HOOLEY GOES TO GAOL.

NZ Truth, Issue 353, 30 March 1912, Page 8

HOOLEY GOES TO GAOL.

Some Sidelights on the Johnson- Walls

tjcrap fiasco. As , everybody anticipated, Krnest Terah Hooley got twelve months' imprisonment (m the second division) for rooking" large sums of money from 3 young- man named Tweedale, who, two years ago, inherited a fortune of £45,000, and is now penniless. "A fine finish!" ejaculated Hooley, as he disappeared from public view down the steps to his cell after sentence had been passed, and a "fine finish" it was for a man who was at one time reck- ; oned a multi-millionaire. A curious : feature of the closing stages of the ' trial was an interesting statement j made m the witness-box by young ; Tweedale concerning Ms relations with , Mr James "White, the "promoter" ol ] the fight fiasco between Johnson and • Bombardier Wells, which was stopped ! bj^ the Rev. Meyers getting his pals on the London County Council to take prohibitive action. TWEEDALE, THE PIGEON, was plucked of a cheque for £1000 for the fight. It wasn't made very clear m court, but it is to be assumed that he contributed that amount towa,rds the "expenses." He said that White had paid him £500 of this amount back, and he had not "full confidence" that he would get the balance. The. downfall of Hooley seems primarily due to the fact that, like all great financiers, he had too much imagination, and soared too much. In his prime many famous names m the company world were associated with him. When he was m his f&ttle. m ISOG, Hooley was hiring the whole first floor of the Midland Grand Hotel at St. Pancras, London, at £ 200 a week, and conducting his business. He had his personal apartments at the end of a long corridor, the remaining rooms thereon being occupied by secretaries, solicitors, satellites, waiting-rooms, etc. There came lords,who wanted to get on his . . . FAMOUS "FRONT PAGES," and ladies who wanted to get tips. Tnventors came and financiers, and waited while Hooley, behind locked doors, discussed their schemes m millions. "When I issue a company, I do not rely, altogethei\ upon the public; my own! circle controls between 15 and 20 millions, and its support insures a thing going," he said m those days, and, of course, the news that he didn't

really want their money made the investing public madly anxious to give ti to him. He bought m those days Lord Ashburton's "Wiltshire estates, tho Radwdnter Estates m Essex, Papwortli Hall In Cambs, Risley Hall m Derbyshire, Woodthorpe Grange m Notts, Amner Hall m Norfolk, and Sir Humphrey de Trafford's park at Manchester. At one time he manipulated IBY2 MILLIONS OF CAPITAL, and even when he was bankrupt he declared that he was living at the rato of £12,000 a year. He gave a service of gold plate, valued at . £ 300, to St. Paul's, and he bought there advowsons, and became Conservative candidate for Ilkeston. He gave largely, too, privately. This became known until at length he received 200 begging letters m a day. He handed over to Sir W. T. Marriott a cheque for £50,000, as he said, on the promise I that he should be made a baronet, and I he became High Sheriff of Cambridge- . shire. By the end of 1897 several of ! his companies were suspect, and it was ! clear I DANGERS WERE AHEAD, : and eventually his difficulties wore In- | cniiiSftd by legal proceedings. It is j 13 V 2 years since the world heard one iJune morning — without much astou- ! ishmenr. — that Hoolcy had filed his po- ; tition. This was m 1.895, after the ! financier philanthropist had been m I tht' public eye for 17 years. Then fol- ! lowed a public examination that larfc^d > many days, his tri;*' and acquittal at. ; the Old Bailey, his committal for ccnii'.tnpt m tho bankruptcy proceedings, ;i.nd Tmally his trial and .sentence at the Old Bailey last week.