More About Worthington

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7402, 18 September 1902, Page 4

More About Worthington

The Melbourne Charges,

The Melbourne Ago of September _th .ays :—Arthur Bentley Worthington, who was arrested in Sydney on Tuesday , by Detective-Sergeant MeManamny on : a chargo ot obtaining £1096 by false pre- , tenses from Mrs de la Juveny. a widow . residing at Csmberwoll, arrived in Mcl- ( bourne yesterday by tho express in ( chargo of the detective. Ha had made an appeal to tho Sydney bench, on ( Doing remanded, to bo allowed to travel first-class and take a sleeping berth, but j fmanci'il considerations prevailed at the ( last moment, and a second-class com- ( partmept, was chosen. Worthington was not inclined to bo , communiciitivo on thh journey, though ho took his arrost with philosophic calm. Ho told M'Manamny that tho Rosicrueians would pull him through the difficulty. Tho fame of thesemjstic persons 1-ad'not r. aehcl the detective's ears, and hi inipoli ely asked who they were an.i -.vh'-re they tesidxl. Worihir.gton rcp'ieifthat ih?y were iniiuor'.iils, five in nnui'ier, th-it thr.o of I In. in dwelt in Mi-lb::urii' and fvo in Sy.lney. '' Then why." ask d M'Manamny, '.' did they not let you know that a lady hil in'erviewed mo in Melbourne list _ii"d_v, and that 1 was going to arrest you '?" " They would never attempt to intercept the ciurso of almighty ttuth," was the solemn reply. As soon as the lie!bourno papers wero uvailublc recounting his arrest they wero handed to him for his perusal. lie read th-in, and smilingly remarked, " I have read so much that has been published concerning myself that I have becomo callous. These statements do not disturb my peaco of mind." The accused was brought before Mr S. J. Goldsmith, P.M , aud Mr W. H. Purvis, J.P., at the City Court in the afternoon, and tho charge read ovor. Detectiye-Ssrgeant M'Manamny briefly detailed tne nature of tho charge, and asked for a remand. Worthington had admitted to him that ho did not own any property, as Mrs do lay Juveny had been led to believe. The accused made no objection to a remand, and did not aPP*.y 'or bail. Ho was remanded for a week, and Bent to the Melbourne gaol. In tho course of an interview, says the Argus, Mrs de la Juveny expresssd her satisfaction at Worthington's arrest, aud said that -be would willingly face the unpleasantness of proseuting him, if by doing bo she could be the means of preventing him from imposing on others. " Of course, I heard a number of stories about him whon ho came here," she remarked, " but I was unwilling to believe rumours, and I could not understand how he escaped being arrested by the police if ho had committed all tho crimes with which he was credited. Before I lent him money I ascertained that other ladies, from whom ho had borrowed small sums, had been faitlu fully repaid, and I had no reason to doubt tho genuineness of tho documents which he showed me as a proof that ho had UHmoy coming to him." It baa been ascertained, With reference to Worthington's borrowing transactions thai on each occasion ho handed back to Mrs Mrs do la Juveny a cheque for the amount which ho had borrowed to dato. The cheque was retained by her, and was always exchanged for ono of a larger amount to each successive loan, until iy&nally reached tho amount of £1096. On his departure Mrs do la Juveny presented it at tho Bank of Victoria, and found that it was valueless.