MR E. T. HOOLEY AT BOW STREET

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1686, 22 June 1904, Page 53

MR E. T. HOOLEY AT BOW STREET

(From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, May 14. -. The many people who have wondered how Ernest Torah Hooley, an undischarged bankrupt, could still afford to live at the rate of £15,C00 a year—as was frequently alleged in Court—heard without undue sorrow the news of his arrest on Wednesday. Several attempts have been made from time to time to commence criminal proceedings against Mr Hooley on the strength of the Official Receiver’s report made in 1899, but the Attorney-General found that it was “impossible to obtain the necessary evidence,” On Wednesday, however, tii-e notorious company-promoter and exmillionaire was arrested in his rooms at the fashionable Albemarle Hotel, and in company with Air Henry J. Lawson, his partner in many financial enterprises, was brought before the Bow-street Police Court on a charge of conspiring to obtain money by false pretences from one Alfred Joseph Paine. _ It was a remarkable story that Air Muir, who appeared for the Director of Public Prosecutions, had to tell when applying for a remand. “The charge against the defendants.” said he, “is one of conspiracy. The defendant Hooley is an undischarged bankrupt, and now carries on his business in the name of his wife in Juxurious quarters in West End hotels —first of all at the Wa-lsing-ham, and subsequently at the Albemarle. His business appears to consist of the putting off or selling of shares of a class which do not command the confidence of the investing public as a body. He adds to that occupation the promotion of companies of a class which it is deemed prudent to register in Guernsey —a part of the King’s dominions to which the Director’s Liability Act of 1890 does not apply.” Air Muir proceeded to narrate the curious circumstances which led up to the arrest. Stun® time in October or November 1900, Air Paine was travelling to Brighton. la the train he met a man named Sims White, who said lie had met Air Paine some sixteen years before in connection with a Great Eastern Railway case, White being at that time in the employ of the company. Thus the conversation ran on railways and finance. White discovered that Air Paine was the owner of a valuable public-house—the Windsor Castle, near Victoria Station —and told him he would introduce him to “a very, important gentleman” who would help him to win back certain losses he had sustained in some railway share dealings- On October 3rd, 1901, Air Paine, who had forgotten the matter, received a letter from Air Sims White, It was addressed from the Walsingham Hotel, Piccadilly, and read thus“ Dear Mr Paine, —if you will give me a call any day ‘between ten and five I shall be glad to see you, and put you in the way of making some money __ quickly.” Mr Paine called, and Air White told him that his “governor,” Mr Hooley, was very friendly with the private Cabinet of the Czar of Russia, and had obtained for himself and friends an exceedingly valuable concession in the nature of a gold-mine area, in Russia, the extent of which was 8000 square miles. Presently Mr Hooley was introduced, and showed Air Paine a couple of very rioh-look-ing specimens “from a mine in the area of the concession.” Reports of experts were also produced, and—surely most convincing proof of all!—the report of a “Daily Mail” interview with Air HooleyEventually Air Paine wrote out a cheque for ,£3OOO and gave it to Air Hooley in payment for shares in tne enterprise, receiving in return Airs Hooley’s guarantee that these shares, for which lie was paying 12s each, would be worth at least- 20s before Christinas. This transaction led to others. Air Paine bought from Hooley £4500 worth of shares in I company which was afterwards found to have a registered capital of only £IOO. Ho was led to invest large sums of money in a series of concerns which the prosecution allege to have been worthless. In tramway deals he embarked £7950, and in Siberian gold-mining shares £9OOO. The accused have been remanded for a week. Mr Hooley being released on £12,000 bail.