POSED AS SCOTLAND YARD MAN

Evening Star, Issue 20314, 24 October 1929, Page 4

POSED AS SCOTLAND YARD MAN

CHEMIST'S ASSISTANT'S FRAUDS / _____ The amazing masquerade of a young man was revealed at Brighton, when Robert Owen Pridgeon, aged twentyfive, a chemist’s assistant, was sent to prison for six months’ hard labour for obtaining £2 10s by false pretences from the Rev. G. H Evans, vicar of St. Saviour’s, Brighton, and for posing as a detective-constable of New Scotland Yard> says the Brighton correspondent of the 1 Evening Standard.’ Pridgeon pleaded guilty, and admitted othei offences in different parts of the country. Mr Drew, for the police, said Pridgeon called on the Rev. G. H. Evans. Ho said ho was a curate at Christchurch, Blackpool, but had lost his money His name did not appear in ’Clerical Directory’ because his ordination was too late for his name to appear in the current issue. Ho gave the uame of the vicar, and Mr Evans eventually gave Pridgeon £2 10s, for which he signed an 1.0. U. On the same day Pridgeon called on the manageress of an hotel at Brighton and posed as a detective of Now Scotland Yard He produced a warrant card, which was endorsed on the back “Chief-inspector Collins.” Detective-sergeant Wells and another officer were concealed in another room and heard Pridgeon tell the manageress that a smart woman known as Billie Hart and a beautiful girl were planning a raid on the hotel. Ho had been sent down on the case. A PUBLIC DANGER. Pridgeon asked if any titled people were staying in the hotel. He gave the name of Rawland Rowland Hill, and said ho had seen a motor car containing members of a gang of thieves near the hotel. He was then arrested by Sergeant Wells. Superintendent Taylor said Pridgeon was a native of Barmouth, North Wales. Ho was educated at a grammar school and had been a chemist’s assistant at Tunbridge Wells and High llolborn While at Holborn Pridgeon obtained £5 from the benevolent fund of the firm, stating that his mother was seriously ill That statement was untrue. As a Rev Mr Brown, of St. Silas Vicarage, Blackburn, and accompanied by a woman posing as his wife, he stayed at an hotel in Southampton row W.C., from July 7 to July 12. They absconded without paying tho bill of £3 Bs. On July 18 Pridgeon came to Brighton with two women, one of whom was “ Billie Hart,” whom he said Scotland Yard had sent him to shadow A pistol loaded with a round of blank ammunition, a clergyman’s cravat and collar, and an imitation police warrant card were found on Pridgeon, together with a number of letters addressed to clergymen. The mayor, ir sentencing Pridgeon, said ho was a public danger.