| Show FINANCIER IR fAllS fROM PLANE I INTO m fN lI H Lowenstein's Death Veiled in Mystery Suicide Reports Denied SHIPS SEEK BODY Stocks in Belgians Belgian's Companies Corn Com Tumble LONDON July 5 United Press Captain Alfred Lowenstein mystery mystery mys- mys tery man of international high finance brought his spectacular career to a mysterious end when he stepped last night from a door of one of his fleet of private airplanes as it sped across the English channel chan chan- nd nel and dropped into the sea Today while the fishing fleet dragged the French coasts for his body stocks in Lowenstein's companies slithered down in Ia demoralized demoralized de- de moralized fashion on the London exchange said Lowenstein-said by some to be bethe the third rIchest man in world the started Ion fot Brussels at p. 6 m. m yesterday yes yes- I from Croydon airdrome near London The airplane in which he traveled was a big Fokker but one ot of many he owned He was a Belgian but owned homes in England France and Belgium The flight was made in the theatre like circumstances that attached attached at- at to many of Lowenstein's ac ac- With him were one ot of his sta staff f of pilots a mechanic a valet vale and two women secretaries MISSING FROM PLANE In broad daylight the plane passed out over the English coast for a 55 mite stretch across the channel to Os Ostend tend on the Belgian coast Somewhere about Lowenstein left lett his seat in his cabin and went to the rear of the plane apparently to the retiring room For some time nothing was thought of his absence Finally one of f the theother theother other passengers went to seek rIm him There was no trace ot of him In some way Lowenstein had ste stepped ped out of at the entrance door to the theca ca cabin bin The pilot landed the plane on the sands at Dunkirk France gave the I alarm and proceeded to airdrome near From Dunkirk the fishing fleet set setout setout out today to find the missing financiers financier's financiers financier's finan- finan ciers cier's body On the London stock exchange tOday shares in companies LowensteIn Lowenstein Lowen- Lowen steIn had controlled reacted in nervous nery- nery ous us fashion to his disappearance NY MINY FIRMS ANXIOUS Many firms weN understood to tobe tobe be awaiting developments anxiously anxious anxious- ly in view of Lowenstein's extensive exten- exten sive activities and the element of m mystery in Ia Iris his disappearance DUNKIRK France July 5 AP Coast guards and lighthouse keepers keepers keep keep- ers all along along the coast between Ft and the Bray Dunes have been directed to search for Captain Lowenstein's body Fishing boats Continued on pa e 5 I. I FINANCIER F FALLS FROM PLANE INTO ENGLISH CHANNEL Continued from pa page e 1 I were dragging tI the e channel with nets but without result B BRUSSELS Belgium July 5 AP Rumors that Captain Alfred Altred Lowenstein Lowenstein Low Low- enstein k In a a. fall faU from his private vale vate plane last night was a possible suicide were energetically denied today to to- day at the financiers financier's office In Brus Brus- sets sels It was stated that the captain was not alone al ne at the head of Iris numerous numer- numer ous affairs whose direction and r responsibility re- re was shared by several prominent financiers Including the tho J J. J HEnry Schroder Banking corporation corpora corpora- tion of New York From the financial financial finan- finan cial viewpoint it was said Captain Lowenstein's affairs will proceed as usual BRUSSELS July Juh 5 United Press Stocks of companies controlled by Captain Alfred Lowenstein slumped alarmingly today Silk fell francs and url ties francs An urgent meeting of the Jhc stock exchange committee was called to todeal todeal deal with the situation STOCKS BREAK SHARPLY BERLIN July S 5 United Press Press- Press Press-I Stocks ot of companies In which Captain Captain Cap Cap- tain A Alfred fred Lowenstein was interested Interested Inter Inter- ested broke sharply on the Berlin bourse toda today Rumors that Lowenstein had committed committed com com- suicide In his fall from Iris cross channel airplane caused holders hold hold- ers ets of shares in his companies to dump their holdings LONDON July 5 The AP-The death of Captain Lowenstein who had big international financial Interests interests In- In shocked city circles today and the opening of the stock exchange exchange ex- ex change was awaited with some anxiety Dealers marked down the shares of those stocks In which he was most Interested and International holdings were quoted at against last nights night's dropping later to 30 H another Lowenstein Lowenstein Lowen- Lowen stein stock were quoted nt at 32 against their overnight o figure of 51 Brazilian Tractions and Barcelona Tractions In which the Belgian financier r Was waR interested were both hoth weak while artificial l' l silk shares dropped but are noW above e the worst REACTION AWAITED The reaction from the continental and New Kew York exchanges Was WasI awaited with some anxiety I Alfred Lowenstein was reputed tobe to tobe be the richest man In Europe his ITis wealth being estimated at only less than that of Henry Ford or the Rockefellers lie He controlled steamship team steam ship lines was one of the chief shareholders In the Belgian railway system owned manganese Iron mines In Silesia I steel teel furnaces In Inthe inthe the north of Spain coal properties In the basin and In the Ruhr and immense rubber plantations Ir In Inthe the Congo i lie He was born In 1877 his father faUrer being a a. small Jewish banker In Brussels His Immense fortune was built up by clever speculation It took him thirty years ears to become the richest man In England During the war he was engaged In London In connection with the provisioning of the Belgian army Two years ears ago he was virtually unknown in the United States but ho a achieved the limelight almost overnight when Ire he offered to lend lenel Belgium free of Interest for a a. period of two ears bears so as to enable the country to stabilize the franc Shortly after this he offered to lend France a similar amount at Interest of only 2 per cent HI He be began an to he rp regarded as the logical l successor In European finance to the late Hugo Stinnes He replaced Sir Basil as the mystery man of European finance Captain Lowenstein said he hart had built up his fortune by sound business business busi- busi ness hunches on Industrial trends As a a. young man he staked everything every every- thing on the future Importance of artificial silk power powe- and methods of mass production lie He visited the United States last April coming on the liner lIe Ile de deFrance deFrance France with his wife He was somewhat disgruntled because he had to travel to this country by steamship Instead of by airplane When at home he said he always traveled tra d In one of his two pas 20 planes Ho He as accustomed to take with him on his trips between between be- be tween European capitals and money mOne centers a corps corps corps' of of secretaries and typists N. N y NOT AFFECTED While In America lre he traveled by bya a passenger lO-passenger plane He brought his personal pilot from abroad to fl fly flythe the craft At Philadelphia he tried to slip away from photographers ashe as ashe he alighted from flom his plane and I walked directly between two of the propellers Someone shouted Duck and he saved himself but he had been so near to death t t one of the whirling blades knock knocked his hat from his head NEW YORK July 5 AP The suddEn death or of Alfred Alfre Lowenstein B Belgian financier which Europ European an markets to break badly apparently had no effect on Ne New NewYork York financial markets markels St Stocks of artificial lal silk and utility companies In which the financier was believed to have been Interested showed little mUe change In prices while French and Belgian exchanges were steady PARIS July 5 United Press Press- An official French Inquiry to the disappearance of Captain Alfred Lowenstein Belgian financier froth from his airplane res resulted today In a d decision de- de cis Ion that h he had committed sui- sui h I |
