“GENTLEMAN JIM.”

Waipawa Mail, Volume XLVI, Issue 25, 12 November 1924, Page 3

“GENTLEMAN JIM.”

SOCIETY SWINDLER. A NOTABLE AUSTRALIAN. SYDNEY, October 10. “Gentleman Jim” Casey, than whom the Australian police have never handled a more competent confidence man, has been captured by men from Scotland Yard. This information reached police headquarters in Sydney this week, and caused some jubilation, for his last exploit in Australia was worked at the expense of the police. James Francis Casey—that is his full name—is more than six feet in height, and carries himself like a soldier. His impressive manner and suave personality earned him much money and many terms of imprisonment in Australia, though it is conceded by the police that he undoubtedly carried off many more schemes than those for which he was imprisoned. But his last exploit in Australia gives a true indication of the daring of the man.

Casey was at Darlinghourst police station in 1922 on remand, waiting for the waggon to take himself and another prisoner to Long Bay Penitentiary, to await trial there.

He was dressed in ordinary clothes, and with his fellow prisoner was waiting in the corner hear the cells. The constable who had opened the cell doors was busy At the far end of the corridor, and the constable in charge of the van opened the grille and said “Come ou.”

Casey realised his opportunity. He grasped the other man by the arm, and, posing as a detective, said, “Only one. man to go out to-night, constable,” at the same time leadingthe second man towards the van door.

The trick worked, and Casey must have smiled to himself when the constable said, “Very good, Sergeant,” and allowed “Gentleman Jim’’ to assist him to put tile other prisoner inside the van.

Casey borrowed a cigarette and a match from the policeman, then asked him to lock the door so that the other prisoners could not get out of the cells, and sauntered away. He had disappeared by the time his trick was discovered, and he was not heard of in Australia again. The case for which lie was waiting trial was typical of him. With an accomplice he had stolen .£4OO from a visiting Englishman. The accomplice had chuhimed up with the visitor 011 an oversea boat between Adelaide and Melbourne, convincing the latter that lie had a friend, a bank manager in Melbourne, who could change his English notes into Australian currency without deducting the commission. They visited a Melbourne bank together, and met Casey at the door. He posed as the bank manager, took the money from the visitor, and pretended to go inside to get the Australian notes. Instead, he disappeared out. of another door, and his accomplice, after waiting with the victim for a few minutes, also disappeared on the pretence that he was going in to hurry Casey along. Casey was later arrested in Sydney.

Late in 1923 a report was received in Sydney to the effect , that Casey was in England, and the fingerprint branch here sent “Gentleman Jim’s” prints to Scotland Yard. Now comes (lie news that Casey has been arrested there 011 another charge. It is not considered likely that he will be brought back to Australia. The police hero are glad to be rid of him.