LAWYERS DUPED BY ROGUES

Evening Star, Issue 20023, 14 November 1928, Page 3

LAWYERS DUPED BY ROGUES

TELLING THE TALE i THJUMI’iJS OP JEKYLL AND HYDE “ CLIENTS.” Who are the most credulous and casily : dnped among the professional classes? A famous judge, in his reminiscence, s, once declared that, according to his experience, clergymen were always most easily deceived, and ho ascribed this to their supposed lack of business training. Opinions might differ, hut few people, probably, would place lawyers among the most susceptible to ihiltery

and trickery. They have all tlio advantages, a tried knowledge of the law, an acquaintance with the seamy sides of human nature, and practical experience of business. Yet, as a, fact, lawyers are quite frequently duped (writes Minim Blair. in the Liverpool ‘Weekly Post’). .hist at jirc.sent Scotland Yard and the police of nnr chief cities are seeking information concerning the whereabouts of a smart, well-educated man of about fifty, who seems to have in tricking solicitors. The astonishing thing is that he lias been successful in nearly every instance. .Hii consulted one well-known lawyer, and produced documents with a view to bringing an action for damages, ami talked so plausibly that the man of law actually advanced him several pounds. The client disappeared! GULLED!

Another trick was even more ingeniously planned, .lie went to a solicitor and pos'ed as a motorist against whom a woman was claiming compensation, and ho authorised the offer of £SO. Then ho straightway called at another office and represented himself as the husband of this woman, liy this time these lawyers had received an intimation from tho first linn that their client was prepared to pay £'so. lienee they were not suspicions,' and, as the husband professed to bo in need, they readily paid him a lew pounds on account of what was coming. Thou both firms discovered thc3’ had been the victims of a swindle.

A short while ago one mao succeeded in getting two well-known businessmen in tho city of to invest a total of £1,600 in his bogus business on_ tho strength of a letter from a solicitor of the highest repute.

The lawyer had written in response to the reference to him to say that lie had seen the hooks and accounts of the business, and that it was a genuine enterprise, which would ho considerably developed' hy extra capital. This was good enough. One business man parted with a thousand pounds, and the other six hundred. But both were startled to learn that the lawyer had been deceived hy a care-fully-prepared set of boohs, and that, having the money, the owner of the business had decamped. Jiifi;i>! A few .months previously a Molorious forger was sent lo America, from this country, where he had landed in the hope of escaping justice. One of the most amazing things lie had done was to dupe his own lawyer, who had agreed to take up his defence provided the accused put down Cdofl in advance. This was done before the trial came on, hut the man was found guilty of forgery and sentenced to imprisonment. AVhcn the case was over, however, it was discovered that in order to raise the money the man had mortgaged a piece of property, and the deed was did" executed and carried through. The amount was for XTitUT. and „C2dO was paid to the lawyer while the accused kept the balance. But when the lawyer came to investigate he found to Ids chagrin that the mortgaged property was his own house, and that this had boon the last triumphant trick of the forger.

Men who load a Jckyll and Hyde existence make dangerous customers, especially when the lawyer knows only the better side of their lives. Yet many solicitors have been sadly misled hy such men, for it is sometimes extremely difficult to get the truth about p. client who seems to be a man of substance, and is able to present firstclass credentials.

A solicitor who was once regarded as a man of note and conspicuous ability, and in his time had briefed some of the most famous counsel of the clay, confessed that the first stop on the road to ruin was when a man of this kind was introduced and became a client.

The facts read like fiction, for the man posed as a notable pioneer of motoring, and actually used the name of one who was famous. DINNERS AT CLUBS.

Strangely enough, the, lawyer went about with him, and they dined at clubs together, but the name was never challenged. It is not surprising that he did "not at first suspect the imposture. Ho advanced money, and gave testimonials freely, until ho received a shock on learning that his client had been arrested.

There is another man wanted hy the police who has .tricked two (inns of solicitors in a similar way. Ho posed as a captain, and a shipowner, with interests in London and Newcastle, and appeared quite a, responsible client, who was worth cultivating. By documents and plausible talcs lie, obtained various substantial sums. But an inquiry from a shipping company made one solicitor suspicious, and it has -been found that this clover rogue lias tricked many other people beside the two lawyers.

Phvllis (yawning): “Well, what shall” we do this evening;-'” _ Algy: “Let’s think hard ” “No; lets do something you can do, too!”