FRAUDS IN SYDNEY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19889, 7 March 1928, Page 11

FRAUDS IN SYDNEY.

GUNTER SENT TO GAOL.

BUSINESS MEN VICTIMISED.

FALSE CLAIM TO A TITLE.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received March 6, 8.45 p.m.) A. and N.Z. SYDNEY, March 6.

An Englishman named Robert William Gunter was to-day sentenced to six months' imprisonment with hard labour on a charge of falsely representing that he was Sir Robert Gunter, thus obtaining the use of a motor-car. The police said accused had many previous convictions in London and in New Zealand for similar offences. He had victimised a number of leading Sydney business men.

While Gunter was en route to Australia on the Marama from Auckland early in February he represented to the passengers that he had received cablegrams apprising him that his uncle had died and that the title was then his. On his arrival at Sydney he engaged a suite of rooms at a leading hotel as "Sir Robert Gunter."

Robert William Gunter perpetrated several hoaxes while he was in New Zealand. In April, 1927, he was sentenced to a term of imprisonment in Mount Eden gaol for obtaining money by falsely representing that he was Surgeon-Com-mander Joy, of the Royal Navy. Ho was released early in January last, but he had only been free a -week when he was again arrested on a charge of vagrancy. It was said he had been posing as "Mr. Selfridge," of Selfridge's, London, and trying to worm himself into the good graces of local business people and hotelkeepers. The magistrate, Mr. F. K. Hunt, gave Gunter a chance on that occasion, ordering him to come up for sentence if called upon, and be left the Court in charge of Captain Davies, of the Salvation Army. After that Gunter approached the local tramway authorities, with whom he conversed about trams and buses, talking like an expert. On February 4 Gunter left Auckland for Sydney by the Marama. A few days later a cablegram from Sydney related an interview with him in which he discussed the future of tramways and buses, describing himself as "consulting engineer to the London General Omnibus Company." t In his early career in Auckland Gunter stayed at several hotels under false names, including that of "Sir Robert Gunter, of White's Club, London. He also stayed at various first-class establishments at Hamilton and Rotorua, and on one occasion lived in Grafton Road, Auckland. There he posed as Dr. Gunter, of H.M.S. Philomel." Later he lived in a boarding house in Syrnonds Street, still posing as a medical man. He is said to have stolen a stethoscope, in order to enable him to carry out that character. When lie was convicted in April last year it was said that he originally came to New Zealand on the lonic, being employed on board as a washer of dishes. He is a well-spoken Englishman and has had a college education.