"WELLS OF MONTE CARLO"

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 210, 11 March 1912, Page 3

"WELLS OF MONTE CARLO"

MAN WHO BROKE THE BANK. London, January 20. The hero of the once-popular song, "The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo" has been arrested at Falmouth, together with a woman named Jeanne Peris. The arrests were made under an extradition warrant charging the accused with obtaining over £40,000 by false pretences, within the jurisdiction of the French Government. The man was arrested in the name of Lucien Rivier, alias James Burns, .alias De Ville, alias Wells, and is said to have no fewer than 30 aliases^ Rivier and his companion were on board the steam yacht Excelsior, known up to a short time ago as the Harbinger, of Southampton. They had spent a con- ( siderable time at Falmouth, possibly on\ account of good fishing, for which Rivier • had a great liking. There was nothing ostentatious about their mode of living. The arrests were effected without trouble by the local police, representatives of the Paris Detective Department being present to identify the accused. Both accused were removed to the Falmouth Police Station, and there remained in, custody to await removal to London.

According to the French police, the man under arrest is Lucien RLvier, whose disappearance from Paris laat year created a great sensation, His age is given as 70; his companion's as 40. Rivier, it will be recalled, set up an establishment in Paris, which he called the Rente Bimensuelle, and promised to pay interest at the rate of one per cent, per- day on all money sent to him for investment. People sent money from all over France, and last April, when he had been carrying on this business for about eight months, and had obtained, it is stated, about 3,000,000 francs, he disappeared. After his disappearance the French detectives stated that they believed he had gone to England, and that the name "Rivier" concealed the identity of a jeweller well known in the City of London. Their efforts to trace the missing banker have been unceasing, and it is stated that letters which recently came into their hands led them to suspect that "De Ville," or "Wells," was the same man for whom they were searching.

"Monte Carlo" Wells, or William Davenport, has had an astonishing career. Educated as an engineer in France, he came to England in 1885 with £BOOO. He exhausted his fortune in taking; out 'patents, nearly 100 in number ■and ranging from a musical skippingrope to torpedoes and electric lights. Then he advertised for persons with capital to assist in the working of liis scheme. Thus lie raised nearly £OO,OOO With this money he went to Monte Carlo to test a system he had for-break-ing the bank.

Wells' own story was that the money he used at Monte Carlo was provided by two Americans. In his own words, he won £63,000 in five months at the tables. Ihrough the same exploit he was the hero of the song, "The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo." His own share of his winnings, he used to sav was £20,000. Of the remainder, £3l 000 went to "a wandering Jew" for assistance in a commercial enterprise in Paris styled "Wells and Co."