Evening star., 1923-05-27
BY THE MAnaUIsE DE FoNTENoY

BY THE MARQCISE DE FONTENOh.
II that notorious international crook
Karl Moritz Ludwig Kurtze, Bruins
wick born. naturalized American citi-
zen, at one time United States consul
been expelled as an undesirable citi-
zen and ex-convict by the British
South African government, under the
usurped name OF won veltheim," 1t
is because he had returned to South
Africa, the scene of SO many Of his
former crimes and adventures, with
the avowed object OF getting even:
that is to say. wreaking revenge upon
certain dignitaries, high officials and
financial magnates of that part Of
the world who furnished some OF the
testimony Of his extraordinary rec
ord in the southern portion OF the
dark continent which led Lord Philli-
more, sitting as Justice Of the kings
bench division in London, to sentence
him in 1908 to tho severe penalty OF
twenty years penal servitude.
It was a staggering sentence, and
it's severity was due to the fact that
in the knowledge Of the judge and
the crown authorities there was still
further crushing evidence in their
hands against him which, II produced
in court, would have inevitably sent
him to the gallows.
Kurtze was thoroughly aware Of
this fact and in the terrible years
of incarceration at Dartnoor he had
plenty Of time to mediate upon the
revenge which he held In store for
those South African authorities and
important personages whose evidence
against him. though not produced in
court had been Of 80 damning a
character as to lead Lord Phillimore
to impose upon him the maximum
sentence for the crime for which he
had been indicted, namely, that of
"blackmail accompanied by threats"
The man whom he had endeayored
to blackmail was Solly Joel, a prom
inent though not q popular figure Of
the English turf. and who Is now
spending in England the enormous
wealth which he had acquired in
South Africa. The prisoner had pre-
viously been tried in South Africa for
the murder Of Solly Joel's brother,
woolf Joel, but had escaped on the
plea Of self-defense. largely because
Of the prejudice which exists both in
South Africa and in England against
the Joels and their methods.
II recur to the matter in these let
ters 1t is because one of these South
African authorities upon whom the
ex-convict was said to be determined
to be revenged, Sir Percy Fitzpatrick,
who is Justly entitled to be described
as one Of the most important assocf-
ates Of Cecil Rhodes in the building
up Of the South African portion Of
the British empire, IL now visiting the
United States, exchanging condolences
with John Hays Hammond and others
and sentenced to death by President
Kruger on charges Of completely In
the Jameson raid. and ~ members Of
burg that sought to bring about q
more liberal form Of government In
the TranBvaal than the political and,
above all, the ruthless economic oil.
garchy Of Dom Paul.
y y
+ Fifteen years of penal servitude.
especially in that most dreaded OF
all prisons In Great. Britain, and to
which only the worst criminals are
confined. are apt to change q mans
appearance, and consequently Kurtze
was not at first recognized when, q
few weeks ago, he landed In Cape
Town, and, when, some evenfngs after,
he strolled into the Rand Club 1t
|JohAhnesburg he got into CONVEX
sation with several men. especially
- = 4 x~~-ka 49,