BOGUS HEIRESS IN TEARS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22505, 25 February 1935, Page 17

BOGUS HEIRESS IN TEARS

STORIES OF "FORTUNES" DISCLOSURES BY' POLICE. Remarkable exploits of a woman who had posed as heiress to a large fortune came to light lately at Southport, where she was prosecuted for obtaining food and lodgings by false pretences. . Before the magistrates appeared Annie E. Allen, aged 54, described as a spinster, and while details- of hei career were being given she sobbed bitSuperintendent Clarke stated that accused called on Mrs Ethel Foulds, of Southport, and told her she had money coming to her. She stated she had an appointment with Mr R. W. Brighouse, solicitor and deputy coroner for West Lancashire about the money. One day she went out, as she said, to see Mr Brighouse, but on returning she made out that the matter had not been settled. Later she told Mrs Foulds, " Everything is now settled. Instead of getting £15,000 through Mr Brighouse I am getting £16,600. I am getting the shares of my brother and sister." Allen added that an uncle had died .and left her the money. ~-„_.. Superintendent Clarke said that the statement that Allen had any transactions with Mr Brighouse was all lies. Referring to the woman's past history, he said that in 1921 Allen was sentenced at Liverpool to six months in the second division for obtaining £lO by false pretences. Later she induced a matron of a home of help to believe a story that she had been left £7OOO by two god-mothers, and was an heiress to a fortune of £400,900. By this means she obtained from the matron clothing and other articles. At Liverpool City Sessions in 1930 she was sentenced to 18 months in the second division. After having a situation at Bootle, Allen went to Southport. She went to a boarding house keeper and represented that she was an heiress to a large fortune, and that her affairs were in the hands of a Sheffield firm. She showed the woman a large envelope which, she said, contained valuable deeds. By this means she obtained various sums of money and was also kept for 12 months. The boarding house keeper died, and her relatives found that the firm in Sheffield did not exist, and they turned Allen out as an imposter, but did. not take proceedings. Passing sentence of three months' imprisonment, the presiding magistrate remarked that landladies must be protected, i