"GET RICH QUICK"

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 5 January 1927, Page 5

"GET RICH QUICK"

AMERICAN CONFIDENCE MEN

- A • RANDWICK SCHEME . Two' recent arrivals from America, who had been staying 'at a leading city hotel, were arrested in Sydney .recently. The arrest followed a suggestion made to an Eastern merchant, who was staying at the same hotel, of a "get-rich-quick" scheme. The merchant arrived in Sydney' a fortnight previously, and, some days lately 'met' a ' venerable-looking 'man. in the vestibule of the hotel. They entered .into conversation, and the stranger said he had' been in the city only a few days, having- come from America. They met frequently after that, and dined together. On each occasion, they tossed to see who would pay for the wine. By a strange coincidence the Eastern. merchant lost on every occasion. His suspicions were not aroused, however, and he considered it only the other man's good luck. ■ ,

• A RANDWICK SCHEME ■ ' ' -Subsequently, the merchant met two of the other man's friends,' and it was suggested that, as they were all strangers in the city, they should have a little dinner party. The next day, the four of them met at the merchant's hotel, when the conversation turned on racing. One of the strangers recounted his successes in '.'cleaning up'' several dubs in America by betting coups. "There is a horse running at Randwick,." he is alleged to have said, "and if we put sufficient money on him his price will, shorten on the day of the race to such an extent that we will be able to lay off and show a profit of thousands of pounds." The. man added that the price was 12 to 1, and said that if they.put.£2,ooo on the horse thev would stand to win £24,000. That, he said, would give them plenty of money to lay off. He suggested that each should give him £SOO to bet with. One of those present handed over what looked like a bundle of notes, but the merchant said he did not have that amount of money in the bank and would have to make the necessary arrangements. "That will be all right," said one of the men, "but you had better give me the cheque, and'l will hold it until you make your arrangements. In the meantime Twill make the bet." BECAME SUSPICIOUS __.;"' The merchant produced his chequebook, and commenced to write a cheque. •Suddenly ho -became *!usp'icious.. He said he would see his bank manager in the morning, and meet the others at noon next day. . Instead of visiting his bank manager lie went to see a business man whom he knew well, and he told him the story. The latter rang up Inspector Pattinson, Acting-Chief of the Criminal Investigation department, and he detailed Detectives Garlick, Thompson, and Nye to make inquiries. They were present at the hotel where the interview.took place. the result being that two of the men were talien to the Detective Office.