CLAIM TO MILLIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 21 October 1933, Page 6

CLAIM TO MILLIONS

INQUIRIES MADE BY GERMANS. LETTER TO PRINCE OF WALES. LONDON, October 12. Two Germans recently wrote, to the Prince of Wales offering him 10 per cent on some hundreds or millions 01 marks which they reported to be awaiting .distribution'in New. South Wales and to which they claimed to be entitled.

The letter , was passed on by the Prince’s staff to the Dominion Office, which forwarded it to the Governor oj New South Wales. The subject matte; of the communication is now being, in qipred into by the Crown l*aw Office n Sydney for “the in formation of. tnc Governor.

Two brothers named Wurdig are the writers, and the letter to the Prince, which hpd been posted at Plrna,. in Saxony,.is a s follows: —.. .‘‘We beg you, to pardon us for troubling you in an inheritance . ease, but as' only evasive replies have been given at consulates, we. believe that, assuming vour kind permission, we may venture to claim your valuable help. According to a press notice a great uncle of ours, a German who urgrated to Australia, died in 1899. He left Germany about 50 or 55 years ago. His, name wa s Johann Gottlieb Schone, and lie came from Pir.ua, district of Dresden. By. his industry and economical liqbits bp acquired in the State of New South Wales a fortune of s\hput 320.000,009 marks. Wp now ask Your Rpyal Highness by your valuable in-; teryention to take t|j> o.ur case, aud we are. ready to place at your disposal 10; per cent, of the total sum for youi trpuh.le if you help Us to. obtain the inheritance. In the economic distress and extensive unemployment we. being in the building trade, are greatly era barrassed, and it would be just if we cr.uld receive at least some part of the inheritance that we may continue to exist.”

This communication to the Prince was followed bv another wtych stated that Johann Gotljeh Schone lmd in Australia, <mne by the name of Gustave Adolph •Schone. . 1 The Sydney Morning Herald says:— “It hag been found that one Adcvlph Schone. who died some years n.go in New South Wales, left an estate of £ISOO. The beneficiaries under his will lived at Adeloiig. No trace of 320.000.000 marks which might .be diverted to the Wurdig brothers can be discovered, nr ie likely to he.”