Let's take Guatemala first. are the Guatemalans? They are the Inhabitants of a Central American Republic which didn't come into existence until 1830. The territory of ours they are claiming was first occupied by us. in 1038, and we've been there ever since. That makes British Honduras 201 years older the than the country that is claiming it.

Robinson Crusoe

the

theatre for 10 days

the

and

IN the quiet and seclusion of the

spoken-more-than a few English countryside the mists that words to cach other, since they had becloud the mind of Nijinsky are

no common language, they were slowly dissipating. Some day, it is married. Their daughter, Kyra, in hoped, he will once more regain the teaching stature, the ability and the gifts that at present dancing and ballet in Italy.

were his.

American Anglo:

Who Told Pearson?

By C.V.R. Thompson

and sat down on two of the chairs. Iduras. In 1822 a Belgian baron met cars cut off for some net of treason war of 1812-14. We annexed it two Can you beat that for impertinence are looking for a secrets.

JESTS AND

ween makers.

JEERS

•

Shipwrecked

Or they may.

.

They were .60

Stack's last poem, an odo to, Don Whan from Donna Wanda, ended Pearson with these two lines.

which is on that might

.

This Don is either keen on trugle

posas, "Or living in # garden of

neuroses," Broadway has now found out what Philip Stack

NEW YORK. always yearned to be a writer. had his nose and as a refuge for their ships in

Twenty years ago, he, began send- DRITISH officials in America

ing In poems-melancholy love budding young self-conscious years

poems mostly-to later to stop them using it Indin. Feeling.

lénk again.

columnist Walter Winchell. He a couple of Maoris at Cambridge and in bought the whole of New Zealand about his appearance, ho dropped again.

That is because Drew Pearson, signed them Don Whan, and Win- from them for the price of 30 axe oft at St. Helena sooner than face the

folks at home.

prefer Fiji. On

Leacock, who was a professor as frequently published secret Forelan

successful that heads.

The British didn't take over for July 4, 1862, the Fijians held a fire- NOW for the Argentinos, Stephen the Washington columnist who has chell, printed them."

of his Office cables, has published another Winchell has published one at the As this was 18 years before the

a hundred years, when they cap- works display, and in the course of

"top secrot" master plan top of his column-now read by it o equib set Aro to the house of well as a wit, sald in one Arst British settlers arrived in that tured the place from the Dutch, country, the Belgians could turn

the American consul, burning it to serious books that the South Arnorton-a round and kny the present New

And there's Zanzibar, which the the ground. The Americans calmed cans should think themselves lucky supposed to have been sent by the 26,000,000 people-overy week.

we didn't nek for the whole of the Foreign Office to British officials in • The beat way to make the heavens Zealanders are trespassing.

Germans let us have in exchange £9,000 damages.

Aruentine in the Napoleonic wars Palestine. Is to send up a few rain-

for Hellroland. Now thint we've done

No friend of Britain, As this was more than the Fijians settlements: our best to blow Hellgoland to bits the Germans will be asking for Zan- had got, they offered to ecde tho

We had good grounds for doing tea tho document, We got zibar back.

islands to us if we would pay off so because In 1000 a rear-admiral appraisal of problem

to be faced by evacuating nytting you can make more TIEN there's Bermuda.

not declined money sitting by a telephone than

the Americans. We

called Sir Homo Popham and 1,000 have that through a shipwreck In 1000. the prospector who discovered the One of the passengers in the wreck

In any discussion of a carve-up of wishing of that time to incur any

gest an attempt to Inspire chaos. gold.

'to Actually, the document is out of was Sir George Somers, the Go- Empire, Australia will cause an end- American debts. As far as I can men landed at Buenos Aires and British forces in Palestine, to sug-

that money has never been took the city without a fight.

As it was, we were content Vernor of Virginia. Life on a "desert less bickering, for the French, the find,

Islands, The Chinese

date, and was drawn up before UNO those lines meant. Chamber of Com Island" suited him better than life Dutch and the Portuguese all say pald. So by Central and South

only the Falkland keep

He left a note in prose instead of merco might recommend the 3,000

to the in Virginia, so he founded a British they saw it first. applying for. membership

American standards the U.S. has, which we discovered in 1802, and took a hand in Palestine. But that Jumped out of his office window. garrisoned In 1705. The Argentine does not remove the question: How poetry: "I'm incurably ill. I leave Kuomintang.

colony on it, and stayed there till

The Dutch have the best claim calm..

into existence did it get to Pearson?

overything to my wife," he died.

because they netually landed there The Fillans kept pestering us to Republie didn't But one day Spain is going to for a few minutes in 1800. Then annex them, and in 1874, we agreed. ult: 1816-228 years after we had claim Bermuda on the ground that they saw some hostile natives and The reason they were so keen on found the Falklands and 31 years the frat person to be wrecked on the hurried back to their boats.

We belonging

to is and not to anyone after we'd garrisoned them.

As for Chile, if they go on with island was not Somers but a Spaniard didn't turn up till 60 years later, else was that they had seen a bronze on his way to America with a ship when William Dampler went ashore bust of Queen Victoria and thought their claims to the Antarctic load of pigs. He built a boat, and and saw the first kangaroo.

she was biscit like themselves a should counter-claim for the Juan Fernandez Islands in the Pacific, got away, leaving behind a colony

clear caso of false prefences.

which were first inhabited by a the Americans. of Spanish plg

The Portuguese could make out out of this. They are sure to claim And so it goen on.

Canada was Brilon 114 years before Chile. be. a case for owning St. Helena. They something, and several choices are colonised by, our pioneers, Gibraltar came a nation. He was Alexander was not only discovered it, but the first open. They've a good claim to by our engineers, the Orient by our Selkirk, better known as Robinson

permanent resident was one of their Tristan da Cunha, which they used brigadiers, the West Indies by our Crusoe.

For every woman who makes a

man out of a fool, there are a dozen

who make fools out of men.

*

Canadian cattle totalling 107 head

aro arriving today. Great moos!

Overheard on the ferry:

"I took the pearl necklace 1

found to the police."

"Really? I thought it.

genuine.

We

can't leave

used

PRESIDENT TRUMAN," who

to be a haberdasher, was named DEVOLT within his

we

own parly the most distinguished old boy of against President Truman spread the National Association of Retail from the South, which does not like-

to Improve Clothiers.....TOMMY LOUGHIRAN, His proposals

contender for heavy- Negroes' lot, to the North, which' one-time weight champion, is a New York does not like his Palestine policy. today Massachusetts Democrats sugar,salesman.

"to proposed that they should try PROADWAY has lost its bard. steal General Douglas MacArthur He is Philip Stack, who used to from Uteir Tory rivals as a 'presi- bo a clerk for a gas company but dential candidato.

the