CRIME CAREER OF EX-VICAR

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 November 1934, Page 2

CRIME CAREER OF EX-VICAR

JEWELLERY BY FRAUD LONDON, October 1. A former vicar was sentenced foi fraud at London Sessions yesterday, after a police officer had given amazing details of his criminal career. He was a white-haired man of 67, described as Percy Stanley Scott, but afterwards stated to be Samuel Walton Kay. He was charged with false pretences relating to jewellery valued at over £9OO. Mr. G. G. Raphael, prosecuting, said the case showed that providing pretences were sufficiently wild and grand they could impose upon a good many people. Scott obtained a large amount of property in the most impudent and bare-faced way. He described himself as a man of means, alleged that a solicitor and the manager of a branch of Barclays Bank were executors of his will, and talked of a Mrs. Lambert, a hoarding-house proprietor, as his old family nurse. “In November, 1933, this man was staying at the boarding-house of Mrs. Lambert,” Mr. Raphael continued. “About that time he went to Barclays Bank in Portman-square, saw the manager, Mr. Starling, and made proposals to open a fairjy large deposit account, but in fact no account was opened with the bank.

“Scott asked Mr. Starling whether he would be prepared to' act as his executor to his will in respect of large estates, and Mr. Starling was finally induced.to agree. Whether his reluctance wis overco'me by his being left £2OO in the codicil to the will I do not know.

“Scott then went to a firm of solicitors in the same neighbourhood and saw a Mr. Tayor. Mr. Taylor was another executor of this codicil, and this document, tied with green tape and black seals (holding up a paper) came into existence.”

Then said Mr. Raphael, Scott went to the shop of Rowell and Smith, jewellers, Orchard-street, and said he wanted to purchase a large quantity of jewellery and defer payment. He mentioned references and said that both Mr. Taylor and Mr. Starling were executors of his will. He also said that his money was in America, and that he had it transferred to Ireland and .drew from it there as he required it. At various times he obtained large quantities of jewellery- amounting in value to over £9OOO.

Mrs. Dorothy Alberta Lambert, of Marylebone-road, said Scott told her he was a man of means. He had given her jewellery said to be valued at £154. He left owing £3l/10/- for his board.

Lawrence Arthur Starling, an exbank manager, said before he retired Scott went to him and talked about opening an account for £5,000.

Edward A. W. Taylor, partner in a Baker-street firm of solicitors, said that Scott told him that he had £5,000 with a firm of American agents in London and was placing it on deposit with Barclays Bank. He also said that he had a quantity of Queen Anne silver valued at £l,OOO. Thomas Morley Smith, a chemist, said he copsented to act as Scott’s secretary. Scott told him that he had received a legacy of £40,000. It was stated that when Scott was arrested he had 2/2J.

Mr. Raphael read a number of bequests from the “will.” One was of £5OO to a former constable of Cheshire, and there were others of £5,000/£2,000, and smaller amounts. Sir Herbert Wilberforce (Deputy Chairman): Does that exhaust the legacies? They amount to about £ll,000 so far. Mr. Raphael: I have not exhausted them. Scott addressed the jury for more than an hour, and insisted that he was a man of means. He complained that he had had to suffer the continual espionage and supervision of the police, which had rendered his life intolerable. His money was abroad, and he had not yet had it transferred to this country. Scott having been found guilty, a police officer said his real name was Samuel Walton Kay. He was a native of Bury, Lancashire, and had eight previous convictions. He had been sentenced to four terms of penal servitude of five years each for false pretences, forgery, and bigamy twice. “He attended Bury Grammar School until he was sixteen,” the officer continued, “and then went as a pupil teacher to the Wesleyan School, Clerke-street, Bury, remaining there three years. “Shortly afterwards he went to Richmond College to train as a Wesleyan Minister. He remained there about three years and went on circuit to Carnforth. While there he joined the Church of England and was ordained. He was given a curacy at St. Philips, Salford, and from there went to Middleton parish church. While there he married. He was given a living at Butler’s Marston, Warwickshire, and was there about five years. “He was arrested for forgery and

.sentenced to twelve mouths hard labour at Warwick.” Since leaving Warwick, it was stated, Kay had more or less led a life of crime. His wife died in 1918. The deputy chairman sentenced Kay to eighteen months’ imprisonment.