LONG FIRM SWINDLERS.

Shannon News, 5 August 1924, Page 4

LONG FIRM SWINDLERS.

. « • SWIFT RUSH TO RICHES. YOUNG FOREIGNERS* FRAUDS. SUM OF £II,OOO INVOLVED. DISH CLOTHS TO OPULENCE. Attention was drawn recently by a London paper to the urgent necessity of an alteration in the law as it affects long firm swindlers. It is stated to be an established fact that within the last two years manufacturers in Britain have been swindled out of millions of pounds, mostly at the hands of foreigners. A more startling turn in connection witih this grave menace to commerce was revealed by the conviction at the Old Bailey few weeks ago of three young foreigners charged with the frauds amounting to £II,OOO. It is believed that there is a master mind behind these swindles—someone who' finances the perpetrators and presumably arranges tihe sale of goods dishonestly obtained. .The three men concerned in the case in question escaped with sentences of twelve, nine and six months' imprisonment. These men, who employed extreme cunning and cupidity, were Nathan Novodvprsky, Morris Ross and Joseph Levene.

The accused were charged with conspiring to defraud such persons as were induced to part with goods to tihem in the belief.that they were carrying on a genuine business in London as the Butler Street Warehouse Company, Ltd. All three apparently have lived by their wits, and during th c course of. the police investigations it was "ascertained that there was someone in the back-ground who financed "t/hem and presumably took a. share in the N profits. Novodvorsky and Ross-Avere described as merchants and Levene as a salesman. SECRETARY FROM FRIED-FISH , SHOP. The story of thc Butler Street Warehouse Co, is amusing in a way, providing as it does a typical instance of how young foreign criminals can obtain thousands of pounds worth of goods without possessing the slightest intention of paying for them. In February last year an individual named Hyman Williams carried on business in Butler Street, and about that time Novodvorsky—or Nathan, as he called himself —came upon lh e scene with Morris Ross and intimated that he would like to buy the leasehold of the premises. An arrangement was come to, and ultimately Novodvorsky took th e lease of thc place and signed it in th 0 name of Alfred EUman. He also possessed the sum of £250, which, apparently he handed over to Nathan to start him in the business. Being only 19 yeaTS at that time, young Nathan Novodvorsky appears to have required some expert assistance. So he went round to a certain fish shop, where he found an individual engaged in the uncongenial job of washing up dirty .dishes. This was a gentleman of Jewish birth who claims Persia as his native place, and he also called himself, for some mysterious reason, Morris Ross. DISH-CLOTHS DISCARDED. Mr. Ross was delighted at the opportunity of becoming a merchant prince. He promptly downed his dish-cloths and became secretary of tihe Butler Street Warehouse Co., Ltd., at the nominal salary of 30s per week and what he could make. The two men seem to have understood the routine 1 of commerce fairly well. They went | to the Business Names Registry and duly recorded the title of tihe Butler Street Warehouse Co. It was also re■• gistered at Somerset House with a capital of £IOOO. Still another partner was brought in, fo wit, Joseph Levene, also quite young. The three men also rentied a workshop in New Road, off Commercial Street, E., which presumably they meant to use as a safe hiding place for the plunder. When everything had been satisfactorily arranged a start was made.' with the long firm business. The "secretary" of the company wrote to Messrs. James Hargreaves and Co., of Bacup, for 100 gross of scouring cloths. References were given to the address in New Road, where Levene reigned and posed as another merchant. Messrs, Hargreaves supplied 48 gross of th e -cloths in August, valued at £7O, and a low days after they had been received the ex-dish washer, who was commercial ti'avcller and secretary by turn, called upon a hardware merchant in Commercial Streei and sold him the 48 gross for £3O. It was a cash deal, naturally, as was everything else sold by the Butler Street Warhouse Co. On August 28th., the '/secretary" wrote again to Messrs. Hargreaves for more scouring cloths, and.a fortnight later another 71 gross was sent. These were valued at £lOl. A day or two later Ross went to seo a stock buyer in Oxford Street, and got rid of the remainder for £SO. ENTRY INTO SOAP TRADE. The Warehouse Company's next big deal was with Messrs. Cussons, Sons and Co., of Manchester, manufacturers of soap. They were given an order for 170 gross and asked for references. Levene's name was given, and that gentleman volunteered tihe information that the Butler Street Warehouse Company did big business with him and also paid their accounts promptly. However, Messrs Cussons were not altogether satisfied. They sent a pro forma invoice for £202, and requested payment' In advance. This was unthinkable. The "secretary" of the Warehouse Company wrote back to say that they could not possibly pay against an invoice. What they would do was to accept half the goods on order and pay for them in 30 days.

Messrs. Cuflsons sent the soap, 85 gross of it, valued at £lO4. At the end of the month they wrote for their money, but it was not forthcoming. The soap was received by the Warehouse Company on September 5, Throe, days later it went ilo a firm in Houndsditch for £76. This sort of thing went on right up to November, pna during this tima the three