PROFESSORS ESCAPE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 425, 17 November 1930, Page 8

PROFESSORS ESCAPE

CONFIDENCE TRICKSTER BANK MANAGER’S CAUTION f'.miiit COUP PREVENTED How a medical professor from New York was nearly duped by an alleged confidence trickster was told to the Lord Mavor of London at the Mansion House when Frank Wilson aged 34, described as a traveller, and giving as his address the Balmoral Hotel, Queen s Gate London, was charged with attempting to obtain £9OOO by means of the confidence trick from Dr. William Laurence Gatewood, who was staying at the same hotel.

Dr. Gate wood, who was oil a visit to England, first met. Wilson in Westminster Abbey, ami was impressed with his powers of conversation. Interviews and lunches followed. Subsequently two other men appeared on the, scene, one of whom was represented to be an amazingly lucky man on the racecourse. The doctor was invited, and consented to take jmrt in a big stake. Something like £60.000, he was told, was to be won. 1:. order to “establish his credit.” Dr. Gatewood was requested to produce £9OOO. He cabled for tne money, and it was deposited at the Canadian Bank of Commerce.

When Dr. Gatewood called for it, the manager declined to part with it until the doctor had seen the American Consul The result was that Wilson, who had remained in Dr. Gatewood’s company. staying at the same hotel, was The Lord Mayor declared that this was a case that could only be adequately dealt with at the Old Bailey. Dr. Gatewood urged the Lord Mayor to dispose of the matter at once, as he was anxious to get back to New York. Jt was intimated that Wilson was prepared to plead guilty to being a suspected person loitering with intent to commit a felony. The Lord Mayor: Well, to meet Dr. Gatewood, and save him any further inconvenience. I will deal with the case on that charge. I must say 1 think the doctor ought to be very grateful to the bank manager for the action he took in refusing to part with the £9OOO. Dr. Gatewood: 1 am most thankful for the kind consideration I have received throughout. Detective-Sergeant Hogg, of the City Police, state that Wilson had been previously convicted in Britain and in Australia, where ho was known to the police as an expert confidence trickster.

Wilson was sentenced to throe months imprisonment. This, the Lord Mayor observed, was the maximum punishment. he could inflict, and he considered it totally