LINDBURGH SOUVENIRS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 83, 18 January 1928, Page 7

LINDBURGH SOUVENIRS

ALLEGED FRAUD IN PARIS. The Paris police have put an end to a curious form of money-making which Gaston Pinjalet, a commercial traveller, is alleged to have practised with much success—for he was on the way of becoming a wealthy man through selling small portions! of the fabric used on the wings of aeroplanes. Pinjalet confided to a concierge that on the night on which Lindbergh arrived at Le Bourget after flying across the Atlantic he succeeded: in obtaining a portion of the fabric of the machine as a souvenir. This concierge was urged to keep his secret and readily gave a promise not to disclose his valuable possession to anybody. The "secret" leaked out, however, and the commercial traveller received visits from people begging for a ; small portion of the fabric and offering to pay for it. The souvenir hunters did pay, and in time Pinjalet, it was stated, had as many as 20 visitors a day, who parted with sums of from 100 francs for a few square inches of canvas.

The assertion is made that Pinjalet had sold sufficient to cover three giant aeroplanes when several buyers began too wonder how he had succeeded _ in cutting so muck fabric from Lindbergh's aeroplane. Suspecting a swindle, they informed the police, who called on the commercial traveller and came to the conclusion that he had been decieving people all the time. In his lodging 40ycls of aeroplane fabric way found! He was promptly arrested.