Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-06

EtQ cape Iown. ara at last, IN search OF
| hghtng with the Lost Legions of
| France, to Algiers. But there was little
| chance for promotion in the Foreign lie
sion, and, being penniless, Won Veltheim
used his knowledge as sailor and got
| job on a China steamer.
! In Hongkong he was paid off and trav-
eled China and Japan in search of adj
| venture and money. Things We're quiet and
| so he decided a trip to the United
States. He entered at San Francisco
able seaman aboard an American vessel
trading with Japan.
There was talk of another tin-pot revolu-
ton in Honduras and on Vetheim has
tened to New Orleans. But he could not
connect He tried newspaper work without
much success and was finally driven to take
odd jobs along the levee, dock walloping
being taly-man to a gang of negroes I'M
| loading banana vessels.
In some way he attracted the attention of
Kenny klock and others of the old-time
Louisiana politicians and got a job in
shipping office. He also became Ameri-
can citizen and in few months was sent
| to Santa Marta in Argentine South Ameri-
| ca. as resident agent for a shipping house
| in New Orleans. Soon afterward he
| appointed American consul at that little
port
| But things were not lively enough there
| for the daring free lance. So he took ship
again and voyaged round the world A year
or SO later he arrived in Germany and gave
out he was an American official travelling
on pleasure. Miss Paula Schiller fell in love
with him. but her parents opposed a mar
riage, so the couple eloped to London and
here were married at a registry office. This,
his second living wife, was also woman
of wealth. mystery there is about the
result of his marriage. The wife was not
beauty, yet she was willing to get rid of
her handsome husband, for she paid him
| $500 in hard cash in return for this docu-
ment:
Il, Carl Ludwig Won Veltheim. hereby for
| n.ally renounce all my matrimonial rights
| to the position and fortune of my wife,
| Paula Schiller.
Probably the girls parents had hand in
| the separation. Soon afterward Welt
| helm married Miss Marie Navrogordato.
| Greek girl, who was also wealthy. The
marriage was at a London registry office
| and the husband gave his name Franz
| Platen He told her that he was the owner
| of a large banana plantation in Santa
! Marta and secured a large of money
from her to put into it. Then he disap-
| peared. This third living wife made many
| inquiries, discovered the previous marriage,
went to law and had hers annulled.
| Won Veltheim's Australian wife had ar
rived in England on the track of her miss
| ing husband and met him day face to
| face in the street. They then lived for
some months at the Hotel Metropole here.
| But again Won Veltheim suddenly disap-
| peared. There was trace of him at a sail
| ors' home in the East End. few days
| found in the Thames. 1t was enwrapped
| In ropes and it looked as if a foul murder
| had been committed. The police were non
plussed and the body was buried as that Of
| an unknown.
+
But Mrs Won Veltheim, hearing of the af-
| fair, secured special permission from the
| home secretary and had the body disinter
! red. In the morgue she identified it as the
| body of her husband. Her recognition was
| instant. She was positive.
But the curtain had by means rung
| down on the adventurer The police made
! further inquiries and discovered that Won
| Veltheim was alive and in a hospital in
| South Africa as a wounded member of the
| Bechuanaland police. On discovery he re-
| signed and went to Cape Town. There the
| ex-trooper once more posed as Baron Won
Velthem and was received in good society.
| 1t was at this time that he met Barney
| Barnato. Won Veltheim is marvellous
| linguist. johannesburg was in the zenith
| of its glory. 1t was the most cosmopolitan
| and the gayest city on earth. The l. d. B.,
| or illicit diamond buying, was also at its
| height. The Barnato firm had its own band
| of private police and Won Veltheim became
| a valuable member of this.
| He was, however, too good a man to be
| long a mere detective and was employed
| by the firm in a confidential position
many secret affairs. Political plots of all
| kinds We're brewing.
|
! 1t is generally agreed that one of these
political schemes led to the Joel tragedy.
| Those who ought to know in Johannesburg
! say that Won Veltheim had tired of his job,
! that he wanted big stake and that he de-
| manded S400tU or $4,000 from the Barnato
| firm on the threat that he would "squeal'
to the British government about a pro-
jected coup d'etat. Others again declare
| that the Rand multi-mlionaire firm found
| that one of it's schemes had miscarried and
| intended to denounce Won Velthem as the
| chief plotter and thus clear its own skirts.
At any rate, Won Neltheim had an APP
| pontment with Woolf Joel Harold
| Strange, the manager of >the Barnato Of
| flee IN Johannesburg, conducted Won Welt
| helm into the inner sanctuary of the Rand
magnate. When the trouble came Strange
| pulled his gun and fired, wounding ton
Veltheim slightly on the lip. His next
| cartridge stuck and he took cover behind a
| big desk. Woolf Joel opened drawer and
| grabbed his revolver, but Won Veltheim's
| spoke three times and each bullet entered
| Joels body at fatal spot.
| The baron was one of the best liked men
in the city. So Joel The latter was
always the most popular member of the big
firm: But public opinion was with Won
| with people, mostly women. Won Veltheim
| was the darling of society His affairs
d, were the talk of the town. and the women
|
| London society.
When the jury pronounced the words
| 'Uot. guilty there was a scene seldom
enacted at any courthouse. Women wept
] and shrieked and laughed with joy. The
| Judge censured the verdict, but the public
| gave the acquitted man an ovation.
X
| The Joes were not satisfied and had the
| man rearrested and expelled the Transvaal
| as an undesirable. He went to Delagoa
bay and there received by mail an Internal
| machine In opening it he seriously
injured, so seriously that he was unable to
| take part, until toward the end, in the
! Boer war And then when he tried to stay
| in Johannesburg Lord Roberts issued an
| edict again expellng him from the country
and prescribing him as an outlaw because
! of the part he had taken on behalf of the
| Beers.
| Wherever he went in the surrounding ter
ritory the cdict was known. He was asked
| TO leave Lorenzo Marques. Hotels in other
| places refused him admission. In Madagas-
! car the French refused to allow MIN to
| land So he wandered off to India, to Aus
! tralfa. and for all one knows may have
| in, hp plcS a