WOMAN’S FRAUDS

Hokitika Guardian, 3 September 1926, Page 4

WOMAN’S FRAUDS

LONDON, July 28. A frail, white-haired, benevolentlooking woman, sixty years of age, stood in the dock at Bristol Quarter Sessions yesterday and pleaded guilty to a series of charges of obtaining money and obtaining credit without discharging the fact that she was an undischarged bankrupt. Siie was sentenced to 15 mouths’ hard labour. She was described as Elisabeth Margo ret Grant Greer, otherwise Bessie Field, and Supt. Tanner, of the Criminal Investigation Department, said there was no doubt that she was ol good family. EX-SERVICE -MEN EMPLOYED. She was horn, lie went on, at Southport and had relations in New Y'ork. From 1911 and ,1913 she traded in New-' castle as the Rapid Returns Co. and left suddenly, and a large number 01. people sought her for money. 11l 1915, at Quorn, Leicestershire, she elaborately furnished a small house on credit and absconded. She was adjudged bankrupt with liabilities of more than £7.000. The following year, as Ada Scott, she was a canvasser for a London firm; and then, as Mollio Walton! became manageress at the Crowndalc Splinterless Glass Works, Camden Town.. In the early part of 1020, under the name of -Mary Walton, she was managing director of a toymaking firm at Maidstone, Kent, employing 40 girls and several disabled ex-Servite men. They were paid* weekly from a hank overdraft oil money lenders’ cheques. During this period she obtained large sums cf money fraudulently from local residents, who -took ho action. At this time she Teased the vicarage at Burnham, .near Maidstone, and furnished it on the ‘hire-purchase system, and had electric light installed in the village church, hut did not pay for it. She sold Tier hired furniture, absconded, ami the toy firm was sold up.

Her next appearance was in 1924, in Glasgow, where as Dora Wright, she started a “ quick lunch ” business, obtaining goods and money to the value of £5,740, and was then missing. Her operations in . Bristol early in 1925 were c-n similar lines to those in Scotland, and when she was again adjudged bankrupt her liabilities were £3,000, hut She was not to he found.

.lean Marsh was her trading name in Hull, where she was a costumier ill Jameson-streot in the middle and latter part of last year. There she failed for £2.625 and obtained more than £sop from various, persons. THE CRASH.

It was at Blackpool that, as Mrs .Frances Digby, she . came finally to grief. Setting up a.s a baker and confectioner under the style of the Regent -Bakery, she advertised for assistants prepared to pay good premiums, tn all, nine men and women paid deposits of £485. Premises were- opened in Regentstreet. Blackpool, and .fitted up regardless of cost—oil credit—to the extent of £7,079. She owed her workpeople £ll9 as, wages, and obtained goods and money in Blackpool amounting to £1,68-1. As far a.s was known, since 1910 she had incurred liabilities of approximately £30,000. She lived in expensive apartments amjt was fond of betting. In passing sentence the Recorder took all tier offences into account, and described her as cruel and heartless. He knew of nothing worse than to induce poor working gills to part with what was probably their last penny ill the world.