THE SEWING MACHINE SWINDLE.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3128, 12 April 1883, Page 3

THE SEWING MACHINE SWINDLE.

How to work a swindle has been pretty well set forth recently in Dunedin in the now celebrated sewing machine episode. Dobbie, who got four years at the last Supreme Court for the larceny of sewing machines, had conducted an organised swindle, of which Wertheim and Singer were made the victims. He and those who were in concert with him actually, in some cases, took small tenements for a week or two and put furniture in them, and then gave a false name. They had machines given to them on the time payment principle, perhaps one from each dealer. Dobbie at once left the house, and had the number of the machine filed down so that it could not bo seen. In Wertheim’s case, however, this was unavailing as the machines were numbered in many places unknown to Dobbie. The dealers here first began to suspect the swindle through so many persons appearing on their list of purchasers as defaulters. Another plan was where Dobbie or his colleagues learnt a bond fide purchaser was behind in the time of payments. Then they would boldly go to the house, state they had been sent to demand the machine, and in most cases got it. They disposed of those they stole principally in the country districts.