A CAREER OF FRAUD.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1091, 1 April 1911, Page 14

A CAREER OF FRAUD.

BOGUS "VANDERBILT" SENT TO TENAL SERVITUDE. DEALS WITH A MINCE. The I rial was concluded on February 15 at the Central Criminal Court, I<ondon, of "William Laekerstein Joachim, alias Frederick Denahey VanderbiU, who was charged with having fraudulently induced two single ladies, named Taylour, earning on the West End Ladies' Club, Grafton Street, to execute live hills of exchange for .£IOOO each by falso pretences. The accused was found guilty of this offence, and also of having obtained n sum of money by false pretences, and of havm» induced a Mr. Sossick, a sculptor's moulder, of Batter-sea, to execute bills of exchange, with a view to applying the proceeds to his own use. Prisoner masqueraded, it was alleged, as a Mr. Cornelius Vandcrbilt, brother, of the millionaire, and a relative of the Duchess of Marlborough. The prisoner also declared that he was the illegitimate son of the lato Mr. William Henry Vandcrbilt, and that Mr. William Kinsen Vandcrbilt had documents proving this fact. Mr. Leycester: Did you not represent that you hnd lent the Russian Government half a-million of money, and that you went. to Russia with it dressed in rags as a tramp. Prisoner said that was simply a joke and bunkum— (laughter)—after business had been done. Detective Inspector Fowler said the prisoner in 1901 opened a matrimonial agency at Victoria Street, and in the same year ho obtained possession of a power of attorney from a man named Lseson, resident in India, who had somo right as a claimant to be Earl of Milltown and Baron Kusborough. He inserted advertisements for a secretary at XIOOO per annum for John Leeson, Earl of Milltown and Baron Pusborough. To applicants prisoner replied that he was prepared to consider applications provided the applicant purchased ten bonds at .£1 Is. Gd. each which he was offering to the public "to assist, mo in my undoubted right, title, and interest to the peerage." There were many complaints about this. In 1901 he 'to Borough High Street, where ho was appointed secretary of a workmen's accident compensation association. Prior to this, while in Calcutta, Joachim induced a man named Laggatt to believe that he was heir to a large and valuable estate in England. He induced I.aggatt to give him letters fiuthorising him to make necessary arrangements pending Laggatl's arrival in London. Having these letters he advertised as secretary to the British 'Workmen's Accident Compensation Association for a secretary at .£BOO per annum, and two clerks at .£3OO each. Many complaints were received in respect to this, and in May, 1904, prisoner was prosecuted, and was at Southwark Police Court sentenced to twelve'months' hard labour on two charges of obtaining money by false pretences. At that time ho confessed that ho aad committed bigamy. After his Teleaso prisoner went to Berlin, where ho made the acquaintance ofPrince Franz Joseph von Braganza, from whom he obtained bills amounting to ■£325,000 in respect of diamond and emerald mines which proved to be worthless. Finding ho had been duped, the Prlneo took proceedings, and some of the.bills were recovered. So far as witness knew, prisoner had never, done any honest work in this country. Ho lived by his wits. Mr. Leycester: Is there any truth in his statement that he is the.illegitimate son of the old Mr. Vandr-rbilt? Inspector Fowler: Not a shadow of truth. .'•.''. The Common Serjeant, sentenced Iho prisoner without comment to three years' penal servitude.