A NOTORIOUS SCOUNDREL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 76, 28 March 1908, Page 15

A NOTORIOUS SCOUNDREL.

twentx yeab's- fob blackmail.

LONDON, February 1£

Tie terrible sentence of twenty years' Imprisonment has been passed by an Ensrilsh judge on Yon Veltheim, tie adventurer found guilty of blackmailing and threatening to murder Mr Solomon Joel, the nepiew of tie late Barney Barnato. LNine years ago, Yon Veltheim sent threatening letters to Mr Joel's brotier, Wootf Joel, in Johannesburg. He shot Woolf Joel in the latter's own office, but was acquitted by a Transvaal jury on tie plea tiat he acted in self-defence. Nine years later he wrote to Solomon Joel reminding him of tie "unsettled account" between them.- He told liis correspondent to remember his "character and grievances," and tiat ie "keeps iis word under all circumstances, regardless of consequences." He referred quite plainly to the fate of Mr Woolf Joel, and bane Mr Solomon Joel, let him see whetier "you have learned any thing from tie past or not, or again regret when too late." His account of this letter is that Woolf Joel iad promised Iran £12,000, and that lie wanted to have a settlement, as he was going to America. Tie £12,000 was to have been paid to him in connection with the plot agn inst the Transvaal Government, which he claims to have concocted with the late Mr Barnato, who asked him what a. revolution in tie Transvaal would cost, adding that it would be "cieap at a million-'' He was introduced to Mr Barnato by "a Souti American diplomatist," who was then an ambassador or a minister in London, bnt notiing would induce Yon Veltielm to call tils person In iis defence, or even to reveal his name. It is, indeed, one of the conspicuous features of his story that all tbe principal persons whose evidence migit have supported it are dead. Mr Barnato is dead, Mr Woolf Joel Is dead, itiss Caldeeott is dead, and tie diplomatist is not forthcoming. Mr Strange, who was present when Mr Woolf Joel was shot, was uot called upon either side.

In his first letter Yon Veltheim described himself as a desperate man, at the last stage of financial depression, who had such a feeling of honour—or sham honour—that he would rather die than live a disgraced man, and was ready to die, but proposed, rather than death, to extract, at the point of tie sword or the muzzle of the pistol, a large sum of money from IVlr Solomon Joel, who, he considered, could well afford it. He was ready to kill Mr Joel and iimself too if his demands were not complied with. Tie sum demanded was £12,000. Tie details of this letter in some respects did I appear as if they were taken out of a melodramatic novel, but, on the other iand they seemed cleverly designed to prey on tie nerves of the receiver. The letters as they went on acquired a new tone. They praised tie spirit of Solomon Joel, and suggested that if ie was a vrmturesome speculator, - ie might profit by a loan, not a gift, of £12,000, to "Kismet The letter contained tie phrase that tie "business spells politics." Tiese letters continued, addressed first to Solomon B. Joel, then to the Joel Brothers, then to Woolf Joel. Tie last two took a new line. One of them said tiat "Kismet" had come into money, and would trouble him no longer, and tie prisoner now said tiat was. for tie recipients to show tie police to enable tiem to drop the case. The other letter was practically a begging letter, and It was signed "Baron yon Veltheim.'* After tie snooting of Woolf Joel, there was an Interval of. nine years, and then the letters began a*:ain.

' Tie prisoner admitted tiat tie threatening letters were sent by him, but explainsed tiem as a poor joke, "in very ; bad taste." Tiey were, he said, i written at the instigation and on behalf - of a Miss Caldecott, who laid the , blame for certain pecuniary losses suffered .by ier fatier on Mr Solomon Joel. Tie ' letters to Woolf Joel were, he said 1 , wrl't- ■ ten merely to annoy his brother Solly "■ . They were ■•melodramatic" and had no criminal object. Tie jury, however, took tie letters seriously, aud found tie prisoner gnilty. Yon Veltheim was stunned by tie severity of tie sentence passed upon him, and was removed from the dock in a dazed condition. REMARKABLE LIFE -STORY. A MUCH-MARRIED MAX. Tie life story of **Yon Veltielm," as pieced together by the English police for recital in court, makes him out to have been a most dangerous customer, particularly wfcere tie gentle sex were concerned. Our police, of course, iave not discovered everything about Yon Veltheini's amazing career of rascality, but they have gleaned enough information about his past to warrant, tie belief tiat tie world at large wiU lose nothing by iis loss of freedom. "Veltieiin" was born 34 years ago in Brunswick. His parents were eminently respectable people of the name of Kurta, but Karl ins "Yon Veltheim" was christened) did not take after tiem. Quite early in life ie evinced a disposition to annex articles of value belonging to iis parents, and when iis father died, his guardian found young Kurtz a very troublesome iandfui. He was sent to school, but beiaved so badly tiat expulsion followed, and when he was sent to sea he took the first opportunity of deserting. Then he appears to have made his way to London, where he seems to have lived as Louis Wurder for a number of years, though definite information ■as to iis life during this period is not forthcoming. In April, ISSO, ie reappeared in Hamburg, and joined the eGrraan Navy under tie name of Kurtz, bnt a few months later he took "French leave," and disappeared just at the time a goid watch and chain, and tie family seal of Captain Yon Veltheim, one off the officers at tie depot wiere Kurtz was j stationed, left their owner's possession witiout his knowledge .or sanction. For three years Kurtz disappeared, bnt be- ; tween ISS3 and ISSS he turned np in his native land as "Captain Jackson," and pos- ' ed as a British naval officer. In that role ] he visited Australia, and in July. ISB6, appeared at Fremantle, but during his passage to Perth blossomed out as the son of $ "Baron Yon Veltheim," and as such, married, in November. 3liss Marie Tearsley. He lived with that lady in Sydney for ' | some months, and then skipped to Cape- , town, leaving iis wife behind. Sic, iow- ' ever, came to England, where she was joined later by "Yon Veltheim," who pro- . mptly commenced to blackmail a gentleman with whom his wife had struck up an acquaintance en voyage Ultimately, he got £750 out of this person, but when he tried to extract more, the victim put himself into tie hands of tie police, and "Yon Veltheim'' found It desirable to try his luck in America. Here he dabbled In shipping and brewery business; for five or

.six years, and then returned to Europe for a spell, during which time he advertised for a wife, and got into communication 1 witi a Miss Panla Scilffer. He returned to America as Consular Agent for the United States at Santa Marts, bnt soon afterwards came back to Europe, bringing with him, it is alleged, 3000d015., which belonged to a brewery tor which he had acted as agent Tien ie went over to Germany and met Miss Schiffer. Failing parental consent to their union, Yon Veltheim persuaded the lady to follow him to England He obtained £500 from her, and m May" went through a form of her. They tra-wdled about together for a time, and then having obtained £1000 more from Miss Sciiffet, he went off to America, "in order to make a home."- However,

.Miss .SchitTer rti<;rriTeTP<i-.thfr*-»ae-tod-6egn deceived, and got tie marriage annulled. ■Scon Yon Veltheim was back in_. London, courting" Miss Mavrogordatb, Tas. Louis- jr'iaten,!- -He married- ier, - got £300 out of-ier,:. and absconded. . He- next, turned up._ax. Capetown, and joined tie "a3~5,11E1z, but his Cape authorities idenflficatiou by tie vist "Jars Yon >eljheim" of a, oouy round, auliie Thames, -be- was ■-■'ir»<t upou to in^Deiember. loaf. ' EaiTy JiejC."y.eax to biaekniail tie ' Brothers Joel, ahcT Tolled, v.ooxr Joel. He was tried for murder, but was acquitted, was re-arrested on a charge of blackmail, and expelled from tie country as a public danger. He rexurned to tba irausvaai in December, ISlttj, served' folir months iv prison tor bis breakr of tie expulsion order, and was ugain -deported.—- He. however, went back iv September of the following year, and was re-arrested. To try, to get rid of aim finally tie Transvaal Goveinment bought him a passage to London, but he left tie ship at Capetown, and actually succeeded ia getting tie balance o£ its passage money refunded. Bw movements thereafter are uncertain, but when tie Britisi Army took possession of Pretoria in June, 1900, Yon Veltieim was ! iound among the inmates of the gaol. The Britisi military aatnorities iad no use for aim, so sent nxm to Kngiand, wbere be arrived in October, 1900. In lflOl he was staying at Trieste, where ie pretended that ie was tie only survivor of a number of men who knew where President Kruger'a treasure was buried. On the strength, b£ tils, he raised capital on bills of exchange to tbe amount of £20,000. In April, 1903. he was staying at Nervi, Italy, wien he met a married lady, with the result that her husband instituted divorce proceedings against her. At Capri ie met anotier lady, separated from ier iusband, wio was possessed of property and means. He went with her to America, where the lady obtained a divorce from ier iusband, and married "Baron Yon Veltheim."" Tiey returned to Capri, and were arrested for bigamy, but were released pending inquiries, wien tiey returned to America, where Yon Veltielm deserted ier and her child, and returned to Europe.

On the voyage he met an American lady, whom he followed to Faris, and persuaded her to marry him secretly at St. Cloud. She afterwax-ds found out tiat tie marriage was a mock one, aud that the prisoner had obtained a friend to act as a sham priest. She at once left him, but he soon found consolation, for in August, 1805, Yon Veltheim went to xVeustadt, and met a. Mra Mattis, a widow, whom he had known twenty years previously. She was possessed of considerable means, and representing tiat ie was part-owner of a large mining business in America, Veltheim obtained from ier £600. Later he obtained further sums from her, making altogether a total of £2600. He. also p-romised. her maxriageIn November, 1906, the relatives of Mrs Mattis-having become aware.of her investments, applied to the prisoner for repayment of tie money. Instead of doing so, however, he asked for more money, and drew bills of exchange on her, saying that if sic did not accept tiem tiey would both be ruined. *UaC3while ne had- opened iis campaign against ''Solly" Joel, - and was arrested is September, 1907, for bis attempts to blackmail that gentleman. He was then living in a first class hotel, witi a lady. who..was„passing: jas. Madam£,,.Ys» Veltheim.. Tie .lady.was. .tie. daughter .pf a respectable gentleman at Antwerp. "When Mrs Mattis heard of tie prisoner's arrest she committed suicide in despair at the loss of ier own and h>M* children's money.