ELUSIVE SWEEPMASTER

NZ Truth, Issue 1043, 21 November 1925, Page 5

ELUSIVE SWEEPMASTER

CHALLENGED BY "TRUTH" A Matter of Interest to Certain New Zealand Investors

SWEEP promoters are a conservative lot -who preach that gentlemanly self-effacement that marhs the real gentleman. To become Known m their own immediate surroundings, even by such inoffensive people as the police, is a thing they wish not at all.

Which is a fitting point at which to lead forth by the right hand, one of this select company — Mr. George Johnson, the cheekiest liar of a decade. ;

Whatever may be Mr. Johnson's proclivities as a sweep promoter, it would be a bold person who would say they transcended his talents as a picturesque and impudent liar.

50MB time ago two prize -winning tickets m a Melbourne consul-

tation sweep (or what purported to be such) were picked ud m a Melbourne .street. The tickets were forwarded from New Zealand. Attention was drawn at the time (m Melbourne "Truth," and also m New Zealand "Truth") to this evidently careless disposal of prize-winning tickets.

Since then, the promoter of the sweep, who signs himself "George Johnston," has addressed to his "agents and clients throughout Aus-

tralia, Tasmania, and New Zealand" a circular (bearing no printer's imprint) m -which he endeavors to explain the finding of the tickets. In ambiguous language he claims (or appears to claim) that he paid out on the tickets to the New Zealand holder; that the letter conveying the payment to New Zealand, and the holder's letter forwarding the tickets from New Zealand, crossed en route; and that someone stole the latter letter, and, finding no convertible value inside, threw it away "with the •result as published m 'Truth." This circular of Mr. "George Johnston" is reprinted on this page. GEORGE'S METHOD. Melbourne' "Truth" has now carried, out an investigation of the activities ] of the gentleman behind the sweep, and as a result has published the comments that head this article. In further reference to him, Melbourne "Truth" (October 31) writes: From New Zealand comes the first echo of his mendacity, m the form of books of sweep tickets. and pamphlets. The tickets were sent to a person who so little deserved Mr. Johnson's confidence that he sent them straight to "Truth," with a suggestion that it was time Mr. Johnson received the hatchet on the spot where the proverbial chicken is alleged to have stopped it. It appears that the pamphlets an,d books of tickets are doing the. rounds of the unsuspicious towns of New Zealand. Smith, Brown or Jones is singled out by Geoi*ge, because he likes the sound of their names, or for some similar good reasonj and, m due course, they receive a parcel of ticket blocks comprising each 25 tickets. The blocks m our possession deal with the Tullamarine Handicap, which was run at Moonee Valley on September 1 26, 1925. The price is a shilling a pop, and the inducements (offered on the tickets) are: ; First, £200; second, £150; third, £100; fourth, £60; other starters, £5 each; 200 tickets at £1 and 200 at 10/-. The tickets are printed on yellow paper, possibly to harmonise with the yellow strsak m the printer, who is either too.^ proud, too careless, or not sufficiently game to put his name on them; he can have it whichever way he likes. , Then you get the information that the show is being run by "The Amalgamated Sweep Promoters Fortnightly" — a body of financiers. who are so modest that they have not registered their enterprise for the benefit of admirers who might like to- look them up at the Titles Office. Still the' name of Johnson is very familiar m connection with another sporting enterprise which was most annoyingly, for the principals, closed up by the police not so long ago.* George aims at a fair thing always, allowing the recipient of his yellow books to keep five shillings out of every 25/- taken m ticket money. Very particular mention is made m the covering literature about returning the money for tickets sold j with all despatch, but not suffic ient emphasis about the returning of the butts of sold and part sold books— a circumstance which, to our suspicious minds, causes grave misgiving's as to the fate of. many good New Zealand "deeners." Still, George makes up for anything that might happen m this regard by giving himself a character for honesty, which, when boiled down, proves him

to be nothing more than a conscienceless liar. He says of the "Advance Consultations," promoted by these "Amalgamated Sweep Promoters," that they are guaranteed and recommended by the leading sporting papers of the Commonwealth. PRESSMEN DENY. When our investigator sought to verify this claim, every sporting paper m Melbourne point blank denied any knowledge of Johnson, "Amalgamated

Sweep Promoters" and "Advance Consultations," and indignantly repudiated his claim that they guaranteed, recommended, or even knew him.

Did we say all — well, not quite all. One well-known Melbourne weekly knew Mr. Johnson.

The editor said he thought he did, at least. He remembered a young fellow named George Johnson, who was connected with an illegal venture closed by the police

last year, and he added the significant and worldly comment: "I

don't think he has got any sugar."

For all that, George seems to be on a sweet thing, and what -he lacks m one regard he makes up m others. For instance, he may be only the riomme de guerre of still more modest people who will not trust even the G.P.O. He gives his address as Geo. Johnson "Box 159.6R," G-.P.0., Melbourne.

There is at great deal of secrecy about the Post Office people where private boxes are concerned, and it appears that even if there is funny business going on, the officials are not willing to aid newspapers sufficiently courageous to put the public .on Its guard..', ' ;

When "Truth" approached the De-puty-P.M.G. m his fortress down m Spencer Street, and put the case of Geo. Johnson plainly before him, with a request to be given Mr. Johnson's address, m order that an investigator might have a chance of hearing Mr. Johnson's reasons why sentence should not be passed upon him, the best that could be obtained was a statement that the box referred to was not m the name of Johnson at all. aln short, the Postal Department knows not Johnson.' But, all the same the Deputy-P.M.G. refused to divulge the name of the individual who is paying for the box and who allows Mr. Johnson to use, or abuse it. As a sort of apology it was explained that the name would be of no use to "Truth" since.- ... Box tenants do not leave their addresses with the Postal Depart- . ment. Their bills- are merely dropped into the box — a pretty shocking state of affairs which explains why it is such an easy matter for commercial crooks to operate m Melbourne under the very protection of the Australian Coat of Arms. * Officials down at the Elizabethstreet office, however can " see the humor of the situation. They say there are very many sweeps— "snide" and otherwise— conducted through the G.P.O. , „•'.■. A LETTER FROM "TRUTH." Johnson magnanimously invited agents to the drawing of his consultations, and give the; information that results are posted. We^have not yet heard of anybody intenam« to make a trip over from New Zealand to see one drawn, but we are inclined to think that if any such venturesome idea does occur to anybody he will see something that will astonish him. We wculd further like to v hear from anybody who has ever won a prize of any account m George Johnson's lottery.' All efforts to link up with George having failed, "Truth" addressedX the following letter to him at his official address on Tuesday (October 27) but so. far there has 'been no response, nor have we been able to find his rooms or anybody who has witnessed one of his drawings: "Mr. George Johnson, Box 1896, R. "G.P.0., Melbourne. "Dear Sir, — We have received from New Zealand two books of sweep tickets issued :by The Amalgamated Sweep Promoters Fortnightly, together with circulars bearing your signature. We have tested certain of the claims you proffer m support of your bona fides, with results that leave us far from satisfied about ■ yourself and Amalgamated Sweep Promoters Fortnightly. "We feel obliged to warn the public against your enterprise and yom-self unless you can establish the truth of the claims you make m your circulars. "We will be glad to afford you every facility for a full explanation should you desire to^ make one. Unless you can do so, we intend to deal with the matter m our columns and hand the documents m our possession to the police." The above letter was registered, but up ; to the time of going to press we had not heard from George Johnson. Somebody called ; and ; asked "Truth" to hold the article over for a week, as "Williams," he said, would be calling later m the day. "Truth" declined to facilitate any possible illegal sweep now proceeding on the Melbourne Cup, so

publishes this article for the. information of the police and the "mugs" who indulge m this sort of sweep.