CONFIDENCE TRICK

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 330, 17 September 1932, Page 6

CONFIDENCE TRICK

HYDE PARK COMEDY ALERT NEW ZEALANDER TURNS TABLES ON TRICICSTERS. BOGUS BANK NOTES. f A thrilling scene was witnessed in the usually peaceful surroundings of the tea-house iix Hyde Park recently, states the Evening Post. Two arrests were made on information supplied 1 by "Mr. X," who is stated to be a . New Zealand visitor. j "Mr. X" and "Mr. Z" became friendi ly on board a liner, and they went about together. As they walked | through Hyde Park, "Mr. Y" is said 1 to have dropped a purse. "Mr. Z," | lilco a good Samaritan, piclced it up i and returned it to the owner. Expxvssions of gratitude were sueceed >d j hy general conversation, and all three , went to the tea-house. There "Mr. 1 Y" produced a newspaper cutting 1 which puri 'orted to show that he had been ieit £U)U,000 on condition that he , distributud some of it to chax-ity. ! Will you help ino to distribute it? said the man with the purse to "Mr. Y." You will have to satisfy rne that I can trust you, of course. "Mr. Y" agreed. He had £600 at | his hotcl, he said. And he promised to return with it to the tea-house. The "Mr. X," the New Zealander, was aslced the saixie question, and he made the same answer. He went off, j ostensibly to his hotel to get the money. But instead of going to the hotel he communieated with tha police. It was not long before Divisioxx De-tactive-Inspector Humphries and other officers arrived in the Park and placecl themselves out of sight. Presently the three men — "Mr. X," "Mr. Y," and the man with the purse : — nret at the tea-rooms again. "Mr. i Y" produced a wad of what looked ; lilce banknotes and handed it to "Mr. I Z." The top note of the wad was j genuine, but not the others. Then the . man with the purse turned to the New Zealander and asked him for his money. At this stage the police intervened. They had been hiddexx behind the trees. "Swanlc of England" Notes. At the Marlborough Street Police Coux-t the ai-restecl men were chax-ged before Mr. F. Mead (the Magistrate) with being suspected persons loitering with intent to commit a felony. They were described as Michael Patriek Dug-gan (28), a professional punter, and Patriek Brennon (37), a tailor. They were remanded for a week, bail being allowecl. Divisionai Detective-Inspector Humphries said that as a resulL of a communication which was made to xxxe, I went to Hyde Park. I ther > kept a gentleman under observation for about uen xxiinutes. Ile sat down at thc Marble Arch corner of the tea gurdens for a few minutes. A f >w seconds later Bronnan walked over to 11x111, shook hands, and chatted for ibout a minute or two, and I saw thc gentleman put his hand to his hip ocket and produce a bundle of paprs. He held th > bundle out, slapped t with his hand, and put it baek into .iis pocket. They then entored the tea gardens together and sat down lalkmg. After about three or foui uiimite.s 1 wallc *d up to the aceused men, touehed eacli one on the should■r, and said, M am a police olficer uid I am going to arrest you foi . li.ering in this p'ailc for the purpose a' committing a felony-— namely. cealing money by means of a conlii -lice trick." Neither spoke, but )uggan at once jumped from his cliair, started to ruri, and was seized i.v two other ollicers. After a very hort struggle he was overpowered uid, with Brennan, was talcen to Hyde x'ark police station. Wh «n the cliarge .vas read over to them they made 110 reply. I searched the prisoners and 111 Ihe possession of Duggan I found 1.W0 Bank of England £5 notes with coiiseeutiv 3 numbers, each wrapp.'d i-ound a number of papers, the heading of which is, in print, "Bwank of England." They are cut the same sixe as £5 notes and were folded round Ihe £5 notes. Top of the Bundle. Mr. Mead: I)o you mean sham xotes? — Yes. When the notes were handed to Mr. Mead he reinarked: Tlies 1 are better clian the 'engraving on the Bank of England notes, lnspector Humphries (laughing). That is a Bank of England note. The Insj'ector added: I also l'ound an extract from an evening paper of 7th April, 1930, in the stop press column of which is printed "£4000 windiall." The extract goes on to d'escribe how a poor Irishman named Patriclc Duggan had just suceeeded in proving his claim to that fortune. There was also an Irish Hospital sweepstake hook containing ten ticlcets; ten picces of paper whieh might resemble dollar notes, and on the head of these is printed "United States Stores of Amus.ment"; also a small wad oi plain sheets of paper cut into the size of £1 or 10s notes. On the px-ison'er Brennan I found an envelope which had .been freshly stuck down. Inside was a Bank of England £5 note, and this also was wrapped round a bundle of ' Swanlc of Englano notes" and some sheets of plain paper.