"GET RICH QUICK."

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 1, 3 January 1927, Page 9

"GET RICH QUICK."

AMERICAN CONFIDENCE MEN. A RANDWICK SCHEME. Two recent arrivals from America, who had been staying at a leading city hotel, were arrested in Sydney recently. The arrest followed a suggestion made to an Eastern merchant, who was staying at the same hotel, of a "get-rich-quick" scheme.

The merchant arrived in "Sydney a fortnight previously, and. * some days later, met a venerable-looking man in the vestibule of the hotel. They entered into conversation, and the stranger said he had been in the city only, a few days, having come from America. They met frequently after that, and dined together. On each occasion thev tossed to see who would pay for the wine. By a strange coincidence the Eastern merchant lost on every occasion. His suspicions were not aroused, however, and he considered it only the other man's good luck. A Rand-vyick Scheme. Subsequently, the merchant met two of the other man's friends, and it was suggested that, as they were all strangers in the city, they should have a little dinner party. The next day, the four of them met at the merchant's hotel, when the conversation turned 011 racing. One of the strangers recounted his successes in "cleaning up" several clubs in America by betting coups. "There is a horse running at Randwick," he is alleged to have said, "and if we put sufficient money on him his price will shorten on the day of the race to such an extent that we will be able to lay off and show a profit of thousands of pounds."

Hie man added that the price was 12 to I, and said that if they put £2000 on the horse thev would stand to win £24,000.

That, he said, would give them plenty of money to lay off. He suggested that each should give him £.">OO to bet with. One of those present handed over what looked like a bundle of notes-, but the merchant said he did not have that amount of money in the bank and would have to make the necessary arrangements. "That will l>e all right," said one of the men, "but you had better give 1112 the cheque, and I will hold it until you make your arrangements. In the meantime I will make the bet." Became Suspicious. The merchant produced his chequebook, and commenced to write a cheque. Suddenly he became suspicious. He said he would see his bank manager in the morning, and meet the others at 1100:1 next day. Instead of visiting his bank manager he went to see a business man whom he knew well, and he told him the story. The latter rang up Inspector Pattinson, Acting-Chief of the Criminal Investigation Department, and he detailed Detectives Garlick, Thompson, and Nye to make inquiries. They were present at the hotel where the interview took place, the result being that two of the men were taken to the Detective Office.