TRICKS OF TELEGRAM FORGERS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12571, 5 August 1901, Page 3

TRICKS OF TELEGRAM FORGERS.

The swindler of to-day (says aa .English, paper) js a man of much ingenuity and many accomplishments, and he is the last man in: the world to overlook any implement that would be'of the siightesG use to.him in his profession. It is not sur- , prising, therefore, that he should turn ev«i such an innocent and useful medium as the , telegraph to his own mses. ■ ' In the spring of last year the housekeeper of a certain Yorkshire s-quire, who was spending a few weeks in town with his family, received the following telegram •signed in her master's name: " Surveyor and assistant will arrive today. Make them comfoi.table. and give facilities inspecting bouse and land.— B.— "The zealous housekeeper made every preparation for the entertainment of her master's guests, who arrived early in the afternoon with luggage which suggested a stay of some weeks instead of a few hours, as she had anticipated. Still, she was far from suspecting anything wrong; and .as they were very courteous and amiable gentlemen, exerted herself to the utmost to entertain them well, and personally-con-ducted them over the house. When, on the following morning, they and their luggage left, she was unfeignedly sorry to lose them, although not reluctant,to accept the sovereign they gave her as evidence of their ' GRATITUDE FOB, HER HOSPITALITY. It was some hours later befoie she missed: certain small articles of value from the drawing-room, and in her alarm reported the matter to her matter, together with-an account of the surveyor's visit. Whsn he made 'his 'appearance, as quickly as a train could bring him, it was to discover that his safe had been ransacked, and that the "amiable" and self-invited gentlemen had taken away with them several _ hundred pounds' worth of his property, including some valuable jewelleiy. that had been iu the family for generation*. In another case a weil-knewn nobleman was the unconscious means of assisting a criminal to evade justice. While his yacht was lying at Southampton the captain received a telegram insnueting him to get up steam and prepare to take a friend. Captain S ,to any destination he named. Before the captain had time to verify the telegram, Captain S cams on board, and proved to be a man of such. distinguished appearance and charming manners, and so intimately acquainted with • the lordly owner of the yacht, that all suspicion was disarmed. After a singularly pleasant voyage Captain S was landed at Santandcr, and it was not until his return to England , that the captain of the yacht discovered that he had' been the yictim of * forged ' telegram, and had unwittingly tiken a« passenger a nun who was VERT MTTCH WANTED HV TUT, POLICE. Only a few months ago a firm of London stock-brokers, who had sold certain shares for a country client, received this telegram on the eve'of settling-day :■ "Pay £IOO to E—— S . who will call tn T morrow; and renrt ba'ance."' On the 11 following morning Mr S made his appearance, and in support of his identity produced a telegram from the cliont saying that the brokeis had been authorised to pay him £IOO. The amount vns duly ' paid and the balance remitted to the clionfc before the discovery was made that E—,, S—— was an impostor of whom the client . knew nothing at all, although, as subse--quently appeared, the police knew a great, deal about him. In another case where a stockbroker had sold certain shares for a North of England client he received a telegram just before despatching the cheque: "DrVt setjd, cheque. Coming to town. Will' cal 1 .," On the following day a person called, introduced himself a« "Mr A ," and askj ed to be paid for his shares by _" bearer" cheque, as:he had come away without his cheque-book and wanted to pay away, a/ large sum at once. The cheque, for several hundred pounds, was made payable to bearer and was cash- ■ ed within a.- few minutes. It was some days later, when the country client wrote to"ask why the cheque had not been sent, that the/stockbroker made the o'iscovery that., he, bad been the victim of ;i daring swindler and impersonator.