EASY MONEY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 308, 28 December 1940, Page 5

EASY MONEY.

"ARRANGING A RACE." SYDNEY FRAUD CHARGE. (By Air.) SYDNEY, Dec. 26. A classic example of how easy dt is to get money out of some people was related at the Quarter Sessions yesterday, ■when John Benedict Craig, 35, groom, ■was charged with having conspired with Allan Mulligan to cheat and defraud William Frederick Middlebrook, of Dumaresque Island, in the [Manning River, near Taree. There is a warrant out for Mulligan's arrest. Craig was accused of having represented himself to ibe the well-known jockey A. Mulligan. Middlebrook said he was introduced to the two men by the postmaster at Taree. They told him they had a certain winner and he agreed to put £35 6n it. On the day of the races they told him the horse was Tel Ae\ir. The horse won and they came up later to his farm and told him they would pay him the money in Sydney. While they were there he showed them over his place and showed them a freak pig—neither hog nor sow. They said it would make a show exhibit. A few days later Mulligan told him they had so'ld the pig for £200 and handed him £10. Mulligan eaid the balance would be paid by the purchaser when he had inspected the PigThe Crown-Prosecutor said this was just bait.to get Middlebrook to go to Sydney where he had only heen once before. Middlebrook kept large sums of money in his house and knew nothing about racing. Middlebrook. continuing his story, said Craig and Mulligan later told him of another certainty for Sydney, and Mulligan said it could be made* better if they paid £200 to arrange the race. Middlebrook gave- him a cheque for £245. He explained, that he did not £uow then what "arranging a'race"

meant, and the judge ordered that this part of the evidence be struck out after warning Middlebrook that he need not answer questions which might incriminate him. Middlehrook related how he put another £175 through Mulligan on a horse named Pokhra at 10-1 s.p. The horse won, Unit when he asked for his money Mulligan said: "It's hard luck we put the .money on another horse, Breeze." "Mulliigan paid my fare hask to Taree and that was all I saw of my money," Middlebrook said. ,