THE CHARLESWORTH FRAUDS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 9138, Issue 9138, 10 February 1910, Page 5

THE CHARLESWORTH FRAUDS.

NO BAIL FORTHCOMING. | (By Electhio Telegraph—Copyright. ; \ iPeb Press association.) "Received Feb. 10, 8.30 a.m. LONDON, Feb. 9. .Violet Charlosworth was charged with defrauding Martha Smith of £600 and Dr Edward Jones of large sums. Accused, having assumed the name of Cameron, was remanded at the Old Bailey. Received Feb. 10, 9.0 a.m. LONDON, Feb. 8. The CharJesworths- are in Derby prison, not being able to find bail. Their alleged frauds were committed in 1903 arid 1908. Miss Violet Charlosworth was the principal figure in what came to be known as the Welsh cliff mystery. On January 2, 1909, Miss Charlesworth, accompanied by her sister, Miss Lilian Charlesworth, and a chauffeur, left their home at Boderw. St. Asaph, North Wales,, for a run. Twenty miles away, at Penmaenbach Point, where there is a gap in the low wall dividing the road from the cliff edge, the ear is alleged to have run into a gap in the wall, and Mi>s Violet, who was driving, to have been pitched right through the glass wind screen over the cliff. The chauffeur and the elder Miss Charlesworth—the onlv witnesses to the "accident"—were fount! lying apparently dazed, and were driven to a nursing home at Penmaenmawr. This home they left in a motor-car at 4 o'clock the next morning. Search failed to find the body of Miss Charlesworth. The calmness of the sister and the family was remarked, and oven-' i tually the conclusion was arrived at thiit i there had been no fatality at any rate. At the same time the creditors of Mi?« Charlesworth became clamorous. She. had lived in great style with motorcars, and owned many St. Bernard dogs. Outwardly she was always very flush c.f money. Where she obtained it from was a mystery. Sometimes it was by Stock Exchange speculations, at other times it had been left to her by her betrothed, Vincent Taverner, who had died while on the way from South Africa. She was noted for a bad habit of forgetfulness in leaving her tradesmen's bills unpaid. She was traced to Sconlarid, and eventually at Oban she acknowledged her identity. She then returned to London. She was forced into the Bankruptcy Court, but did not attend a number of examinations, alleging illness, principally nerve trouble. In October she attended, and it was stated that the total liabilities were £12,719, and the deficiency £10,486. The debtor alleged that she had great expectations from several gentlemen, including £155,000 from Mr Alexander Macdonald, who was last heard of in Melbourne. The Official' Receiver suggested that these gentlemen are mythical.