MANSION HOUSE CASE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23691, 24 December 1938, Page 7

MANSION HOUSE CASE

CITY FRAUD CHARGE PRETENCE TO TEACH JOURNALISM (From Our Own Correspondent) (By Air Mail) LONDON, Nov. 24. Several charges of obtaining money by false pretences and with intent to defraud were made against James Jamieson, aged 36. of Warrington crescent, Maida Vale, at the Mansion House. Mr J. E. M. Gunning, prosecuting, said that, although the amounts involved were not large, he thought the court would have no difficulty in coming to the conclusion that accused had been guilty of fraud of ; particularly despicable and mean type. From an office at Ludgate Hill, using most flamboyant notepaper and professing to be connected with sporting journalism, he answered advertise: ments of people who were in search of employment, and to applicants who had saved a few pounds he said it would be necessary to deposit a sum of money as guarantee of their honesty. MONEY NEVER RETURNED The case for the prosecution was that there was no real employment provided, and that money once Darted with was never returned. William George Winters, painter and decorator, of Mitcham, stated that last August he was anxious to put his 14-year-old son out in life. and. through an advertisement, got in touch with accused, who replied with-a letter from what appeared to be a big press agency. It was headed. 'Our motto: We cover the world." "I called on the defendant with my son," continued witness, "and he said he would make my son a sporting journalist.—(Laughter.) He would have to attend sporting events and write reports, and would have, in the course of time, to learn French. German and Spanish."—(Laughter.) £2O AS PREMIUM. ~ Witness went on to say that he paid the accued £2O as a premium.. and his son started work. - ~ From time to .time he had letters from Jamieson saying that "Albert;" was doing well and would • make a name for himself.—(Laughter.) \ The net result was that, his son got- £ J a week for six weeks, and then left and became an office boy .-r.(Laughter !> No part of the £2O. was returned."'' :: Albert Arthur Winters, the son; said he understood when he entered the accused's office that he was to become a journalist and learn languages. He went to a few football matches'arid wrote " reports," but he did not believe they were ever"printed.—(Loud laughter.) LIGHTERMAN'S EXPERIENCE f William Joseph Brereton, lighterman, of Bromley, said that in September he I paid the accused a premium of £lO to teach him the business of financial journalism.—<Laughters. The clerk (Mr W. Thoday): You have described yourself as'a lighterman, and it appears that' you aspired to journalism. Had you done something in that way locally? Witness: Yes. Why did you pay him the £10? Because I believed he had a flourishing business. Leonard John Chambers, snack barman, of Holloway, said that in October he advertised offering to deposit £25 with anyone who would give him a job where deafness would not be a handicap. In reply to a letter, he - called on accused, who told him that he was sports editor of a number of newspapers. "COULD SOON PICK IT UP" " I told him," witness proceeded, "that I knew nothing about journalism, but he told me that I could soon pick it up, and that he would pay me £3 a week and extra for attending sporting events. I understood that he accepted the deposit of £2O as security for handling the petty cash, which amounted to 45." (Loud laughter.) f Counsel: What work did you do in the office? . . Witness: entered up the petty cash —the same- 4s—and then nothing else happened. (Laughter.) When I told accused that there was nothing to do and that I was not satisfied with the prospects, ako that I wanted my £2O back, he said "Oh, we get a quiet time occasionally. Perhaps to-morrow we shall have a lot to do." (Laughter.) I think on the whole .1 worked two days. , I was unable to get. my money back, and when I pressed accused he said the matter wa r in the hands of his solicitor. '., 'ONE.WEEKS WAGES %f Bertram Allan Richard Drew, of Kingsbury, stated that in October hist he advertised for a post,- and got into communication with accused, who represented that he was the proprietor of a news agency at Ludgate Hill. v Eventually witness was taken on the "staff" on payment of £2O as a cash deposit for his integrity. He was to have £3 10s a week expenses, and commission. He received the first week's wages, and nothing more. He was unable to get his £2O back. Mr Gunning said the remainder of the evidence he proposed to call would go to show that accused's business was "born in fraud, and carried' on in fraud." Accused was committed for trial at the Old bailey.