FRAUD ALLEGATIONS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18063, 13 April 1933, Page 7

FRAUD ALLEGATIONS

CONFIDENCE TRICKS SHOWMAN BEFORE .COURT , PARMER’S LOSS OF £450. (Per Pross Association.) PALMERSTON N., last night. A remarkable story in which a Swiss farmer of Normanby, Jacob Butteman, alleged that ho was a victim of a confidence trick, and was induced to part with £450, was tout in the Magistrate’s Court when a showman, Edward Tunneclilfe, appeared on three charges of conspiring with persons unknown, by deceit, to obtain from Rutteman on April 19, 1932, sums of £IOO and £lO, and on April 23 the sum of £340. Rutteman’s cvidenco was to the effect that he met Tunneclilfe by chance on the train while going to Wellington on April .18. Tunneelifl'e asked for his’company in an adjacent seat, and talked racing. He said hit name was Wallace, and that he haa a racehorso en route to tho Nelson races. “I asked the horse’s name,” said Rutteman, “but tho only reply 1 got was that it was not a Phar Lap, but still was a good horse.’’

The witness added that the accused induced him to cross to Nelson, where he handed over £IOO to bo put on Wallace’s horse, Wallace claiming as an inducement that ho had recently made £2IOO on the same horse, through tho books. Witness also handed over £lO for a doublo on Landmark and Wallace’s horse. Returning to Wellington he was induced to go to Hawera for more money, and drew out £7O, and secured a cheque for £l5O, money owing him. HOTELKEEPER’S LOSS. He then proceeded to Palmerston North, where he meet the accused and his associates at an hotel, where they listened to the results of the races bywireless. Tunneclilfe entered the loom stating, “I am sorry, Jacob, our money is lost.” The accused added that it would be got back with other investments, and witness handed over £7O, plus £l5O, plus a further cheque for £120,. all to bo put on Wallace’s horse running at Nelson on the second day. Several days later, he met the accused in Wellington, who said that something had happened to the horse, and it couldn’t run. Two days later, witness went home. Witness said he was able to identify tho, accused as the person he understood to be Wallace.

Expert witnesses were called by the police to compare handwritings aud Detective Russell stated that Tunnec.liffe admitted using the name of Wallace at shows. The accused also stood charged with a similar offence in respect of a retired hotelkeeper, William Drysdalc, of Wairoa, tho sum involved being £IOO.

Drysdale detailed that ho saw the accused who invested money for him with success, and later was induced to part with £IOO on receipt by tho accused of a telegram purported to be signed by*Hector Gray, relating to a “sure thing” at the Takapuna races. A day or two later he went to the accused's home, asking for the cheque back, but . was told he had wired it away.. Ho then wired the bank stopping payment, but received a reply that the cheque had already been cashed.

The accused pleaded not guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial