MESSAGE TO LINER

Timaru Herald, Volume CXL, Issue 20284, 6 December 1935, Page 13

MESSAGE TO LINER

SCOTLAND YARD’S ADVICE A reply by Scotland Yard to a message from a liner in mid-Atlantic was mentioned when a man and woman alleged to have taken part in a conspiracy to defraud an Australian of £25,000 made an appearance at Westminster Police Court recently (says the “Daily Telegraph”.) They were Ernest Slater, 36, butcher, and Rose Slater, 29, of Brixton Road, S.W., accused of conspiring together, and with one Marshall and one Gilmour and with other persons unknown, to cheat and defraud Nicholas Mutton of his moneys. Another Charge alleged that the man and woman had in their unlawful possession bank-notes of the value of about £IO,OOO and a pair of diamond and pearl cuff links. At the last hearing it was alleged that an Australian visitor to this country named Mutton parted at Antwerp, as the result of a confidence trick, with £25,000. Mr Mutton, continuing his evidence, said he became suspicious in the iiner Empress of Australia (bound for Quebec) in mid-Atlantic when he found Gilmour was not on board. On September 17 he sent a cable to Scotland Yard, who replied: "Investigating. Reply immediately describing Marshall and Gilmour. Call Scotland Yard. Don’t delay.” Cross-examined by Mr J. D. Cassels, K.C. (for the Slaters), Mr Mutton said this was his first visit to England. He was here on a holiday and remained in the country about a year. In Australia he had a fair-sized business in which he had been engaged for forty-two years. When he telephoned to his son in Australia for the £25,000, he told him he wanted it for some dealings in wool. Gilmour said he was not to divulge what the transaction was for. Mr Cassels: I suppose you could have got more money if you had wanted it?—No. That was the last. What do you mean by the last?— That was the last money we had. I told my son that the money would be back in a week. That is why 1 got it. The Slaters were remanded, the man in custody and the woman on continued bail.