TWO BLACKMAILERS

Hokitika Guardian, 20 March 1930, Page 7

TWO BLACKMAILERS

WOMEN VICTIMS

LONDON, January 24

Two blackmailer-;, both aged 42, A: lime Trederiek Victor Ha flier, a stoc iD-oher. and Thomas William 'Vfulholland. a fruit bottler whose .victim was a widow referred to as Mrs l ‘H.” wove, convicted at tlie Old Bailer yesterday.

Hnfner has been described as “the convict who might have been the friend of kings.” He has crowded into Ids life the varied experience of repeated phases of opulence and penury: of social eminence and the lot of an outcast wlid has battened on the weaknesses of women.

Hnfner was the son of a German of noble birth. His father was for many years director of the Continental travels of the late King Edward when Prince of Wales. In this capacity lie became known to people in the highest soe’.il circles. PUBLIC SCHOOL MAN.

Arthir. Hafner was sent to an English public school and to Oxford, where ite had a brilliant career but wuere he gambled heavily. At 22 lie began a business care-.' with a firm of City storkbrobviand six years later started as a. stocK broke: cm his own account.

Ke seemed to have a knack for getting wealth—and for spending it. The money he made by day he gambled away at night. When the war came his German ancestry brought him into disfavour and bis business dwindled away. He changed his name to I'iederick Victor Hamilton and started in business as produce broker. Jn May 1917 be was sent to prison for a breach of the food regulations, and soon afterwards he was again sent to prison for breaking the Busiriiss Names Act.

OPENED A “DUCKET SHOP.” When he came out of gaol he returned to the City and opened a “bucket shop” and made a fortune out of worthless companies. By the end of 1919 he was said to- he worth at least £IOO,OOO. He visited West End gambling haunts. At these tallies, where chem-in-de-fer and baccarat were played, £1,090 frequently changed hands on the turn of a card. Money came from investors all over the country, and he used it to pay for his own excesses. The result was that on June 15, 1929, lie was sentenced to three years’ penal servitude for fraudulently converting £BO to his own use. It was stated, however, that between £20,000 and £39,090 was involved. Afore than 100 people complained of having lost their money through his activities.

In 1924, after a career in Westminster as an outside broker he again fell into the hands of the police and was sent to three years’ penal servitude.