ARISTOCRATIC CRIMINAL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XX, Issue 2064, 8 January 1925, Page 3

ARISTOCRATIC CRIMINAL.

DESERTER, FROM THE ARMY. PREYING UPON SOCIETY. Few criminals have given the police and public so much trouble as Roger North, the 34-year-old nephew of the late Earl of Guilford, who was recently sentenced at the Old Bailey, London, to 18 months’ hard labour for forging and uttering a cheque for ' £BSO. North came lirst before the public eye in 1914 in the Bankruptcy Court! ,and soon after he was arrested on a charge in connection with his bankruptcy and sentenced to 14 days. At that itime his debts amounted ta .€‘2Boo. On coming out of prison North joined the N.N.A.S., and in 1915 had become a petty officer, but lie deserted and returned icto his wHd mode of living. Posing as a man of wealth, he hired a motor car from a company in Eastbourne and drove to London, where he promptly sold the car and proceeded to squander the money. Ho was arrested in the Wesil End, and received three months’ hard labour. In 1918 he became associated with a, woman living in Bays water and from her stole a cheque book, which lie regarded as a sure means of obtaining money. He called on a firm of jewellers in Oxford Street and presented a card bearing the name of Sir Georgo Bnllough and an address in the West End. At the jewellers, North selected a pearl necklace and an emerald ring, which lie declared he wished to give to his wife. He paid for the articles Avith a cheque for £3OOO. He Avas alloAved to take the ring away, but requested that the necklace be semi to Lady Bullougli. That day the man pawned the ring for £350. North Avas traced to a fashionable West End hotel. For this crime he received nine months’ imprisonment. The difficulty which the police had in dealing with North -was ' in keeping track of his many aliases. At one time lie appeared as the Hon. R. T. Fellows, at another was Captain the Hon. Gerard Davies of the Coldstream Guards, at others as Lord Arthur Somerset, the Hon. Gerald Jolif, or Viscount, Combermere. In 1920 ho stole a motdr car, which lie sold to raise cash, and for this received 21 months’ imprisonment. Shortly after his release he appeared in Llandudno as Captain the Hon. Gerald Davies, and agreed to rent a furnished house from March to August at £2O a week. During his stay “Captain Davies” was driven about in a hired motor ear, and sending the driver on a message one morning, ho d roA 7 e the car away. <

He AA'as chased by the police in another motor for several miles, but finally made good bis escape. Some days latter North drove tlie car to a garage in Kidderminster, and it was recognised from the description circulated by the police. He was arrested, and, bis reaj identity having been established, other charges of frauds by Avorthlcss cheques were preferred against him. In 'ilhe end lie received three years’ penal servitude. Discharged on license, he at once returned trt bis life of fraud. Passing worthless cheques and forging the names of well-known people in society, whom be may or may not have met, North tvas able to dress avoll and appear affluent for a time.