FORGERY & DEATH

Hokitika Guardian, 5 March 1932, Page 6

FORGERY & DEATH

AN AMAZING DRAMA. EX-CONy.ICT’S £100,009, The veil can now be lifted from an amazing drama of forgery and death, which, unknown to all but a few, took place behind the gay foreground of the French Riviera, says tile “Sunday Dispatch” (London). The two central characters are John Drinan, whose will ivas the subject ol a remarkable action in the High Court, and a mysterious individual, Joe Haiat, who, Mr Justice McCardie declared during the hearing of the action, bad undoubtedly forged a transfer of shares worth £IOO,OOO from Drinan’-s account. Of the two Drinan was the more remarkable. For years be had not had a hath, and his unkempt appearance brought sympathy to the hearts 01 those who little knew that he could command a prince’s ransom. Persecution Fears. He declared that wherever he want his enemies would seek him and find him out. That was why he was for ever walking from place to place on tlio Riviera. Joe Haiat disappeared from Nice a fortnight after John Drinan’s death, and died in Egypt. He had started a claim against the National City Bank of New York, based on two stock powers purporting to transfer certain shares, valued at £IOO,OOO from John Drinan to himself.

When, the claim was heard in London, Mr Justice McCardie ordered the papers in the case to be sent to the Public-. Prosecutor, and declared the stock powers produced in court to be forgeries. Ex-British Vice-Consul. The forgery, he declared, was a, responsibility which lay between Charles Beale, at one time:; British Vice-Consul at Nice, Joe Haiat; now dead, and beyond the reach of’ criminal justice, aud his son Fred Haiat.

Joe Haiat needs properly introducing to our readers. According to the dossier of the French police his real name was Joseph Abraham Haiat, born March 15, 1870, at Beyreuth, in Syria, the soil of Abraliam Haiat and Shay Grace, a British subject. The Haiat family consisted of Mrs Haiat, two sons and three daughters, who all arrived in Nice from San Remo, Italy, in September, 1927.

Police records show that in September, 1924, Joe Haiat was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment at Munches tor ■ • \>

“Where was John Drinan at; the time the forgeries . were committed? “His jpoyepients and abode have been traced to October 4, 1930, when Fred Haiat took” him away from a small hotel. Haiat did not tell the proprietor where he was taking him. “From that time the old man’s abode is unknown until he was ’found to have died under singular circumstances at a remote villa four miles from Cannes.”

The persons who defrauded John Drinan managed to obtain a dividend warrant payable to him by the Can adian Pacific Railway for 600 ft dollars (£1200), which in the judge’s view bore a signature which was an obvious forgery.

In giving judgment for the Public Trustee, with costs, bis Lordship pointed to the condition of Mr Drinan. It was clear that he was not of sound mind in October, 1930. Yet hefore John Drinan was stricken with dementia his mind had been oeeupied with thoughts of the plight of others. His selection fell to the poorboxes of the police courts of London,

Effect of Judgment. Since Mr Justice McCardie’s judgment the position is that all the Canadian Pacific Railway .shares said to have been transferred to Joe Haiat by the forged stock powers revert to the Public Trustee as executor of John Drinan.

The Public Testator’s solicitor will now, in co-operation with the Treasury Solicitors, on behalf of the Charity ('omniis,sinners, formulate a scheme lor dealing with the income of Drinan s estate, including the t’.P.R. shares. In ail this amounts to £160.000, the income from which, alter provision has been made for an annuity of £3OO to Drinan’s daughter, will be equal.y divided between tile London Metropolitan Polite Court Door boxes.