EASILY TRICKED

New Zealand Times, Volume LIV, Issue 12659, 20 January 1927, Page 7

EASILY TRICKED

WELLINGTON ARCHITECT “CONFIDENCE MAN” SENT TO GAOI ANOTHER NOT CAUGHT By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, January 18. In the case against two men, charged with defrauding a Wellington architect, James Hector McKay, of £15,000,. Francis Barclay, alias Brearley, was discharged, the Crown Prosecutor not offering evidence. The prosecutor announced that James Mason was pleading guilty to stealing two of McKay’s banknotes for £IOO and £SO. There were strovig reasons for proceeding with these two charges only, though they represented a small proportion of a big fraud. Mason, posing as Monroe, a wealthy Queenslander, met McKay on shipboard en route from New Zealand to S'an Francisco in May, 1926. On the same ship was also Barclay. Hie three were soon in close friendship, and seed was carefully sown to he harvested six months later. They parted in Los Angeles, but forgathered in London. “MADE A QUARTER OF A MILLION” Then, after a trip to the Riviera, Mason one day in November accompanied McKay to Cornhill, where he pointed out a man whom (he prosecu-

tor regretted was not in custody. He would call him Mr “A.” He was actually a ,co-conspirator in the fraud. Mason introduced McKay, saying “A” had just made'a quarter of a million on the Stock Exchange. _“A” invited Mason and McKay to join in a speculation in francs. The prosecutor said: “It seemp ridiculous nonsense, showing that the gullibility of human nature is infinite.” But. then and there McKay and Mason * signed documents instructing the “International Exchange” to invest £15,000 apiece. Fifteen minutes later “A” reported that they had won £33,000, butl he could not obtain the money; ufitil.all three had shown their ability to bear an equivalent loss. McKay thereupon drew £15,000 from hank. ‘ ‘A” produced what appeared to be £7OOO in notes, and Mason similarly £BOOO, which Mason took to show the manager of the mythical “Exchange.” McKAY DECOYED TO MILAN When Mason returned, he said he had put the whole profits. • including suit, returned to London, and informnew gamble. Naturally this was the end of the matter. McKay was furious with Mason’s unauthorised action. Mason and “A” promised to pnt things right, but disappeared. Later “A,” by means of telegrams, decoyed McKay to Paris, and then to Milan. He tried to entice him to Alexandria, but McKay was ill and gave up the pursuit, returned to London, and informed the police. The notes specified had been cashed. Mason, from the dock, said: “The temptation was too great for me.” The prosecutor said that Mason had a bad record as a well-known confidence trickster. The magistrate, in sentencing him to a year’s hard labour; said that the limitation of the charge might be due to Mason’s youth, ana perhaps to the assumption that he had acted as agent for a more experienced criminal.