AN ENTERTAINING ROGUE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 23 April 1927, Page 8

AN ENTERTAINING ROGUE.

POSED AS A DOCTOR. HOODWINKED A TOWN. SYDNEY, April 7. All. the north, coast district of this State anda wide . area of Southern Queensland are chuckling over the esca- ' pades of a man who'., hoodwinked the. fashionable, seaside resort of TWeed Heads. The man was described as an “entertaining rogue” not without truth and humour, for part of the. method by which he imposed on his victims was first to capture their confidence and goodwill by entertaining them at picnics and motor, car runs. Arriving at Tweed Heads, the man described himself as Dr George Aitken Sampson, of North Sydney, and he made inquiries concerning the purchase of a practice. One of the doctors concerned invited the poser to lunch, and the other invited him to a bridge evening. The anan presented a professional card at a boarding house, secured accommodation on the strength of it, and, posing as a graduate of Sydney University, opened a banking account. He introduced himself to a number of leading residents. Business men and officers of public institutions were invited to meet him, with, the view to discussing the prospects of a medical man m the town. The poser arranged for the lease of consulting rooms and ordered if quantity of drugs. Then at the. weekend he hired a car and entertained a party, which included a well-known Queensland police magistrate, and other court officials, to a motor run to Southport (Queensland) and back. He also arranged for an outing for the next day, Sunday, and ordered picnic. hampers. But the car driver proved his undoing. The fare of £3 10s not being forthcoming for Saturday’s trip, the driver refused the Sunday engagement, and members of the duped paTty paid the account. Inquiries being immediately set on foot, the imposter Avas soon in the toils of the law. Police investigations showed that Dr Sampson had a dozen aliases, 111ost ly ■witli "the c * Hr 7 7 taelrecl. oil in front "of them. He had 33 convictions, ranging from one month to six years, including 10 convictions for hired motor cuts and refusing to pay, ancl five convictions for posing as doctors. He pleaded guilty to the charges lem against him, and was sentenced to 1-j months ’ imprisonment. But Avhat Tweed Heads thought capped everything was the fact that in .1921 he received a sentence of 12 months in gaol in the same town, where, in the guise of a doctor, he arranged to purchase a practice, and actually assisted at a minor operation. It was a case of public memory being abbreviated. "