Wine

In Harmony Grove, Calif., one Henry Van Steenberger last week sat, on a bet, before ten gallons of wine. He quaffed, guzzled, bibbed, choked down more, sipped, strained, swallowed hard, until only a half-pint remained after three nights and two days of drinking "at one sitting." Then Bibber Van Steenberger lost his bet. He fell over dead.

Ghastly

In Buffalo, five policemen were needed last week to handle traffic on the roads near Pine Hill cemetery. Reason: ghastly-ghostly voices and music were issuing from a tomb. Amateur sleuths at length discovered that the horrid sounds, refracted by the marble mausoleum, were echoes from a radio loudspeaker in front of a distant shop.

Fate

In Buffalo, Janitor John H. Olst, 22, died in his bath tub last week from a combination of escaping gas and drowning. A few days before he had been rescued from going over Niagara Falls with a capsized, boat.

Suspicious

In Reynoldsville, Pa., one Frank Chiffen, silk-mill fireman, shut up his wife in his house and nailed boards over all but one of the windows and doors. At the remaining door he chained three dogs. Whenever he heard the dogs bark he ran home from the mill to investigate. Failing to catch anyone with his wife, he sharpened his axe, ran to the house, decapitated his wife, shot himself through the head.

Trolley

In Pittsburgh, one O. J. Coats was arrested last week on the charge that he did steal a trolley car from a local yard, did go on a long Saturday-night joy ride to West View Park, clanging the gong merrily, all alone.

Thoughtful

In New Orleans, Stevedore Vito Longo, 55, taxied to an undertaking shop, had himself fitted for a high-priced coffin, paid for it, drove on to a cemetery to make sure the casket would neatly sink into a certain tomb, returned to the mortuary, stayed there. His wife and sons could not explain his suicide.

Chicago

In Chicago, a gunman last week held up Stenographer Mary Johnson, took her purse, coat, beads, dress. Up rattled a taxi. Disrobed, dismayed, Mary stepped in. Said the chivalric chauffeur: "I'm a stickup guy myself, dearie. See these two automatics? But you've had enough for one night--I'll take you home."