NEW ZEALANDER DUPED.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5094, 28 February 1927, Page 2

NEW ZEALANDER DUPED.

LARGE SUM INVOLVED! ALLEGED CONFIDENCE TRICK. LONDON, January 12. Human nature remains the same, and so the confidence trickster continues in business. New Zealanders have mare than once figured as the victims in these dismal dramas, but never to such a serious extent as in the latest case of the kind. In the Marlborough Street Police Court Francis Arthur Barclay, 31, whose address was. given as a Paddington (hotel and James Mason, 25, independent, who gave as his address an hotel at Earl’s Court, were charged with being concerned together with another man not in custody, in stealing and receiving on or about, December 10, £15,000, the money of James Hector McKay. They .were also charged with conspiring with another man hot in custody, betwe?n May 13 and December 10, to, cheat and defraud McKay of £15,000.

With the usual inaccuracy displayed by London newspapers in describing people from the dominions, Mr McKay is said to be an Australian. This is a fortunate mistake in one sense, but those in the Dominion will recognise the name off a. prominent citizen of Wellington who has been travelling in this side of the world •for the last few months. The case came before Mr Mead, and Mr Harry Myers appeared for the defence.

Mr Herbert Muskett (for t,he Commissioner o*f Paiice) said the substance of the charge was in the 'form of the confidence trick. He strongly objected to bail in the case of Mason or Munro, but, he did not so strongly oppose bail on behalf of the p'.lher man, Barclay. Briefly, the facts were tliat the prisoners got hold of McKay on his way to San Francisca through England and ultimately managed, as. part of their scheme to get out of him £15,000 in Bank of England notes < n the pretence that there had been' a large gamble in francs on the part o,f a gang of which they formed a part, and that there was a profit at £33,000, of which the prosecutor shpuld have his share. But it was necessary for the prosecutor to put up £15,000 in Bank (4f England notes before the profits could be obtained. They pretended to put up £15,000 on his behalf, and they then bolted, having got t.he £15,000 from the prosecutor. ALL GONE. The Magistrate : Has it all gone ? Mr Muskett: Yes. The magistrate remarked that in view of Barclay’s position he did net think more than £lOO bail could bft asked for in his case. Mi' Myers said it was suggested that tjiere had been some sort of confidence trick, but there had been long and involved transactions. Mason, so 'far 'from bolting, remained here until lie was arrested. There had been no' gambling or cards.

The Magistrate (to Mr Muskett) : What is your objection to bail in the case of Mason ?

Mr Muskett replied that he had objected to having his finger-prints taken, and that the offence had beei* committed for some time. Eventually both the prisoners were remanded, Mason in custody, while Barclay was allowed bail in one £lotf surety apd his own recognisances of £2OO.