VAST FRAUD.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19199, 4 January 1928, Page 7

VAST FRAUD.

DEALINGS IN NATIONAL BONDS. A MYSTERIOUS "MR X.» (TROM OUB OW* COBRISPOITOIHT.) LONDON, November 25. A yeax or two ago a lot of thousand franc notes were forged in Hungary with the object of placing some, Archduke on the throne. A Chief of Police and some people of rank wont to prison over the affair. The latest story of crime is also concerned with Central Europe and Paris, and it is alleged that the profits amount to £10,000,000. The method adopted by ten alleged conspirators who have been arrested was to smuggle pre-war bonds out of their country of origin. Dealings in these bonds within the country of issue are upon a paper currency basis, but elsewhere they are negotiated on a gold basis. The allegation is that the documents were fraudulently endorsed in Paris with the stamps of French and English, banks and that they were thus dealt with in a gold currency, making them worth much more than the paper money originally paid for them. The tenth prisoner has been called"Mr X.," for this is the entry that has ben put against him in the records of the Sante Prison. The ordinary officials at the Santo Prison do not know the ictentity of "Mr X.," though they haive orders to treat him as a person of mark. The detective department says it will make his name known on Tuesday. Meanwhile it is whispered that he is a high official closely in touch with a former Cabinet Minister. The mysterious man was taken secretly to the Surete Generale (the French Scotland Yard) last Friday afternoon and closely questioned. He left there after dark escorted by two detectives. All that or.lookers could see was that he was a short thick-set man, apparently about 40, and that he was dressed in a smart light grey lounge suit. He hid his face behind his felt hat as ho stepped into a waiting motor-car. in which ho was driven to the Sante Prison, where he pased the night guarded by two detectives. A Privileged Prisoner. No sooner was his cell allotted to him than another prisoner was instructed to clean it out, bring fresh bed-linen, and carefully make the unknown prisoner's bed. A prisoner ordinarily has to do these things himself. Instead of being served with the usual prison fare two warders went out at dinuer-time to fetch a specially ordered meal from a neighbouring; restaurant. This was served with half a bottle of wine, coffee ; and liqueurs. It appears that the arrest was'made only after a long consultation between the heads of the detective department and the Magistrates in charge of the investigation of the case.