BOGUS BOOKMAKER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20866, 7 May 1931, Page 6

BOGUS BOOKMAKER.

:girl hoaxes racegoers. 1 OVER £4OO SECURED. grand national incident. / [FROM Otm OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] LONDON. April 1. Tho talc is told of a beautiful young Jewess, who was on one of tho early trains from Paddington for Aintree on tho morning of the race for the Grand National. ■This girl, aged about twenty-two, dressed in black and wearing a blue badge bearing the name of a firm of bookmakers with headquarters in tho West End of London, went along the' train distributing beauti-fully-printed gilt-edged cards announcing that bets would bo taken on the train in amounts from five shillings upwards. The card stated: "No doubt you are aware of the congested state of the rings at Aintree on Grand National Day, and the inconvenience caused by having to queue up to make bets and again queueing up for payment. To avoid this annoyance we will bo pleased to execute any commissions you wish to place with na for to-day's racing at full tote prices with no limit. You can receive your winnings in Tattevsall's ring or on the jetum journey, of this train." A further notice on the card urged backers to "bet in comfort," and as the girl passed along the train a second time, charming all the male travellers by her beauty and grace of manner, she collected aubstantial amounts in stakes. The cards ahe distributed bearing the London address gttve also the numbers of four lines ®n the Langham telephone exchange and It further telephone address at Brighton. On the return of the train to London, just before midnight, passengers rushed to , the telephone to make inquiries, only to find that tho five lines, the numbers of ,which are given on the bookmaker's card, ido not exist. Mora than £4OO has disappeared into the leather bag of the charming bookmaker, and very angry backers are wondering how to find a firm ,whoso telephone numbers and bankers do pot exist.