BARON GRANT'S SECOND FALL

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 5298, 19 September 1885, Page 4

BARON GRANT'S SECOND FALL

A telegram from our London correspon-i dent announces the failure for a garter* of a million of Baron Grant, the wellkHown speculator. Some years ago Baron Albert Grant was a noted - character in financial circles in London. He was the great promoter of companies, andwhaterer scheme he took in hand was sure to be floated.' During the heyday of his fortunes | •when he was supposed to be enormously rich, he proved himself •a l"benef actor to Londoners and visitors to the metropolis by 'buying " up the somewhat shadowy rights of certain persons to Leicester-square, which he had renovated, planted with flowerbeds, and provided with a fountain and seats and a bust of Shakespeare. ±le alsb :c erected for "himself, at Kensington, the largest mansion in London, which, on his failure) • was puiled down before.it had ever been inhabited. In July, 1865, Baron Grant was elected in the Conservative interest for Kidderminster. He did not offer himself at the general election of 1868, but in July, 1874, he again defeated the Liberal candidate for that constituency. He was, however, unseated on petition, on the ground of bribery, and it was stated at the time that he had purchased about £BC,OOO worth of carpets in the town, and afterwards sold them at a heavy loss. Ultimately, Baron Grant got into difficulties in connection with some of his schemes, notably the Arizona diamond mine, the Emma mine, and the Lisbon Tramways Company, with respect to which last he was sued, and compelled to disgorge a large amount of money. Mr Sampson, the city editor of the Times, was involved in some of these transactions and had to resign his position on that paper. Baron grant failed for nearly a million sterling, and for a time he retired into obscurity. He was not, however, to be repressed altogether. He subsequently made £60,000 by the well-known temperance drink zoedone, and embarked again in various fresh speculations, am^ng others in gold mines in Transvaal. At the last general election he again contested Kidderminster, but was defeated. This remarkable financial adventmer is a German Jew, his real name being Gottheimer. The following epigram was written apropos of Baron Grant's obtaining his foreign title :— " Kings can give rank and name ; They honor can't Rank without honor is A barren grant."