NEWS BY MAIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 July 1926, Page 1

NEWS BY MAIL.

BOGUS BARON’S £200,000. XTW YORK, May 26. Tho man who had included “Baron ’Engel” among his bogus titles and had “•married” scores of wealthy women in different parts of tlie United States, gave compulsory audiences in his prison cell in Philadelphia to-day to several of liis victims. His manner towards them was ironical. One widow, Afro Burken, whose jewels he had secured before the wedding ceremony, was so disconcerted by his audacity that she nearly* swooned. As she was ushered into his cell, the “nobleman” smiled, and bowing courteously, said : “How do you do, Mrs Burken?” The. woman gasped and exclaimed : “Mow dare you speak to me after what you did with my jewels?” A New York woman, describing the prisoner’s methods of courtship, said. I was out walking, when' a. man’s voice behind .me said : “Hallo, Elsie. When I turned lie appeared to he i greatlv confused, lifted his hat and remarked, “I am frightfully sorry, I < thought you were Elsie Jam’s. Mill you forgive me?” AVe chatted foi a moment and lie asked me to direct him toward tlie boulevard. I assumed lie meant Riverside Drive and agreed ' to do so. He offered me SOdol. for my service. I refused, with tlie comment that I had money of my own. 1 A whirlwind courtship followed, in which the fascinating foreigner sent tbe woman daily ardent notes and flowers. Later lie deserted her, but not. before be bad obtained from her jewellery sufficient to compensate him for his time and outlay. Hairdressers.' messenger boys, and 1 florists all testified to the lavish expenditure of the man during liis courtship. His tips were frequently as | high as £4. Altogether lie is alleged to have swindled In’s “wives” and 1 fiancees out of £200,000. Yet now he D almost penniless through gambling. 1 CHAMPAGNE BATH PARTY. ■NEW YORK, May 26. AL- Earl Carroll, tbe theatrical pro- ' ducer whose trial on charges of perjury' is absorbing public attention in New York, expects a verdict of acquittal. 1 He is accused of committing perjury when he denied staging a wine bath with an unclothed chorus girl in It at the much-discussed party he gave at ' liis theatre a few months ago. The chief witness for tlie prosecution declared that a bath was moved to the front of the stage and was filled from bottles labelled Pol Roger. Counsel for AH Carroll contend that the Pol Roger was ginger ale and was not to lie confused with Pol Roger champagne. Tlie prosecution insisted that the liquid was actually champagne, but the defence denies the competency of the witnesses to identify it as champagne and points out that a bath tub filled with champagne would cost £BOO. As for the chorus girl who ladled out the liquid witnesses so far have not testified to seeing more than her shoulders and arms. A hundred well-known peonje who were the guests of Air Carroll at the • party are enduring agonies of em- ' bafritssmenf. through the publication of i (heir names as among those present at the Bacchanalian revel.