HEARTLESS FRAUD.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 10141, 30 August 1904, Page 4

HEARTLESS FRAUD.

A NEW ZEALAND 'BROTHER.

n . LONDON, July 8. Une night this week a young man called at a shop m Edinburgh and enquired if there was any person living m the neighborhood who hadf a son at sea. about whom nothing had been heard for several years. The name of a neighbor being given, the stranger said that was the person ho was seeking, and he thought that if he had an interview with the lady of the house he would be able to disclose his identity as well as to give her some news. A boy went to tho house to ask the woman to come- and 1 see the individual m question. The lady of the house was not m, but her daughter, on hearing that a stranger liad information to give regarding her brother, atonce went to the shop. The young man then asked her if -she had a brother at Port Lyttelton, m New Zealand. She replied that she had. On being asked if she had a photograph of her brother, the young lady invited the stranger to see one m the 'house. When ™ saw the photograph he shook his head sadly. The young lady at once concluded that her brother was dead l , and tearfully asked her informant if that was so. He said it was the case, -as her brother had been fatally injured through falling from the five masted sailing ship, the City of New York, of which his father was the captain. The accident, he said, happened on March 18th last, m New York harbor, after a voyage, and the young lady's brother died m his arms. Bef6re he. died he requested! the stranger to undertake the work of removing his effects to his mother m Edinburgh. Hie brother, he said 1 , liad saved £365, and tlie money, together with his belongings, were m his box at Portsmouth.

13y the time this story' bud been related to the daughter the mother came m, and lo her the same tale Mas narrated. Both mother and daughter went piteously, and the narrator of the story also gave way to sorrow. An advertisement of the ■dieatli was then inserted by the relatives m one of the evening papers, and intimation of the sad occurrence was forwarded to a number of the friends m town and country. To several of the relations the story was repeated, but to one of the sons, -who was a seafaring man, the tale did not appear very plausible. Ultimately it was agreed that .Davis, the strange visitor, should stay at the- house of a friend. Just, however, when matters seemed all right for him he was unmasked. The son already referred to, who had/ been dubious of the stranger's account of his brother's death, had information sent to the police, who, on hearing the story and obtaining a description of the man, concluded that he Mas the individual "wanted" for similar acts of fraud m different parts of the country. Detectives were thereupon instructed to make enquiries. They were successful m arresting Davis on Tuesday m the house m which resided the parents of the young man whom Davis hadt said was dead. The officers Mere m the house when accused arrived m the company of one of the friends. When arrested! he smiled, and remarked that he had been pretty smart. The indignation of the people m the house at that point knew no bounds, and a brother of the supposed dead relative with difficulty refrained from assaulting " the accused man. As ho left the house iJavis turned l , round! to the son and smilingly remarked, "Good-bye, frisky." It seems that Davis is "wanted" for similar acts of fraud m Dundalk, Fifeshire and Lancashire. — Press. |