MILLIONAIRE'S WAGER MYTH.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 16170, 5 July 1923, Page 8

MILLIONAIRE'S WAGER MYTH.

"DECK HAND" WHO DID NOT SWAB DECKS.

HULL, May 9.—An amusing sequel to the story that Mi*. W. B. Leeds, the young millionaire, was working nis passago across the Atlantic on a- cargo boat for a £2OOO wager, occurred when he landed hero this morning (writes a special correspondent). Imaginative New York journalists had cabled that he had signed as \a deck hand on tho Ellorman-Wilson boat, Marengo, and his wife, Princess Xenia of Greece, was supposed to be awaiting his arrival at Hull. Y

When the. Marengo arrived off. the Alexandra Dock here- a small army of newspaper correspondents, photographers and cinema inei\ was in attendance. The expectation was that tho million aire, disguised in tarry overalls, would be seen swabbing tho decks, and that immediately the gangway was lowered the Princess would dash on board to embrace him. What a scene for the cinema artists! What actually happened ■ was this : The shivering pressmen, objurgating the cold night air, saw in the dim light a dark young man, in clothes of faultless cut, standing on tho prow of the vessel, chatting, not working, with the mate. A DISCREET RETREAT. Further, was no Princess.* A woman who drove up in a car; whioh was immediately besieged by. the waiting stage army, turned out to* be the captain s wife. As for Mr. Leeds, when he saw what awaited him ho discreetly retired to his cabin and locked the door. v Several hours later, however, I had a few -words with him as he ate a late* rind leisurely breakfast in the officers' stateroom. ' -\ J .

"Then you are not working your passage for a £2OOO wager,'.' I asked. "No, I very much wish I were,",ho replied. "I am quite willing, to do, it at any time if someone will put up the stakes." ■* • ACROSS ATLANTIC 36 TIMES.

I asked him why he had chosen to travel by a cargo boat instead of this Mauretania or such a vessel.

"Tho answer is very simple," he said. "I like *the sea, and, as I had plenty of timo in which to do the journey, I thought I would make it last as long as possible. J,.-.' "We Jcft New York on April 22, so I have been 17 days on the ocean, instead of five. Further, I thought I would like to travel by cargo boat for the sake of tho experience. , "I havo crossed tho Atlantic 36 times by liner. THE PRINCESS. "I am interested in navigation, and havo learned a lot since I left America. The Princess could not meet me as sho is not in this country. "Sho is on the sea at present—not in a cargo boat—and will join mo in London.

"Just to make matters clear, let me say I travelled not as a passenger, but as a guest of tho captain."