A QUARTER OF A MILLION WINDFALL

Evening Star, Issue 15513, 8 June 1914, Page 4

A QUARTER OF A MILLION WINDFALL

A NEW CONFIDENCE TRICK. One of the latest and cleverest method* of the confidence trickster in London t» imwess his intended victim has been detailed at the Marlborough Street P«He* Court, when a man giving the nana* of George Watson will be charged with frequenting Hyde Park for the purpose of committing a felony by means of the confidence trick. For months past so many complaints have been received at Scotland Yard of the successful ''coap*" °* a smart gang of thieves in this particular lino that special officers were detailed for observation. Within the past few day» four of the " heads " have been caught and sentenced. It appears that a visitor to London from Johannesburg, named Currie, was in Westminster Abbey, when he struck up an acquaintance with a stranger who was also doing the sights of London. Tho "new acquaintance, after several hours* conversation, invited ' Mr Currie to meet him at Hyde Park Corner to take him for a motor ride to Or.ford. At the appointed hour the couple met, but—the car bad broken down. With many expressions of regret, a walk in Hyde Park was suggested, and when near the Achilles statue a "gentleman" in front of them dropped his glove. This Mr Currie restored, and whilst on a seat he was told the old, old story of the inheritance of a large fortune, part of which had to be distributed in charity.

—ln the "Stop-Press" Column.— Mr Currie apparently acquiesced in * suggestion that he should help in this matter, and the stranger—an American—to show his bona fides, produced a copy of an evening paper which in the " fudge '• or late news column contained a 30-line paragraph headed:•—

£250,000 WINDFALL. FIVE YEARS' LITIGATION FOR A

FORTUNE. BECOMES THE PROPERTY OF A POOR IRISHMAN" RESIDING IN LANCASHIRE. The report was an alleged decision of a judtje at Seattle, Washington, U.S.A., that Mr Pat O'Rafferty wm entitled to a quarter of a million of money, but that the will contained two codicils : (1) That the heir to the estate should personally give to the Church of Rome £IO.OOO. (2; That he should cause to. be distributed the sum of £30,000 amongst the poor throughout the world; and that the money was to be distributed by persons who lived and worked amongst the poor irrespective ol creed or nationality—provided that they show the heir that they have means of their own before being given any money to distribute. Mr Currie, from whom the men bad : elicited the fact that he bad a large de- ! posit at a certain bank, was asked to -pur- ! ticipat* in this distribution, and an arrangement was made for a meeting in the park in the afternoon for him to ahow his confidence. When the meeting hour arrived the confidence men were under the observation of Detective-Sergeant* Stephens and West, of Scotland Yard. One saw his danger from » distance, Mid made good hj« escape, bat "O'lUflerty** was arrested- In his possession, was found the newspaper with tbe bogus *' faige'/ and other articles appertaining to his trade. He was arrested and taken to tbe station at Hyde Park, to be charged at Marlborough Street. j