AN INGENIOUS SWINDLE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1217, 26 June 1885, Page 3

AN INGENIOUS SWINDLE.

An enterprising young man, who passed by the name of H. H. Porter, planned and executed a verv ingenious “confidence Pick” in Dunedin last week, and anxious inquiries are consequently being made for him just now. The individual in question professed to have arrived in the Janet Nicoll from the North Island, and evidence left l ehind seems to show that he has been connected in some way with OddfeU lows in the Auckland district. At all events, he took up his temporary abode in Gladstone House, Moray place, and proceeded to advertise in the papers for stage novices, whom he desired to engage for country tours in Australia. Stage novices, • male and female, rose to the bait with astonishing readiness, . and for a couple of days a servant at the boarding-house was kept tol-rably busy showing in ladies and gentlemen

who only wanted opportunity f o dovelop their latent hj stviouic powers These applicants were interviewed separately hy Mr Porter i i his con-sulting-room in a thoroughly profcs* sional style, and he reprosen e I himself to them as an accredited agent for Messrs Williamson, Garner, and Must grove. Certain of these unwary ones (nearly a dozen names have transpire I) consented to accent engagements and to proceed to Melbourne hr the Tarawera which left last Friday. As a mere matter of business, in order to ensure their keeping faith, Mr Porter was compelled to request each recruit to deposit with him the trifling sum of LI, to be leturned to them upon th -ir presenting themselves at the wharf on the morning of ihe vessel’s departure. They were, of comse, to have the gratification of meeting Mr Porter again on that occasion, and receiving from him their tickets for the passage. Some of the victims appear to have been sufficiently suspicions to ask the •pseudo agent a few pertinent questions, but these were easily parried. Mr Porter explained that his Australian principals desired to introduce strangers upon the Victorian stage, and were unable to get girls sufficiently respectable in that Colony This neat compliment appears to have settled the business with scveial of the fair debutantes. They paid their pound, for which no receipt was given, except in the case of a few male victims uq» w rthily suspicions even when dealing with such a pleasant-spoken gentleman as Mr E. H. Porter. The “ novices ” thus dul} engaged went to work at once to prepare for the brilliant stage career now opening before them. Some proceeded to throw up their situations in Dunedin ; there was great packing of boxes, tears, and lamentations from mothers obstinately opposed to the idea of brilliant stage '■areers, and a general upheaval of domestic relations. However, the young ladies protested that M r Porter w>s “ the finest fellow out,” that he was thoroughly ‘’genuine,” and, in short, that nothing should stop them. They were mistaken, though. One little circnm-tance did stop them On the arrival of the novices at Port Chalmers with their luggage they looked in vain for their pounds, their passage tickets, and the thoroughly genuine Mr Porter On enquiry at his lodgings it transpired that the day previous to the boat sailing Mr Porter had found himself suddenly called upon to start on a visit to a friend at Clinton. He accordingly departed, leaving as security for his little board account a c irpet bag cons tabling some linen in every respect ready for delivers' to the washer- I womtn. Mr Porter has since then abstained from making anj public appearance. It was tumored Hi .t the man arrested at Oamaru for horses’eating, who arrived in Dunedin la-t Tuesday, was the pretended theatrical agent, but this proves entirely iucor- ! rect. The Mr Porter who created so favourite an impression in the minds of visitors at Gladstone House is a dim nu ive young m in about 25 years of age, sfr 3in or 4in in height, of slender build, with thin features and dark eyes His shoulders are rather contracted, and he stoops in walking. He remaned only one week in Dunedin, conducting his litt'e game to a successful issue, and during that time he wore a pepp ir and salt suit and an ordinary black felt hat. His move ments since leaving Dunedin have so far been singularly discreet