Typist’s Masquerade as Millionairess

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 980, 24 May 1930, Page 18

Typist’s Masquerade as Millionairess

Dowager-Duchess as Clmperon . . . Amazing Letters to Duped Sweetheart... Mayfair Mansion and Titled Friends . • .

N amazing story of a typist posing as a millionairess and duping a man who thought he was going to marry an

heiress was related at the London Sessions, when Hilda Lewis, aged 19, a short, slim girl of pale complexion, described as a clerk, pleaded guilty to stealing £l3B belonging to her employers. Her sweetheart, Bernard Louis Sheker, aged 29, a clerk, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with receiving the money. Mr. L A. Byrne, prosecuting, said that the firm’s safe was found to have been opened with a key, and the contents were missing. Subsequently the girl made a confession that she was the thief. Sheker, when seen by a detective, said: ‘‘l did not know it was wrong. I thought she was a millionairess. She brought me four cash-boxes. ‘‘One I opened with a key. I forced the others with a hatchet, hammer and chisel. I changed some of the postal orders and notes and converted thc-m into War Savings Certificates.” Tea Planter’s Heiress

Mr. .1. F. Eastwood, defending, described the case as a most incredible one. For more than 18 months the girl had completely deceived Sheker, his parents and relatives, by stories of an amazing character, which they believed. Sheker thought he had tallen in love with a millionairess, and despite the objection of his parents, lie being a Jew and the girl a Christian, was willing to marry her. He believed that he was courting a girl who was far above his station in life—a society woman. She produced expensive photographs purporting to show the interior of her luxuriously furnished house in Green Street, Mayfair, and she made presents of costly flowers to Sheker’s mother. Once she appeared in evening dress, and suggested that she had just managed to slip away from some smart party.

Duchess as Chaperon Her narrative was that she was the daughter of a plumber living in North London, and that as a girl she was adopted by a wealthy tea planter, who died two years ago and bequeathed her all his money on condition that she did not marry without the consent of her guardians or until she was 25.

She gave the names of the supposed guardians, ‘‘but as she could not produce them,” commented Mr. Eastwood, "they very conveniently died off, one as the result of au accident.” Lewis claimed that she spent part of her time at her residence in Maylair, and only acted as a typist bei ause it was something to do until she came into hft‘ fortune. She mentioned that her guardians wanted her to marry a titled man, but she would not do so. She also asserted that au arrangement had been made for the Dowager-Duchess of Norfolk to chaperon her during the London season. In another instance

a telephone message was received purporting to come from a duchess. Poetic Letters Mr. Eastwood then read extracts from a mass of letters, some interspersed with poetry, sent by the girl to Sheker. One letter ran: We must stick it and get through: to part would be no remedy, whatever. It would only bring more sadness and we would be wronging ourselves. I would still go on living, visiting, and entertaining, and spending much money, but in reality I would be a beggar, just slipping through life and missing its real beauty. When I think of the life that Is so surely before us we shall walk through it side by side perfectly united, sharing the same hopes and aims and desires, enjoying tile same sunshine and weathering the same storms. I have a vision of happiness which fills nte with joy. A letter to Mrs. Sheker ran: Both Wednesday and Thursday have been for me days of extreme high nervous tension and strain. Bernard often talks of his home ... I love him very dearly. The times I spend with him are ones of great happiness to me. "Lady H. Arrives” Extracts from other letters were: Dear Bernard .... Bady H. has just arrived, I do not know why. but I do not want to go to Green Street. I dread the Place .... That awful great house, the long, weary nights, the monotonous empty cays which 1 have lived through with a sort of spiritless patience, but I must not write like this or let nty fears run away with me. That’s being a coward, and I know in my heart that whatever happens I will bear it. . . . I have kept Lady If. such a long time the car has been chug-chug-ging away outside all the while.

Ihe reason I have so many friends Is the money . . . you talk of money If you had it you would wish you were free of it If I could give you a thousand pounds I would willingly do so simply that you could realise your ambition.

Another letter read: Dearest Bernard, —On the whole I cani not grumble about my day. 1 will now bore you with a slight impression of the • events. Simmonds—(supposed to be a de--1 teetive who took an interest in society, interpolated J\lr. Eastwood) —took me a short drive; had an appointment: so dropped me outside a shop run by two .society girls; spent quite an enjoyable \ half-hour with them. . A young lady came in. It is well known ! she is fast ruining her father with her | extravagance. . . . She is of the Venus : type, no brains, but men w-ili always settle their bills. . . . On the way to ; Green Street met another young lady who has been for some time in the marriage market. However, she is at last engaged.

The days seemed composed of meals \vith intervals for indigestion, my walks home for lunch, my drive and home invariably at five to sit in state and receive callers. Some of the ladies at tea were discussing marriages in society. and how mothers again this season would struggle piteously with daughters who failed to catch a husband last season. At one moment, A—’s head went up with such a proud movement, and her beautifullytoned voice remarked, “One thing, no one can ever say I strove for a title or to catch a lord’s v_v>n for my ward.” Then I went back to dinner in the traditional Grtoi Street manner. Clear soup, turbot, saddle of mutton, game followed by sweets and cheese straws Tea was brought in on the heavy silver tray. I measured the China tea from the Queen Anne caddy. . . . everything is feverish excitement, and I expect you will be bored by all this rot, but it is an example of the nothingness, and the platitudes which make up the days of the idle rich. Spur Of Her Wealth Sheker, giving evidence, said that he was employed by a firm of paper merchants, and his first acquaintance with Lewis was when she telephoned orders from the printers. He denied that he knew the cash-boxes were stolen. “I liked her very much, but of course, the fact that she was wealthy spurred my designs,” he said. “It has taken my breath away to find that she is not an heiress.” Members of Sheker’s family said that they were completely deceived by the girl. The jury, at this stage, intervened and returned a verdict of “Not guilty” against Sheker, who was discharged. Lewis was ordered to be kept in custody until next sessions for a medical report.

Sir Robert Wallace, K.C., the chairman, at the end of the case, observed, ‘Who has the copyright of this remarkable romance?”