GERMAN ESCAPEES’ MONEY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4757, 3 January 1918, Page 6

GERMAN ESCAPEES’ MONEY.

A MYSTERY. EXPLAINED

Press Association Telegram. AUCKLAND, oJan. 2. ’ life Star > to-day." publishes the following:— v There considerable spec-u----latiqn gold; found in "possession or jG-efmajtt prisoners -vho escaped’ from/M6tjjs!w/ r sla rid and were recaptured.NVoffi Luokher had about £IOOO when, he left"'!%fnnsny > in German goldya;Tle..succee9e<T in changing a portioii into British gold. When disaster overtook th,g- Seeadler lie divided tlic money amdng two parties, each taking £SOO. Thus he had £SOO in his possession when lie was first captured. This was taken from him; by the authorities. It is still hi their possession. - jljPhere is still to be explained £122 odd found in the- possession of the.prisoners when they were ‘ There is littledoubt that this money was supplied by . Von Egidy. a -Samoan planter. The money, was''in gold, in addition" to wliich there was about £2O in New Zealand notes and silver and. about 133 German marks. This money Von' Egidy did" hot carry on ", persona He liad placed it among clothes in his trunk..- Although the’:.,.authorities searched him the only cash they discovered oil him «as £3 or £4 found in !us pockets,. 7 When he was sent to New Zealand the money came with him ihVfihe trunk, and remained tiierei|H||i|l| ; ;ak', can be gathered, during the seven months that he . was interned on Somes Island. ./When he was ’ transferred to Auckland his trunk, still containing the money, v/as-sent with him. When-the escape was planned Von Egidy handed this money over to the Count, and the latter divided it among .the party till they got away, when they handed it back tcvV'on Luckner, who put it into 1 a bag for safe keeping. When the Court saw that recapture was inevitable he again distributed the money, £42 in English gold and the remainder (£80) in German gold.