LIVED ON HIS NERVE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19365, 23 July 1925, Page 7

LIVED ON HIS NERVE

A REMARKABLE CAREER. DUPED FIRMS AND “MARRIED” GIRL. No more remarkable case has ever been investigated by Sydney detectives than that of a young m>an who, possessing plenty of nerve and ingenuity -—but little else, lived in luxury in the city for nearly two months. In that time, it is stated, he duped two firms of solicitors, and earned their confidence, which was the most important part of his scheme; bought a house; phid a deposit on a motor ear; booked passages to England for himself and his wife; purchased a wedding trousseau valued at £2OO (although none of the firms concerned saw even the “colour” of his money); and married la Sydney girl, apparently not worrying about the fact that he already had a wife and had been convicted of bigamy! His amazing career terminiated when Detectives Sadler and Ryan, of Headquarters, got on his trail, and an arrest was mb.de in Melbourne as the result of a description supplied to the Victorian police. The extraordinary operations of the man make a remarkable story. SAW SOLICITORS. One day la man walked into the offices of a well-known city firm of solicitors and said that his name was “Ray Murray.” He land his sister, he said, had been left whlat amounted to a fortune by their father when he died in England, and he was trying to locate his brother, “George Murray,” to whom he wished to give £2OOO. Ho had come from Australia to England, he said, to endeavour to find his brother, and wanted the solicitors to undertake the. task. He told the firm to communicate with solicitors in Adelaide who were looking after his brother’s interests. Some time before this, it (appears, a man named “George Murray” had visited the firm of solicitors in Adelaide mentioned by the man. It might be just a coincidence, but his description raided in every detail with that of ‘ 1 Ray Murray. ’ ’ Whlat the police think is that the man saw the solicitors with the intention cf getting their confidence, and having them to refer people to for his credentials. WORKED SWIFTLY.

That part of his work completed the man, the police say, worked swiftly. He stayed at the Hotel Australia, for some time without paying his bill, and often 'spoke—quite casually—--to people he met, of his wealth. He owned many shares in West Australian goldfields, hlad a big farm at Bufidaberg, and large properties in other places—so he said.

After paying £3OO on a house hy means of a cheque, which, it is state!, was valuless, he booked passages for his wife land himself to England with the Orient Company, again by means of a cheque. Ho gave a cheque for £lOO as deposit on a motor car to a William Street firm; land—most remarkable of allgot a loan of £25 from a moneylender! HAD NO RING. Then he met a girl in the street one day with -whom he fell in love—the girl thought so at any rate. His story of his wealthy people in England, and his fine manner, turned the girl’s hetid, and one day they went through the marriage ceremony. Even when, during the ceremony, the “wealthy” young man discovered that he did not have a wedding ring, and borrowed one from a married woman who was present, his bride—a girl who was employed as a maid on the North Shore—did not become suspicious. And she had no real need to, for her “husband” had bought her- a trousseau worth £2oo— for by cheque. Detectives got to hear about the man’s operations, and it was discovered that he had left Sydney in a hurry. His description was given to the Melbourne police. The man arrested is slaid to have come in contact with the police on a number of occasions. He is alleged to have been convicted of bigamy, and has a wife living in another State.