FRAUDS ON JEWELLERS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1260, 23 April 1896, Page 9

FRAUDS ON JEWELLERS.

FX L'KAOKDIXARY OABFFR. THE CLEVEREST “ TA LE-TELLEB ” IN LONDON. “ AA'ho he is and where he came from no one know but himself,” said a well-known Scotland Yard officer to the 1 Vceklj Dispatch representative who was engaged in making inquiries into the history of Kemp, a notorious criminal, who has been sentenced for defrauding a jeweller of a quantity of valuable property. Kemp was indicted for having conspired in December last, with another man not in custody, to obtain by false pretences from Joseph Little, a diamond merchant, of Liverpool, a diamond brooch and other article.? of tho value of £lO5. Kemp is known in London as the champion tale-teller, and has during his criminal career played many parts. Ho lias been a sheep-stealer, welsher, confidence trick man, niosker (a buyer of jewellery at sales which is afterwards pawned at a profit), receiver of stolon property, and pickpocket. LIVES IN GRAND STYLE, Kemp has in his time made largo sums of money, and it is said that ho could now

put his hand “ on a few thousand pounds.” Strangely enough, the man is not liked by criminals, his utter selfishness and brutality being the cause. Further, although at one time lie was “in” with tho best “ mobs ” in London, for sometime past he has not been trusted on account of his possibly “coming copper” (prosecuting anyone). Ho has a well-furnished house at St. John’s AYood, and ho spends money on himself very freely. His usual haunts are the West-end cafes, whero ho was to bo seen almost daily in the most fashionable attire, lounging over tho counter in true West-end “Johnnie ” style He is, perhaps, best known as the man who

devised and carried out that daring robbery in January, 1888, tho stealing of a quantity of valuable furniture from Air Wilson Barrett’s house, Thu Priory, North Bank, St. John’s Wood. STEALING WILSON IIAUUKTI’Y FURNITURE. After the death of Mrs Wilson Barrett (formerly Miss JL-alli, Header to Her Majesty), the well-known actor decided to leave The Priory and remove to apartments in Hampstead, where lie had a daughter living. He, therefore, left The Priory in charge of a housekeeper and a large St. Bernard dog. About this time Mr Barrelt was actively engaged in rehearsing a production at tho (llube Theatre, and consequently the removal of the furniture remained in abeyance. One day a somewhat shabbily dressed man called at Tho Priory and informed the housekeeper that lie had been sent by her master for any letters that might he there, and that ho was going to Hampstead with them. Suspecting nothing, the letters were handed over, and by this means there is little doubt that the shabbily-dressed man was able to discover what Mr Barrett’s future arrangements were, and by still applying for the letters he kept himself an entrant with the details lie wanted to know in order (o plan the robbery. It is known now that the master mind who directed this daring robbery was Kemp, and it was he who took all the steps to bring it “off ” A few weeks later Air Barrett arranged with a firm of removing coni motors to pack the furniture at The Priory and convey it to Hampstead. Of course THIS WAS KNOWN TO THE THIEVES, and their plans were laid accordingly. On the day of the removal the contractor’s three vans drew up at the door and proceeded to load, but alter they had been an hour at work' they were interrupted by a man who drove up in a spring cart, and who said, “ I’ve come to take some of the best things to Hampstead,” and without more ado he proceeded to pack his cart full of the best furniture in the drawing-room and all the valuables in the safe, ornaments, Ac., he could lay his hands on, whereupon he drove off.

The theft was soon discovered, and the matter placed in the hands of the police, who in a very short time discovered the property and arrested four men, including Kemp, who was sentenced to live years’ penal servitude. FLEECING YANKEES. Ivemp, after his release, decided to renew his acquaintance with the confidence trick, and for weeks he haunted the West End. He boasted frequently of his skill, and alleged that he was the only mail in the West End who had the pluck to “ take on ” the wily Yankee and “ do ” him. NEW YORKER LOSES £250.' A sharp, ’cute New Yorker entered the St. .fames’ .Restaurant, and whilst having a drink he was addressed by Kemp, who asked him if the dollar note he held in his hand was “ all right.” “ You can loot yer last bottom dollar that ic is, because I’vo brought a wad of them with me, and I’m going to tho Exchange now straight away to get thorn changed,” was the reply, and Kemp offered to accompany him. As the reader will observe, no doubt, the Yankee had done just what Kemp wanted viz., told him that he had money and had got it on him. of course, as they went along, Kemp met some of his friends, all of whom he mfisted on intiodiicing to the Yankee. After tho Yankee had changed his note,into gold and Bank of England notes to the tune of £2l >o, they all adjourned to a cafe, whero Kemp 11 KG AN TO “ FITCH THE TALE.” His friend the Irishman (so Kemp said) had won a big law-nit, in which lie had to light the biggest lawyer —Sir Charles Russell—of the day, and now that he had won lie was going, as ho hail promised, to distribute .£.'>oo amongst .American charities. Would the American gentleman be so kind as to tell theai what were the more desei ring of charities in America ?

The. New Yorker wanted to know why the Irishman should not distribute his money in England or Ireland, whereupon the Irishman told a long and pitiful tale of how lie and his family had been treated by his tenants in Ireland, how lie had received no rent, and how he had been fired at coming home late one night; and so plausible was the tale that the Yankee believed it, and sympathised with the Irishman. To tell the story in twenty words, the £2(10 was brought out and placed with the Irishman’s money, and both Kemp and tho latter were permitted to walk oil' just to show them that the Yankee had the utmost faith in them. HE TURNS WATCII “HAMPER.” To ramp a watch is to give it a wellknown maker’s name, and in this way Kemp made a lot of money. He purchased a lot of common watches and with the assistance of a very clover watchmaker he made them into Dent’s or Frodsham’s. These were afterwards sold or pledged at country pawnbrokers’, who subsequently discovered that a watch on which they had lent £2 was only worth a few shillings, the name being a forgery. His next essay in crime was playing an important part in a very daring robbery in the Borough.

£SOOO OF JEWELLERY STOLEN. Perhaps the biggest haul ever brought off by Kemp and his mob was the stealing of a jewellery traveller’s brougham in High street, Borough, a few years ago.

It came to the knowledge of Kemp that the brougham was driven by a young man who was in the habit of going every Wednesday to certain coli'eo-shop in tho Borough to have his dinner, leaving the brougham, which was fitted up with drawers and boxes, outside. With the help of a cart and a fleet horse, the gang followed tho brougham tho whole of the morning, and when tho drivor drew up outside the Borough coffee-shop, they did the same. When tho driver took his seat, one of the gang spoke to him, and drew his attention to the name of a certain horse running tiiat day which was “bound to win.” Whilst his attention was thus taken off tho brougham,

THE NOSERAG ON THE HORSE WAS REMOVED, and on to the seat sprang one of the gang, who drove oil' at a rapid pace, followed by tho cait.

Down u quiet street in Brixton the whole of the contents of tho brougham were transferred to the cart, which was at once driven to the address of a well-known receiver of stolon properly, whero the jewellery was valued and paid for at the rate of something like £ISOO. In spite of the most strenuous efforts on tho part of the police, not a trace could be found of tho jewellery, until some twelve months later a man named Kent was arrested in the City, and when searched ho was found to have in his possession several valuable articles which were amongst those stolen. Kent got five years, but Kemp with his usual good luck escaped arrest. WELL-DESERVED FF N ISHMENT. His lordship paid a very high compliment to Detective-Sergeant McMullan of tho C Division, who had charge of the case against Kemp referred to in the beginning of this article, and from the diligent enquiries made by tip’s officer he was able to give the Court much valuable information.

Warder Tin-roll proved a conviction of five years’ penal servitude against Kemp for sheep-stealing, as well as five years for Wilson Barrett’s furniture, and bis lordship said ho could not pass a less sentence than live years’ penal servitude.