BOGUS COUNT’S VICTIMS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21022, 10 May 1930, Page 19

BOGUS COUNT’S VICTIMS.

SPINSTERS DUPED OF THOUSANDS. This man has specialised in victimising middle-aged spinsters. A plausible rogue, he could charm a cherry off 'its' tree.— Counsel. • A danger to the community.—The magistrate. So (says the Sunday Dispatch) was described Henry Irving Fustic, alias Henry Anderson Courcy Irving Eustace, a smart, good-looking young %ian of 23, who was sentenced at Marlborough Street Police Court recently to nine nionths’ hard labour for obtaining £2B. and £l9 5s by fraud from Mr Edgar Percy Vosper, an hotelkeeper, of Cleveland Gardens, Bayswater, W., and Mr Gibbs, a motor dealer, of Atherstone-mews, S.W, With him was charged Miss Euphemia Simon Sherriff, 45, a housekeeper, of Bridge Bungalow, Shepperton. She. said that she had been duped by'Eustic, and the magistrate discharged her. Detective-sergeant Duncan said that Eustic. who pleaded guilty, hired motor cars from Mr Gibbs and gave him a cheque for £75. The cheque, which was returned marked "No account,” came from a book issued to Eustic ’ in 1927, when ho had a small account at the Westminster Bank. He now had nothing to his credit there, but hie pass-book had been cleverly faked and showed payments in of £20,000, £15,000, £2OOO, £IO,OOO, and £15,000, the total balance amounting to £95,442. Eustic was born in a fishing village in Cornwall. He attended a local school until, 14, and was, then employed as a gardener’s.boy. In 1925, while working as a waiter,, he had a serioue motor accident. At Sidmouth Hospital he met three benevolent, elderly women', and one of them took him to her house and treated him as one of the family. In 12 months he got £IO,OOO from-her. Later he bought a motor business at Walton-on-Tham-es and ran a Rolls-Royce car, attended by a chauffeur and a valet. In November, 1927, at the Royal Palace Hotel, Kensington. W., he met another woman, to whom he represented himself to be Eustace, Count, of Boulogne,” with an ancient castle in Cornwall and a house in Grosvenor square, which was'let to the Japanese Embassy. Within three weeks she had parted with £19,500. For defrauding another woman of nearly £7OOO, he was sentenced at the Central Criminal, Court to 22 months in the second division. He was released from prison early in January and then met Miss Sherriff.