"BIG DEALS"

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 6, 8 January 1930, Page 15

"BIG DEALS"

£34,500 LOST

CONFIDENCE MEN AGAIN

f,: AN AMAZING STORY

I.- 'An amazing story of tho successful !: working of an alleged coufidonco trick :; by which a visitor from Jamaica named i; Thomas M'Whinnie was induced to part i: with £34,500 was unfolded by Mr. H. v-'D. Eoomo, Treasury council, at the Westminster Police Court recently, says ■the "Daily Telegraph." i The accused was Charles Grant Lawson^ aged 53. : . Mr. Eoomo said that Mr. M'Whinnie '■' was a banana planter in Jamaica, and was in England on holiday with his ' wife. ' After spending a couple of months looking round London and other places, ho was in Bond street on 15th ' October waiting for his wife, who was inside a, shop. A man camo up to him a-nd asked to be directed to Saekville street. In the course of conversation it appeared that they were both strangers to London. They became friendly and met next day,' when they lunched and dined together, Tho man introduced himself as Joim Mac Donald, and said lie was an Australian. Shortly after Mr. M'Whinnie and his wife went to Paris for a~few days, returning on 26th October. ': Mac Donald .rang up and made au appointment for the following day. Ho met-iMr;- M'Whiniiie and his wife at the tanghani.Hotel, When thoy were sitting in the lounge another man came in.' MacDonald';.said, "I know that inani il'met"him'-iri Montreal. He has doneVbig deal on the Stock Exchange. Hjs iiairie is Miller.'..'.', vMacDonald .went and spoko to him, arid.-!shortly-'Miller joined the party. Mac Donald immediately said to Miller,. "Will you give me..a tip on the Stock Exchange so that I.can; win a fiver to pay for'a,dinner?" Miller said, in a haughty manner, '.' I want.you to under-stand-that' Ido not deal in fivers, but in larger sums.". Miller went away and said-he would;se.e' them later. creating; atmosphere. On the same day-they alt met at the I.angham Hotel, and. had tea. During the conver^atioriiMiller said to Mac Donald, "You know I'feEnnot trade in fivers. I trade for. a very/large concern and do a Uttlei'mysefe My name must not be used on the .Stock TSxchange. I do not want my firm .to-know I am dealing on my owi'? /Miller\- proposed that MacDonald:.arid";Mr.;:M f.Whijinie should trade onf'the-- Stock Exchange with his (Miller's)■■money, ;and: hav.e 15 per cent, of the ;;;. "■•:;.;■' "If Was-of'tho-essence of this confidence trick/to proceed slowly," Mr. Eoome saifl.':' "That was so that Mr. M'Whinnie-ghduld have no idea that it was his nio.neyythey were after." On 29th; ©cjober the three men and Mrs M'WBumie lunched at the Grand Central Hotel. There Miller opened a handbagiand said, "I want to do a deal for £5,'0OO; i*Sere is my part of it." MacßonalSwent off with the bag and returned .saying that he had made, the Heal. XEflleii went out, and when he returned "We have'.iriad'e £5000— 100 per cent!, We will meet to-morrow and Mac Donald will collect the money and we will. ; , divide it." So Mr. M'Whinnie had the impression that he was partner in a profit of £5000. On the following day, 30th October, the. three- men met again. Miller said,to do a big dear of a different kind. I want to deal in £20,000 cash and 75,000 credit." Turning to Mac-Doßa4dj-isaMj^*-3?orHtrw my- instructionsclosely. Give £10,000 cash and £75,000 credit to the bank at the Stock Exchange." Unfortunately Mr. M'Whinnie knew nothing about English commerical procedure, and believed there was a bank at tho Stock Exchange, and that Miller had an account there. .On the following day, 31st October, they all met again at the Grand Central Hotel, and this was the day when Lawson came in. In point of fact Lawson was staying at the hotel. Macdonald went away saying that he was going to the Stock Exchange Bank. When he returned he said that he had got the money all right, but that some query had been raised about a credit aote. About a quarter of an hour later, Mr. Eoome said, Lawson appeared in the hotel and introduced himself as the assistant manager of the Stock Exchange Bank. He had a bag with him. He turned to Miller, and said, "It is Wry simple. All that the manager you to do is to endorse this c'hecte-v I have the money to pay." .- ; - -v : Vy I BAITING THE V Lawson produced a chgqueV '" MilJer said: "If I endorse this Will it-"appear: on (the statement of my account at the! bank!" Lawson said it would, and" Midler replied: "Then I einnot-do it." Lawson said: "I have £85,00<Fin this bag to give you."MMiller--.said- "I cannot take it if you want me to sign the^eheque." Lawson then walked out with the bag, which Mr. M'Whinnie believed had £85,000 in it. ■ I ,rTJp l .,^ that ?oint> Mr- Koome 'said, Mr. M'Whinnie had not been asked tor a penny piece, but on 3rd November. Miller met Mac Donald and Mr M Whinnie, and said that there had been a hitch. He produced a cable purporting to come from" his wife at Los Angeles. It stated that Miller's attorney had gone to Peru, and would not be back for a fortnight. • # MaJ?^ m saia h6 hai a credit note for £3000 and £10,000 on deposit in f** Miller then turned to •M'Whinnie, and said: "How much can you raise?" Mr. M'Whinnie replied: .; 'I think I can raise £35,000." Mil-Jer-said that his (Miller's) name must not_be mentioned, and told M'Whinnie that if his bank manager wanted to know why he wanted tho : money he ninst give no clue. . . - • ...... Mr. M'Whinnio went to tho Bank of Nova Scotia. Cables were put through to Jamaica, and after two days £35,000 was placed to tho credit of Mr. M'Whinnio af the Bank of Nova Scotia. On 7th November there was another meeting between the three at Claridge's. Miller said to Mr. M'Whinnie: There as going to be trouble if the credit remains at your bank." Miller

said that- the- - Exchange would - not sanction it for him as thoro was some mix-up about the name, aiul added: "To get out of that lot us havo the j credit transferred from, tho Bank of Nova Scotia to tho Midland Bank, Regent-street." " ' . I ■ .Mr; M'Whinnie was'quite agrccablo. He went to tho Midland Bank, and at Miller's suggestion cashed tho draft for £35,000 into 350 £100 bank notes. Mr. M'Whinnio asked Miller why he wanted the money in that form, and Miller,said that all trading, with tho Stock-Exchange was dono in £100 -notes. '. •" Miller'tlienl.oft, and MacDonaM. and Mr. APWMnnie went to the Alexandra' Hotel, wliero they awaited Miller's return. When Miller "reached the hotel ho asked Mac Donald for his money. Mac Donald said that it was locked up downstairs, and Miller told him to go and get it. Mac Donald went out and returned with a large envelope which bad three seals which looked like bank seals. Ho appeared about to break tho seals when Miller said, "Don t trouble. It will bo all right." . MacDonald said to Mr. M'Whinnie, "Have you brought your £35,000?'' Mr. M'Whinnie produced hia parcel. £500 RETURNED. Mr. Eoomo said that then followed a subtle part of this alleged confidence trick, and Miller actually pretended to Mr. M'Whinnie that they had got rather more money than they wanted. He said to MaeDouald, "You have £13,000 and M'Whinnio has £35,000. Why, that is £500 too much. Open your parcel,- M'Whinnie, and take out £500." Mr. M'Whinnie did so, and thus Miller satisfied himself that tho money was there. Tho whole of the £34,500 was taken away by MaeDonald, who returned in about three-quarters of an hour with a cheque which he asked Mr. M'Whinnie to endorse, and.Mr. M'Whinnio did so. Mac Donald went away . again, and when ho returned said, "I have traded tho whole for American Cann." Miller went away to see if the deal had gone - through. . When he returned ho said to Mac Donald, "You have made a wrong deal. Instead of selling American Cann you havo bought them. We have lost all our monoy." • Mr. M'Whinnie was overcome ana nearly fainted. Miller told him to cheer up, and said they would go to Amsterdam, where they would have another deal and put things right. Miller drove Mr. M'Whimiie home and gave him £50 in bank notes. Ho told him to catch the night train for Amsterdam, and added that if ho (Miller) was not on the train Mr. M'Whinnio was to go to a certain hotel in Amsterdam; where Miller would meet him the following day. ■ Mr. M'Whinnie went to Amsterdam, whore he received a cable. Then he went: to Paris, where ho received another cable. Then lie became suspicious and" returned to London on Dth November. "Ho went to tho Alexandra Hotel," said Mr. Eoomc, "but there was no MaeDonald and no Miller. These men had by this device gained three days, perhaps, to get out of the country. Neither of them had so far been, found." Eeferring to '.Lawson, Mr. Eoonie said that on him was found a £10 Bank of England note. That had been traced as one'of a number of £10 notes changed from a £100 note stolen from Mf; -M'Whinnie; • £20,000 FROM AN UNCLE. Mr. M'Whinnie then gave evidence bearing out counsel's statement. He said that.Miller told, him that he was employed by a Chicago stockbroker, who was. in. league with six others to manipulate the English Stock Exchange. "I was quite convinced," he said, "that when Lawson said ho had £85,000 of Miller's money in his pocket he was speaking the truth." Dealing" with what 'happened after Miller had said thatall the1 money had been lost, Mr. M'Whinnio said that Miller ...drove him home. Miller asked "himlfTie hacL any money, and lie replied that he had only five £100 notes, which he had taken from tho bag. Miller then gave him £50 in Bank of England notes, and said that Mac Donald could raise £20,000 from an uncle in Scotland.