MONEYED GERMAN’S RUSE.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3338, 17 November 1919, Page 6

MONEYED GERMAN’S RUSE.

DRESSED AS A PAUI-‘ER. ARRESTED FOR VAGRANCY. E SYDNEY, Oct. 29. l Just after daybreak one zxl~orning’ recently, the Melbourne police found an old and very ragged man “fossiek—ing” among the rubish bins in ‘a, city street. He had been seen at this sort of thing on other occasions, and his appeared to be such a clear case of absolute poverty, that he was arrested on 9a. charge -of vagrancy. When he was brought before the Court he astonished. everyone by deel-axing that ho was not a vagrant, but that he had at least £SOOO. The case was adjourned and inquir~ ies set afoot. The m:a.n’s name was found to be Leonard lVinkler, and he was born a't Sachisen, G4:-I'nlany, in‘ 1851. He was of good family, 'a.nd he inherited a large sum from his father, I but lost most of it in speeukrtions. Then he went to Americ-a, where, as a t horticulturist, florist, and landscape‘

. g_al-clener, he flourished‘. He saved », ‘money in land about New York for 20 ; years, and ‘then, in 1906, he came to * Melbourne, with be‘t.ween £IO,OOO and £12,000. He speculated in mining shares_. and lost, perh-ops, £3OOO. Allowever, other share deals were shrewd and profitable and when war broke out his investments in mines, tl*anm‘ays_, rubber, sugar and pictures were sound, and returning him a large income. He was probably worth at least £IO,OOO. But the old man had never been naturalised. When war commenced he efiame under surveillance, and had to give an account -of his affairs. 'l\lrJ Hughes’ vigorous policy of eliminating _ all Germans and German money from I J our commercial concerns resulted in all I ithe old m-an"s shares being summarily ;.«:old. They re'a.lised only £5500. He ; kept £SOO in’ cash and put the rest into an Aiistralian war loan. He found even 5 then that he was attracting too much’ ' attention. so he took to staying in his‘ irooms all day and going out only at. niglits, or" in the early mornings, dress-5‘ ed only in very old clothes. In this way he passed ‘the last. two: or three years unmolestcd. ‘-"No one takes any notice of a. panper,” he explained quaintly. The’ charge of vagl+ancy7v.as. of_ course, withdrawn.