MAN’S LIFE OF BLUFF.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 14 November 1924, Page 2

MAN’S LIFE OF BLUFF.

POSED AS CLERGYMAN, DOCTOR AND OFFICER. A remarkable story of his life was fold at Sheffield Police Court by Percy Seymour Kelly, 32, an accountant, who pleaded guilty to obtaining a motorcar by false pretences in 1920. He was also alleged to have obtained groceries, by wearing the uniform of a major,, and pretending to be a doctor. He was arrested m the steamship Montrose, at Liverpool, after being deported from Canada. Kelly said that when 17, as the result of a wager with a fellow-student at King’s College* London, he posed as a clergyman and deceived the Bishop of Westminster, until he failed to answer questions on Greek .and theology. He was charged with obtaining by false prteiices Is 9d, the value of the supper he had with the bishop, and was sentenced to six weeks’ hard labour. Afterwards he obtained commissions in three different regiments, hut on each occasion his previous record was discovered and his commission was taken away. On the last occasion he was dismissed from the service. He was also bound over for forgery. He went to Sheffield, and while there obtained the motor car, which was the subject of the charge, to take his wife to the Lake District. After that lie went to the United States and set up as an accountant. In the State of Nevada he obtained a divqrce from his wife on. the ground of incompatibility of, temperament. “W e all went into a room,” Kelly proceeded. “Myself, my wife, the other man, and the judge.

“She said she was musical and I was not. The judge said it was a - pretty awful state of affairs, and he guessed he would divorce me. He did. We had a drink together, hut he told me to be careful, as it was a Prohibition State.” He went for a six months’ hunting expedition for bear and moose in the Rocky Mountains, but on his return his record afterwards came to light, and lie was deported. Kelly was sentenced to six months’ hard labour.