A STRANGE CASE.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 July 1917, Page 2

A STRANGE CASE.

MAN IMPERSONATES TELEGRAPH SUPERINTENDENT. NUMEROUS PEOPLE DUPED. About two weeks i T o a man who called himself Wilson,, impersonated a Telegraph Department superintendent, and apparently duped quite a number of postmasters and postmistresses. His most recent adventures commenced at Hastings, where one evening at about 7 o'clock he hired a tar.'i-cab, saying that he was the Assistant Superintendent for the Telegraph Department, and had at once to proceed to Greenmeadows Posi Office. The taxi-driver, scenting good ,fares, started off with his passenger and visited tho said Post Office, where Wilson appears to have inspected the back part of the building. On returning a little later Wilson said lie had received a telephone message from his chief, who desired him immediately to proceed to Palmerston North. The night was wet, but the taxi-driver headed his machine round, and after some hours' motoring through the blinding rain delivered his "superintendent" at Palmerston North.

The journey did not end there. Wilson and his driver were now on good terms and put up at an hotel, the driver paying his own board, but, so it is stated, being hospitably entertained by his passenger. At Palmerston North Wilson inspected the telephone arrangements, etc., and delighted many people by informing them that he had come to arrange for the reorganisation and improvement of the whole system. Palmerstn North apparently swallowed the whole bait, and for at least several days had visions of perfect systems, superior to anything in the Dominion. No one there among the officials had heard of Wilson, and apparently did not ask for any proof of his identity. Finishing Palmerston North, Wilson agan called the taxi, and Ashurst was favored by a similar visit. Wilson acted his part so well that he was even entertained to afternoon tea at one PostOffice. Meanwhile the mileage recorder on the taxi showed a small fortune at Is a mile.

The climax was reached at Sanson, where they arrived in the evening. All went well till the following morning, when Wilson, in answer to an "urgent message," went out on a visit of inspection, this time on foot. The taxidriver came down to breakfast, and, asking for Wilson, was told he had gone to inspect the Post Office. Lunch time arrived, but Wilson did not. "I will go, .to the Post Office," said the driver to. the proprietor. "I expect he's having his meals there." At the Post Office there was no Wilson, nor had Wilson been there.

It should be staled that on the day of his disappearance Wilson unsuccessfully searched his own pockets for change, and borrowed £3 from the driver. "The banks were not yet open." When the taxi-driver returned to Hastaings the mileage recorder showed 700 miles. A curious feature of the case is that the same "Wilson" previously made a similar trip to other districts in Hawke's Bay, but on that occasion paid all expenses. For this reason it is difficult to assign any cause for the adventures. So far the police are completely baffled. Wilson appears to have displayed considerable knowledge of the telephone and telegraph systems, but even that gives no clue to his identity.