WAITER POSES AS COUNT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20991, 2 April 1930, Page 10

WAITER POSES AS COUNT.

FRAUDS UPON WOMEN. LARGE SUMS OBTAINED. “CASTLE IN CORNWALL.” The remarkable career of a good-look-ing young man, with a rich bass voice, who has swindled middle-aged women or thousands of pounds, was told to Mr Bingley, the Marylebone magistrate, recently. Henry Irving Eustis, otherwise Henry Anderson Conroy Irving Eustace, aged 23, of Walton-on-Thames, was charged, with Euphemia Simon Sherriff, aged 45, a housekeeper, of Shepperton, Middlesex, with obtaining £47 by fraud. It was stated that Eustis went to an hotel in Bayswater with Miss Sherriff, whom he represented as his aunt. They stayed for three weeks, and Eustis talked of a wealthy great uncle at Staines. .His cheque for £3O was dishonoured, and he was arrested. Detective Sergeant Duncan said that Eustis had a cleverly faked pass book showing that he had a credit balance of £95,442. Mr Lawrence Vine, defending the woman, said that, experienced though she was, she was completely deceived by “ this young rascal, who could charm a pear off a cherry tree.” Mr Bingley said her position was an amazing one. He would give her the benefit jof the doubt and discharge her. Detective Sergeant Duncan said Eustis was born in a fishing village in Cornwall. After being employed as a gardener’s boy he left home and went into lodgings with a woman, from whom he stole jewellery valued at £26. He was bound over for this offence, and became a waiter at seaside resorts in Devonshire. In 1925 he had a sarimi!!, motor accident, and was treated at the Sidmouth Hospital, where he met three benevolent elderly women, well known in. Devonshire ,for their charitable work.

His amazing plausibility elicited their sympathy, and one of them took him to her house and treated him aa.one of the family. In 12 months he had obtained £IO,OOO. At Teignmonth he met another woman and got £ISOO from her.

Then he bought a motor business at Walton-on-Thames and ran a luxury car with a chauffeur and a valet. In November, 1927, be stayed at a Kensington hotel, where he met another woman, to whom he represented himself as “Eustace, Count of Boulogne.” with an ancient castle in Cornwall. He made such an impression on her that within three weeks she had parted with £19,500. Judgment was given against Eustis for £3OOO in the High Court, and in his dilemma he turned to a Doncaster wismau, living in London, leading her to believe that he was a man of high birth. Pretending that he had £BOOO in the bank, but only one cheque, he induced her to exchange four signed blank cheques for his. One he filled in for £6OOO and gave to a firm of solicitors to satisfy the High Court judgment and save his imorisonraent. and with another one for £844 he bought a motor car. For this fraud he was s/ntenced at the Old Bailey in July, 1928. to 22 months in the second division. Mr Bingley said that Eustis had swindled these wretched women right and left, and ought to be sent to prna) servitude. for he was a danger to the community. Another court had tried the effect of a long term in the second division, and he would try a sentence of nine months’ hard labour to see if it would bring Eustis to his senses-