Untitled

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 11, 15 December 1877, Page 3

Edwin Murray, a witness in the trial of London detective* fur conspiracy, incidentally testified as to his experiencein swindling in America. One of his schemes he descried as follows: " 1 started with waiters, who appeared a3 an English gentleman supplying capital to Americans respecting the purchase of lands. I tvus a land surveyor. I used to go and survey their land to see if it was proper security for Walters to lend his money on. I used to give the Americans to understand that, if my hand was properly weighed, I would Bend in a. pro|>er report to him. I led them to understand that I was open to bribery, I found as a rule they would have victimized the' English gentleman' if they could. I always find that people are most easily duped when they are laving themselves open to dupe others. We used to make about 3100 or 3500 a day. It did not however, last long. After I had done with the clients I passed them on to Walters. He used to toll them that the report received was perfectly satisfactory. But as an additional security he wished them to insure their lives. He would say that in many instances he had found that people to whom he had lent his money had died, and their creditors had to sell off their property, leaving their families destitute. So we get a percentage on the politics."