Evening star., 1923-11-26
ARNOF KIN ASSURED
BY SUICIDES TALE
Father Long Suspected I'm
poStor Was Posing as Son
in South America.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated l'resS
McCRORY, Ark. November 20
Jacob NJ. Arnof early in 1920 left
his home here to visit Harry Wolfe,
q friend in New Orleans, and q few
weeks later the two youths sailed to-
gether for South America. A clerk,
known as Jacob NJ. Arnof, committed
suicide last week in Argentina after
the discovery that the Buenos Aires
office of the United States Shipping
Board, in which he was employed,
had been defrauded of over 100000
pesos. He left a note declaring that
he was not Arnof, but Harry Wolfe,
who on November I, 1920. had assum-
ed the identity of Jacob Arnof, when
the latter was drowned while the two
were canoeing. The note said he
wanted to clear the name OF his
friend
the BODY qf the vs. s9isids 9is ti is
not be definitely established until
David Arnof of New York, broth@r
of Jacob. arrives in Buenos Aires: lie
teleEraphed III. Arnof, the father, here
yesterday that he will sail at once. The
father, however. is convinced that the
strange story of assumed identity Is
true and doubts the theory said To be
entertained by officials OF Buenos
Aires that Jacob Arnof, in dying.
merely sought to save his family
name from dlShonor
Alarmed by Messages.
The Arnof family here declared that
while the story carried from BuenoS
Aires by the Associated Press Satur-
day night revealed Il weird mystery
to newspaper readers, it served to
clear up a mystery which for the past
three years has distressed relatives of
Jacob Arnof. and toward the solution
OF which Secretary of State Hughes,
the Governor of Colorado, consular
officials in South America and others
have lent their assistance
The Arnofs exhibit a series of ca
kilograms and letters, dating back
three years to show that their sus-
phrases used by Jacob" by failure
ever to mention five sisters and
brothers, by photographs sent home
which only slightly resemble Jacob
and by desperate demands for large
sums OF money.
The statement in the suicide note,
signed by Harry Wolfe TO the eff
feet that Arnof was drowned Novem
her 7. 1920. was declared significant.
on arriving in South America, in the
spring of 1920. Jacob wrote home fire.
quently, his father asserts, but after
November of that year the letters
suddenly were discontinued and an
interval of six monfhs elapsed before
the father heard again. Then, it is
said, the difference in handwriting
was noticeable.
Mention One Sister.
Letters received since November
1920. have always mentioned a sister
Esther. but have made no mention of
the four brothers and ano+her sister,
Ruth.
A photograph received early this
year was said not to resemble Jacob
L..
The suicide in the note signed
Wolfe" declared he had burned this
scar into his face with acid in order
to make the assumed identity more
positive.
Early in 1921 Jacob" drew a draft
on his father for $500. In 1922 he
drew another for $3.50. On August g.,
1929 the following Cablegram was re-
ceived by the father:
II need $4,000 at once. Failure to
send means disgrace to the family.
Cable funds at once. Do not send
check.-Jacob."
The fathers suspicious. however
had long since been aroused. and when
in Colorado last summer he visited
the office of the governor OF that state
and had a letter written to Secretary
of State Hughes. Some time later,
Mr.. Arnof declares. the State Depart
ment advised him not to send more
money, as an investigation had dis
closed mysterious circumstances.
Identified by Consul.
On Octobe 9 of this year the United
States consul at Buenos Aires trans
mitted, through the State Department,
a request of Jacobs" that the father
send $500. The father cabled the
consul asking if he could positively
identify Jacob Arnof. The following
reply was received: positively iden-
titled Jacob He declines to tell why
money needed, but urgently requests
that you send by cable at once"
Dispatches further describing the
suicide note quote Wolfe" as saying
that he was able to deceive the Of
f1Cials with Arnof'S passports and by
the fact that he resembled Arnof and
had the scar on his face.
Another cablegram, signed Jacob"
came to the father here October 81, in
reference to the request for $4,000.
saying: Answer yes or nO.-Jacob."
That was the last the family heard
until Saturday night. when they We're
Informed by the Associated Press of
the strange story of the suicide and
the tangled Identities.
The mother was not told of the
tragedy until today and is prostrated.
The father, although in i'll health.
bears up bravely and is convinced
that Harry Wolfe" really did clear
the name of his friend, that Jacob
died in November. 1920. and did moth