Monday 01/23/12

Human Interest News   —   Posted on January 24, 2012

Check Abraham Lincoln wrote day before being shot is found
A personal check that Abraham Lincoln wrote the day before he was assassinated is among those that were rediscovered by an Ohio bank.

The Plain Dealer in Cleveland reports that 70 checks were found in a vault at Huntington Bank’s Columbus headquarters, including checks signed by George Washington, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens and Thomas Edison. Some are being displayed at branches throughout the state.

The Lincoln check had been made out to “self” for $800.

The checks had been stored in a vault since at least 1983, when Huntington took over another bank. An employee had begun looking through old boxes last year, which led to the discovery of the checks.

Where is the Professionalism? …
A man was sitting in his car outside his home in Cambridge, England, when a young thief opened the man’s rear door, snatched his computer and ran off. The victim, who happened to be a champion long-distance runner, immediately gave chase. He later said he was appalled at how quickly he caught up with the guy, despite a sizable head start. “If you are going to go into the snatch-and-run business at least try and get fit,” he said.

N.Korean ambassador breaks law in Germany, police can’t arrest him
North Korea’s ambassador to Germany has become embroiled in a diplomatic incident in Berlin, several German dailies reported on Jan. 20, after being caught fishing in a local river without a license.

According to media reports, police spotted a man fishing on the Havel river in western Berlin and asked him for his permit, required by law in Germany to fish.

The man had neither identity papers nor a license and so the authorities informed him, in English, that he was in fact breaking the law. Fishing without a permit in Germany can result in a fine or even two years behind bars.

He smiled, replied that he was the North Korean ambassador and continued to fish.

Checks revealed that the man was indeed Si Hong Ri, North Korea’s ambassador to Germany, and the police were unable to take further action due to diplomatic immunity.

 

From The Boston Herald, NY Post and AsiaOne.