TRICKSTER IN LONDON.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 103, 1 April 1929, Page 8

TRICKSTER IN LONDON.

CARD GAME WITH ACTOR. A trickster, known as “Scarface,” who has recently been active in England, is believed to be Robert Gunter, who successfully imposed upon Auckland last year, his chief exploit there being to report as an expert upon tramway and motor-bus transport. In November last he left New Zealand. During the past three weeks, states the London Daily Maid of February 9, he has posed as “Dr. Hunter” or as “Mr Butler,” and has attempted frauds on at least a dozen wine and spirit merchants in London. A reporter showed a photograph of Gunter to three people whom this “Mr Butler” had approached. They recognised it at once as the same man. The photograph was reproduced from a New Zealand paper. “MR HUNTER” IN CARDIFF. Recently a man giving the name of Mr Hunter imposed on many people in Cardiff. He stated that he was going to give a large sum of money to the miners’ fund. He left without paying his hotel bill. Upon the publication of this story with a photograph of “Mr Butler” in a silk hat lurtner information was lorth. coming. A noted West End actor met “Sir Robert Gunter, Bart,” about a month previously. “Of course I am a bally baronet, you know,” he explained, “but as I cannot afford to get in witli the wealthy set I do not tell everybody.” He suggested a game of cards and the party went to the actor’s fiat in St. Janies’, S. W., where play went on until the early hours of the morning. It was apparently Gunter’s unlucky dav, for at the end of the sitting he owed his host £lO. For this he gave a promissory note and left his passport as a guarantee of good faith. The promissory note proved valueless, anu it was discovered that the passport was a temporary one dated November 8, 1928, and vailable for three months for the journey across America to England. The passport described him as an engineer, born at Hertford Heath, England, in February, 1886, gave his height as sft. lOin. and stated that he had green eyes and fair hair. The photograph showed two large scars on the left cheek. “MOST PLAUSIBLE.” “Gunter was the most plausible fellow I have ever met,” said the actor, who added: “Ho was apparently well educated and had the air of a man with good connections. I accepted his statement that he was a baronet and found him rather amusing. “He talked freely of his travels, saying that he was a rolling stone just trotting round the world as the fancy took him. He said his doctor had ordered him to travel for the benefit of his health and he had found his ‘title’ a nuisance.” The following day Gunter was still evading the vigilance of those searching for him.” The Daily Mail gave prominence to his Auckland report on “that city’s traffic muddle,” and mentioned a new escapade. Gunter had addressed a meeting in a provincial centre on behalf of a Conservative candidate. He returned to London with the Liberal candidate, borrowing £5 on the way. He is the man who posed as Captain Courtney, the airman, stated the newspaper. His real identity has been veiled in England and in Australia and New Zealand under such borrowed

names as Sir Richard Cruise, Colonel R. Campbell, C.M.G., D. 5.0., M.D., Colonel Gunn, C. 8., D. 5.0., Lord Stanton Hope, Dr Sir William Hunter, and in fact any title that strikes his fancy. BARONET INTERROGATED. * But it is his choice of the name Gunter with the “bally title” that is causing great annoyance to Sir Ronald and Lady Gunter, of Park Hill, Wetherby, Yorkshire, the genuine holder of the title. When Sir Ronald and Lady Gunter wlio were on a visit to Folkestone, returned to their hotel they found a police inspector awaiting them. Lady Gunter, describing the incident, said : “The police had apparently found that people were staying at the hotel registered as Sir Ronald and Lady Gunter. The inspector had wliat was apparently an official description of Robert Gunter and was waiting to identify my husband. He found out, of course, that the description in no wav tallied. “There was a similar occurrence some time ago, before m.y husband came of ago (he is now 24), and it is reallv somewhat annoying The same thing has also happened in Yorkshire. Whenever we are announced people raise their eyebrows and look at us curiously. Apart from that the police are always asking us if we are the genuine bearers of the title.” Sir Ronald Gunter is fair-haired, and aged 24, whereas Robert Gunter is 42. Sir Ronald is very broad and not tall, and Robert Gunter is tall and slim, with two scars on his cheek. A further distinguishing mark is the moustache Sir Ronald wears.