PECULIAR IMPOSITION CASE

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 98, 23 April 1909, Page 2

PECULIAR IMPOSITION CASE

PENTRIDGE PRISONER

AFFECTED.

The arrest of a man named Henry Thompson, alias Robt. Lawrence, alias D. McPherson, was made at Melbourne on April sth, by Constable Bell, acting upon the instructions of Detective Hawkins, who has had Thompson's movements under observation for some time. Thompson, who says he is a commission agent, aged 36, is charged with endeavouring to obtain £20 by false representation at Melbourne on or about March 28th. The circumstances leading up to the arrest are peculiar.

Amongst prisoners serving long sentences at Pentridge is one from the Euroa district, where he lived with his wife and family. Recently his wife received a letter purporting to come from her husband, asking that £5 might be sent to "Mr D. McPherson," a gaol official, to pay for comforts and kindnesses conferred by McPherson upon her husband. The letter abounded with the most fulsome praise,, of "McPherson," whom the writer commended as "a real friend to him." Feeling grateful for any kindness performed that might tend to soften the hard lot of her husband, the wife sent the money to the address given—Post Office, North Melbourne. It was duly collected. Shortly afterwards the Avife received another letter asking for £20 to be used to still further "sweeten" McPherson, who, the letter stated, "was going to make a recommendation" in

the prisoner's favour. The money had to be sent in two £10 notes to Post Office, Bourke Street east. As neither the woman Tior her husband are educated people, the labouriously written requests for money passed muster with the wife as genuine enough till she began to ponder over the greed of "McPherson." Then she grew doubtful and wrote to a clergyman visiting .Pentridge. The inquiries thus set afoot disclosed the fact that her husband had asked for no money, nor did he know anything about it, and there was no "McPherson." The Criminal Investigation department was communicated with, and the case was put in the hands of Detective Hawkins. He procured a pair of bogus £10 notes, and sending them to the prisoner's wife at Euroa, bade her send them in a letter of which the following is a copy:— Euroa, 30/3/09. Dear Mr McPherson, — I cannot tell you how thankful I am to you for your kindness to my husband. I'm sending two ten pounds to you to the Bourke Street east P. 0.. as he advised me in his letter, and hope you will get them all right, and that you will continue your kindness to him, for which he is most grateful. The comforts he received out of the £5 sent you to North Melbourne will gladden his heart.—l am, yours sincerely.

This letter was addressed to Bourke Street east, Post Office, and was duly called for by Thompson. He was arrested in Bourke Street by Constable Bell, to whom he denied having received any letter. Bell asked him to walk up to the detective office, which he did, but he hesitated on the way and objected to go. Finding that he had to go he opened the letter, and

taking from it the tAvo "crook" notes, said to Bell, "Here's £20, take it and let me go." "That's no good to me," said Bell, 'come along." Thompson therl said that a man at- an hotel in Bourke Street had told him to get the letter, and that if he Avould go back he AAxrald point the man out. Thompson AA ras then locked up.