TOPICS OF TEE DAY.

Evening Star, Issue 14118, 22 July 1909, Page 8

TOPICS OF TEE DAY.

[From Ode Special Correspondent.] LONDON, June 11. A CLEVER CRIMINAL COUP. Bank frauds appear to be becoming quite the fashion. A case is now ocenpying the time and energy of the officials of Scotland Yard which concerns the theft by a particularly ingenious device of a sum of £1,600 from a London bank. This latest coup, whkh in skill of conception and darinsr execution recalls tho notorious "D. S. Windell" case, is said to have been carried out by a young German clerk in the office of Messrs Bachc and Co., the well-known international financiers of New York. The ingenuity of the plot, which has been worked from Now York, reveals a very intimate knowledge on the part of the swindler of the mazes: of international finance, and in that respect may be considered even more ingenious than the "D. S. Windell" fraud. | The coup, in brief, consisted of forging a draft on the London agents of Messrs Bache from their New York office, and getting it collected by a branch of Parr's Bank, whence the money was drawn by tho swindler, who seems to have got clear away with his booty. The central figure of this interesting drama is alleged to be of German extraction, who, owing to a knowledge of several languages and considerable experience in international banking matters, occupied for some time a responsible position with Messrs Bache in New York. Some years ago he lived in Bayswater, and the fact that he had held a small account at Parr's Bank largely contributed to the success of the coup. About a. month ago he forged a draft upon the Swiss Bankverein, in Lothbury (Messrs Bache and Company's London agents), for £1,700. Following this, a letter of advice, bearing what appeared to be a genuine signature of a member of the firm and giving certain code words, was sent to Parr's Bank, bv whom the sum was collected from the Swiss Bank. The swindler, in the course of his ordinary duties, himself handled the acknowledgment of the forged draft. As a test of the safety of the scheme he cabled directions for £IOO to be sent him from his account at Parr's Bank. This was duly done, and with the sum thus obtained the swindler travelled to London, dTew a cheque for himself for £1,500 at Parr's Bank, where, as the signature and writing of the cheque corresponded with that of the draft, there was naturally no suspicion of anything irregular, received the amount in notes and gold, and—disappeared.

The fraud was not discovered until the Saturday before Whitsun, when the Swiss Bankverein received a cable from the New York office, stating that it was be'ieved the draft was a. forgery. The Bankers' Association was promptly informed, but the notes had been quickly disposed of in the meantime, and by Saturday last were back at the Bank of Englarid, and all traces of the swindler had disappeared. THE LATEST LITERARY CULT. Signor Marinetti, the editor of an lU<un review, who has founded a new school of literature under the name of " Futuri6m,'' appears anxious to get recruits. He has favored certain London journalists wit.i * " Declaration," a few extracts from which will sufficiently indicate the lines on which the new school of literature is going to work. The signor and his disciples, to put it in the language of the Yankee, are " going to make things hum." As witness: We intend to glorify the love of danger, the custom of energy, the strength of daring. The essential elements of our poetry will be courage, audacity, and revolt. Literature having up to now glorified thoughtful immobility, ecstasy, and Blumber, we wish to exalt the aggressive movement, the feverish insomnia, running, the perilous leap, the culf, and the blow. We will declare that the splendor of the world has been enriched with a new form of beauty, the beauty of speed. A race automobile, adorned with great pipe 6 like serpents, with explosive breath . . . a race automobile which 6eems to rush over exploding powder is more beautiful than the victory of Samothrace. We will sing the praise of man holding the flywheel of which the ideal steering post traverses the earth, impelled itself around the circuit of its own orbit.

The poet must spend himself with ; warmth, brilliancy, and prodigality, to augment the fervor of the primordial element*. . . . We will glorify war—the only true hygiene of the world, militarism, patriotism, the destructive gesture of the anarchist, the beautiful ideas which kill, and the scorn of woman. We will destroy museums, libraries, and fight against moralism, feminism, and all utilitarian cowardice. . . . The oldest among us are thirty; we have thus at least ten years in which to accomplish our task. Erect on the pinnacles of the world, we hurl forth once more our defiance to the stars! . . . Libraries, museums, and academies, and such antiquated institutions, are to be destroyed, but the signor and his friends have i apparently a great deal of respect for | prisons, workhouses, and asylums. Possibly they recognise that their literary campaign may result in their standing in need of some place of refuge in or before their old age. The "essential elements" of their poetry suggest that publication may be followed by prosecution, and preachers of the gospel of the cuff and the blow are quite likely to find themselves not only possessed of black eyes and braised noses, but in imminent danger of the usual alternative to a 40s fine. AX AUSTRALIAN INNOCENT ABROAD. An Australian bark merchant, Mr Thorn** Elliot Inglis, at present residing in Bernard street, Russell square, has been the : victim of a new form of " confidence- trick," j by which he has lost £734. I He related lus experience to the Mnrl- | borough Street magistrate last Friday, when ! two men, William Make-in and "Charles ! Grant Doyle, were charged with obtaining ! £734 from Mr Inglis by fraud. I Makein, it was stated, represented himI self to be a gentlemaai from South Africa, , who had "ups and downs," and Doyle as a i wealthy Tasmanian squatter, while another ! man, who was not in custody, named Peter- ! son, introduced himself as an Australian | jeweller. I Mr Inglis said that he had met Peterson 1 at his address in Bernard street, and later on he met Doyle at tlte Hotel Russell. A . motor ride was fixed up, and at the Autoj mobile Club he was introduced to Makein. | The latter aeked whether they would all j like to back a horse named Woodhal!. Each ' i agreed to have £25 on. The day following j witness went to draw bis winnings, but I he did not get them. Makein mentioned . i the Derby, and said he wa6 in a position to : get a price of 10 to 1 against Bayardo. and ; I suggested that witness should have £I,OOO 1 on the horse. Doyle and Peterson each put £I,OOO on, and handed to Makein j : cheques for the amounts. | On the following day he war, told that | the price of the horse would be lowered. ! and that they could all " hedrre ' off," and so clear a substantial ; profit. Makein at that time had £125 of Inglis's money, so the latter wrote a cheque for £375 to make up £SOO, which I he agreed to put on. He was afterwards I . told that Bayardo was not going to run, ' I and was advised that the money should be put on Sir Martin, which was 10 to .1. ' Inglis eventually agreed to have £I,OOO on Sir Martin, and Doyle and Peterson each agreed to back it for £2,000. j I The next time Inglis saw his " friends " : 1 was on May 20, when they all lunched at the Hotel RasselL, and went to the Automobile Club. Makein then stated ho had " hedged off " the money, and made £I,OOO profit for Inglis and double that sum for Doyle and Peterson. Maiein suggested thai he should, on behalf of witness, put the £I,OOO on Baron Solway and Captain Kite, one of which was 6Ure to win. On the pretence of telephoning Makein left the room, and on returning announced that he had fixed the bet up. "At that time," Inglis added amid laughter, I was not aware that the race had t been run, and that the i.orses had lost." i Makein was sentenced to-eightem mouths'

hard labor, and Doyle to twelve months' j hard labor. i A NEW EMPIRE CLUB. j It is intended to open in October or November of this year the) "Brit'*' Empire Club," an institution whose is "to offer hospitality to such of our fellow-sub-jects as may visit the Mother Country from time to time." This project is undertaken by a limited liability company, which points out that the non-existence in the West End of London of a club of high standing, whose members can propose as honorary members friends on a temporary visit to this country, and especially fellow-subjects from Tnd'ia and the colonies, has long been felt, and the British Empire Club i 6 intended to meet tliis need. The desirability at the present day of social intercourse' between leading coloniets and members of the Mother Country is universally admitted, and the centre for such intercourse is to be provided at No. 12 St. James's square, which h;is been bought ten be tlie club house. The Duke of Devonshire is chairman of the Committee of Management. The club will be strictly non-partisan, and the fact that the interest on capital is limited to 4 per cent. is sufficient evidence that there is no element of money -making in the scheme. A thousand pounds is the largest amount invested by anyone, though Lord Strathcona, Lord Rothschild, and many other eminent men are, with the Duke of Devonshire, in support of the club, and the shareholders include such prominent personages as the Marquis of Salisbury, Earl Cadogan, the Earl of Jersey, the Earl of Minto (Viceroy of India), the Earl of Onslow, Lord Ampthill, Lord Lamington, Mr Balfour, the Hon. T. A. Braesey, the Hon. Rupert Guineas, the Hon. Henry S. Lyttelton, Mr Henry Morris (president of the Royal College of Surgeons), Sir Gilbert Parker, the Hon. Walter Rothschild, Sir Felix Schuster, Sir Edgar, and Soever. The capital of "The British Empire Club, Limited," is £50,000, in 10,000 shares of £5 each. Th« premises in St. James's square have cost over £50,000, and were lately used as the Blenheim Club, The secretary is ilr C. Freeman Murray. A TTP TO HOUSEWIVES. Tho members of tho fair sex who scan these columns may be glad to hear of a receipt for the annihilation of that peculiarly irritating post the common house fly. Well, here it is. Get your chemist to make up a weak solution of formaldehyde, place some in saucers in your rooms infested, and tho deed is done. The solution seems to have an overwhelming fascination for tlw fly. He simply can't resist sampling it, and hks first sample is his last. He dies forthwith, and i 6 not only dead, but disinfected also. The,fly is not only a nuisance in the house and a disgusting table companion. He is also a most dangerous lodger owing to his nomadic habits and his cosmopolitan appetite. Possibly the fly performs some useful office in connection with the general scheme of life, but all medical opinion seems to be in favor of the total extinction of the species eo far as the house is concerned. For other reasons the housewife is a deadly enemy of the fly, and will no doubt be glad to give formaldehyde a fair trial. lam assured by those who have tried it tltat it is by far the most effective fly-killer they have ever introduced into their homes.