THE "CONFIDENCE-MAN "IN WAIMATE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 5418, 24 July 1906, Page 3

THE "CONFIDENCE-MAN "IN WAIMATE.

4> . [ There was run to earth in Waimate on Saturday at midnight (says the Waimate Advertiser) a man whoso modes of swindling reads like a page ■from London's history of confidence men. This criminal, whoso cleverness in mposing on people could be used lo better and more honost purposes, has quite a, list of aliases, but the name ho was arrested under was that of McNeill. Jn Dumgree prison, near Blouiwi)in, (his -man and another named Campbell, who very much resembled each other, were serving sentences, each expiring at the same time. They parted and McNeill very shortly afterwards accosted a farmer in the district and satisfied him that 'he was the son of •the farmer's brother. He said that he Jmd £5090 coming from the Old Country, but no ready money, so the fanner lent him £2O, and gave him an overcoat. JJo also put his daughter in the fellow's charge to take to Wellington, where she introduced him to friends and relatives as 'her cousin. ■They 'travelled saloon, and the in an behaved altogether- with propriety. After about a week in Wellington the pseudo cousin took an early train for the north, and suspicions being aroused, a warrant was issued for his arrest. By some mistake Campbell's name and description were given, he was arrested in Wellington and brought before the.,,. Court, but of course released. A warrant was then issued f (J r McNeill, and he was, arrested at Waipawa, and remanded to Blenheim. He escaped from the police at Wellington, 'and although the most stringent search was made, he got as far as Waimate on his way to Dunedin, where he hoped, with the assist, anee of friends and relatives, to fly tin; country.

His 'full description iwas in the hands of the police. His usual I'mc was to pretend to be a motor car and cycle agent, and thus gather information whereby ho might become- a "relative" to some ''suitable" person. Accordingly, when Constables Ferguson and Wade heard incidentally <m Saturday that a man who said he was agent for motors was around Timaru road (not coming near the business part of the town), and that he wanted to slay the might at an old couple's place they were on the alert.'A search failed to' find him, but luck favoured them later in the evening, when n you*g man in Waimate, knowing Constable Wade's interest in motor cycles, and that he occasionally used one, made the remark that he would be right next week, as a cousin had arrived by the night express from Wellington, and was 'going to have his motor cycle down next week. A few inquiries elicited the fact that it was' a new-found cousin, and the police deemed it good enough to go to the house, where the man answering to the description was found in' bed at 1. o'clock, comfortably smoking a cigarette. The owner of the house protested strongly, as did McNeill, the' latter saying strongly that he would' have them put out of the force and get damages. However, on the road to the lock-up he confessed, and at : 3 o'clock he was again safe between prison blankets. On Monday morning before Mr E. J. At will, J.T., ko was remanded to Blenheim, where kc will appear on Monday. McNeill, who is quite a shrewd fellow, laughs at the credulity of his dupes. When asked whether he is able to get facts to prove relation•ship, 'he said, '-'The fools _ tell me themselves. All 1 have to do isto start a conversation and listen." l'"or instance to the man sn Waimate 'he claimed to be a nephew. The man said, "Which brother's son are you ■'!"■ He replied, "Arthur's.''' But I had no brother Arthur, my brothers were —— and ." "Oh, I beg pardon, 1 misunderstood yon, my father's name was ." "Oh, then you are James," said the other man, and the hero was onco more "in clover." He says that before this he had made inquiries about two sisters living apart from their father, and to them he was going to lie a cousin from America, but he could not find their liousc. Once into people's confidence it is easv to tell them be has money in [hebank, but cannot get it out, and tins ■naturally leads to a loan. In the Blenheim instance ho had .CSOOO and in Waimate ,C 2500. He yays he makes nothing, all he does is to get a few duvs' keep, and a little 'money, but he' cannot help trying the game on. lie is exceedingly plausible and .clever, and seems to/take a pride ■ in showing his gifts. , ■ McNeill was a mein|)W oi the I'oUi'Ui Contingent, and naturally he has worked this for all it is worth. hiring the patriotic fervour he posed as a returned trooper unable to K Ol ,' 1 ' 1 * p'ay,and by this means secured .Cl-M from various ollicers, who drove him around and introduced him to their friends. He had bought in London a Victoria Cross and this he wore, claiming to have been awarded it. He got three years. McNeill was always on the alert and: when he was "working" always got away on some plea if one person call-

ed another from the room. But like all other criminals he had uvot cunning 'enough, 'and was trapped: An old criminal, he walked away: unconcerned, handcuffed securely, but between his lips a cigar sonic kind friend had presented him. He cheerfully predicted that his Blenheim escapade would mean three to five years, but apparently cares little, and 'will spend that time acquiring -arts whereby he may become kin ;.' to all men. TEE SEQUEL. A Blenheim wire states that at Blenheim Archibald McNeill, who was arrested 'at Waimate a few days ago after escaping from custody at Wcl-lin"-lon,wus charged with obtaining C'il) from an Awaterc family of settlers bv representing •himself as a rich cousin,' who had recently sold,.a cattle ranch at Argentina, and was now worth £II,OOO. Accused in reality lad just been discharged from the l)um-orce'priso-n ca p. The family, a most respectable one, were'deceived ; by the 'plaUsive Storv, mid actually permitted one of the. daughters to proceed to Wellington with ; the pscudo-cpusin. Accused was convicted, and sentenced [to 12 months' hard labour.