MERCHANT LOST £18,000.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 75, 25 February 1927, Page 3

MERCHANT LOST £IB,OOO.

ILL AFTER CUP OF TEA. CONFIDENCE TRICK CHARGE. LONDON, Feb. 10. Further details of the alleged confidence trick whereby a Dutch merchant, Mr Guy Huyzer, lost £IB,OOO were given at 'Westminster Police Court, when Frederick Thomas Randolph, 43, a film operator, of Torrington Square, Bloomsbury, was charged with being in possession of three Dutch notes for 1000 gulden (about £S3 each). The notes were stated to have been three of 180 stolen from Mr Huyzer in Zurich. It was alleged that Randolph and two other men named Davidson and Blaine had taken part in a conspiracy to rob Mr Huyzer. Mr Huyzer met Davidson some time ago, and Blaine, it was alleged, was introduced as a man acting for an American financial concern. Randolph was put forward as the secretary of a brokers’ association. A scheme for making 25 per cent, profit was put forward, and Mr Huyzer was induced to produce gulden notes of tho value of £IB,OOO. . . ' Mr Huyzer, replying to Mr E. P. Knight, prosecuting, described the scene at Zurich when he handed over the notes. Davidson and Blaine, lie said, asked him to have a drink, and he had a cup of tea, while one of them had a whisky and soda and tire other a glass of beer. COULD NOT MOVE LIMBS.

“We set off for the association’s offices,” continued Mr Huyzer, “in a motor car. As soon as I got in I had a tired feeling, which got worse and worse every minute. The car- drove through the streets to a big building— I don’t know what it was —but when I tried to get out I could not lift a leg or an arm. “Blaine said: ‘Oh, it doesn’t matter. You just stay in.’ Davidson took my money, which I had in a big envelope in my hand, and went into the building, while Blaine remained with me.

“He was away about five minutes. When he came back he showed me a receipt for my 180,000 gulden, one for Davidson for £20,000, and one for Blaine for £19,000. Davidson said everything was in order and they were to return for their money at one o’clock, and then they 1 took me bnck to tho hotel. They said that they would go and get tho money, and they left me. “YOU HAVE ALL LOST.”

“Blaine was the first to come back. Ho said that Davidson had entered into a new transaction in his own name, and the money was all lost. Davidson then came in laughing and said: ‘I have dono a good thing. I have made some more money for you.’ He then produced some documents signed by the Brokers’ Association. Blaine looked at the papers and exclaimed : ‘You have all lost.’ They became terribly excited. One of them was crying and tearing at his hair.” Mr Huyzer said ho was still ill at this time. Davidson put something in his (Mr Huyzer’s) pocket, and afterwards lie found Swiss, Dutch and other money, amounting to about £B6. They took him to a railway station and put him in a sleeping carriage in charge of the guard, and next morning he found lrim6clf in Vienna.