EXTRAORDINARY ALLEGED SWINDLE. THE CAREER OF LANGESHUT IN MELBOURNE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 299, 15 September 1888, Page 6

EXTRAORDINARY ALLEGED SWINDLE. THE CAREER OF LANGESHUT IN MELBOURNE.

Thk Melbourne papers are full ot the doings of a chavmlier cVindubtrit rejoicing in the name of Langeshub, who (bays the " Telegraph "'), if all the charges alleged against him be correct, certainly takes the jialm Irom many of the expertswindlers who have visited Melbourne from time to time. About the 7th of June he appeared at the Old White Hart Hotel, cornerot Bonrkeund Spring streets, having, as he stated, just arrived by one of the French mail boats. He wa^ accompanied by a young female said to be hiss wite, their infant, a young invalid from foreign parts, and a Dr. Dunn, who was in attendance on the invalid. All the party came by the same steamer. Langeshut apparently knew no one in Melbourne, and about the 16th of July took an expensive furnished house at Burnett-street, St. Kilda. The rent alone was about £20 per week. Preparations were made for living on a most liberal scale, and Langeshut and his family were joined by a young woman, said to be the sister of his wife. He engaged an office at 112 Col-lins-street west, and had his office memoranda headed the " Indian Australian Trading Company.' Then he moved to Pitts buildings. Soon afterwards he made himself known to Mr Moore, af Walsh street, South Yarra, recently appointed manager of the Union Bank, Collins-street. He prop duced to Mr Moore documents apparently bearing the heading of Blyth and Co., the bank's agents at St. Louis, Mauritius, and also apparently bearing their signature. The documents had reference to a cargo of oil which he represented was on the way, and expected almost at once in Melbourne, and the bank manager was so completely deceived by the papers — now said to be clever forgeries — that he allowed a large advance, and was further led by the plausible representations and apparent business aptitude of Langeshut to advance the latter another of £500 " towards making arrangements for supplying Victorian coal direct to Mauritius." Ahnostbimulbaneously Lange&hut introduced himself to Mr De

Rinzy, of the Indian Emporium, corner of Spring-street and Flinders lane, with the same story of the cargo of oil, which, he assured Mr Be Rinzy, was expected in the bay every day ; but he said he could not name the ship, as it was being brought on bj' one of the chance vessels which call at St. Louis to pick up cargoes for this port. Papers, including account sales, etc., were displ-iyed, and the upshot was that Mr De Rinzy advanced a sum of .I*soo to nvot present contingencies — freight, and so on — and took the business-like stranger's promissory note for a short period. The stranger produced a small sample bottle ot oil, which was examined and admitted to be an excellent article for this market, and. there were various other propositions made by him for doing business. One was that he should give another promissory note in payment for some shares in Mr De Rinzyjs company, and he coolly requested that the scrip should be "sent to his oflice,'' but happily the transaction was not completed, for had it been Mr De Rinzy Ls convinced the sctip would had been at once on the Stock Exchange, where the stranger figured to disadvantage. When the bill given by the stranger to Mr De Rinzy became due it * as not honored, and then the complications commenced. At last, he <;ave Mr De Rinzy a cheque on the Union Bank for ±500, on the stipulation that it was not to be presented until the arrival of the French mail steamci ; but on the previous Thursday lie vanished from St. Kilda, and has not been seen until his arrest. The cheque, it needless is to add, was utterly worthless at any time. No cargo of oil has arrived, and all interested declare never will arrive. They areamazedat the effrontery of the missinjjj stranger, of whom they have never heard before he introduced himself to them ; but all agree that he was intimately acquainted with Mauritius and the working of the office of the bank's agent there. He is described a*> a German Jew, about thirlyeight years of age. The women— whom ithas been ascertained are sifters named Pollard, who formerly belonged to a juvenile operatic troupe — left their fashionable quarters at St. Kilda. The landlady says she has been victimised to the tune of £700, the bank wab let in for four figures, and jewellers and tradesmen figure in the list for sums ranging from £150 to £20.