MYTHICAL LEGACIES

Evening Star, Issue 20410, 15 February 1930, Page 21

MYTHICAL LEGACIES

ASTONISHING FRAUDS BY MARRIED WOMAN While the Chief Constable was describing to the Middlesbrough stipendiary how a married woman tricked tradesmen by telling them fictitious stories of legacies, prisoner fainted in the dock. She,was carried below by three officials,, but returned twenty minutes later after receiving medical attention. Accused, Ellen Fowler, thirty-eight, of \ Cargo Fleet, Middlesbrough, was evidently-stunned, and had t > be half carried to the cells when she was sentenced to twelve months’’ hard labour on five charges of fraud and false pretences. It was stated that in one case thd woman told William W. A. Rawlings, of Deepdale avenue, Grove Hill, that she had been left £5,000 by an aunt in Scotland. She show r ed him a document inscribed with the name of a wellknown bank, but explained that it wms necessary for her to travel to Scotland to interview a firm of solicitors before she could draw' the money. Mr Rawlings advanced her 30s for her train fare, and also obtained goods for Her to the value of 265, expecting that she would repay him the money as soon as she came into possession of the legacy. The money was not paid, however, and the police were informed. Combining a charge of having obtained £126 worth of groceries from - Caroline Robinson* general dealer, of Cargo 'Fleet, the Chief Constable explained that Fowler told Mrs Robinson that her father had died in Harrogate leaving her £I,OOO. in view of this Mrs Robinson allowed her to have groceries for a considerable period on credit, but the goods were never paid for. Fowler- w’as alleged to have approached a Mrs Morley in the street and told her that her aunt in Greenock had died and left her a fortune. Again she pretended that she had to go to Scotland to interview the solicitors, and by telling the story that it >vas necessary’ to travel backwards and forwards several times she was advanced £2O. The Chief Constable added that on one occasion Fowler wbnt to a shop ir. Middlesbrough and ordered jewmllery to the value of £4O. The jewmller wascautious, and made inquiries, with the result that the goods w-ere not delivered. The woman also w’ent to a motor car dealer, and ordered an expensive car, actually having a trial run. Her pretence was discovered, however, before the car was delivered. -A furniture firm was told the same story by the woman, and was about to send her £IOO worth of goods wlien they learned that her statement was false.

Asked by the stipendiary if anything was known about prisoner, the Chief Constable replied that her husband was a respectable man earning 49s a week, and that each week the woman received about £2 to maintain the home.

“Evidently she has been telling this story for some considerable time,” continued the Chief Constable. “ Three weeks, ago she actually gave a tea party to her friends in anticipation of receiving tho money from the legacy. That was to gain their confidence.” In passing Sentence, the Stipendiary remarked that Fowler had committed a series of most astonishing frauds, and it was evident that she was a very dishonest woman. It seemed that she had managed to defraud practically everyone with whom she had come in contact.