Former Vicar’s Crime Career

Taranaki Daily News, 1 December 1934, Page 15 (Supplement)

Former Vicar’s Crime Career

OBTAINED £9OO OF JEWELLERY BY FRAUDULENT MEANS

FORMER vicar was sentenced for fraud at London Sessions recently, after a police officer had given amazing details of his criminal career. He was a white-haired man of 67, described as Percy Stanley Scott, but afterwards stated to be Samuel Walton Kay. He was charged with false pretences relating to jewellery valued at over £9OO.

Mr G. G. Raphael, prosecuting, said the case showed that providing pretences were sufficiently wild and grand they could impose upon a good many people. Scott obtained a large amount of property in the most impudent and bare-faced way. He described himself as a man of means, alleged that a solicitor and the manager of a branch of Barclays Bank were executors of his will, and talked of a Mrs Lambert, a boardinghouse proprietor, as his old family nurse. “In November, 1933, this man was staying at the boardinghouse of Mrs Lambert,” Mr Raphael continued. “About that time he went to Barclays Bank in Portman Square, sav? the manager, Mr Starling, and,made proposals to open a fairly large deposit account, But in fact no account was opened with the bank. “Scott asked Mr Starling whether he would be prepared to act as his executor to his will in respect of large estates, and Mr Starling was finally induced to agree. Whether his reluctance was overcome by his being left £2OO in the codicil to the will I do not know. “Scott then went to a firm of solicitors in the same neighbourhood and saw a Mr Taylor. Mr Taylor was another executor' of this codicil, and this document, tied with green tape and black seals (holding up a paper) came into existence.”

Then, said Mr Raphael, Scott went to the shop of Powell and Smith, jewellers, Orchard Street, and said he wanted to purchase a large quantity of jewellery and defer payment. He mentioned references and said that both Mr Taylor and Mr Starling were executors of his will. He also said that his money was in America, and that he had it transferred to Ireland and drew it from there as he required it. At various times he obtained large quantities of jewellery amounting in value to over £9OO.

Edward A. W. Taylor, partner in a Baker Street firm of solicitors, said that Scott told him that he had £ 5000 with a firm of American agents in London and was placing it on deposit with Barclays Bank. He also said that he had a quantity of Queen Anne silver valued at £lOOO.

Mr Raphael read a number of bequests from the “will.” One was of £5OO to a former constable of Cheshire, and there were others of £5OOO, £2OOO, and smaller amounts. Sir Herbert Wilberforce (Deputy Chairman). Does that exhaust the legacies? They amount to about £ll,OOO so far. Scott addressed the jury for more than an hour, and insisted that he was a man of means. He complained that he had had to suffer the continual espionage and supervision of the police, which had rendered his life intolerable. His money was abroad, and he had not yet had it transferred to England. Scott having been found guilty, a police officer said his real name was Samuel Walton Kay. He was a native of Bury» Lancashire, and had

eight previous convictions. He had been sentenced to four terms of penal servitude of five years each for false pretences, forgery, and bigamy twice. “He attended Bury Grammar School until he was 16,” the officer continued, “and then went as a pupil teacher to the Wesleyan School, Clerke Street, Bury, remaining there three years. “Shortly afterwards he went to Richmond College to train as a Wesleyan Minister. He remained there about three years and went on circuit to Carnforth. While there ne joined the Church of England and was ordained.

He was given a curacy at St. Philips, Salford, and from there went to Middleton parish church. While there he married. He was given a living at Butler’s Marston, Warwickshire, and was there about five years. “He was arrested for forgery and sentenced to 12 months’ hard labour at Warwick.”

Since leaving Warwick, it was stated, Kay had more or less led a life of crime. His wife died in 1918. The deputy chairman sentenced Kay to 18 months’ imprisonment.