The New York herald., 1921-02-11
CLUB VANISHES,AL
PROMOTER AND FUND
District Attorneys Office Digs
Into Ruins of the Cont
mental Athletic.
WAS SPLENDID VISION
1,007 Members Who Gave Up
$50 Each Are Ready to
Forget Tt.
WAS SPLENDID VISION

Assistant District Attorney Edward
If there be any--of the so-called Con-
tinental Athletic Club. He was busy
yesterday delving into an enormous mass
of books and papers. cancelled checks
and other debris which appear TO be the
surviving concrete residue OF what was
beautiful vision. lie was sending out
subpoenas also, calling for the attend
ance of several persons who may be able
to aid him in his inquiry.
The Continental Athletic Club has
vanished seemingly into thin air. So
has its principal sponsor and promoter.
one w. Y. Jacknan. and SO have some
thousands Of perfectly concrete and sub
stantial dollars contributed to the gilt
tering enterprise by hundreds of New
York business men who at the rate Of
$50 apiece assured themselves of a
charter membership in concern which.
so its prospectus promised, was to eclipse
in comfort and elegance anything by
way Of an athletic club the metropolis
ever had conceived.
Jackman who called himself a pro-
moter OF clubs. came TO this city about
a year ago with plausible introductions
from the middle West. He employed
lawyer 70 draw UP articles of incorpora-
plans for the proposed club. He estab-
lished himself in a suite in the Hotel ST.
Andrew, Broadway and Seventy-secord
street. where he surrounded himself with
luxuries and an impressive force of
office assistants. His closest associates
were Charles f. Gilbert, who lived in the
Ansonia Hotel; Hugh D. MCMILLAN, Will
lam C. Dorsey and Herbert II. Dubois,
who resided In the st. Andrew.
Plans Impressive.
There was to be /; twelve story build
ing with reception, lounging. dining and
grill rooms; gymnasium, bowling alleys,
billiard room, handball courts, swim
ming tank and all that could be de-
sired in the most completely equipped
OF athletic clubs. And all these attrac-
tions were depicted in the prospectus
de luxe.
Then began a mastery membership
drive The first fields invaded were
those Of the prominent hotel and ship
ping men Of the city. The response was
fiattering. Many promptly sent in their
checks for the $3.50 initiation fee and
were enrolled as constituent club men,
bers. Under the bylaws, which jack
man had fathered. a liberal percentage
OF all these receipts went to him for
expenses and for his efforts as pro-
moter
One of the early recruits was Robert
Blackman, owner of the Belleclaire and
San Reno hotels, president of the
Belleclaire Golf Club Of Bayside and
prominent in the Hotel Mems Associa-
ton But after some months things
were not going so swimmingly at the
headquarters in the st. Andrew. new
manager had taken charge of that hotel.
Learning that Jackrnan had been asked
to withdraw his account from neigh
boring bank, the hotel manager became
restive. He did some investigating and
finally asked Dorsey to leave. Then he
raised the rent so stiffiy that he forced
out Jackman and the rest. Mcmillan
went with the others, but left behind
an unpaid hotel bill.
Transfers His Quarters.
Jackman transferred the club head
quarters for a time to 5 Columbus Cir
Gle. But the club members. who now
numbered more than 1000. had become
apprehensive. Jackman was forced out
and Blackman, as one OF the members
Of a newly elected board, sought to re-
organize the enterprise, or at least TO
salvage it. Townsend, Dix & Pogson,
certified public accounts OF $50 Broad
way. were called in to assist. and now
the District Attorney is taking a hand
in the game.
Jaclxman has disappeared from CO.
lunbus Circle. The superintendent OF
that building says he failed to pay his
rent a couple of months ago, was in
vited to leave, and did so. omitting TO
liauidate an outstanding telephone bill
amounting TO about $3.50. Gilbert also
disappeared from the Ansonia some