LUXURY TO CELL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 11 August 1924, Page 4

LUXURY TO CELL.

— i * DETECTIVE UPSETS PLAN. HOTEL VISITOR DISTURBED. . H. DE LA SEACORD, Civil Engineer, Special Eastern Correspondent Sydney Daily Telegraph. Room 12, _ Hotel, New Plymouth. Such a card could not fail to impress, and when the owner discreetly circulated it among prominent men in New Plymouth in the latter half of last week the news quickly spread that an interesting visitor had come to town And he promised to be interesting but owing to a series of circumstances he Had to hurriedly vacate his comfortroom in one of New Plymouth’s best known hotels late on Saturday night for the cold hospitality of the cells Attached to the police station, where he spent the week-end. Here his card vyas not accepted, for the police state they prefer to know him as Alexander Clifford James Welsh or Alexander, and in introducing him to Mr A. M. Mowlem, S.M., at the Magistrate’s Gourt this morning they will allege that he is not a civil engineer, that he fell n ?p h , lng t( l do with the Sydney Daily lelegraph, and that he is an idle and disorderly person without visible lawful means of support, his worldly possessions comprising, amongst other things, a revolver, which the law forbids mm to carrv.

De La Seacord, to give him the “ I 2 ar ., in Taranaki, was a visitor to the Daily News Office on Wednesday night, and here he revealed his mislori. He did not offer his card or ere' dent la Is, but he had quite a lot to say about his work. His story was not very convincing, and the Daily News decided to cable to Sydney to ascertain the visitor’s bona fides. Confirmation that Seacord was attached to the Svdney Daily Telegraph is lacking. However, he did not accent an invitation to visit the Daily -News again, and in the meantime he explored new; fields. According to the police Seacord apP« ar s to have had no difficulty in establishing himself at one of the leading hotels, where he gave dinner parties and arranged others, engaged an office and a stenographer and obtained an expensive typewriter on approval, had cards printed, and over sundry drinks in the hotel bar and lounge discussed oil and the East with some of New Plymouth’s leading business men. Further, in company with the stenogiapher and a gentleman who has had considerable experience in the oil field* at Moturoa, he visited that field He tried to improve his knowledge of oil on Saturday, when he succeeded in attaching lnmself to the American oil experts now examining the Tarata field, but all he received for his enterprmu a lon £ and arduous walk. ine lire was not devoid of expense, and it is stated that Seacord ran up a robust hotel bill, the greater part of which was for wines used in entertaining himself and his guests. An advertisement for a stenographer brought the special correspondent” into pronnnence, and, if anything, rather strengthened his position with his newly-made New Plymouth acquaintances. It also brought him three dozen applicants for the position. Seacord, however, lost some of his prestige as a ‘journalist” when a second advertisement appealing for a pianist© and -two or three really good character sketch artists” appeared over his name. It is stated that he received several applications from " budding i hespians, and that Saturdav evenino- - spent in testing the capabilities of two of the applicants. By this time Detective-Sergeant looney had become interesetd in the new arrival, and late on Saturday night he visited Seacord in his room at the hotel. There was a conversation on oil, the East, journalism and other matters, and the outcome was Seacord’s acceptance of the detective’s invitation to spend the week-end at the police station. Searching the room Detective-Sergeant Cooney found a .22 six-chambered revolver, the subiect of two charges under the Arms Act— News.

In Hawera, Alexander C. J. Welsh was not known by the fancy name adopted in the North Taranaki town, his large card advertisement of Alexander C. J. Welsh, civil engineer, and cash buyers of kitchen refuse, old metal, etc., having been prominently displayed m this town. Welsh, is a, man whose appearance arrests attention at once, and his movements in Hawera have held the attention of the curious for a considerable time. When he first arrived in Hawera he gave one the impression that he was a visitor of artistic attainments, for he was often seen in public places (the more public the better) making a lightning sketch of the landscape or some person in the near vicinity. It cannot be denied that Welsh is exceedingly ambitious, for in the space of a few months he had suggested to various people not a few high-sounding schemes for making money. A sawmilling project was one that was mentioned to the Star when Welsh was anxious to arrange a huge advertising contract therewith. Unfortunately, owing to the fact that the management of the Star did not feel disposed to give the credit asked, this big advertising deal did not eventuate. He also approached the management of the Stratford Post with a comprehensive advertising scheme, hut there again he experienced the same difficulty as in Hawera. Welsh’s letterheads were a work of art, but were apt to give one a false impression of his business transactions. In the top left-hand corner was his telegraphic and cable address, together with the codes used, while down the side of the paper were further particulars detailing the extensiveness of his business. Following, is a sample: “Specialty—machitie'rv for dairying, cheese and butter factory purposes. Agencies of all descriptions sought from English and American manufacturing houses. Electrical advertising schemes worked out. Advertising matter on a comprehensive and unlimited scale accepted for advertising purpoess.’’ The Hawera police have also been amongst those who have been interested in Welsh’s movements, and it is understood that they will he responsible for several charges which will he brought against him later.