FRAUD AND BIGAMY.

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 June 1911, Page 3

FRAUD AND BIGAMY.

An amazing career of crime and duplicity was, it is to bo devoutly hoped, brought to an end when the "Duke of St. Omars " was sentenced to three years' penal servitude at the Old Bailey, *■■»■•• *'••. ..c.y. The "Duke" is a shocking oid reprobate of 76, who for years has been swindling people in all parts of ine country, and committing bigamy on a wholesale scale. He was not always the "Duke of St. Omars." When first brought to the notice of the police he was " Viscount Vaugban " —an Irish peer—and as such bigamously married a widow at Southhampton, fleeced her out of her money, mortgaged her house and furniture, and abseoncd, leaving the poor creature to go into the workhouse., Barely a year later he proposed to a Mrs Oury at Croydon as Dr. John Vaugban, and on the strength of his engagement to that lady, and a si'niptous hired carriage, obtained credit to a large amount Irom local tradesmen. He was, however, arrested for fraud, and this prevented the marriage taking place. A few months later he, in the roJo of an army surgeon, made I himself so agretable to a Putney widow that, under the impression that he desired to marry her, she lent him money and presented him with a gold tvivtcii and otiier jewellery. He however, went to the War Office one fine day, and uevar came back to Putney. Early in the following year after committing a variety at small offences in Liverpool and Manchester, the old scoundrel promoted himself to " Surgeon-major Sir Henry Noris, Bart., K. C. 8.," and absconded v. ith valuable jewellery belong ing to a 1c - J v* lodgsv at Streatham. He was arrested, and got three years' penal servitude. On his release ha became the " Right Hon. George Molesworth, of Glynn Castle, Ross-shire," and offered marriage to a Bayswater lad.>. He quite won her heart, but her brother "smelt a rat" and began to ask awkward questions, which, were answered by the sudden disappearance of the " Right Hon George." Again iii Liverpool he became Colonel Macdonald, Equerry to the King, engaged on an importnat secret mission for His Majesty. He met a lady there who became his " I) susekeopcr," and with her lie travelled all over the Kingdom, swindling tradesmen and hotelkeopers. Eventually lie went through a form of marriage with the lady, and, having obtained bet money, left her. Twice hi fell foul of the police after this, and got each time three years' penal servitude. His last escapes were to marry and fleece two women. The first be married at Choswick in January of the same year, and the second at Kingstown a month later. These places are only a few miles apart, but the. aged vilhan did not even take the trouble to change his assumed name between his matrimonial adventures. To both women he posed as "Surgeon-general Viscount Mackenzie, Duke of St. Omars F.R.C.S., F.R.P.., M.D., LL.D., C.P."