AMAZING RECORD

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 199, 26 August 1935, Page 8

AMAZING RECORD

MURDER AND BLACKMAIL “ WORLD'S WORST OFFENDER " CRIME IN MANY LANDS. POLICE EVADED FOR YEARS Huw the world’s most notorious criminal, Franz von \ elthoim—guilty of almost every despicable crinrc imag inable—was, after years of successful evasion uf the law, ultimately trapped and sentencetf to 20 years’ penal servitude for threats of murder and blackmail, is described by ex-Chiet Detect-ive-Inspector Ernest Nicholls, in the following extract from his memoirs ‘‘Crime Within the Square Mile.” Franz von Velthcim was the greatest undesirable alien and international crook who ever set fpot in London When this gigantic sinister liguie was sentenced by Mr. Justice Philliniore to 20 years’ penal servitude, the world as a whole, and the famous Joel brothers in particular, were well r»'l of the most notorious and fascinating scoundrel of the century. That was in PJOB. Immediately after the war the Home Office decided tc- clear out of ou- prisons all the German, Austrian and Russian uudcrsirablos. In Dartmoor, still with ten years of his sentence unexpired, th-ey found von Veltheim. The police placed him in a ship bound for Hamburg, and in 1932 I heard he died in that city, an old and dissipated-look-ing man, in the direst poverty. Scoundrel of the Age. Von Veltheim’s real name was Karl Frederic Moritz Ludwig Kutze. When we arrested him in Paris, late in 1907, he was 49 years of age. He was the scoundrel of the age. Alter we laid our hands ou him and charged him with threatening to murder tire late Mr. “Solly’’ Juel and with blackmailing him of £16,000, we made inquiries from the police of the world to build up his history. A colleague of mine in the wit-ness-box fur a couple or hours at the Old Bailey reciting his black record. Tire sentence of 20 years’ penal servitude relieved the world from the operations of its most dangerous scoundrel lor ever. His record c-f miscellaneous wickedness is not equalled in the annals of cosmopolitan goalbirds. From his schoolboy days he wandered the world doing evil—committing larceny, robbing women and bigamously marrying them; swindling, defrauding, blackmailing and murder were the recuriing incidents of his ill-spent life. Married in Australia. Von Velthcim was German by birth, and became a naturalised American. Even as a youth he adopted many aliases. He enlisted in tne German Navy, from whicu he deserted lu join the German Army. He bveame batman to a well-known officer, Uapaini von Velt/heim, from whom he stole a gold watch and chain and a geld seal wuich was the von Velthcim lamily crest. He bolted, and. from that moment Karl Kluze was dead and Franz vun V oilheim came to life. By signing on and jumping ships he visited nearly every colony in the British Empire, eventually reaching Perth, in Western Australia, where he married in 1886. Husband and wife went to the Cape. Von. Velthcim sent his wife on to England while he got up to some villainy in South Africa. In the boat the wife became friendly with a male passenger. When he arrived in England and heard the story von \el tne im blackmailed the man and sucked him dry of several thousands of pounds. He then made for America and became United States Consul in one of the South American States. In a short time the consular funds were depleted of a few thousands, aud von Veltheim bade adieu to that part of the world. His wife had left him by this time, and he had lost all trace of her. In 1894 he advertised for her whereabouts, and one reply he received was from a German woman of some wealth and position. He followed her up and eventually “married” her, only to make off quickly with a few thousand pounds. By .1992 the deluded woman found she had married a bigamist, and the marriage was annulled. “Scoop'’ of His Career. In 1898, he planned the principal scoop in his long criminal career, A year before, Barney Ba run to, the rounder oi the vast Joel iortuaieb*, mysteriousy disappeared over the side of the ship in winch he was returning to England from South Africa. The control of the great Juel concern in Johannesburg passed Io Barney’s two nephews, Woolf and Solly Juel. The black villian \on Veltheim was then in Johannesburg doing nothing and paying nobody. According to his own story, vun Veltheim had discussed with the late Barney Barnato a project for kidnapping Oom Paul Krug, r, and Barney had replied it was worth a million of money to get the old President out of tile way.'l he truth we shall never know; Barney was ‘lead, and we have only the word of a cunning rascal for it. 1 very much doubt the whole story. One day in Johannesburg he entered the office of the Joels and sought cat Wolf and Solly. He demanded that they should pay him the. £50,()()() their uncle had promised him for making off with the old President of the Transvaal. They promptly ordered the man out of their office. Letters began to rain in on the Joels, blackmailing, menacing missives threatening murder. The blackmailer came down in price—from £50.000 to £12,000, but the Joels remained adamant. Murder of Millionaire. One, day the black brigand burst into the private office uf Woolf. “I want my 112,000. I am going to have my money or your life, Woolf. You cun please yourself which you give.” Woolf got up quietly from his <]■ sk and secretly placed his revolver in his pocket. Wu-olt’s manager, Mr. Strange, was in the room, and he, too, carrre « a revolver. The blackmailer whipped out his gun, and as he did so Air. Strange fired a .shot at him, but missed. Woolf brought out his own weapon, but befu-re he got a chance to lire, vun Velthcim, who was a deadly pistol shot, tired first, and down went, the diamond millionaire--dead. Van Veltheim was trie I for wilful murder. For a time hopes ran high that at, last society would be rid of this odious pest. At, the conclusion of the trial the world with amazement learned, that the verdict, of the jury was