WHOLESALE FRAUDS.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 86, 24 May 1879, Page 2

WHOLESALE FRAUDS.

A middle-aged man, described as » farmer, end answering to the name of John Osborne, but known to the police by the name of Towueend and Rawnsley, was oLerged, before Meters. Letter, Ed- ' ward*, and Qoodridge, at the Water Polio* Court, ou Friday, with unlawfully, and by means of false pretence*, obtained from Joei Phillips, goods to the value of 1 £2 7a 6d, with tntent to defraud. The • value of the goods obtained in this ease 1 ia infinitesimal compared with the ether frauds whuh Osborne had carried out with various firms of this city within the. ! last few days. It would appear from what we have csthered that Osborne was recently liberated from Darlinghuret Gaol, having served a term of three years for forgery and false pretences. Upon his li bora'.La be visited his relatives at WciloEgOng, whence he returned to Sydiifc/ some days ago,' sad at once i:ommeiioed a career which as long as it lasted -was certainly remarkable. Pre;etti.ig himself it the firm of Smith, i-hiliips, aud Ci, be made himself appear » aiei: of some consequence, by ic'.imating that, by industry combined with j p.-uuenoe, his father bad amassed an oasrmous fortune, in bard cash and property, and a large portion of ibis properly jailing to Lie iot, be. stated thit it was :iu intention to open uiMtores , in various localities-. Ail goods supplied , is ibiu he would jay for in hard oasb, , ud the salesmen, reeling assured that , they haa got hole s/t wbic jc *nowo as a I" good treated Osborne with j marked civility, qui of the heads inviting j iiiui to Lis place t& spend the evening, j which iriviiatiaa was readily accepted. ,' libs goods he was on Friday charged j 7;»5h obtaining were these thai he hftn- | aa;f t;ok iway from ths establishment. ' Ine remainder consisted if divers article* . of furnishing ironmongery, two tons of I steel, sic, bringing up an account of £9OO. Osborne ordered the good* to be forwarded to different towns in the country and along the coast, amongst other places to Berrima, Woilongong, and Bulli. Prior and subsequent to this transaction. Osborne-, by similar representations, waioh were supplemented by • *iatem».v. to the effect that bis father was a larga shipowner, had goods to the value .;f O&iQC boiag paiked to his order aiPrbes, Ogg, and Co/*, £IOOO worth at Yiuig and Lark's, £7OO worth at jchn Fruaer and Ox's, and £SOO worth at.: H. Lev/*, Sstrge-street At the '.attar's establishment Osborne tendered a &equ" diw.-j on the Oriental Bank for £IOO, and this, being dishonoured on preaentaucn, led to his apprehension, and alas- to the abrupt termination of hia ■.Tiudu'wi- transactions. Osborne was arrested f.-.r the forgery ih Bathurststreet by constables Tindall and Dunlop, *adthe -farmerhaving pievionaly had*, professional acquaintance with him, set about t- aspsnsin whether bis prisoner ha-1 been implicated in other forgeries. At all -f the abovesaid firms constables Tindall and Dunlop found the goods being paoked for consignment in aocord- ! ance with the verbal and written order* KijkhoTnt. The police warned the firms, jH informed them of Osborne's appreat each establishment were discontinued with as ,nwch promptitude as they were before being oarried on. The prisoner ha* bete oommittee for trial on two •■lurgcs eJ obtaining goods by mean* of "mm ; r«:onod*. and it is likely that otter •marges vri.l be preferred tgainst him. 'IV poiieo tr« is anticipation of bearing of otuer fraud* perpetrated by Osborne, whoa* simplicity sad appearance of hj catty in transacting the business wa* daojsted by his victim* to have been perfectly. .aeacueUne;.—Town and Country ' in