IN MEMORIAM.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), 17 January 1881, Page 4

IN MEMORIAM.

People do not like to be swindled out of their money, even though the amount of which each individual is fleeced does not average much more than a guinea per head. But Mr George North, erstwhile a barber and perfumer on Lambton-quay, has swindled the good folks of Wellington and other parts of the colony with such chicanery, suavity, coolness, audacity, and completeness, that they cannot help entertaining— mixed up with their chagrin and disappointment —astonishment at the complete manner in which the " sell " was carried out. The story of this almost unique swindle has hardly yet been done full justice to. Some seven years ago Mr George North came up to Wellington from Cliristchnrcb, and opened a very nicely arranged shop on Lambton-quay, where he cut hair, shampooed heads, and shaved beards to perfection. A lighter hand with the razor or scissors was scarcely to be found than that of North. lie soon established a capital business, went in strongly for perfumery, New Zealand walking sticks, and the usual etceteras of his trade. And being not only a most obliging tradesman, but a pleasant, genial sort of fellow, he became very popular with his customers and the community at largo. Then, some two or three yeais ago, he took to getting up " sweeps " on the different racing events in this colony and Australia. "North's Sweeps" almost at once becamo popular, especially when fair play was guaranteed by the association of two gentlemen of respectability with the transaction. The "drawing" and other arrangemen's were perfection itself, and tho winners of prizes always got their money promptly. G-reat and implicit, therefore, became the confidence and trust of the public in George North's sweeps. So when he, resolving to exceed and cast into the shade all his previous efforts, got up a " Leviathan Sweep on the Wellington Cup for £4000 on his own account—quitd single-handed in fact —with enormous prizes for the first, second, and third horses, and liberal bonuses to Btarters and non-starters, the public " went for " the gre<tt " spec " with a vengeance, and eaperly bought up the tickets, many of them being re-sold by the first buyers at a heavy p eniium. George North looked gleeful as, with £4000 in his pocket, he stood in front of his shop-window, and contemplated the bin ticket of the sweep, and the beautiful polished mahogany box, filled ■with marbles arranged in compartments, which was to do duty in the "drawing." But £4000 did not represent all the capital belonging to other people which George North had in his possession. He had organised another " sweep" on a Canterbury event, aud sold tickets to the tune of £500 for it; so he had £4500 in his pockets absolutely at his own disposal—and, best of all, •with no legal claim for its recovery existing on the part of those who had put the money in his hands —for, be it known, that "sweeps" partake of the nature of "lotteries,'' and are held in abhorrence by the law, so that the investor in them who may be cheated out of his guinea cannot go into the Courts to get ifc back by legal process. The day of drawing for the " lucky number " had come and gone—the drawing had been performed, and all the money had been paid by the subscribers. The astute "Birber" took in the whole situation, sent away bis wife and numerous family to Sydney, ostensibly on a pleasure trip. Then, poor fellow', his own healtr got out of gear ;so he also needed a sea trip, and went to Auckland. But alack and alas! bock never more came he. Through some strange impulse " Geordie " thought that a further cruise to '■ 'Frisco" would do him good, so off there he went by the last mail steamer witli the £4,500 in his waistbelt, to seek his fortune in " fresh fields anri pastures new." It is said that the loving family will soon be re-united. He can easily get from '"Frisco" to Kngland. and Mrs North and her " olive branches " will soon reach London from Wydney, where she will meet her truant husband rejuvenated by his trip. Is there a moral to this story ? Well, perhaps there is. It is just this : People should not put their guineas into speculative transactions, in which they are open to be defrauded by the recipient of the coin, without hope of legal remedy against him. If they do, and are swindled by the absconding of the recipient of the money, they have themselves to blame. That is what we say to those who have been cheated by George JVorth, nevertheless he deserves to be branded upon the back as a common cheat, a wholesale embezzler, and absconding thief, who has brought homo the spectacle to every door of triumphant rascality, with the law on its side, mocking at the victims it has made. —N.Z. Times.