FACTS FROM THE PAST AND PRESENT

AUGUST 1934

◆ One of the greatest tributes ever paid a dog was the place given to ‘Caesar’ in the funeral procession of King Edward VII of Great Britain in 1910. This little wire-haired terrier, the King’s favourite pet, was allowed to march behind his master’s casket, taking precedence over nine kings and nearly all the princes of the Earth.

◆ Among the thousands of war souvenirs in London’s Imperial War Museum, one of unusual interest is the ‘little cupboard from Le Cateau’. For almost four years an English soldier hid in this cupboard in a house occupied by German soldiers, his food being brought to him secretly by the Frenchwoman who lived there.

◆ The most stupendous deception in history was played on Catherine II of Russia in 1787 when she sailed down the Dnieper River to see her new territory. To preclude her disappointment in the barren country, her ministers lined the banks with thriving towns and farms – all painted on wood and canvas, and peopled with extras decked out in peasant finery who constantly travelled ahead to greet the credulous Empress upon her arrival. The same herd of cattle also preceded her into every mock settlement during the 1800-mile journey.

◆ The most important invention/ discovery made on this Earth was not the use of fire, the wheel or writing, but the discovery of the function of the seeds of plants. It resulted in agriculture and freed mankind from the constant search for food.

◆ One of the most romantic memorials in the world today is the marble ‘Fountain of Tears’ in Bakhchiseray, Russia. It was erected by a Tartar ruler to express his grief at the death of a captive Polish princess.

◆ As criminals, like other people, are creatures of habit and specialisation, the records of Scotland Yard are not only indexed under the various kinds of crime but also under the technique employed by various criminals.