"ART TREASURES"

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23492, 5 May 1938, Page 9

"ART TREASURES"

CANNY SCOT DECEIVED A PLAUSIBLE OLD SWINDLER Posing as a professor of the London Academy of Arts, an 82-year-old London man, who claimed that he could earn from £l2 to £2O a week when working honestly, defrauded the managing director of a large Glasgow chemical firm by selling him pictures for £42 which he claimed were wortn over £360. The "professor," William Langley of Golders Green, pleaded guilty to the charge of fruad at Glasgow Central Police Court. Langley, a tall, distinguished-looking man, wearing a black coat with an astrakhan collar, admitted previous convictions at Liverpool and Slough for obtaining money by false pretences. The magistrate, in fining him £lO with the alternative of 30 days' imprisonment, said that he was taking into account the fact that Langley was a very old man and that he had restored the money. "PROFESSOR" FROM LONDON Mr J. F. Langmuir, prosecuting, explained that Langley called at the offices of the Milroy Chemical Company, Ltd., Summerfield road, Glasgow. Introducing himself as Professor Langley, of the London School of Art, he asked to see Mr Milroy. the managing director.

He told Mr Milroy that he had been asked to call on him by a representative of Burton, Sons, and Sanders, of Glasgow, and claimed to be a friend of Sir William Burton, the principal of the firm mentioned.

Declaring that he was "absolutely broke to the wide world," and that his wife had died recently, Langley said he was trying to raise money by selling some of his pictures He went to his car and produced a picture, which he said was worth £2OO. and had been given to him by Lady Dunlop when he had appealed to her to help him financially. He claimed that the picture had been painted by Birkett Foster.

Altogether four pictures were produced. Another of them, he said, had been exhibited at the Royal Academy, and had been priced at £l6O. Mr Milroy agreed to give Langley a cheque for £32 and £lO in cash. Later Mr Milroy discovered that the pictures were practically valueless; and that Lady Dunlop had not given Langley any picture to sell. In an attempt to sell Mr Milroy frames for the pictures, Langley returned to the Milroy Chemical Company, where he was arrested. He immediately offered to pay back the £42. and thr money was in the custody of the police. Mr Langmuir added that Langley travelled the country in a motor car, and had an extremely plausible manner.