CLEVER SWINDLE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 69, 23 March 1931, Page 10

CLEVER SWINDLE.

BOOKMAKER VICTIM.

CAMBRIDGE MAN'S RUSE.

TRIED ONCE TOO OFTEN.

BACKED ALL THE WINNERS

An unusual story showing how a young man at Cambridge swindled an Auckland bookmaker, only to be caught when he was angling for a bigger stake, was told at the Police Court this morning when John Henry Mahood appeared before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M.

Mahood was charged that, with intent to clefra ad, he obtained from Harry Clifton Sallery £49 1/ by falsely representing that a letter was posted at Cambridge on the morning of November 29, 1930, t > Sallery. He was further charged with attempting to obtain from Sallery the sum of £IS4 by falsely representing that a letter for Sallery had been posted at Cambridge on January 2. Mahood pleaded guilty to both charges. "What's this case. Mr. Kelly?" asked the magistrate. •■Fraud on a bookmaker?" Detective Sergeant Kelly: Yes, sir, Sallery is a well-known bookmaker. Wrote Letter to Himself. Detective Nalder said Mahood resided at Cambridge. For come time he had been betting with Sallery. On November 29 last, the day of the Takapuna Jockey Club's races, he posted a letter, addressed to himself at Cambridge. The address was contained on a clip of paper which was lightly gummed on the envelope. Taking delivery of the letter at Cambridge, Mahood immediately came to Auckland by service car, He removed the slip of paper, and on the fame envelope wrote in the address of the bookmaker. Before posting the letter to himself he lightly sealed the envelope to allow him to insert matter at Auckland. The "matter" was a note stating that he wished to have "10/ on Chief Joy, 10/ on Claremorc, £1 on Sargon, £1 on White Wings, all up Chief Jewell." "With the exception of Claremorc, all the other horses won and Sallery sent Mahood a cheque for £49 1/," said Mr. Nalder. Explaining how Salle; y received the letter, Detective Nalder added that Mahood made Ms bets after the Takapuna races had concluded, addressed the letter to the bookmaker, and dropped it in the General Post Office at Auckland, where he knew it would be found. An official discovered it and placed it in Sallery's r.ost office letter box. The letter bore the Cambridge post office date stamp of the morning of the races. The Second Attempt. . Detective Nalder then related how Mahood attempted to obtain a larger sum from the bookmaker. On the last day of the Christinas meeting of tha Auckland Racing Club, January 2, Mahood posted another letter to himself at Cambridge. This letter bore the date stamp "Cambridge, January 2, 11 a.m.," and was, of course, received by Mahood, who then left for Auckland by service car. Taking the slip of paper from the envelope, but leaving the date stamp, Mahood addressed the letter to the bookmaker the following morning, January 3, when he knew the results of the races the day previously. Mahood asked for " £4 on Master Lu, all up on Prince Val." "Master Lu paid £15 9/ and Prince Val £12 10/,'' said Mr. Nalder. "He therefore had £16 on Prince Val, making his winnings, had the bets been genuine, £184. On this occasion accused did not sign his own name, but signed the name of 'J. H. M. O'Connor.' This letter he dropped under the door of the main Auckland post office. An official picked it up and endorsed on the back of the envelope that it had been found and handed in. Sallery received the letter on the evening of January 3. He had by this time become suspicious, and he requested the postal authorities to inquire into the matter. This resulted in my tracing accused to Cambridge, where he admitted the offences." Detective-Sergeant Kelly said Mahood had never been in trouble before, and had hitherto enjoyed a good character. "He had no right to deliberately cheat a man like that/' remarked the magistrate. He said he would obtain a report about Mahood from the proration officer, and accused was remanded until Wednesday morning for sentence.