NEWS BY CABLE MAIL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16640, 21 January 1925, Page 8

NEWS BY CABLE MAIL

ROCKEFELLERS NEW FORTUNE. £20,000,000 PROFIT IN 17 DAYS. BARIS, Dec, 2. —A cable to the New York Herald (Paris edition) state,3: —It is estimated that the sum of £20,000,000 has been added to Mr. John D. Rockefeller's fortune owing to the phenomenal rise in Standard Oil stock since the Presidential election on November 4, Mr. Rockefeller’s fortune has been estimated at £222,000,000. SP UR lOU S N OBL EMEN \S SWINDLES. PARIS, Dec. 2.—The spurious Marquis de C’harnpanberL, who conceived the idea of inveigling a number of Paris jewellers to a lonely chateau in Brittany and putting thorn under chloroform in a padded room and relieving them of the jewels he had 1 ordered', was a. man of many enterprises. The police are now inquiring into the scent factory he founded at live ray and it is stated that by the swindles ho perpetrated' in that town he netted ten million francs. His career in swindling would appear to have been eclipsed by another spurious nobleman, tho “Marquis rl’EauxBonnos,” concerning whose remarkable operations detectives from Pajrifi are making inquiries at, Toulon. His name is given at Paul Piston, and quite along list is furnished of financial and commercial undertakings which he started. Most of these were begun in Paris, and, it is alleged, came to grief by failure or by questionable conduct on the part of their founder. According to (he story of his career published today, Ibis bogus marquis extended his activities to London, where he is said to have created an office for launching companies in 1920. The Petit Parisien reports that he started several companies which had no value whatever, and that proceedings have been instituted against him in England. The Marquis d’Eaux'Bonnes is further alleged to have started factories in Serbia, a bank at Lib.au, and petroleum companies in other places. FORGED CHEQUES. A LONDON FACTORY? PARIS, Dec. 2. —The cost of living is sharpening the wits of thieves and swindlers. ( The other day a gang of foreigners were rounded up for passing spurious Bank of England notes, and now the police have arrested an American and an Englishman who are supposed to belong to a band who have made a speciality of forging travellers’ cheques and getting rid of them in hotels and restaurants. Two years ago these false cheques, which were cleverly engraved facsimiles of those issued by American and British tourist agencies, began to make their appearance. A largo number were got rid of in Urn Riviera lust winter, and at numerous water-places in lho summer. A few weeks ago restaurant and cabaret proprietors in Montmartre and Montparnasse complained of being duped by American and) British swindlers. Tho police got to work, hut it was only on Wednesday night that they had any luck. Two men asked u restaurant proprietor hi Montmartre to cash a cheque for ICOOf. He laid previously cashed a wortldoss traveller’s cheque, and naturally became suspicious. Ho requested tho men to wait .until his cashier returned, and, leaving them, telephoned to the police, who promptly arrived and' arrested the men. Their names are given as Maurice Jacobson (who described himself as a “saxaphone specialist’’ from New York) and Alfred Goodwin (who calls himself an English boxer). The men offered the explanation that they themselves had cashed the -cheque in order to enable an English friend to proceed to London; but (he police were sceptical, and from the information they have collected they are inclined to believe that the factory for turning out spurious travellers’ cheques is in London, and that there are agents all over Europe to whom a substantial commission is given .for every ' bogus cheque cashed. HISTORIC AMERICAN CUP. SIR THOMAS LTPTO’N TO CHALLENGE. According to advices; received in Sydneythere is every- prospect of another contest for the America- Cup, the blue ribbon of the yadhting world, in 1926. When in New York recently on a business trip Sir Thomas Lipton'stated that lie intended to issue, a challenge for the cup in 1925 for a race in 1926.' He had bean unable to challenge in 1924 for 1925 because of the 'international conference in London on yacht racing, in which the United States took part, with tho other nations for the first ’time, 'to decide upon a universal rule in regard to yacht measurement and the, type -of yacht to be used in racing. » “I shall issue a challenge in 1925 in plenty of time to give the 10 months’ notice that is required when, a challenge for the America Cup is made,” said Sir Thomas. “I expect that tho race will be sailed in 1926, and I will have my boat ready for the event. I have always had a feeling that I would lift the cup some day, and the next race may be the lucky one. Who knows?” MUST SAIL THE ATLANTIC. Tho boat 'that challenges the New York Yacht Club for the cup must sail the Atlantic Ocean to bo eligible to compete. This is a big handicap when it is considered! that, everything added to tho yacht for seaworthiness gives her less chance of winning against a racing machine pure and simple, and everything added in 'the race to counteract the bulk lost in providing seaworthiness means a greater handicap being given to the American boat. British designers are, therefore, bard up against it. Nicholson designed Shamrock IV. for the last contest in 1920, but tho New York Club had the final say as to the course and whether it was possible to race. In 1920. through a eerier; of calms. ',Shamrock IV. was beaten badly, and tho only day when half a gale was blowing and 1 she might have won, the race was postponed. It is to be hoped that British designers will got over the present- heavy -obstacle, and if Sir Thomas manages to bring back the coveted 1 cup in 1926, that they will sc« it does not- return to i the American yaclit clubs.