ROMANCE IN REAL LIFE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 100, 21 January 1908, Page 5

ROMANCE IN REAL LIFE.

ERSTWHILE MELBOURNE JEWELLER

AMASSES FORTUNE OF £2,000,000

Wr. W. Densham, 'Official Assignee, has returned to'-Melbourne from his mission to London to square lip matters, concerning the' old insolvent estate of Louis Spitzel. . i Mr. Denshum-states that ,thc nian!s. career provides one of the most. remarkable romances in financo that has ever hocn. toldr'iri fiction or occurred in real life. Ov?r 25 yoar.s ago Spitzel was a working jeweller |in Melbourne, arid - subsequently opened, a business of his own. Shortly after he became/insolvent-. Some time elapsed, when he-applied for his: certificate, which the Court refused,; unless he paid his creditors; ss. in;tbo £. ■ 1

-Spitzel; then.r disappeared, and nothing moro : :Was heard of-him for four years, until a Melbourne map, returning .from China, stated that he had seen the ex-jeweller at Shanghai, whore lie had apparently got in close touch with the highest"'official'circles of the Celestial Empire. At tlje time of the Chirio-Japanese war Spitzel , was largely , inm Chinese army contracts, and was apparently hand-in-glove with. ; .I.i Hung Cnang, -the leading statesman •of China. The. exact business relations between 'the 'two, were never clearly defined, aiul it was not .'known whether Spitzel was a or/merely a'-jdclial, for, Chang. . He, .howeverj rapidly;;; accumulated great ...wealth.' Spitzel was next; traced during. the - Riisso-, Japanese . war, as owner of a . steamer , engaged: in running the blockade from Shanghai.to Port Arthur. So-far-.as Australia was concerned, nothing more was heard of Spitzel ' until: a 'cable was published in . London that j the Melbourne press, announced that Louis Spitzel,' formerly an Australian, "died at Carlsbad, leaving a - fortune estimated at £2,000,000. ■■ ■ -' iV " Mr. Densham , states that Mr,' Jpseph Woolfe 'then > called .'attention - to - the i fact tKat;a .raan of the same name, became vent in .Melbourne-ji quarter of a century' before, and then 'disappeared.lnquiries showed-that the incn-.wero identical. .Meantime . the .'.Official: Receives in thi). insolvent estate, named J. A. Comb, had died, and Mr.i'Dorishahi was • 'appointed i.in':-his place. Subsequently ; a lawyer .was sent to - England to oncleavour to secure a settlement.-Mr. Densham - states , that he. thought he was - on a wild goose chase, but found no great difficulty yvhen he started work. • He saw . the executors, Who . wpre reasonablo . business men, , and placed the legal position .before, thorn, pointing out. that dcceascd right to , acquire property before 1 obtaining his certificate, aii'd, that, so' far as .t,lie British property was concerned,:-'-the assignee' took the., place.'of. trustees. '.-Jfe was -found that'the property in Eiiglaud '(includiug a handsome house in' Park Lane, whic.h'was ill t'ho'Jo'ccupatioii of deceased s soils) valued ; at £200,000.Spitzel-alao left valuable properties at .Carlsbad arifl. rich concessions and properties in China, •' the exact value of wnicn was-not ascertained,.-hut quite'probaUy would amount- to tlic; £2.000,000' first stated. . -A' :'. ; ;

' also' ascertained: tliat Spitr zel/.operated /largely,- on. the London Stock Exchange, also -in Paris .and Berlin, and had many . big transactions on Chiliad ' , ' .■When Spitzel's Australian 'career Was' discussed 'quietly ' surprise: was. expressed'; that' he ; should have: attained i such :af prominent: position,- in ; . higher.; official cirples.: ; His whole career appeared most remarkable,- and since .leaving Australia, he had Vbeen~wonderfully * successful:' : ' J JIr." Derisham'-states-that'-after; sortie' con-' siderationitbe.i'trustees, .with the approval of the .deceased's'family, decided to'pay .all the Melbourne creditors of: the, estate"2os.. in the ' £y with' 6 .per'cent.'interest for: 25 yetirs.' That" place's- me,'„ Mr. • Densham l.continu'edf in the unique- position -of: being ;abla to.returnto ;Molboiirne to,;pay,the' creditors 60s 1 in. the £. - •- : r ; '•/ •lit is.doubtful whether all the creditors are now alive,:or can be traced.'/-■ .'. . "y' i Inquiries made by Mr: 'Densham . in Eng-, ' land showed 'that' Spitzel was 'resident there, ■and: posed 'as', an earliest-vßritish.'. patriot.: He eildeavourcd. to-instil patriotin ideas, into his children.' At • his'• death >h<> left- a considerable 'sum for '.the preparation '.of patriotic books for children for' distribution in public schoojs.