CONFIDENCE MAN CAUGHT

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 59, 2 December 1933, Page 18

CONFIDENCE MAN CAUGHT

“Rich New Zealand Uncle”

A man who was said to have represented that he had been left a fortune, with a condition that he should marry before he was 30, was remanded in custody at West Loudon charged with obtaining money, by false pretences. The defendant was James Hood, motor driver, of Argyll Road, Ealing. Mr. H. Pierron, prosecuting, said that in March Hood met a Miss Addington. a young probationary nurse, and they eventually became engaged. Hood told the girl’s mother that his uncle, a farmer In a large way in New Zealand, had died, leaving him all his property. A condition, howfever, was that he must be married by his thirtieth birthday, which would be on August 1.

He produced what seemed to be a certified copy of the will. After arrangements had been made for the marriage Hood told Mrs. Addington that his wallet containing £35 had been stolen, and she lent him £l5.

On Juno 18 he ana Miss Addington were married in church. On July 7 they left to go to the sliipping offices

to fix everything, for the voyage, but on the way Hood dodged her and she never saw him again. Inquiries were made, and all Hood’s statements (said Mr. Pierron) were'fouud to be lies. A second charge concerned a woman whose name and address counsel asked to be suppressed. This woman had inserted an advertisement in a paper seeking the acquaintance of “a man friend who must be refined, ambitious and reliable, and aged 35 to 45 years.” Hood answered it on June 23, five days after his marriage to Miss Addington, in the name of Mitchell. Eventually they arranged to get married. He told the woman (said Mr. Pierron) that he was employed by a tire company in America and was leaving to join a well-known English company. He said he owed the American company £BO advanced, him when he came over, and wanted £4O toward that debt. She lent him that.

She went with him to a registrar’s office where he gave notice for their marriage on August 5, but on July 27 ho disappeared.