THROWING AWAY MONEY.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 January 1929, Page 6

THROWING AWAY MONEY.

MANY FISTFULS OF NOTES.

MILLIONAIRE'S QUEEN PRANK

“COAL OIL JOHNNY’S” CAREER

Having won a few thousand francs at the Casino in Cannes recently, Charles Channel], of Chicago, stepped to a hotel balcony and threw over a fistful of five and 10-franc notes. Surprised pedestrians scrambled for the money, and the street was a seething throng of milkmen, waiters, cabdrivers, street sweepers, and servants. When Die supply of small bank notes was exhausted the 50 and 100-franc notes began to come down. By the time 40,000 francs had been dropped the scene had become almost a riot. About this time Herman Tieras, a waiter, was giving a £250 dinner at an hotel where for years he had been employed. He was celebrating bis new fortune of £22,500, the result of speculation. Sixty years ago John W. Steele—‘‘Coal Oil Johnny ’’—went about with bank notes pinned to his coat and trousers. In his apprenticeship days, as a spender he would pay 25s for u “ shine” and £2 10s for a slmve. He is Supposed to have spent £750,000 in less than two years. “Coal Oil Johnny” was catapulted into his millions through a succession of what looked like sad misfortunes. His parents died when he was a child. He was adopted by an aunt and uncle, the M’Clintoeks. His uncle died when Johnny wase 12. His aunt,.was a poor widow until she discovered that her humble home was perched above oil wells. Then money came in so fast that the widow M’Clintock had little time to change her mode of living. She stored it in safes and continued her housework. While trying to hasten a fire with a dash of. oil one morning, she Was burned to dentil. Johnny was just 20. He found £125,000 in cash in -onsafe, and liis property gushed every time a drill was sunk. When he was 21 Johnny sold his oil well if or £250,000. With an aequaln tance, Seth Slocum, and two shabby haversacks, stuffed with money, lie set out. Because a hotel clerk offended him, Johnny leased the hotel for a day. paying a few thousands from a greasy haversack. His first act as proprietor was to sack the clerk. His second was to place a large placard outside am nouneing open house with tood and wine free. Johnny would buy a jewellery store’s supply of diamonds and give the jewels to casual acquaintances. A cabman told Johnny his wife had been pestering bim ifor a diamond brooch. Johnny bought the cab for £750 and was driven around the block. Then lie gave the call hack. His champagne bills became public scandal. In less than three years the young oil kind was at the end of his tether. He lived to be an old man, and he never earned more than 10s a day. “ Any man who will stand on a balcony and throw bank notes to the populace is thinking only of himself,” a psycho-analyst says. “For all be knows, the people who are scrambling for his money may have comfortable bank accounts. There is an element of cruelty in bis debauch,”