A Story of SCOTLAND YARD

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12591, 30 October 1926, Page 11

A Story of SCOTLAND YARD

THE MONTE CARLO TRUNK MYSTERY

GAY BUTTERFLY OF PARIS AND HER DOINGS

HOW AN ADELAIDE RAILWAY GANGER BECAME A PEER

Fortune smiles queerly upon some people, and in the case of Sir James Stephen Goold his ‘•luck” was more showy than real. For years he worked as a ganger on the railway'. His father had migrated iron! England many years before. He liad heard talk that “if everybody had their rights there should be a title in the family.” lndee<l, Vere, the brother of James, who left Australia and adopted a life of spectacular adxenture, had actually sometimes called himself “Sir Vere. ’ ’ In 1893 the holder of the barony died in England, and it was assumed the title was extinct. Early in 1907 Uncle Vere had turned up at Adelaide with a dashing young wife, and had related wonderful tales of his great fortune and importance. His real business in life was that of an adventurer and gambler. His skill nt cards was almost uncanny, and the great casinos of the world knew him well. Unscrupulous, he was not above robbing some of the ladies he encountered ; talk of love, at which he shone very well, interested the fair creatures. Many lost their jewels and their reputation through their association with handsome at® showy Vere Goold. X THE EVIL GENIUS Mrs Vere Goold was a woman who passed as a fine looking blonde at the first inspection. Touched, as far as her steel-like nature could be touched, by the ardent wooing of Vere, she capitulated; He had intended to rob and desert her. But there was a dramatic moment when she revealed she, too, was in the “profession”-; that she felt an admiration for the talents of the showy gentleman, and suggested that they should lienceforth hunt as a couple legally joined, as it'might prove more profitable. This was the woman that arrived at Gladstone, to scan somewhat contemptuously a typical Australian home and homely brother James. “A RICH FOOL" It was, of course, obvious that the visit would prove a failure. By some means they raised funds to get to Sydney. There the old game was played again, and it would seem .with success ; the husband gambled,'—and the wife acted as “decoy.” Soon they were off to Europe, and settled down in Paris to batten upon the American and English tourists. There came a stroke of luck, as it seemed, although Fate turned the trick in sinister fashion. They stumbled across a “rich fool,” as the wife described her—Madame Levine, a Swedish lady who had come into.fortune.

It was really all so easy to those .experienced swindlers.

Madame was inexperienced, eager to see'life, and, tired of widowhood, was looking for a husband. Vere Goold hinted broadly that he was of aristocratic blood, talked of his estates in England, and of his wealthy relatives. The. wife’ became the confidante of the blonde widow, made suggestions os to dress, promised to find influential friends, and hinted at suitors. AH went merry as the marriage bells that sounded already in imagination. In October it was suggested that the trio should leave for Monte Carlo. But there must be preparations. Rich jewels must be purchased to deck the expectant bride; the wardrobe replenished; nothing left undone to give the impression of wealth and birth. And always Vere Goold and his wife received huge plunder for the commissions they" executed for Madame Levine; who called them “my very dearest friends."” Still -withi.- Swedish carefulness raadame hung back at times and grew frightened at the sums she had spent. Growing impatient, the Goolds decided to seize all she had—money, jewels, clothes, and trinkets —and to decamp. “SHE MUST DIE” By a ruse they succeeded in getting her out of the way on a false errand. Now was the time, and with feverish haste they packed her valuables in seven huge trunks. By a ihischance the woman, returned, too soon "Vere, with smooth words, was hastening to explain the awkward situation, when his wife, in a sudden spasm believed to he half compounded of jealousy, dropped the mask and aasail- - ed the dupe with hitter words. ' In vain Vere interposed, too late. The adventuress shone forth as the hard mercenary and the “woman scorned”—for this was her defence at her subsequent trial. According to the confession made later,,Mrs Goold struck the

first blow. A second followed, a short axe being used. 1 Then with his long white hands Vere. strangled the struggling, shrieking woman; for far down in the bottom of the house the concierge reported afterwards hear- . ing “on- long wailing scream.” The deed was done. How dispose cf the body ? That wps the problem. But I a few months before that a Saratoga trunk, fished from Lake Coma, had brought to light the hideous crime of Charlton, the American who had slain his young bride on a honeymoon tour. THE GHASTLY INCUBUS The trunk! Doubtless the idea of Charlton now occurred to the pair as they discussed ways and paeans of getting rid of the incubus, that witness of their, crime. The wife, more fiendish than her mate, “hacked and cut and chop!— l ... until the body was fitted into the trunk.” . The guilty pair made their way to the railway station, and took train to Marseilles. On ’ arriving there they deposited it in the cloakroom and fled to Paris. Suspicion aroused by the effluvia emanating from the trunk, led to its being opened. It was not long before the hue and cry was after Mr and Mrs Vere Goold, and their arrest Was soon offected. ' The world-wide publicity of his ghastly murder, concentrated attention upon the identity of Vere Goold. Who" was be? AVhat station in life his family? By a twist of fortune’s wheel the information reached a firm of solicitors, who'established "that James Goold, elder brother of the murderer, was the actual heir to a ; haTdny that had seemed extinct. "While, Vere languished in a prison cell James ‘assumed the title. .... THE END OF THE ROAD It was clearly proved at the trial that Mrs' Goold was the instigating party to the murder, struck the first blow, and cut up the victim. She was seulenced to death, but the sentence was commutted to penal serviture for life. . Vere- Goold, who testified against his wife and acted a somewhat ignoble part, Was ordered., .to be detained in rigorous confinement for “the term of his natural years.” : • ' The crushing rigours of solitary confinement quickly undermined his constitution. Ho fell into deep melancholy, refused to eat, and on the verge of what is significantly termed “gaol madness,” died in the second year cf his imprisonmeftt.

Seven years later a haggard and aged woman died in prison. It was Mrs Goold, who made a full confession of her crime to a priest before the end came.

THE death at Adelaide of Sir * James Stephen Goold, Bart., not only recalls a great romance of the Peerage, but also the' singular train of events that led to his assumption of the title. In this Scotland Yard men played a prominent part, though the ' French detectives received most of the credit. For many years the late baronet worked as a railway ganger at Gladstone, Soath Australia, and was in fact “Sir James” for fourteen years before his ide'n- . tity was discovered. The worldwide publicity given to the arrest of his brother, Vere Goold, in connection with the Monte Carlo ‘ trunk mystery, established that James, the railway ganger, was heir to the title. f