POSED AS DOCTOR

Evening Star, Issue 20586, 11 September 1930, Page 3

POSED AS DOCTOR

EX-FORGER’S FRAUD Harry Morris, who Had previously served throe months for forgery, was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment at Cambridge on a charge of obtaining over £SO by false pretences from Miss Irene lloilie Beatrice Watts, of Parisian House, Milton road. Cambridge. Miss Watts stated that she met Morris on Juno 14 during the boat races, when ho said ho had had a tiring time at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, and introduced himself as a doctor. During her acquaintanceship he visited her house, and cm carious occasions referred to Charing Cross Hospital and Addenhrooke’s Hospital, offering to take her round both of them. Ho led her to believe that he was a doctor, that he attended the outpatients and performed operations, that lie was an M.A. of St. John’s College, and iiad been at Cambridge on and off for seven years; also that he had his last part of the medical examination to pass to get his F.R.C.S. degree. She believed all this to be true, and about a week after bo told her he could not sleep at night, referred to his financial position, and said his mother allowed him £BO a month. He said that if ho could only get £l2 to pay a, debt of honour to bis tutor be could lido matters over. Sho let him have War Savings Certificates to tho value of £4l, and the next night he brought a form from the hank and she signed it. Later on ho told her ho was in further difficulties, and said he did not mind asking her for money because she had been kind to him. She gave him two £5 notes. Cross-examined by Mr Henderson, Miss Watts denied that sho picked Morris up in tho street. Sho met him in company with friends. Mr Henderson: Then you smiled at him?—He introduced himself as “Dr Mawson.” She explained that sho became friendly with him, but sho did not know that ho was Harry Morris until last Saturday. She remembered signing tho letter to the bank authorising transfer of the money to his account; lint ho held his finger over the name and sho had not read the letter. Airs Holland Watts, Miss Watts’s mother, said that sho and her husband and Morris went to the police station, where ho was detained. Mr Henderson: Did you think your daughter was going to marry Mr Morris?—No; nothing of the kind. Evidence was given that Morris was unknown nt Audenbrooke’s Hospital and St. John’s College, and a bank cashier proved that the money had been paid into the account of Maurice Harry Morris, . Morris, giving evidence, said he first mot Miss Watts three weeks or a month ago in Victoria avenue, where sho was riding a bicycle. She got off and spoke to him. She put her bicycle in a boat house and went out with him that evening. He told her ho was Dr Maweon, as, being a stranger, ho thought

it best not to give his right name. He visited her home, and she said “ Don’t toll my iieople anything about it.” Morris s record showed that he was born, in Carlisle, in of Jewish parentage. He had served three months for forgery in 1927, and been charged with obtaining credit to the amount of £29, being an undischarged bankrupt. The sum of £9 in Morris’s bank account and cash in his possession was handed over to Miss Watts.