STRANGE AFFAIR

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3817, 12 July 1928, Page 4

STRANGE AFFAIR

LOEWENSTEIN MYSTERY. STORY OF PARACHUTE. WrtAT A FISHERMAN SAW. Per Press Association. GISBORNE, July It. Mr I. O’Meara', the wireless enthusiast, picked a broadcast account of a London cable message that . appeared in the San Francisco Examiner yesterday. The message is as follows: “While plans were going forward in Brussels for a funeral service for Captain Loowenstein, the Belgian financial genius, those who believed that the millionaire’s strange disappearance was a Imax had their convictions strengthened by a report from Dunkirk that ibo tempestuous Locwcnstcin disappeared liom the ’piano by a parachute ami was rescued by a boat. • “A fisherman from the village oi Barry Dimes, on life coa-t of France, valid that he saw a parachute drop from the sky at approximately the time Captain Loewenstein’s 'plane was suppose-n in lie overhead.’’A similar message, was published by the New York Times. Captain Alfred I,o\venstoi:n, reputed Belgian millionaire, 'came into prominence in .1025 through lbs loan offer to Belgium and France. He was born in 1877, his father being a small Jewish banker in Brussels. Ho built up his fortune gradually by clever speculations. During the war he was engaged in London in conneciion with the provisioning of the Belgium army, which ho left after the armi.-s----uee. tie made some profitable deals in Canadian and Brazilian .securities, and was a large shareholder.in the Barcelona Traction, Light and Power Company, one of the bigge-t. hydro-electric undertakings in the world. About 1921 lie acquired the fine estate of Thorpe, Satcliville, near Melton Mowbray, Lincolnshire, nearly 1000 acres in exlerit. An expert horseman, be used to hunt with (lie hounds, breed racehorses and cattle, and won many prizes with his animals, He had also a residence at Biarritz, the Villa Segovia, where he entertained nil a large scale. One of hh idioayrieraucs was to keep several aero planes at his disposal fo carry himself, emissaries, and his guests to and from Biarritz, his offices in London ami Brussels, and on business missions. In September, 1926. if was reported that from purely patriotic motives he was ready to lend £10,000.000 to Belgium and £20,000.000 to Franco for two years, without interest in the case of bis own country, and at tv.o per cent, in the case of Franco to stabilise ilia currency, ft was staled in Brussels that the scheme was that the Government should pay for the £10,000,001 in Belgian notes at 225 francs to the £, Lowenstein reserving the right to repurchase these pounds at any time at 175 francs to the £. In this way, it was pointed out, he would pocket the difference, which would be. 500.000,000 francs. By this time il bad been made known that the scheme was nor n 'philanthropic one. and that lie proposed to lloat a. company to find the cash. The oiler was turned down. In September, 1926. Lowenstein on tertained at Barcelona n large number o r English M.P.’s and French and Belgian public men interested in hydro-electric undertakings. Jewels to the value of £IOO,OOO were stolen from bis Biarritz villa in October, and it was asserted that he and hi? wife were chloroformed by the thieves, while in November of iho same/year be was fined for assaulting his private secretary and a casino employee who had refused him admission because ho was not iti evening dress.