TRICKS OF BOGUS SOLDIERS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 161, 31 March 1916, Page 3 (Supplement)

TRICKS OF BOGUS SOLDIERS.

SCOUNDRELS WHO VICTIMISE

WOMEN. A fine of £IOO or six months' imprisonment is the maximum penalty which can be inflicted on that despicable type of swindler who, posing in tho uniform of a private or officer, dupes tradespeople, hotels, charitable organisations, and girls, and incidentally escapes awkward questions as to why, being physically fit and o'f military age, he has not joined the Army. In sipte of this penalty, however, London, to quote the words of the Assistant Provost Marshal, is "honeycombed' with bogus sold'ers." and it is possible tiiat the penalties which can at present be imposed will be substantially increased. A few weeks ago a case was brought before a London nignistrate which threw an interesting sidelight on the manner in which bogus soldiers obtain their uniforms. Found in the uniform of a Sussex regiment, a suspected "soldier" was questioned by the police, and, p.s he had no identification papers, was taken into custody. He then admitted tHat he was not a soldier, and had never been one. HOW UNIFORMS ABE OBTAINED. He ultimately to'd tl:e > military authority's that he had exchanged his clothes with a soldier, and as all identification marks on the uniform bad be-en removed', .t was impossible to trace tie real owner. Other bogus soldiers obtain their uniforms from »v r-■i-ons in the East-end, who do a good business in this direction. It ; s a favourite dodge of these men, when they have got a uniform, to call on the va.ious charitable aid societies, and on the plea of distress-obtain money and food More serious, however, are the swindles carried out by plausible rogues who masquerade up and down the country as officers, stay : t the best hotels, and disappear without paying their bills. Giving fake referrenccs, they call upon jewellers, tailors, and anyone else whom they think they can swindle, order good to be sent to the hotel where they are staying and vanish without paying at the most favourable opportunity. Impressed with the fact that the swindler is an officer and staying -at one of the swagger hotels, while Ins references seem above suspicion, many tradespeople liuve fallen v.ctims to these swindlers. A common dodge is to obtain a complete officer's outfit from a West-end tailor, giving him the name of some prominent officer serving abroad as reference. The tailor, making inquiries, iinds there is such an officer, and it is not until he fails to obtain the money for the goods that lie discovers that he was not dealing with a genuine | soldier. TAILORS BEWARE! The audacity of some of these bogus officers is strikingly illustrated by the casj> of one man \ ho, posing as an officer, lived' at the rate of £I,OOO a year at other people's expense. One official told the writer that the only way to deal with this type of swindler is to make the penalty much heavier—£loo is nothing to some of these rogues—and for tailors to make it more difficult for impostors to obtain uniform-', wh'eh can only be done by insisting on bank and other references. The worst feature of these swindles is that women are often vict.mised. \ particularly sad case was brought to tho notice of the writer a few days ago. One of the-v impostors secured an introduction to the younger daughter of n well-known family, who was s 0 much attracted by him that she wa- ult'mately persuaded to agree to a secret marriage. Fortunately for tho girl, the pol't-e got on the track of the i.n-po-tor. and he was laid by the he-'-before the secret marriage could be completed. The -hock to the girl, how- ; ever', was -o great that she has since ' been very ill. but, needless to say, .s I thankful that the swindler wa= disc-ov-I eied in time.