POLICE COUP

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 March 1929, Page 12

POLICE COUP

NINE MEN ARRESTED.

SYDNEY, March 2. “This is a gross and unnecessary indignity,” exclaimed one of the men who were transported from Detective Headquarters to the Central Police Station in the “Black Maria” yesterday. The men were arrested as the result of a lightning raid by a large posse of detectives upon a class of men whom the police suspected were -land “gogetters.”

Three men have been charged with having conspired to cheat and defraud one Alexander Ross of various large sums of money, two. have been charged with being the holders of houses frequented by reputed thieves, and four others have been charged with being found in a house frequented by reputed thieves. The “houses” in which they were found are really city offices situated in central city streets, and no doubt the inagistarte who hears the charges will have to determine whether an office is a “house.” Five men were in one office and four in the other.

The coup was effected by Detectives Alford, Campbell, Kennedy, Morgan, James, and McCarthy. It was the sequel to an investigation, of the complaint by a man who stated that he had been defrauded of £360 in- a curious and involved land transaction. METHOD OF OPERATING. The trick practised by “go-getters,” some of whom have police records, has been monotonously similar, and the operations of the tricksters have been regularly successful.

The go-getter, generally operating in

the vicinity of the.G.P.O., selects a dupe by asking where a certain nearby street is. This questioning continues until at last a victim says, “I’m not quite sure. I’m a visitor to Sydney, but I think that is the street over there.”

“Thanks very much,” smiles the gogetter. Then he adds, “I am looking for number so-and-so, the office of Mr. Smith, the big land agent. 1 wonder if you would come with me. I’ve got a lot of money in my pocket.” They walk up and dow the street un-

til they find the required number, and then enter Mr. Smith’s office. He sits drooped over a large coloured, plan of a seaside subdivision. Palm trees wave on the fringe of the shelving sands and wavelets beat on the shore.

“I’ve come to complete the option on my father’s 20 blocks of land. Here is the £300,” says the go-getter, triumphantly. He lays a bundle of bank-

lotes on the table, obscuring some of he palm trees.

Mr. Smith turns over the pages of his ledger. Then he smiles. “Ab, 25 blocks,” he says. “You will require £375. The option closes at 3 o’clock, and if the money is not here I foreclose. The land remains mine.” Mr. Smith bites the end off a cigar Evidently he is a ruthless business man. He intends to keep the propel ty. As a matter of fact,” he says, in a burst of confidence, “I don’t want to sell if I can help it. The land has jumped in value, and I can get twice as much for it now. However, if you have got the other £75 I will have to sell” The go-getter pleads. His father has made a. mistake. But, no, the big land agent is determined to hold him a° t l he , lettev of his father’s contract. as last, as a sudden brilliant inspiration, he asks the dupe to complete the purchase of the remaining five blocks. There is talk of buying the land back • and some clever acting and by-play between Mr. Smith and the go-getter, - until the victim, if he has gob the money, buys the land. if he has not got the money the go-getter rpturns to the G.P.0., and clntSS to ask silly questions.

Ordinarily when the victim has received Ins worthless land in return for his savings he has, no legal redress.