HEARTLESS SCOUNDREL

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 1 February 1933, Page 8

HEARTLESS SCOUNDREL

FRAUDS ON WOMAN OF EIGHTY. “AMAZING SERIES OF LIES.’ “I think you are one ol’ the most heartless and (hypocritical scoundrels that I have ever come across.” These were the words of the magistrate at tlie Westminster Police Court lately, . sentencing John George Evans, aged 50, formerly a butler, of Brighton, to 15 months’ imprisonment for attempting to steal £125 by means of trick from Miss Eliza Laughton, aged 80, of independent means. The magistrate said that- lie was Sony he could not increase the sentence. Charges were preferred against Evans of obtaining two sums of £SO and sums amounting to £623 by false pretences from Miss Laughton. Counsel said that £730 had been obtained from a credulous old lady by an amazing series of lies. Last April, Evans was peddling needles from house to house, and called on Aliss Laughton. From sympathy she gave him a shilling. Afterwards he wrote her a letter telling a long tale of misfortune and asking her for money to buy stock. Having got 12s he followed this by saying he ooukl get a situation as a butler if he could get his dress clothes out of pawn. He got the money for this and wrote that he had got a. most wonderful j-ob. His “misfortunes,’’ however, continued to follow him.

In soine mysterious way Evans found that wooden blocks, bricks and old newspapers had been substituted for his clothes, and he also had the bad luck to break -six bottles of brandy in his employer’s cellar. As his job dei pended on his replacing the brandy and having clothes lie pleaded for money for this purpose. Next Evans got £lO, which lie said he had lost on a horse. He addressed Miss Laughton as: “Dear, saintly Aliss Laughton,” “Kind and most merciful madam,” “Dearest of England’s ladies,” “Most saintly lady on earth,” “England’s brightest angel,” “The saint of Belgravia,” and “The angel of Belgravia.” .In other letters lie said he was praying for her daily and “longing to see her saintly face and shake her holy hand.”

A final request for £125 led to investigation by Miss Laughton’s bank manager because she had already, used over a year’s income.

A sum of £298 was found in Evans’ lodgings. Evans said that he had spent a lot in gambling and bought 100 tickets in the Irish sweep: