CHARGE OF SWINDLING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21243, 26 January 1931, Page 7

CHARGE OF SWINDLING

GERMAN “GOLD MAKER.** EVIDENCE AT THE TRIAL. (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) MUNICH, January 24. .(Received Jan. 25, at 9 p.m.) Dr Hohage, an expert who is investigating Tausend’s experiments on behalf of an important firm, gave evidence that he watched the alchemist for three hours, in which he did not produce gold. Eventually Tauscnd dropped a cigarette end into the gold making machine, in which a small piece of gold was later found, thereby appearing to support the prosecution’s contention that Tauscnd inserted gold concealed in cigarette ends when demonstrating his Bavarian mint. A previous message read as follows:; — The trial began at Munich of the emulator of Kurschildgen, of Dusseldorff — namely, a “gold maker” named Tausend—who is charged with swindling people of nearly £IOO,OOO. Tausend was originally a plumber whose machinations were lucrative enough to enable him to buy a castle in the Tyrol and another in Dresden, where he lived in great state with an ex-barmaid. He financed a Hitlerite newspaper to the extent of £SOOO. He proclaimed his discovery of the art of gold-making after studying the history of mediaeval alchemists. A company was formed to exploit the “ invention,” including Ludendorff, Alfred Mannesmann, Princes Hermann and Ulrich of Schonburg, scientists, and business people. The experiments, which convinced the investors, failed when Tausend, after his arrest, attempted to repeat them under the supervision of analytical chemists.