CONFIDENCE TRICK

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 149, 26 June 1931, Page 12

CONFIDENCE TRICK

NEW ZEALANDER SWINDLED. SUM OF £5OO OBTAINED. ARREST MADE IN SYDNEY. After wringing £3OO from a young, well-to-do New Zealander, to finance a “wild-cat” scheme in Singapore, Australian confidence men took their victim to Sydney, say tho police, and robbed him of a further £2OO. The young man told his story to the Sydney police a few days ago. On the night of June 12 detectives recovered £llO in New Zealand notes from a car, and arrested a suspect at Newtown. Tho New Zealander, who is about 25 years old, informed the police that he struck up an aquaintance in New Zealand with a fashionably-dressed and polished “gentleman,” who professed to be promoting a vaudeville company, which would carry Singapore by storm. It was a “money-spinner,” said the promoter; the young man, to whom no had taken a liking, would be allowed to share. In placing £3OO in the comuany, the New Zealander saw* prospects of romance and wealth. With his friend he booked a passage from Wellington to Sydney by the Makura, Singapore bound. His companion introduced him to a friend on board, and during a discussion on tho financial trouble the new acquaintance remarked how lucky he was to have a friend in the Commonwealth Bank who could got as much gold for notes as he wanted. The party landed in Sydney on Juno 6 and booked at an expensive hotel. The New Zealander handed over £2OO to his “friend” to convert into sovereigns. So completely had his confidence been won, that, when his “part ncr” told him there was a little delay in getting tho gold, ho was satisfied. On Juno 10 the New Zealander was told to meet a man at Manly, but no one kept the appointment. Back at the hotel, ho found that his companion had disappeared. His suspicions aroused, he went posthaste to the detective office, where he was told that he had probably Iron tho victim of some of Sydney’s most notorious “magsmen.” Luckily, the New Zealander had kept the numbers of the notes, and armed with these, detectives began a systematic inquiry among the banks. They found that a New Zealand £5O- - had been cashed in a city bank. They traced its payment to Newtown. Then began a night-and-day watch in that, suburb. When a ear occupied by three men drew outside a house tho detectives detained the men and later charged one with stealing £2OO. Under the seat of the car the detectives state that they found a bundle of Now Zealand notes worth £l4O and two Australian £5 notes.