PECULIAR MYSTERY

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 110, 9 April 1926, Page 8

PECULIAR MYSTERY

MILLIONAIRE YACHTSMAN.

REMAINS ON VESSEL FOR THIRTY-SIX YEARS. MAN WITHOUT FRIENDS.’ (By Electric Tolegraph.—Copyright.) Recoived April 9, 1.25 o m. LONDON, April 8. In the year 1896 the palatial steam yacht Vallereyia of 1800 tons arrived off tho Essex Coast and dropped anchor, which was not weighed until nine years ago, when tho yacht was dry docked at Wivenhoe, an old world villago on tho Essex Coast. Tho owner, Mr Bayard Brown, an American millionaire, a strikingly handsome stalwart, remained aboard for tho whole of 36 years until he died to-day, white haired, aged 74. The props with which the yacht was dry docked aro aged and rotten, but tho hull is shiningly spick and span. Thero is a complete crew of a dozen aboard, together with amplo provisions. Tho engines wero kept oiled and ready to start on an instant, bus the order did not come.

An extraordinary mystery surrounds the owner, who was friendless. It is known that ho came from California, whore ho is believed to liavo belonged to a family of rich bankers Tho world first heard of Mr Brown when tho British Courts assessed his income at £IO,OOO annually, on which he was ordered to pay taxes. He seldom had visitors and talked on the strangest subjects incoherently and always lapsed into silence when America was mentioned.

Ho was known to give £SO when asked for help, while at other times lie met a request with a shower of coal. He used to spend hours leaning on tho rail of tho yacht with his cap on tho back of his head, gazing towards tho North Sea.—A. and N.Z. cable.