ROBBING THE POOR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22391, 11 April 1936, Page 7 (Supplement)

ROBBING THE POOR

ANIMAL DEALER'S FRAUDS Admitting 88 charges of defrauding poor people all over Britain, a man who is believed to have sold animals to vivisectionists was at Oxted fined £IOO and sent to prison for a year. He was Cyril Joseph Cooke, aged 33, of Catcrham, and it was stated that he was released from prison last year after serving six months for an exactly similar ollence—obtaining credit by fraud. His procedure was to advertise in weekly papers all over the country offering to purchase dogs, cats, rabbits, frogs, birds and guinea pigs. By this means he induced people to send animals under the prctenco that he would pay for them. But he did not ■ pay. He had, it was stated, defrauded miners from South Wales, labourers in Yorkshire, blacksmiths, painters and poor people all over tho country. It was mentioned that it was not known exactly what had become of the animals, but in books found at Cooke's house they came across a list of hospitals, laboratories, and vivisectionist institutions. Apparently Cooko got in touch with porters and other subordinates of these institutions and Bold animals to them.