A CONFIDENCE THICK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14322, 18 March 1910, Page 6

A CONFIDENCE THICK.

BOGUS RACE NOMINATIONS.

TWO WAIRARAPA HORSES.

The story of an interesting "confidence" trick played upon Mr. J. A. Farmer, trainer to Mr. W. E. Bidwill, of the Wuirarapa, is soon to be told in the Wellington* Police Court. - It concerns the racehorses Provocation and Tribulation and their nomination for certain events lit Randwick last Christ■mas.-.' •;.-'-; v ;,'' '■■■ : \; , 'S '■ ■''/■-.•?, ':-?U : 'c ■'■ v:''.•'• . On December 30 Mr. J. Ames, of Wellington {says the Times), received a letter purporting to come from Mr. Farmer, and requesting him to IcaVe the sum of £10 at Ae offices of Messrs. Izard and Weston, solicitors. 'jy, " I have no : doubt," the " communication stated, "you will :be surprised to. get this from me, but I was too late to get a post office order for £10 when I came into Fcatherston." If he agreed, he was to place the £10, in another envelope; enclosed, addressed to "Mr. T. Hatton, care of Izard and ( , Weston," with a request to that firm to pay over the money, on being called for, as Mr. Farmer had been instructed to .do this by < Mr. r Bidwill. The money was to be left, there before 11 a.m. on December 30. Mr. Ames being out of town did not receive the- letter in time, and therefore could not comply with the request; v ;i' • ",The' memorandum .to " Mr. Hatton" ; inetruoted him to } nominate Provocation for the Doncaster Handicap; Sydney. Cup, Newmarket Handicap, Australian Cup, Champagne Stakes, ; and Essendon Stakes, and Tribulation for the Champagne Stakes and Produce Stakes. Mr. Ames next day communicated wilh a friend of Mr. Bid will's in Wellington, and the nominations were duly cabled to Sydney. The friend, !in turn, wrote to Mr. Bidwill, . telling -him he had complied with his alleged request, only to ' discover that Mr. Bidwill ' and his trainer, Mr. Farmer, knew nothing whatever about the" matter, and had given' no such instructions as \ indicated in the letter.c A cablegram was accordingly -despatched to the secretary of the A. J.C., cancelling the .nominations (which ■ happened ■to" be in a couple of days too late) and explaining the reason. v y:'X ,'* \: ■'■■'■':■/-s :: :'■-::■■:*' : •'- ;>-.vhv'-."'■.',

Detective.; Andrews . has had the -matter in. hand, and It has now reached a stage at which the police are in a position to lay a charge against a man now ;, awaiting trial on a series of similar charges. The letter written in this case is said to :be in the same handwriting as the letters which have been put in as evidence in other cases. : There will be a further : charge against ,the same man. , It will be alleged that on December 30 he rang up Staples' brewery, and sent a message purporting to come from Mrs. O'Halloran, licensee of the - Porirua Hotel,'; asking that £5 be left at '■■ Messrs. Izard and :' Weston's, to be called for by " Thomas Hat ton." ':, The money . was duly' left at the- solicitor's office and called for by a person, said to be the man now in custody, who gave a receipt. . A boy was sent for the money in the ; first instance, but he failed in his mission, being told to send the person who had given him the instructions. ,\ /