SWINDLER'S LIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12859, 6 May 1905, Page 2 (Supplement)

SWINDLER'S LIES.

MAN WHO POSED AS THE KING'S MESSENGER,

A " most dangerous and audacious rogue," us counsel described him, cam© to a full stop in his career of swindling at the City Sessions in. Dublin, when Molesworth McDonald, with a variety of aliases, was sentenced by the Recorder to three years' penal servitude. Counsel for the Crown gave a graphic picture of prisoner's doings. He had represented that he was the carrier of despatches between the King and the LordLieutenant, and he dressed the part. lie announced himself as Surgeon-Colonel McDonald, who had seen service all over the world—in the Mutiny, in the Crimea, and in South Africa. Further to impress his dupes, prisoner made out that in the Zulu war lie was one of tjie first to go to the assistance of the Prince Imperial when he was wounded and killed. .He wore on his breast no less than 13 medals. Apparently, lie was not content with 13. for lie bought more, and on the occasion of the purchase he carried a despatch-box. Prisoner bought a great- number of articles, and a Mr. Burack, who believed he was in the King's service, sold him things to the value of £60, among them a quantity of uniforms and decorations - , including Freemason medals. Accused said he was entitled to wear 17 medals. Amongst other tilings, prisoner bought a decoration entitled the European Order of the Black Eagle, a naval officer's uniform, the overcoat of an inspector of the Royal Irish Constabulary, a busby— head equipment of a most ferocious character, remarked counsel—and said he had to appear occasionally in uniform before, the King and the Lord-Lieutenant. " 1 have always understood," said the Crown counsel, *' that the King is very particular on tin. subject of uniform. If prisoner appealed before him in a naval costume, with the overcoat ,ol an inspector of the Royal Irish Constabulary, and a busby with the European Order of the Black Eagle on his head, very probably there would be a demise of the Crown." (Laughter.) Prisoner also got gold bangles for bis wife, " Lady McDonald." Mr. Rudolph Burack told howprisoner had go< the goods, froir, him and walked off without paying. Prisonei took away a pair of gold bracelets, which he said lie wanted fo. his wife, Lady McDonald, whose wrist he said was so small that he would need to try the bracelets on before deciding to purchase them. Prisoner alse took away an admiral's uniform. He showed witness, a. three-stone diai mond ring, which he. said he had got from j the ex-Empress Eugenie for saving the life of the Prince Imperial. A detective stated that he had two warrants to arrest prisoner on charges in England, one for obtaining £100 worth of jewellery on false pretences since lie left Dublin. McDonald was arrested at Rockfeny, Birkenhead, where ho had resided as Dr. Morse. He lived in good style, and was regarded as an army ex-sur-geon. After his arrest the Birkenhead detectives searched the house and found a large numbei of articles of plate and jewellery, which proved to be the proceeds of a robbery a*; a fashionable boardinglipuse at Hove. At the end of last. January McDonald visited Brighton and put up at a Hove boardinghouse for a, few days. After his departure the property was missed. Mrs. Morse, as she was called, came to Rockferry from London with prisoner. The Rock ferry house, it now appears, was furnished with property belonging to a Liverpool lady of good social position with whom MbDonald had contracted a marriage. He is alleged to have deserted this lady on the honeymoon, and, hastening to Rockferry, to have removed there from Liverpool the furniture belonging to her. Mis. Morse is believed to have been in ignorance of the man's real character and his antecedents. He told her when he married her that he had large Scotch estates, a yacht, and that he was frequently engaged upon equerry business for the King, which accounted for his absences from the house.