ADVERTISING FOR A WIFE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 101, 27 April 1912, Page 17

ADVERTISING FOR A WIFE.

CREDULOUS "WOMEN.

I A matrimonial advertisement and Its ; sequel formed the-subject of an astonishing | story unfolded at the Leeds Police Court 1 last mouth.

j Gay Scott Howard, a well-dressed, middle aged -man, was charged with obtaining £150 by false pretences from Miss Sarah Hannay, of Oswestry. Miss Hannay, acI cording to the prosecution, replied to an advertisement in a Manchester paper, and received a letter from prisoner asking her to visit hhn at Leeds, and adding, "I shall have a very great surprise for you." She went to Leeds, and prisoner represented that he was a retired Naval captain in receipt of a pension of £5 per week.

After tea. prisoner produced a document ! purporting to be a copy of a will by which he was entitled to an estate in Devonshire, subject to the provision that he should marry and take a wholesale aud retail business for two years, towards which the trustees were not to advance any money.

Saying that he had no money at the moment, prisoner got Miss Hannay to promise to lend him £150. She wrote to her bank, and they stayed at th Hotel Metropole until the cheque arrived, -when it was cashed, and the money handed to prisoner.

Miss Hannay then returned home for her belongings. She wrote to prisoner, but re eeivlng no reply, communicated with his landlady, and, after another visit to Leeds, pot. the matter iv the hands of the police.

Evidence having been given by Miss Hannay. a detective spoke to finding six will forms and a clergyman's hat and coat iv lodgings which prisoner had since occupied in Manchester.

Mr. Bateson, the prosecuting counsel, said there were 10 or 12 other cases, where sums varying from £« to £100 had been obtained by similar means, but all were out of the magistrates' jurisdiction. It was, however, very probable thai there would be another case from Leeds.

Prisoner, who pleaded -not guilty," was committed for trial at the next Leeds Assizes.