BOGUS EARL'S BAG.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18891, 13 December 1924, Page 2 (Supplement)

BOGUS EARL'S BAG.

COMPLETE " DOPE " OUTFIT.

MANY DANGEROUS DRUGS.

CONVICT'S CAREER OF FRAUD.

TRACKING SPIES IN SPAIN.

A neat black leather case fitted with nine phials containing dangerous poisons was lately seized by detectives who were inquiring into the past of a bogus earl who was unmasked as an ex-convict and an undesirable alien at the Police Court at Reading. In the name of Norman McLeod Buciian St. Clair he was convicted of being an unauthorised person in possession of drugs and poisons, and was sent to Oxford Prison to await deportation. . - Some extraordinary chapters in Si. Clair's life have been discovered by the police, but there are still some blanks in the story that the detectives would like to be able to fill in. It is known that the man came to England from New York in March of this year on the liner Bcren#arin. Although he travelled secondclass, he was wearing the uniform of a captain of the American naval air service, with three and a half rows of medal ribbons on his tunic, and he gave it out to his fellow passengers that lie was*" the fourteenth Karl of Caithness."

In his role of sailor-peer St. Clair made, love- to a girl passenger—a member of a well-connected and well-to-do family in the Midlands—and begged her to marry him. He said that he was a bachelor, and he tried hard to gain the girl's affections with wonderful stories of his heroic exploits all over the globe.

On Secret Service Work. St. Clair's tale was that he was attached to the Cuban naval service, and that he was on his way to Europe on secret service work. He also told the girl that one of the 21 mezlal ribbons he displayed was that of the Naval V.C.. and that he had won the Croix de Querre and was a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. In spite of all his persuasions, he was unable to induce the girl to agree to marriage, and when the liner reached England he was compelled to abandon his pretensions to a peerage because of the necessity of registering as an alien. As soon as St. Clair arrived in London lie called at the American Consulate,, and introduced himself as the Chief of the C.I.D. of the Cuban police., but he failed to impress the officials. Then he went to Heading. Although lie declared that he was a bachelor for the purpose of his lightning courtship on the Oierengaria and his many other love affairs. St. Clair is really a married man. His wife was living near Reading. He spent part of his time, with her. and the rest in London, where he lived with a pretty, expensive lydressed girl at Hyde Park, and patronised high-class West End. restaurants.

A Gold-braided Impostor. St. Clair was a striking figure in his gold-braided uniform with a naval cap, worn at a rakish angle. In clubs and other resorts in Reading he entertained large audiences with stories of his breathless adventures as a secret service man tracking spies in Spain anil China and other countries. It was through the perspicacity of a Reading detective officer— Inspector Wallers—that he was brought to hook. The inspector went to interview him at his house, and at once detected that he was an impostor. Inquiries were made, and it was found that St. Clair figured in the criminal records at Scotland Yard as a "crook" who had been convicted for false pretences and fraud eight times in four different names between 1899 and 1904. His last sentence was one of •three years' penal servitude. St. Clair was released from prison as a convict on license, but he failed to comply with the regulations, and a warrant was issued for his arrest, but was never executed because 'the man -fled to America and had never been heard of since. It was also discovered that he. had never been a naval officer, had never had any connection with the secret service, and was not entitled to wear any decorations. St. Clair, was brought up at the Police Court on a charge of making false statements in contra vent ion of the Aliens Order. After he had been remanded in custody the police heard of a curious incident.' Belore appearing at the Court St. Clair called at a newspaper shop at Reading, and left there a kit-bag. with strict instructions that if was not to be handed back to anyone but himself.

What the Bag Contained. Detectives took possession of the bag and found inside it two pocket cases. One contained a complete "dope" outfit, with hypodermic syringes and tablets of eocaine and morphine. In the other were nine phials, in which were dangerous poisons, sue!) as aconite ;\nd digitalis. No sooner had he been removed t'> Oxford Prison than a woman, who said she was his wife, was granted permission to see him. An hour later the real wife arrived, and had some little difficulty in convincing the prison authorities that she. and not the other woman, was his legal wife.

Evidence was given against St. Clair at the Police Court to show that he was in possession fit ;i revolver without a license, that lie had made false statements under (he Aliens Order, and that he was unauthorised to possess drugs. The Bench imposed fines amounting to £80. or six months' imprisonment, and recommended him for deportation. Soon afterwards the fines were paid into Court, and St. Clair asked that the deportation order should be suspended if he undertook to leave the country. This was opposed by tlie chief constable, at whose, request the Bench decided that the prisoner should be kept in custody until the Home Office arrange for his deportation.