“£60,000 FOR POOR”

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 March 1933, Page 3

“£60,000 FOR POOR”

U.S. LAWYER SWINDLED. LONDON, January 11. A New York lawyer was the prosecutor in an astonishing confidencetrick charge heard at Bow-strect yesterday. 'rhe defendants, who pleaded not guilty, were Thomas Kelly, 52, and Edward Lane. 36, travellers, of no fixed home, and Reginald Phillips, 30, salesmen, of Torrington-square, W.C. They were- charged with being concerned together in stealing £2OO from Mr William Reswick. a New York lawyer, staying at an hotel m (he Strand. Mr Reswick said that Lane, whom ho met in the- Strand, told him he was on a visit from New Zealand, where ho owned 175.000 acres of land and is: 000 head of cattle. Witness having mentioned that professional duties had at. times taken him to Russia, Lane said that fate seemed to have thrown them together. He explained that he, had information that the Soviet. Government was in the market for buying cattle, and suggested that Mr Reswick should accompanv him to Russia with die object of doing business there. On Monday Lane called at Ins hotel and together they walked towards Havmarket. On the way there Kelly, who was walking ahead of them, dropped a hunch of keys. Mr Reswick ran ami returned them to Kelly, who professed deep gratitude. Kelly insisted on taking Mr Reswick and ] -me in for some refreshment, and then pointed to an article in an evening newspaper headed, “W indtall loi Lucky Irishman.” He said he was the Mr O’Connor mentioned, and that he'had inherited £360,000 under a will of which £20,000 had io be given to (ho Pope, and £60,000 divided among the poor. KeHv produced what, appeared to he n roll "of banknotes, and said taat it witness could prove that he was worth £2OO he would hand him, together with Lane. £l.OOO each for distribution among the poor. “Somehow or other I trusted the man completely. It seems very toolish now. but we went to my bant together and 1 drew out £2OO and handed it to Kelly. He said he would put me to the test, ami walked away with J.-ane, saying they would be back in five minutes.” At, the end of that time a detective came up, and. added, Mr Reswick, “I was overjoyed by my sheer luck.” Detective-sergeant -Salisbury of the Flying Squat!, said that all three men were kept under observation, and there would be police evidence Io connect. Phillips with the case. ’Die magistrate ordered a remand in custody. He gave permission for Mr Reswick to have the £2ott re turned to him.