A CLEVER SWINDLE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5291, 11 March 1878, Page 3

A CLEVER SWINDLE.

• ■ i ! (From the European Mail.) ' What at present appears to be an impudent systematic fraud on an extensive scale has just been exposed through the actio* of the 'Birmingham police. Some six weeks ago a firm, calling themselves “Bentley, Kemp, and Co., wine merchants,'’ opened a shop at 325 BrOadstreet, corner premises; which have recently been constructed. The shop was taken for a period of; six weeks Only,’the rent, which was at the rate of £IOO a year, being paid in advance, and preparations were made to carry on business in an oatensibly Sowa fide manner. The name and calling of the firm were painted conspicuously on the window, and 1 the place had quite, a substantial business-like appearance. A similar aspect was’ imparted to the interior of the shop. Three or four clerks, who had been engaged by advertisements, were to be seen busily occupied, and everything was,in the orthodox style Of a commercial establishment; Within three weeks, however/ certain circumstances transpired which necessitated inquiries by the police. It was ascertained that “Messrs. 1 .Bentley, Kemp, and: Oh.”' had advertised extensively id all the principal newspapers in Bng-, land, parts! ofScotland,' hnd Dublin. Column advertisements’ were ’inserted at; their request, announcing that Messrs'. Bentley; 1 Kemp, 'and. ;Co.” jmake Christmas; 'hampers!';their specialty, -and: expatiating on','the eioellent 1 ; quajit|es of, the : wineS and. spirits, contained |n their “ renbwned due-guinea hamper ", As a further inducement to purchasers the advertisement set forth that with each,double Christ- ■ , mas hamper, the price of which \yaS'££/would be presented a small basket 'containing samples of. three, choice liqueurs in outclass models 'of The Irnropers ,wete. to b,e sent, carriage paid, 1 to all phrts of the kingdom,' on receipt of a'-pos't-bffiCe' bifael','payable in fayjw of, Jaides Bentley. So, s|dl|iflly ( r\yere tjhe. arrangements carried outthat'm' nearly every instance ith? newspapers l 'gave; credit to,',the| tfirm.-i/foeiu those SdVertJSem'ehts. and in the course of a few days Messrs. I Bentley, Kemp, and Co. began to reap a rich I harvest. Confiding people from all parts of <

the country transmitted -Post Office orders and cheques; arid,'it is stated that as many as 40 and 50 a day were received. Subsequently, witha View: to facilitate negotiation of • crossed . cheques' and the , changing of the ■money, orders, and to give the advertisers a more respectable standing, an account was opened with one of the banks in Birmingham. 1 The: applicants for the Christmas hampers at length became • troublesome, and would not any , longer be put off with assurances that' “the articles have been sent,” "and “that our carman has just been despatched with them to the station.” Complaints and also communications about the firm were being l daily re " peived ,by the police,, who set a watch .on, the premises, and on Christmas Day the bubble burst with ; the; apprehension; on , a charge of fraud, of one of the.firm, who gives the name of James Bentley. He had evidently made .himself acquainted'with what the police were doing, for when Detective Hoare went to arrest hiin J at his lodgings he had made pre- . pupations to leave the town with his wife ; aud he attempted to draw a considerable sum of money .from the bank that had accumulated there, but' he did not succeed. The premises of ■ the firm were afterwards searched. There was pot a trace of any wines, spirits, or pthei* goods .in: the place,' and neither could ftp; excise wine dealer's . license; be found. Amongst the papers seized were a list con- ; tainipg. i the names of ! upwards ‘of 200 ’ evening ( and' daily newspapers, including .many of the largest of the Loridon' and provincial papers, in which the'“Christmas• hampers.” i had been advertised, 'and some .dozens, of letters 1 written on-elaborately-pre-pared memoranda requesting the - insertions of announcements, and adding that “ this is definite, |and if .not' approved of you will then please consider present Order cancelled. We may add .that'if the advertisement is well displayed, 'and given' a prominent position in your columns, it will lead to other advertisements of ours [appearing; in your journal,”’ A" large -number of manuscript copies of lengthy advertisements were also found. The fraud is. said to have been duly tdo successful, the perpetrators having netted a large sum, exclusive of the money detained by the bank.. Unfortunately the confederates of Bentley, of whom , there! are believed to be two, are unknown, and all efforts of the police to trace them have hitherto failed. ! 1!