AN OLD TRICK FAILS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19762, 8 October 1927, Page 2 (Supplement)

AN OLD TRICK FAILS.

ATTEMPT TO OBTAIN MONEY. CONFIDENCE MEN CAUGHT. THREE MONTHS IN PRISON. An American lumberman, Mr. Amos Phipps, related at Bow Street Police Court in London lately, an alleged attempt to obtain about £BSOO from liiin. Thomas Jefferson Sharum, salesman, and William Bradley, were charged with attempting to obtain money by means of the confidence trick. Mr. Horace Fenton, prosecuting, said that Mr. Phipps had been on a holiday tour in Europe since June, and while in Lucerne met Sharum, with whom he played golf. Incidentally, Sharum referred to a friend of his who, he said, was an exceedingly lucky man and had made considerable sums of money. They went to Paris, and while at luncheon Sharum suddenly left the table and accosted Bradley. Bradley at first pretended that he did not know him, but being reminded of ccrtaing meetings in California and Chicago he said, " Oh, yes, I remember perfectly well." Mr. Phipps afterwards went to London and was joined by the two men. Bradley was represented to him as having made considerable money as a result of deals in a syndicate which, in fact, did not exist. It was suggested that Mr. Phipps should join them in a deal. They wanted certain guarantees, but Mr. Phipps was not in possession of sufficient funds, and it was proposed that he should cable to New York for £BSOO One of the men wrote out a cablegram for him. Story o» an Ex-Judge. Scotland Yard were acquainted with the men on their arrival in England, and for a few days before the arrest Mr. Phipps had been acting under the direction of the police. Mr. Phipps said Sharum told him he was first introduced to Bradley in Chicago by an ex-judge. The ex-judge, he said, had made several hundred thousand dollars through informswhich Bradley had given him. When Bradley joined Mr. Phipps and Sharum in Paris he and the last-named discussed the ex-judge's wonderful achievements as a result of Bradley's tips. Sharum told Bradley that he himself must be a very rich man, but Bradley assured him that he was not. He was working, he said, for a large syndicate on salary and commission and was heavily bonded. Mr. Phipps said that he went to England about a week previously, and received a visit at his hotel from the accused. They discussed some deals, and Bradley asked Sharum to go to the Inter- ! national Exchange and purchase £IOO j worth of stock. Bradley handed him 1 an Exchange visitors' ticket and two £SO notes for the purposes of the. " deal." Later in the day Sharum returned and produced £2OO in notes which, he w said, represented the profits of the " deal." Bradley later told Sharum to go back to the Exchange and buy £30,000 worth of International Stock Ho said there might he some question of security, but that Sharum was to say that Mr. Bradley was backing the " deal," and that everything would be all right, as he had £410,000 on deposit. Story of a " Rich Uncle." Sharum again went away, and after some time returned with another man, who was represented to be " Mr. Hermann, of the Stock Exchange." Mr. Hermann had in his hand a bulky wallet, which was supposed to contain the profits on Sharum's "deal." Before paying over the money, Mr. Hermann said that he wanted a deposit of some securityy as a guarantee of good faith. Bradley said that he had a rich uncle living 25 miles from London, and went away ostensibly to see him. Next day the parties met again, and Bradley said that his uncle had gone to India, and that all he could put up at the moment was about £10,400. Sharum said that he would send to New York for money and was sure that he could get £10.600." The question of Mr. Phips finding £BSOO arose, and it was represented to him that his share of the " deal" was £17.600. Mr. Phipps (who was at this time acting under the directions of the police) got the men to draft out a telegram to send to New York, and as they were leaving the hotel to dispatch this the arrests took place. At the conclusion of Mr. Phipp's evidence both the accused pleaded " Guilty" and were sentenced to three months' imprisonment, with hard labour- Sharum was also recommended for deportation. Mr. Phipps said that he was very much impressed by the action of Scotland Yard in this matter. It seemed, he said, that everything they did was for the protection of the public, and he had felt a sense of security ever since he arrived in England. The magistrate said that Air. Phipps might have lost his money if it had not been for the police.