FOUND IN OMAHA

Evening Star, Issue 20350, 5 December 1929, Page 17

FOUND IN OMAHA

R. G. BROPHY'S DISAPPEARANCES RELATIONS WITH BYRD EXPEDITION MISLEADING CABLEGRAM Disappearing from Coney Islam! beach, where his clothes were left in a bathing shed, Richard Gale Brophy, late of tli! Byrd Antarctic Expcditition, has been found in Omaha. The ex-sec-ond in command of the expedition has now staged another theatrical disappearance.

The report of the drowning of Brophy at Coney Island was, like the report of Mark Twain's death, slightly exaggerated, and those in Dunedin who had had an opportunity of studying the bustling American were not prepared to accept the report as true. For theatrical actions Brophy has a penchant, and not a few Dunedin citizens expected to see Brophy return to life, if not in America, then in New Zealand. Characteristically sensational, a section of the American Tress has been constructing motives for Brophy's disappearances and the relinquishing of Ids position wth the Byrd Erpeclition. The cables suggest that an intrigue with a Broadway actress was responsible for the parting of the ways by Commander Byrd and Brophy. That is absurd. No Broadway actress was in Dunedin at the time the ships were located hero before their departure for the Antarctic, If there were any connection between Brophy and an actress, it must have been only by correspondence. But at no stage was any intrigue with a “lady of the glittering avenue” mentioned in the discussions which eventually ended in Commander Byrd accepting Brophy’s resignation. Brophy was not dismissed. Ho resigned. In fact, ho resigned at least twice before the final break occurred, bub each time ho withdrew Ids resignation as promptly as he had radioed it to Little America. A concise statement of the true position was made to-day by Mr James H. Duncan, of Messrs H. L. Tapley and Co., who have acted as base agents for the expedition;—

“ There is no truth in the assertion that Mr Brophy was dismissed owing to his association with a Broadway actress. Mr Brophy suffered a severe breakdown while he was in Dunedin, and during the period of his incapacity he was not fit to handle the affairs of the expedition, and his resignation was accepted by Commander Byrd for that reason.

“There is no question of misappropriation of funds or any other misdemeanour. There was only foolish expenditure. The friction between Commander Byrd and Brophy arose solely out ol Brophy’s affliction for the time being. Commander Byrd has been, and still is, much concerned over Mr Brophy’s welfare and future, should he bo still alive, which we hope is the case. In the early stages of the expedition Mr Brophy proved himself a most efficient organiser, being of inestimable service expedition, and it was only when In's health broke down that friction arose between him. and Commander Byrd.” . - 'Arriving in the dominion before the main bodies of the expedition, Brophy settled down to organise base operations, and he accomplished success m a manner that earned for him the praise of his commander. For weeks Brophy worked exceedingly hard preparing for the sailing of the ships, the City of Now York and Elcaimr Boling, and he undoubtedly proved himself to be a man of energy and enthusiasm and discretion, when in good health. Id is services were undoubtedly appreciated by the commander, who, when drawing up the personnel of the icc and base parlies, appointed Brophy second in command, Brophy to be at the base m Otago Harbour. , . Up to the day ol the departure of the two ships Brophy worked with a will, and ho joined with the men in taking a share of the heavy work. He laboured, however, under the feeling that by not being allowed to slay on the ice ho was not being altogether fairly treated. However, in the early morning ot December 3 of last ycur the ships cast off from the tug under Taiaroa Head and Brophy returned to Dunedin. From that day his decline was marked. For some time he disguised his failing health, but to those who came in daily contact with him it was apparent that Brophy was losing Ids grip on the expedition’s affairs. He indulged in what has since been found to have been unnecessary expenditure, although his actions were consistent with those 1 of a man in his lowered state of health. Brophy’s life in Dunedin was not a quiet one, and, although his wife and family were in America, he lived the life of an independent and well-to-do man. Tho most visible signs of his illness were when he summarily packed bis cases and left his hotel for another, taking a big room, which he fitted out like a small music shop. A xylophone, gramophone, and other instruments almost filled his comfortable quarters. Before that, however, friction between Brophy and Commander Byrd and the Dunedin agents was increasing. In the hotel in which he first resided he received a reply from Commander Byrd to some suggestion which he had made. The commander’s reply used a jovial phrase, but one which was only too true. Brophy became wildly excited, and on tho spur of tho moment ho sent a radio to Little America forwarding his resignation. Two days later the Eleanor Boling left Dunedin again on her second trip to the Barrier, and within twelve hours of her sailing Brophy decided to go south and talk matters over with the commander, who, in the meantime, had sent him a message advising him to be more guarded in his expressions about tho expedition and his schemes for using the expedition’s ships and material during the winter months in New Zealand. . Although he was going to the Antarctic, Brophy’s health had failed him to such an extent that when he went aboard the Eleanor Boling, the crew of which were already at loggerheads with him, he erected a tent on the after-hatch in which to sleep. A few days out from Dunedin the Boling ran into a storm, and Brophy’s domicile, more fitted for an Arcadian dell than a ship scheduled to smash through the ice to the Ear South, was washed overboard. „ , The Eleanor Boling was forced to put back to port before reaching Little America, as the ice was closing up, and shortly after her return Brophy changed his hotel. In the meantime ho had been relieved of all the financial dealings of the expedition for the reason that he was incapable, in the opinion of Commander Byrd, of wisely administering the funds. Brooby, however, had before that run up heavy hills, but the audit of the accounts has revealed, beyond doubt, that he had accounted lor every

penny of the money which Inid passed through his hands. Friends of the expedition have been asking pertinent questions about Brophv’s gift of a car, purchased with expedition funds, to a Dunedin friend of his who was employed on the secretarial staff before the ships first left for the south. When the car was purchased Brophy did use the expedition’s funds on the understanding that he was to pay back the money so drawn. Ho did nob fulfil that obligation before leaving Dunedin, but since then the agents have received the full amount drawn by Brophy for that purchase from a legitimate source. After living at (lie second hotel for some time Brophy's. illness became so acute that lie was removed for three days. When questioned about that incident Brophy’s explanation was: “ I was so tired what with parties and work that I went to hos)*ta] and slept for seventy-two hours on end.” His explanation was not quite correct, _ and only a little time elapsed before private proceedings were taken in the man’s own interests. The result of those proceedings was that, following the evidence of _ certain people and two leading doctors in Dunedin, Brophy was faced with two alternatives. He chose the one of leaving immediately for his own country, the United States, and the following morning he departed from Dunedin and connected next day with the mail steamer for San Francisco. From that day his movements were a mystery until the cables reported his disappearance from the American beach. People who knew him disregarded the “suicide” theories then being raised, and, although _ he _ has again faded out oU the limelight, Brophy will probably return in some other part of America. “ And we would not be in the least surprised even if he turned up in New Zealand again,” said a member of the expedition to-day. [A Now York cablegram, published yesterday, read: Mr Richard Brophy, formerly second in command of the Byrd expedition, staged a “ fake ’’ suicide at Coney Island fast August, with the object of getting out of sight. He succeeded until an editor from Omaha, who had been looking over a Byrd expedition picture last week, recognised a man working on his staff as Brophy. Upon the discovery Brophy agreed to return to his .sick wife in Now York, but overnight he again disappeared. It was alleged that his friendship with a Broadway actress caused complications with Commanded Byrd, and led to his dismissal in Dunedin.]