A CONFIDENCE TRICK.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 39, 15 February 1910, Page 4

A CONFIDENCE TRICK.

ATE___PTS TO IXTORT MOSEY. __I_R-__T MADE AT WII^GTOK. (By Telegraph.—-Tew __s_eUt-on.) WELLmGTON, this dav.j The police have been closely following certain clues in regard to.. lecenir _*■ .- tempts to extort money from W__a_Webb, ex-champion scnller; of Wanganui, the Captain of -the S tormbird, and certain citizens of Wellington; A short.time ago Webb received a' te_egf_m from Wellhig<l'on signed "George Wh-lch," mii-oating that he (Wheteh) had arrived in Wdlington, and asking Webb to wire him £10; The Wanganui sculler was rather ___*. prised, on receiving -this message, __f-ht ! wondered at Wheich—if he were in Wet; „ lington at all —being "short o_ money; He sent reply to the. effect that.!•' would forward the amount required oa the receipt of proof that the. sender -A of the message was who he represented himself to be. Webb also, at the sana time, dispatched a wire to Mr. M Daley, - of Akaroa, who is one of Whelch's duel supporters, asking where Wheleh waA To this message he received a reply thaS W_elc_ was at Akaroa, where he wa* . engaged, in grass-seeding. . The little j scheme therefore failed, though it might easily have, proved successful. About the same time, it ia alleged, the captain of the. St'oimhird was victimis-d. to the extent of £2 by someone Jiao. wrote a letter to him and signed '"Jan-elf William Webb, representing tK_.t-ha_ "*: Webb, required some material from Wellington in connection with, his boaibOJW* 1 ing business, and asking the skipper if . he would oblige by leaving £2 at a certain shop in Wellington to enaSle a. friend of Webb's <ik> buy the goods, which vrould subsequently be taken aboard tha captain's boat for him to deliver to Webb. It was mentioned that should i the captain not see Webb himself he would be able to collect his money from Mr. W. Tuck, at' Wanganui. Everything appeared to fit in well, and the captain left the money where requested, but nothing further was heard of the goods. Subsequently it was discovered that tto letter was a swindle and the agnaaae a forgery, as Webb had never written to the captain in question, nor had be authorised anyone else to do so. As a result" of enquiries made by the police, a man has been apprehended, and will be charged in due course. Serial boys, whose services have been utilised to "call for letters containing money left atr different shops indicated by the accused, will facilitate matters by co_r m*_ik_tmg with the police. li. --•& a ?* to forgery, a series of "confidence rriekr charges are pending against the accused.