PLAUSIBLE ROGUE

Evening Star, Issue 23382, 27 September 1939, Page 2

PLAUSIBLE ROGUE

POSE AS MR ANTHONY EDEN'S COUSIN

Francis Byrne Woman, aged 33. ■who described himself as “ a man of no occupation,” was at Bow Street Police Court, London, .alleged to have posed as a cousin of Mr Anthony Eden; said ho was an 11.A.F. officer; claimed to have worked in the Foreign Office and the Secret Service; described himself formerly personal pilot to Lord Thomson when he was Air Minister; produced letters purporting to come from Lord Hankey, Mr Ramsay MacDonald, and Mr Anthony Eden. Worman was sentenced to 12 months’ hard labour on five charges of obtaining money by false pretences. Ho pleaded guilty to two charges of obtaining two securities each, worth £SOO from Mr Eustace Guinness, and to two charges alleging that he induced Sir Horace Bayer to execute bankers’ guarantees;. and not guilty to a similar charge, the last three involving a total of £?,375. Sir Horace Bayer said Worman told him he had been personal pilot to the late Lord Thomson when he was Air Minister. He also told him he had been connected with the Foreign Office and the Secret Service.

“ FOREIGN OFFICE LETTER.” , “ Ho showed me a letter upbraiding him for leaving the Foreign Office. It was on Foreign Office paper, typewritten, and the language was of the kind one would suppose was used in the Foreign Office. It was signed ‘ M.H.’ “ I asked him who ‘ M.H.’ was, and he said ‘ Maurice Hankey,’ now Lord Hankey. ’ . “ He showed me a letter from the Prime Minister’s room in the House of Commons. It bore the crest of the House of Commons and was signed ‘ Ramsay MacDonald.’ ” ■ Sir Horace said Worman also showed him a letter signed “ Anthony Eden,” and told him chat Mr Anthony Eden was his cousin. Worman told him he was going to Canada to map out airports for the Air Ministry, and to Egypt to map out airports for the Air Force in Egypt or on tho borders. Worman, in evidence, said he merely borrowed the money. There was no .question of his being an officer in the Air Force. • , Detective-sergeant Marshall, of Scotland Yard, said Worman had no previous convictions. He was educated privately in Dublin and lived with his mother until he was IS, when she died, and he joined the Air Force in 1923. He served as a leading aircraftman until 1930. He was in Iraq from 1925 to 1927, and his' character was described as very good. He was later a temporary clerk at the Air Ministry’s department of works and buildings, and afterwarts manager of a tobacconist’s shop. He gave up both situations of his own accord, and he had done no work since 1934. Ho was married, but in June, 1935, his wife divorced him. Tie total amount involved in the banker’s guarantees was £1,375.

WHY HE BORROWED MONEY. “ Worman lias been living at very expensive hotels in England, America, and Canada, and seems to have squandered it there,” said the officer. Woman said from tho dock: * I borrowed this money for the purpose of going to America with the intention of purchasing, if possible, the necessary equipment for building in this country training machines for training pilots, which was essential at that particular period and possibly is now. “ There was no intent in any one of the cases to defraud either of these people. “ I heard of these rumours in America, and returned to this country voluntarily to answer them. I have every intention of repaying the sums of money loaned.”