A CITY SENSATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 142, 17 June 1926, Page 6

A CITY SENSATION.

BROKER DISAPPEARS. "HAD OTHER FISH TO FRy.j .... WARRANT ISSUED FOR HIS '. ARREST. . " For the past two weeks quite a num. ' ber of prominent city business men have v discussed the mysterious disappearance of a middle-ag«d broker, who had been •■..- -~ organising a number of company flota- s ;.,,.' tions. Quite a sensation was caused • .-v when it became known that a warrant •■■■-•'• had been issued for the broker's arrest, '\ : ■.■'.'. on the complaint and information of % : '>T., retired doctor, who alleges that the "'<■* missing man obtained from him the sum of £2f>o by false pretences. ; ..»i. The missing man is described as ' "? one with a magnetic personality, a -;T plausible manner, and a good education. l " About tVelve months ago he arrived '■ : ■<■<•■ from Canada, where he stated that he " had achieved great success as a company c:;r '?: broker, having floated some "huge" companics. As time went on he made *"&? friends among the business men of the '.'•"'■ hi city, and shortly after his arrival in Mf; Auckland blossomed out as a broker. • ft& The business was carried on in a suite of • -iy& offices in a large city building. Quite a ' number of business men figured as prb- r 1- :fc)v visional directors in the prospectuses y> Iβ issued. In fact, a leading K.C. and a*, km Crown Prosecutor wore mentioned as \"'V\ t provisional directors in the prospectus * o'fy of one company. ■.:-b ..j

The broker employed several sales-■' !| f; men, and business was brisk. Every- ?, -i thing seemed to .go along smoothly {■»■< ■■■■ until the last week in May. The ft -ras broktr, who resided in a fashionable p a> private boardinghouse with his wife son, left for Wellington on Thursday, ■"• ••?.-,•• May 27, on a "short" business visit." Busk-ess must have been good, for the r*' day afterwards he forwarded a telegram 1 ft* si) to an Auckland business man acquaint-' ; ing him of the pleasant news that he had '»& .' sold 5000 shares in a company in which- 1 ■;'{ the latter was interested. This trans- r-Suit, action it was afterwards found impos- ,!,!i». sible to confirm. After his absence the'-i ■-,; telephone at the boardinghouse ,v ringing constantly, for a number of 't tl. solicitors and others were anxious t& ■ .;x speak to the broker, whom we will calL;•;■■:■, "Mr. X." When his wife, who had bee» v"- lit absent over the week-end, returned the Sunday evening she waa informed -yh ■ by the landlady that those who hadj.--telephoned for "Mr. X" seemed surprisedy. ;i: and somewhat annoyed to hear that h* J,. ■:..:.: had gone to Wellington. The followingV :Vr morning the wife packed her effects anda ~.• left the house.- So far the landkdyj $$, has not been paid, but by a cheque which'J .-,. "Mr. X" gave her, which was returned}. & from the bank marked "not sufficient ■</.., -, funds." About this time others became - ; ;., more interested, • particularly one man - : r who had an appointment with "Mr. X" ~ ; - R and a solicitor on the Monday morning on a matter of a settlement. "Mr. X" -V did not turn up, so his office wae >pj ~.' visited by the owner of the buildings. ~ •.,-■ No one was at home, and the rent was-: ■■ .- many weeks overdue.

At the boardinghouse where "Mr. X" v had resided also lived the manager of X :•". a motor business. Imagine hie eur-f.'.Vi.' prise when he was asked by a business y<K?toi friend whether the "fifty was all right." pi bmi He began to ask questions about this hi w fifty, and was then informed by hie J -'so;, friend that a day or so before he left» At "Mr. X" called and stated that he had' .'si ! a deal on with a motor company mana-/ -&4 ger concerning a second-hand motofy : ?.- truck. "Mr. X" had £150, and would * •-" the fiiend give htm the other £50 to» .*iw pay the manager? Of course he would, ' • and so the money was paid to "Mr. r ■■■ X." There was no deal, but this was) ;:i: only discovered when both men were j •■..■;., discussing the matter after "Mr. X"- > : had taken his departure. '. ir

The next person seen was the principal of one of the iargest firms of solicitors m." - Auckland, and, incidentally, the ' that had handled a good deal of "Mr. ■■'■- X's" legal business. "We are £50 shyj " * as the result of a deal, but this deal, as """• ~ :T it happened, was quite a bona fide one," - - - he said. Much of the business transacted! ■ by the broker was absolutely sound, andi '' the legal man was of the opinion that » if "Mr. X" had gone on with the deal 1 concerning the £50 he would have made t.- vs money. "We paid him £50 which he |" said he was short of, and that was the "J last we saw of him. Evidently he other fish to fry." The most extra*'» ordinary thing about the whole busi* 5 ness is that he had some sound proposi* tions and he ■would have come out all : right in the end so far as we could see, ■~,-. concluded the solicitor. ■' :. It is stated that the man who laid) the information for the broker's arrest', was induced to put up £250 to be ' ■ for the purposes of obtaining an option I over a quarry, and that the money \ral '> , not used for the purpose.