THE VELTHEIM CASE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9074, 14 February 1908, Page 5

THE VELTHEIM CASE.

A SALUTARY SENTENCE. Press Association— Copyright. Received February 13, 10.36 p.m. London, February 13. The jury were twenty minutes absent. , ~ , Inspector Pentin, after the verdict, gave Yeltheim’s history. According to police accounts in various countries Yeltheim’s real name is Kurtze. His father was a forester. The prisoner had a bad character from his childhood. He was a sailor in the German navy in 1880, and deserted. In the same year he was suspected of stealing his captain’s gold watch and seal bearing the family crest. The captain’s name was Yon Yeltheim. Later the prisoner served aboard a British merchantman, and went, in 1886, to Fremantle and Perth, where in 1887 he married Maria Yearsley. He went to Capetown and his wife went to England, and became acquainted _ with a gentleman, whom the prisoner, on rejoining his wife, attempted to blackmail. He was told the matter would be placed in the hands of the police, but continued to write threateningly. Yeltheim next bigamously married, ;defrauded, and deserted several women. He obtained £ISOO from one. He underwent a supposed secret marriage with a young American lady at Saint Oloud, one of his friends on that occasion personating a priest. Later the prisoner obtained from a German widow, whom he previously knew and now promised to marry, £2BOO to invest on her behalf. She, finning the money had been squandered, suicided. The prisoner served in the Cape Mounted Police, but was requested to resign. He began to blackmail Joels, was acquitted ox murder and expelled for blackmailing. Later he raised half-a-million kroner on pretence of being able to unearth Kruger’s buried treasure, amounting to five million sterling. Prisoner frequently interrupted the narrative by shouting ‘ ‘ All lies. ’ ’ He told Judge Phillimore, m a final speech, that the plot story was true, iHe must cover people. He did so now,'although found guilty. Received* February 14, 9.7 a.m. f London, February 13. Yeltheim stated that he had not intended that the wretched letters signed “Kismet” should have been taken seriously, as he was not such a fool as to think that ~such letters would produce money. His conscience was clear on that point. Barnato was not the principal man in the scheme wherein he asked for his assistauce, but one of a number. He begged Woolf Joel’s pardon tor the “Kismet” letters. Joel forgave him. He was tried for Joel’s murder and acquitted. Thank God it was not a British jury but men who did not measure everything by pounds shillings and pence, they acquitted him because they knew he was innocent. He risked life rather .than betray the names of those in the plot to overthrow the Boer Government. He never got money from women. Judge Phillimore in emphasising that accused was guilfcy'of one of the most serious crimes, declared that sentence and punishment must be equally preventive. Prisoner was stunned on hearing his sentence. The Times describes him as a very dangerous scoundrel and says that criminals of his stamp will lie to last. ’ o „ Other newspapers are equally satisfied with the action of the jury and the judge.