Extraordinary Criminal Career. A HIGH CLASS SWINDLIR.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 238, 21 January 1888, Page 2

Extraordinary Criminal Career.

A HIGH CLASS SWINDLIR.

Binginff for his wife, ho asked who had boen at his valise. "The maid," replied his wife. "Then lam ruined," he replied. For all those years his wife had never known anything of liia misdeeds. He at once destroyed Ins cheque-books and all traces of "written evidence. The maid duly informed her policeman lover of what she had seec, fknd sundry suspicions she entertained. Ip& Ftold his inspector. Suspicion was^arousod. , I Smithl wiS' affiesf&jVJnaf^t^ceJL tty petal iervififadc^i Ms ferqer frhs a fair ttyp;^ off. a pighiOlas|%swvidl.fer.;" ip % )% . , (l ' V*"

There was one man who bore the rather startling title of " The Liar." Ho contradicted everybody, and|^-^oK^«ed a 4a 4 peculiarly combative opinion 'ophis own atujk fcufflj afco^nt 'fqf- the popular disre epjtet hisljKJJapanions^possessed §f him by jfe^fhad-^Sjov^a in '^different 1 sphere,~and they wore unable to weigh the arguments he used. He had occupied a good position in life. , For nearly, a firm throughout tho United Kingdom. Tho story of Smith's adventures was amusing* -He -was a "long firm*" in himself, and succeeded in keeping a number of Manchester detectives in his pay. I learnt from him the system which I thought was " confined to New York, that high-class .could afford to keep a couple of detectives to tout for business..- His plan ■was to $ret goods forwarded to a certain place on a railway line. As a commercial traveller he made it his business to get information what large hotelkeepers or their customers required. He never kept stolen goods in stock.' Hearing from a person that a gentleman required half-a-dozen shoi thorns or Alderneys, ho -' '-would casually mention that a Mend of his had requested him to keep a „ l ook-out for a, purchaser of such stock. He would write to a breeder and tell him to r forward them to a railway station, sending a cheque upon a private bank, and perhaps giving a' reference in a fictitious name to a :• gentleman of undoubted position. The , ,goods would be delivered. His man would . apply for them dressed as a gentleman's 1 servant, and would receive a five-pound note for the job. Smith boasted that he always paid ready money for services ren- *, dered. He was assisted in this by several _, Manchester detectives, who warned him of dapger. There was in the Manchester detective service one man who could not bo "squared," and had an inconvenient habit of keeping information to himself, and Smith 4 was,frequently employed by other detectives to get up bogus cases in order to throw discredit upon this official. The occasion came opportunely in reference to a sewing machine swindle. An order for twenty; sewing machines had been given to a London firm, to be delivered dn a certain -day. "Much haggling had taken place as to the price, and it vras to-be a ready-money transaction. It being a foreign order, they ■were to be forwardtd by a certain passenger train arriving at Manchester in the afternoon. A cheque for the amount (nearly " dC2OO) was sent with the order. The goods •■were en route when the consignees grew sus.picious. They telegraphed inquiries as to "the cheque. The bank replied "No account." The railway officials were communicated *with to stop the goods in transit, and not deliver without payment. The detective officers in Manchester were telegraphed to attend at the station, and arrest all persons who were waiting to remove the goods. "Within an hour and a half of the arrival the train all the spare detectives in Manchester were at the railway station -ready' to pounce upon their victims. One kit them rushes to Smith, arid demands, 4 * Have' you -been ordering some sewing machines ?" ;4; 4 Yes ; is the gaff blown ?" was the rejoinder. " We have had a telegram to surround the station. chiejf Jbas .decided that there shall beVcTarrests there. The goods are to be followed, and the place where they go is to be taken possession of.' Don't go near." Smith asks, "if all the forces will be at the station ?" " Yes, and that there d X is coing to make a grand coup." " " All right," said Smith ; " I'll bowl him out." Without an instant's delay he went to the town (Stockport, I think) where 1 the tickets were collected. ,He reached there within a few minutes of tlie arrival of the train, saw the station-master, and informed him that by mistake the sewing machines expected by the morning train had been -consigned to Manchester instead of that station. He produced the "consignment note," and told this confiding official that he would not be able to get the machines from Manchester till next day — and begged as a favour that they should be detached and the freight paid there. The stationmaster assented. A cart took them away. Imagine the consternation of tho detectives when they found no consignment in the train 5 . Upon, learning tho fact they scoured the country in vain, and for many a month afterwards the mention of the "sewing machine swindle '" was peculiarly obnoxious to'the detective authorities, except the one who received £40 out of the plunder for the warning given. There was one feat which "The Liar" particularly prided himself upon. Captain H — - — , the Governor of n oonviofc priaon, desired todispose for £150 of his brougham, horse, and appendages. Smith knew a buyer, as he t always did for anything of 5 value. Assuming the name of a gentleman of position, he fonvarded the cheque drawn upon a private bank, and ordered the brougham to be sent to a railway 'station wfiere his (The Liar's) servants?) would tie' in waiting for it. ■ • • ' " With what result ?" I asked. "The cap.tain parted like a lamb. I cleared £120",by i the .transaction. When I ■was sent to Bruton, Captain H was still the Governor. He called me before him, and addressing, me quite friendly like, said', ' Why, Smith, you are the cleverest scoundrel ;I- f ever had under my charge.' How dare you risk such a swindle ? ' * Smith replied, * Well, G overnor, I thin k there is some credit due Jbojoie for ' taking you down.' Any fool can do an ordinary swindle, but it is not anyone who would, attempt to tak;e ddw'nj the .Governor of a convict 'prison.' „.,,,, ■* j " Yes, it was a' fema-tfc trick, and I have got your cheque framed. ..under , a glass case." .For^leven^years the prisoner had been' carrying t on", this ' f game X and, made, after ' clearfng'alf expenses,, .about £1,000 per anQum\ without the 'slightest breath of suspicion, attaching, tojnsjnatne. -At last the hour* of degtiny "came, and iSmith v felt th;e< bittefeßtirembrse to 'knoSv that he fell , by thejjajui 3 0f ajiuinbskull irfstead of 'a skilled detective. servanfc.had> a- booby, of a'p6lfcemanas r> i, lover, 3?he,-,niaid tolch her 4hiWresls^l;hat-K-YZ'regretited;that tjjere' wasaiot&pp'c&'tunity /to ' distinguish } h^msfeif in thei-fikce.ti . Orii his ■ beat - ty&i'e fyerej' no; '* dr.qpk^andi'disorderliesT-'* anjj cfi^pe 'jvaV unknpwjli; tpliVe, maid jjs, ftR e^cuBe¥oraejay^n ? g4tti9^'np'4n^ie'4.f The wishM^%omftiai^bo]i(^l«m\tMeVin^M l cti; XYf^u^agpear. ,{ tOft'e'&'ay^dn^rnih^ frotn^ jottßrteyfiiSmith*? leiti^is^yali&e^i^ wastoa^ndijtosh^Jh^sbSM^^'trMjllihgr inaid^ w^pjexiercisißd her*detectiy&, 'facilities; in ovjp^lmgiih&d^ ] chequ|ybj^j£B,)wJifi^^ his ,rejurn^}fcojbifatedi^n^