THE WHITELEY CASE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81917, 28 January 1907, Page 3

THE WHITELEY CASE.

MUEDEIIEII STILL ALIVE. LosDujf, January 25. Whilcley's murderer is alive. His name is llayncr. Vie was well dressed and unknown to llie family or shopman, After half an hour's interview Whileley peremptorily declined some request, ami ordered Haynor to leave or a policeman would be fetched. Knyiur la.inrdiately twice fired a revolver nt bim, and then fired at his o« n forelii ad When in tbe hospilal he cla : mcd the name ol Cecil 'Whitcley, A paper in his prelect staled that Wliiteley's refusal of a reasonable request would ho he cause o{ trouble and falalily.

MrilDKKElt JikX'OVKKINU. A IiLACOIAILKK. SIDELIGHTS ON Hid CAUKE'It. Ilcceiyed 27, t,;3 p.m. Lomjox, January 2(1. It lt\ nspires that Jiayner is 2tl years ol age, and was born m iu'dloclr. J1 is parents are respi viable people. The police report that Jiayner «as impecunious, and thai the case was one of blackmail. Hayuer was operated on and is recovering. He was born at Tcddington, and lodged recently m a cheap lodgings, lie was in straightened circumstances. He became engaged to a London barmaid, though his descried wife and two'children are living at Bewdley. llayner was for years employed as a cashier at Kiga, until suddenly he left. Embezzlement was alleged. The '• Chroniclc"states thutlvayncr's father and Whiteley were formerly personal friends. Their intimacy ended owing to Kayner senior threatening to prosecute Whiteley for slander. The police surmised that the son's attempt to blackmail Whiteley was based on re opening the old incident.

WIiITELKY THE UNIVERSAL PROVIDER. HIS. II.UI.Wm OPERATIONS. The name of Whitelcy, the man wlm has come to so tragic an end, lias long been a household word. lie was the founder in London of what is now kiiown as the "department .store" system, and described himself as -Universal Provider." He aroused much hostility among the smaller retailers, who were in many eases quite una M:' to carry on iu face of the new competition. A characteristic story was current in the early days of his enterprise, every department of which was subject to his own close personal supervi- ! sion. A military officer, ordered on ' short notice to India, had obtained a ■ complete outlit from the stores, and had closed his order, when Whitelcy. who had been conducting him from one department to another, asked: "Ave you sure there is nothing forgotten? Have you everything you want*'' The military man smiled. "All things lint one," he said, "and that you cannot supply, 'Universal Provider' though . you are.' "Name it." said Whitelcy. i "A wife." "Step this way." And the t astonished officer was led to a room occupied by an attractive lady clerk, introduced, and left with her by the i proprietor. She was a girl of good family, alone in the world, aid reduced , by bereavement and family losses to , fight the battle of life single-handed, j and had come to Whileby's with the , best recommendations. The couple were mutually attracted; and the effect of the brief interview was such that when the steamer left for India .. tire last of the officer's requirements had been supplied. The anecdote, { which had a wide currency in the press. was possibly the best advertisement n the firm ever had, and brought it into (i unexpected prominence. Whitelcy, who was a Yorkshirenian, was over seventy years of age, and was a line ~ representative of his county, both in T character and physique, from small f| beginnings his business spread iu many dreelio'ns. till bis stores became a Lou- ;, don institution. The ill-will of the " small tradesmen already referred ." v was not quite innocuous, since repealed lires occurred on his premises, which were generally regarded as !i:e work of incendiaries. One of these coullagrations. the Inmost, a few years ago involved a loss of a uiiartei- of a million. The business was turned into a limited liability company some years ago, Whitelcy being retained as ' manager at a princely -alary.