ONE OF GREATEST FRAUDS

Taranaki Daily News, 14 July 1933, Page 9

ONE OF GREATEST FRAUDS

CLERK PASSING AS BANKER NUMEROUS PERSONS VICTIMISED. "BUSINESS” STARTS AT AUCKLAND. IMPRISONMENT FOR TWO YEARS. By Telegraph—Press Association. . Auckland, July 13. ; “This was one of the greatest frauds ever put across in this country,” said Detective-Sergeant McHugh in the Police Court to-day, when Frederick Joseph Huddlestone, aged 25, clerk, appeared on 13 charges of imposing on persons by falsely representing that certain sums of money were for fidelity bonds in the business of "J. Oppenheim and Co., bankers.” He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years’ hard labour. Detective-Sergeant McHugh said Huddlestone on January 23 booked at a city hotel as J. Oppenheim and advertised for an accountant at £BOO and a clerk at £330. He interviewed numerous men, engaged an -office, and said that Iris firm was opening branches in many towns. Many of the men gave up permanent positions and paid him £4 17s 6d for fidelity bonds. When his associates were arrested Huddlestone disappeared, but he was found at Waipawa under another name and working on another scheme. Detective-Sergeant McHugh said that numerous tradesmen and working people had been victimised, as goods had been obtained and work done which had never been paid for. Huddlestone was no sooner out of gaol than he was scheming to take others down. He had defrauded people at Hamilton and Pukekohe. He had no pity on young or old; they were all the same to him. Huddlestone’s counsel said accused was a married man with a wife and child, and he was. unemployed when he devised the scheme.

The magistrate said that he would be kept out of the way for two years.