“DR. HARCOURT.”

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2196, 30 October 1920, Page 4

“DR. HARCOURT.”

ALLEGED NEW ZEALANDER’S

VILLAINY,

WHOLE' FAMILY VICTIMISED

London, July 2(1

An amazing story of imposture and credulity has just come to light in Bristol. A few months ago a man of good appearance and address, who stated that he was a doctor, met a pretty mill lass at Bolton, inLancashire, Their friendship rapidly ripened, and the man, who was known to the maid by the name of Hare our I, told a romantic tale. His father, he said, had left him £27,000, which he had come from New Zealand to claim, hut a condition attached to the bequest was that he should marry within a given period. Eventually he asked the mill lass to become his bride. She consented, and they were married. Having become acquainted with her two sisters and their husbands —one an engineer and the other a tram dri\er —Hareourt, it is alleged, indulged in a glowing account of the-pro-spects in Now Zealand, and suggested that they should go back with him. They agreed. The men threw up their jolts, sold up their homes, and entrusted “Hareourt” with the proceeds to secure (heir passage* and make the necessary arrangements. Ho said he would have to go to London to do this, and subsequently returned, producing what purported to be a receipt for £4,000, in payment for passages on (he s.s. Wiltshire, which, they understood, was due lb sail from Avonmouth Docks, Bristol. They scut on their baggage, containing the bulk of their “rig-outs” for life in the new land, and later proceeded to Bristol, where they put up tit an hotel pending the sailing of the ship. BORROWED A GOLD WATCH. Hareourt told them he had secured the appointment of ship’s doctor for the trip, and would have to go aboard a day in advance of them. Before they parted, he remarked to one of his brothers-in-law that it would not look well for him as ship’s medical officer to bo wearing a silver watch and chain, and suggested borrowing the brother-in-law's gold timepiece. The brother-in-law readily assented. Then, at the station, whilst waiting for the •train, Hareourt remarked that his shoes wore rather shabby, and one of the brothers-in-law, who had a Hew pair, said: “Here, take mine,’ and on the platform they exchanged. Hareourt had taken a lirstclass ticket to Avonmouth, and the party saw him off, agreeing to meet him there the following morning. “HARCOURT” DISAPPEARS. The next day “Hareourt’’ did not turn up to time. The party Availed anxiously for him, and at length, fearing he had met with some mishap, made inquiries of the police, which showed that the s.s. Wiltshire had sailed from Avonmouth for Liverpool a Aveok previously, and that she was leaving the latter port for the Antipodes that very day. Further inquiries disclosed that no doctor of the name of “Harcourl" Avas on hoard the Wiltshire,,nor any passenger of that name. It then became only too apparent to the unhappy wife, if Avife, indeed, she is, and her relatives, that they had been victimised by a plausible scoundrel. The police authorities are uoav instituting a vigorous search for “Hareourt,” Avho, from the description provided by his victims, appears to lie badly ‘Svanted” in connection with other heartless “ramps” in various parts of the United Kingdom. A PREVIOUS “MARRIAGE." Slice the foregoing Avas written many uoav facts have come to light regarding "Harcourl,'’ who has “left traces” at, among other places, Sheffield, Leicester, and Middieshorough, and is believed to bo the man who married a very charming young Yorkshire war Avidow, and then obtained large sums of money from members of her family, who seem (o have implicitly believed in his “great expectations” under his father’s will.

He took one of his Imdhers-iu-law to Somerset House, Loudon, in connection with that will, and preteuded to liavo discovered important docmncnls hearing ■ upon Ins claims. Later lie took a whole party of his “wife's” relatives'to Edinburgh, ostensibly visiting that cit\ to meet his sister, with whom ho pretended to be at variance over the ■will- Leaving them in a hotel, he returned with a story that he had settled differences with his sister, and that she (the sister) was sending her ear round for them to use. Sure enough a “swagger” ear arrived at the hotel, and the party spent a happy day in touring round the district. But they did not meet the “sister,” and it is now known that the motor ear was hired from a local garage by “Hareonrt.’ It has also transpired that when the Bolton family left that place on the first stage of their journey to New Zealand, they were given a great “send-off” by local friends, being farewelled to music 'provided t,v the Veterans’ Brass Band.