MONS HERO'S FRAUD

Shannon News, 4 May 1928, Page 2

MONS HERO'S FRAUD

MOTOR-CYCLE AND “DOLE.” A THREE YEARS’ SENTENCE.

ILLUSTRIOUS WAR RECORD An “Old Contemptible,” whose gallantry n the war entitles him to wear the D.C.M. with his Mons medal, was sentenced by the Lord Chief Justice at the Staffordshire Assizes a few weeks ago to three years’ penal servitude for ,i particularly ingenious and impudent series of frauds.

The man was Frederick James Edwards, aged 31 and the evidence showed that lie had carefully studied the Unemployment Insurance Act, for in its provisions he found an easy way of making money. He purchased a mo-tor-cycle and went from town to town registering an an unemployed person, drawing “the dole.” ’ Counsel for the prosecution stated in two years Edwards had obtained no Less than £691,- and even this sum, it was said, was indefinite, the full extent of his operations being unknown. There was a touch of humour in his method. ‘ln 1921 he obtained an insurance book in the"' name of Robert Smith, in 1922 at Liverpool he appeared ed as Fred Watson, three years later he went to West Bromich as Fred Mitchell, and again at Walsall, Cradley Heath and Stourbridge he became Tom Rose, Tom Shaw, and Tom Wood. Thanks to his motor-cycle.he was able to appear in each case in time to “report” and to draw the dole. He was eventually trapped by a resemblance in the handwriting observed by a zealous clerk.

Yet the record of this swindler was illustrious. He was born at Stockport but when the war broke out was in Australia. He rushed home and joined the Cheshire Regiment, and was soon sent to the front. He was Wounded in nine places. He was gassed, lost one eye and the sensibility of one ear, and was deaf and partially blind. All this was stated in his defence by his counsel, but the judge declared that ,he must take a serious view of the case.

The judge addressing Edwards, said: “It is quite evident from the materials in this case that you carefully studied the possibilities of fraud which that legislation offered to an ingenious and persistent person, and yon have carried on these forgeries for a long time with no little skill and no little determination. It is quite idle to speak of a first offence, or to say it is the first time you have been in trouble. If you had been caught you would have been in that dock long ago.” Referring to the man’s record as a soldier, the judge said:—“No war service entitles a man to commit forgery. It is necessary in the interests of the publie, and as a warning to others, to treat the offence seriously, nov I hope ,too severely. In fact lam not sure I am not erring on the side of leniency when I think of the period over which these acts had extended and the ingenuity which has been * brought to bear in committing them.”

Edwards listened to these grave words in silence, standing to attention his heels together and saluted! “Thank in military fashion. Then he clicked you, my lord, ’ ’ he said.