BECK’S "DOUBLE."

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 5474, 31 December 1904, Page 10

BECK’S "DOUBLE."

ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. A FANCY FOR FALSE NAMES. ‘'DR. WYATT, M.D.” Tho "Capo Times” of a recent dale. ha. 3an interesting article concerning Bock’s “doable”—tho' man for whose crimes Adolf Beck served a long form of imprisonment in England. In many of its phases tho story is hardly of secondary interest to tho principal and romantic narrative of the cruel confession of tho innocent Beck with tho guilty Thomas. “Beck’s Double” had an emphatic fancy for names other Sun Iris own, and ho chose tho dignified, impressive title of Dr. Wyatt, M.D. As far as inquiries have progressed, tho information i.s that ho carno to South Africa in tho early part of 1002, Tho necessarily hurried nature of tiro investigations made by a representative of tho "Gape Times” leaves some of his movements obscure, and wo first become acquainted with Dr. Wyatt residing in the district of Aluizenberg and Kalk Bay. Of his doings there no intelligence is immediately available, and until ho came to live in Woodstock in or about April of 1902, thoro is no evidence of any malpractice on his part. Ho thereafter resided in Earl-street, Woodstock, in til role of “Dr Wyatt, late of 'South Australia.” Here ho apparently commenced tho system of fraud which gained him notoriety in other parts of tile world. His first victim waa a gentleman residing in 'Woodstock, whom ho impressed with an exaggerated sense of tho importance of hm position and tho wealth of his prospects. A 1 WOODSTOCK CASE. He was, his story ran, a member of the Legislative Council in one of tho States of Australia, a qualified medical map, and possessed of means, unfortunately unrealisable at tho time. Ho negotiated with his intended victim for tile sale of two hundred shares in the Cripple Creek Gold Mining Company. The Cripple Crook Gold Alining Company is an actuality, but tho shares, it subsequently transpired, were a myth, for events which happen later sjiow conclusively that Wyatt was not in possession of such shares, and further, that he was not in a position to treat for their sale. Anyhow, he extracted £6O from his dupe, purporting to be the purchase price of these shares, and the bargain was that Wyatt was to send for the shares to Australia, and make delivery of them in tho July following, tho balance of the purchase price to he then paid. Nearing the date when ho would be called upon to perform his contract, and give delivery, Dr Wyatt disappeared. His victim pqt the matter in tho hands of an agent, and inquiries were made by the police; but although the • authorities had knowledge of his whereabouts, they were precluded from acting by reason of technical difficulties, on© of which waa that the time had not arrived when Wyatt could ho called upon to redeem his promise, and therefore tho moment was unripe for a criminal prosecution. As a matter of fact, some time before they received information of the occurrence, the police had had a complaint with regard to another instance of theft by false pretences in the same neighbourhood; but there again there were legal obstacles to a prosecution for the time being. One pretension of Wyatt, at about this period, waa that ho was a man of noble birth. AT THE SOCIAL FARM.

For a couple of mouths, sight is lost of Wyatt, and from this point, too, the police seem to have ceased acquaintance with him. What happened in the meantime is a closed book for the nonce, and it is September when “the Doable”—Dr Wyatt, M.D. still—turns up at the Salvation Army Farm at Romdobosoh. It may. be timely hero to say a little by way of personal description of the man. In every way his appearance and address gave colour to his profession that he was a qualified medical man. Indeed, it seems more than likely that at one time he did legitimately practice medicine, and that in this assertion he for once gave of what were the remnants in him of an otherwise unfamiliar attribute—the truth. Still, it would be reckless to accredit so accomplished a romancer with even this faint suggestion of veracity, for a doubt is created in this ocmneotion by reason of the circumstance that he never exhibited any documentary proof of his qualification to practise os a medical man. But to return to the description of Dr. Wyatt. It is not at this point necessary to enter into a minute analysis. He paraded an imposing tall hat, invariably was scrupulously dressed, and am already indicated, there was that in has very aspect which almost compelled faith in the supposition that he was what he gave himself out to be—a medical man; more, a clover medical man; and n man too whose social position was at one time elevated much above the somewhat humble sphere in which he now found himself moving. On this apparent compatibility of his appearance and characteristics, with his professions of his former eminence in the social scale, it waa his went to trade, and already in the first few months of his sojourn in Cape Town, two persons at least had succumbed to his wiles. Wo left Dr. Wyatt visiting the Salvation Army institution at Bondebosoh. Hero he saw Major King, the officer in charge of the farm, at his house, and asked for a glass of water. Major King was impressed with the evident respectability of his visitor, attired in hia normal dandyish costume, but now minus his best head gear, which was replaced by a modest "bowler. ” The major was surprised to hoar Wyatt describe himself as being utterly destitute, and as seeking the refuge of the Army’s charity. Dr. Wyatt became. from that time, a familiar, and, according to all reports, a highly respectable figure in the Homo, and he spent there what seems to be, from the limited information now Available, an uneventful six months. Uneventful, that ia, save that he distinguished himself by his successful medical treatment of some patients at the farm. In this respect, it is interesting to take brief observation of one case in particular—the instance of a woman, who was suffering from an internal complaint. Several professional men had essayed their skill without bringing relief to the patient, but from the time she carao un-

der Wyatt’s care, she maintained an improvement, and became, and is now, quite cured of her illness. In other cases, Wyatt showed an effective knowledge of medicine, and there arc indications that at this time ho was surruptitiously practising in tho locality as a medical man. By means of remuneration from this source, W T yatt was enabled to indulge a very refined taste in cigars, and to maintain his outwardly immaculate character. ANOTHER VICTIM. Dr. Wyatt issues from tho shelter provided him by the Salvation Army in March, and i.s introduced to a gentleman at Claremont, who may he called Mr Z. Tho introduction is made by an officer of tho Salvation Army, who relates what he know of Wyatt, a prepossessing talc for tho reason tha-t tho Salvation Army know nothing ill of him, but on tho contrary have knowledge of his abilities which redounds to his credit. As Dr. Wyatt, the adventurer enters the homo of Air Z., on tho Paradise Estate, in the second week In Alarch and remains there until Into in April. During the period of his residence hero, of ill-sig-nilicajico was observed in his conduct, lie was always well conducted; always a doctor, one might put it. and in all tho pliiusos of his character he impressed Jiis aequaiiiLances as being a man of deep learning, keen observation, and extensive travel. Ho was a total abstainer, and bis only weakness—if it may so be called—was a pronounced liking for cigars. He represented to Mr Z. that ho had lost a considerable sum of money in speculation, and in gambling at one of the principal hotels in tho city, and Air Z. regarded him as one whom it would ho a charity to endeavour to uplift into what he deemed to bo Dr. Wyatt’s former position among the elite. He performed several useful services to AD Z,, and, as stated, conducted himself in an unimpeachable manner. Tho manner of his leaving bears substantially on the leading point of the story. It happened in this way: Dr. Wyatt, who had displayed an intimate knowledge of Australia, and had represented that at one time he was an inhabitant of Underneath, told Mr Z. and some of his friends £hat long ago ho hail acquired a property in tho interior of Australia—-he described the locality sufficiently well to convince his auditors of the genuineness of at least part of iris story—thirty thousand acres in extent for the sale of which he was then negotiating. He professed to have had an offer of half a orown per acre for the land, and wished to obtain funds wherewith to proceed to Australia to conclude tho negotiations. The tale was somewhat clumsily constructed, and for the first time Afr Z. suspected the bona fides of his guest. Dr. Wyatt wished to borrow some money from him, but Air Z. declined to advance him any. However, a friend who had heard of tho circumstances, advanced him £25, more through a desire to help Wyatt to regain his feet than because ho was at all deceived by “'the story. Indeed, ho may he said, at the time, to have shared Air - Z.’s suspicions. No sooner had he received the money than Wyatt immediate! packed his few belongings and left by the mail train on the 29th of April, to go to East London, there ostensibly to proceed to Australia to settle the matter of his supposed estate. During the time he was with Air Z., he was in tho habit of recounting many of Ilia adventures. Whether they be fictitious or true is, of course, beyond knowledge, but he related, among other things, that he had served as a surgeon in tho British army, and had gone through the Austro-Prussian War. He had been, according' to his account, in all parts of the world, and one point which ho always emphasised in- his anecdotes was the excellence, to his mind, of the American people and of American customs. He recounted, too, that he had a private hospital of his own in Adelaide, where he had lived in groat style. Needless to say, Mr Z. and his friends never heard more of Dr. Wyatt. A CURIOUS OEROUMBTANCSB.

One curious circumstance in connection with Mr Z.’s acquaintance with Wyatt was that a twelvemonth or more afterwards, when the Beck case was being universally discussed, and when Wyatt, under the name of William Thomas, was being tried in London, Mr Z. was in England and-had participated often in discussions relating to this very ease without for a moment suspecting that he had particular intimacy with the real criminal. It was not, in fact, until ho returned to this country some three weeks ago that Mr Z. saw newspaper accounts and photographs which loft him beyond all doubt satisfied of the identity of Dr. W. A. Wyatt, M.D., with William Thomas. Ho always professed to Mr Z. that he was a British subject, but the fact that he spoke German fluently and was somewhat defective in hia use of English, conveyed to Mr Z. the idea, now confirmed by police reports, that he was a foreign subject, probably a native of Germany or Austria-Hungary. Bo was of Jewish extraction, and was want enthusiastically to eulogise the works of Zangwill and the good attributes of the Jewish people generally. Another circumstance that deserves singling out in connection with Mr Z.’s observations of the man and hia peculiarities was the fact that in hia room ho displayed the photographs of a number of ladies. When questioned with regard to these, he answered that they were the photographs of friends of his in London. It ia not unreasonable to assume that in this little gallery some of Wyatt’s victims figured. Wyatt usually displayed a reluctance to go into the matter of his antecedents, but, interrogated on the subject of his family, he reported that ho had a son who was a barrister in England, and that he had two daughters, who were married, and who resided in India. AVOIDED GAPE TOWN.

One point which Mr Z. noticed, but to which he did not then attach any special significance, was that Wyatt studiously avoided going into Gape Town. As a matter of fact he did not visit the metropolis more than twice during the period of bis domicile in Claremont. This, in the light of subsequent revelations, may _ reasonably bo regarded as an indication that ne avoided exhibiting himself too conspicuously because of the apprehension that he would meet some of his victims. A “Capo Times” representative was fortunate enough to obtain from Mr Z. a very vivid portraiture of Wyatt, which shows the adventurer in a picturesque and romantic light. According to accounts given by Mr Z-, Wyatt was of the species known as dandies. Dress was a fetish with him, and in this, ns well as in other characteristics, ho was a remarkable character. Mr Z. relates how the man’s regularity of habit amounted almost to mania. He took bis bath with uninterrupted regularity at six o’clock in the morning, and spent quite an hour in his toilet.

Among Ills possessions were silverbacked hairbrushes, and extravagantly ornamented toilet appurtenances which distinguished him as being pronouncedly of tho dandy type. Ho had his supply of powder for tho face, and what struck Air Z. in particular was his attention to h i.s nails, for which he used a special polish. Ho was always a conspicuous figure in hi.s perfect dress, and his tall hat, and so tar extended his desire to 1» deemed a highly respectable person that once, Air Z. recalls, he required to ho attended to the railway station by a servant, whose function it was to carry his luggage—consisting only of th© smallest of small handbags. THE RETURN TO ENGLAND. On© further and important point ■stands out in tho South African career of this adventurer, ami it is of almost primary significance. That is tho fact of ids leaving South Africa for England at approximately th© time when Bock was being liberated. This must bo regarded as more than a chance coincidence. Th© probabilities are that Wyatt, alias, Smith, alias Thomas, alias innumerable names, had carefully memorised the date of Beck’s release, and bad deliberately determined to reach England and to resume his evil practices at a time which synchronised with Adolf Book’s release. He doubtless looked to a repetition of the previous confusion of Beck with himself to cover hi.s own iniquity .and so far indeed fad his plan succeed that Beck was actually accused and convicted of his (Wyatt’s) new series of frauds.