LEADER OF DESPERATE GANG

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14128, 3 July 1916, Page 2

LEADER OF DESPERATE GANG

NEW' ZEALAND CONFIDENCE MAN

ROUNDED UP

After working the confidence game in various parts of the world for over 30 years, Charles Mansfield, alias M'Nelly, alias C. Seaton Mansfield, alias George Mackay, alias Charles M'Cay, and 'alias Charles M'Cay Lawrence, was arrested in Sydney on the night of March 10th m a flat in a residential house in the city by Detective Matthews, Plain-clothes-Constable Sheehy, Traffic-Con-stable Gillies, and Constable Shields, lie- was sentenced to three years' imprisonment 'by Judge Docker for swindling, but recently appealed against the .sentence. The conviction was upheld, and Mansfield, the leader of one of the cleverest gangs of confidence men and card-sharpers who have operated in Australia, is now at Long .Bay Prison to complete the sentence imposed upon him.

The arrest of this swindler is one of the best efforts of the police for some years. Fie is about 50 yejars of age, and was bora in New Zealand. He is a dentist by profession, and was in business for a few years in .Auckland, Suit subsequently travelled the. country fcovnis cf the Dominion extracting teeth at nominal rates. He, however^ !>c-f-aino clever in the art of extracting n:oiify liy the means of card tricks end ether doubtful schemes, and he deserted |,tbe logitimato means of livelihood for the illegitimate, and became .a crook. He is J-egarded by the detectives as being the cleverest card trickster in Australia to-day; o.nd^or the telling of a story to 'bring about a confident game his equal is not hove. 3io and a gang of tricksters arrived in Sydney from America eaily la.^-fc .Tanu.-.:-y. Tiicy 'Vorp nil 'born on-this sido of tl?^ globe, but have been constantly .inn rHino; >r. ciher part.'-, since they left i;i 1597.— Sydney "Sun."