CONFIDENCE TRICK AGAIN

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 69, 14 December 1935, Page 27

CONFIDENCE TRICK AGAIN

Australian Parts With £25,000 SWINDLE ALLEGATIONS IN COURT An alleged confidence trick by which an Australian visitor to England was induced to part with £25,000 was described at 'Westminster Police Court recently. Ernest Slater, aged 36, a butcher, and Rose Slater, aged 29, described as independent, were further remanded on a charge of being in unlawful possession of notes of the approximate value of £lO,OOO and a pair of diamond and pearl links. The Slaters were further charged with conspiring with one Marshall and one Gilmour and with other persons unknown to defraud Nicholas Mutton. They were also charged with receiving and having in their possession 250,000 Belgian francs, knowing them to have been obtained by conspiracy, and with receiving and having in their possession 1,352.600 Belgian francs, knowing them to have been obtained by conspiracy. Mr. G. D. Roberts, prosecuting, said: “The prosecution allege that these two persons were parties to a conspiracy to defraud an Australian visitor to this country, called Mutton, to the extent of £25.000. "I hope to prove that on September 12, at Antwerp, Mr. Mutton parted, by what is called a confidence trick, with £25,000. "Mr. Mutton came to this country in 1934 and stayed until 1935. Most of the time lie lodged at Lancaster Gate Terrace, and on July 1 this year a man who described himself as an Australian went to that address under the name of Marshall. “Son of Wealthy Man.” “He is not at the moment before the court, and I hope you may have the pleasure of seeing him later. Marshall got friendly with Mr. Mutton. He represented himself as the son of a wealthy Australian, and a friendship sprang up. Marshall and Mr. Mutton went to Brussels, at the suggestion of Marshall, to see the exhibition. Within a day or two of their arriving Marshall recognised a man in the hotel, and said that the man was the representative on foreign and Continen' •! stock exchanges for four mil’ionaire< At the suggestion of the third man. Gilmour. Marshall, and Mutton move i to Antwerp, and Marshall said: "Can t you allow us to participate in the e deals?” Gilmour said: “No, I cam: do that, because my firm will not allow me to make public my operations." Gilmour then produced a letter pt:; porting to come from a firm of New York stockbrokers or a business house, and chiding Gilmour for the publicity which had characterised his operationpreviously. -j/-" ’ “That letter,” said Mr. Roberts, "Mr Mutton had identified as being similar to.-a letter found in the possession of . Slater. ■. I ‘ 7 “Profit of £60,000.” “Gilmour purported to go to Amtwerp Stock Exchange. Gilmour said that he hqd carried on a deal in the names of Marshall and Mutton. "‘The next day he said that the deaj had resulted in. a profit .of £60,000. and that Marshall and Mutton were entitled to share a commission of £BOOO. ."Before they could put their hands on the m6ney. Gilmour said: "You must produce-to the Antwerp Stock Exchange: a guarantee that ybu are each worth) £25,000.”- He said he could not getthe money himself, but had cabled to) his brother-in-law in Canada and had;, got a cable back saying that he had gone?, to the United States. .His'address wae ;: unobtainable. “Gilmour produced a cable purporting to come from Canada. . ■ "This was important, ; because in a suitcase in the possessioniof theiwoman Slater a complete outfit for forging. < cables: —blank cable forms and a little printing outfit—-was. found. -V / “Equipped with this any. person could forge a cable-purporting, to come from anywhere in the world. £25,000 from Australia. , “Then Gilmour said to Mr. Mutton: ’You- must get £25.000.’ ' , “Mr. Mutton rang up his soil in Aus-; tralia and arranged for £25.(100 to, he transferred, via the Bdnk of South Wales in London; to ' a bank'at Antwerp. ? “Mr. Mutton’s £25.000 duly Arrived', and-'-Gilmour said to Marshall and' Mr Mutton, ‘You must each take out your £25,000 from the bank.’ “Marshall purported to produce a wallet stuffed wjth something. Gilmour then took Mr. Mutton round to: Hie bank, and Mr. Mutton caslied ' hbr;.. £25.000 into 10.000 Belgian francs noteWt, “Mr. Mutton took the- numbers “w- , some of these notes-, which- weie ibw 7notes in Slater’s possession. - "These ■ notes were handed over > Gilmour, and Mr. Mutton- never them again. ’ '■ ■ Tribute to "Yard.” ' '/a Mr. Roberts went on to say Hia’t '■ mour arranged With Mr. Motion meet him in an Atlantic liner In mid-Atlantic Mr. Mutton cuiipj find Gilmour in the. ship, and lie 'i- . • lost ULs £25,000. He gradually-.real's that he might have been swindled . ■ wired to Scotland Yard. . It was a great tribute to Hie .-u-tn .. ties and intelligence of S<-" land Yqrd . that the next morn ?£ ing, on September. 18. observali • , I was being kept in Brixton Road on Hi'. ■/. two Slaters. Seen to leave their address, l lie.. " were arrested at Victoria. Marshall was with the two'Slaters mi September 17. He was removed in a state of alcoholic exhiliratiou in a taxicab on the night ot September 17. 1 One might think that they had been celebrating this successful coup, and celebrating tlie fact that Mr. Mutton had been spirited away to Hie Atlantic, and was on tlie other side of the world. • Mr. Nicholas Mutton, of Coolaman. New South Wales, at present staying i at Bayswater, said that he was one of i the principals of N. Mutton and Company, Ltd., meat buyers. He was 63, he said, was born in Truro, Cornwall, and went to Australia 42 years ago.