Roulette Bomb

Vexed by his losses at Monte Carlo, an indignant player in sleek evening clothes rose from one of the roulette tables last week, extracted a hand grenade from his tailcoat pocket, tossed it onto the wheel where the little ball spun, then quickly made his escape amid panic.

Screams of terror were silenced by the concussion. Followed the tinkling crash of an immense chandelier. Casino attendants rushed in to count the dead, succor the wounded. By what amounted to a miracle nobody had been so much as scratched. In a half-hour the demolished table had been carted out, the chandelier swept up, and croupiers were again crying "Mesdames, Messieurs, faites vos jeux!"

Experts opined that only the immensely massive construction of the bombed roulette table, which deflected the force of the explosion upward at the chandelier had prevented the Casino from becoming a shambles.

Contrary to alarmist reports, picturing the Casino as well nigh bankrupt by competition from newer, smarter gambling places, the year-end report released last week showed profits to the Casino Company of 122,000,000 francs ($4,880,000).

Salaries paid to the remarkably well remunerated Casino officers, croupiers and staff totaled 29,300,000 francs, or more than $1,000,000.

After electing Monsieur Rene Leon to be Managing Director for three more years, the Board voted a stockholders' dividend of 620 francs per share.

Though sound enough in a business way, the Principality of Monaco was racked again last week by political strife, surprising in view of the fact that last fall the Prince of Monaco's smart daughter Charlotte was announced to have settled His Highness' quarrel with certain political factions.

As a result of this compromise new elections were held, resulting in a victory for the Monarchist Party headed by Mayor Eugene Marquet of Monte Carlo. But the electors chosen by the people rebelliously elected a National Council which Prince Louis does not consider favorable to himself. Irate, His Highness denounced the new Council last week as "illegal," dissolved it, ordered new elections.

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