CREDULOUS COUPLES.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 October 1918, Page 5

CREDULOUS COUPLES.

AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY. THE DUPE AND THE "DETECTIVES." A story of credulity and fatuousness, almost too raw for credibility,, was hinted at in the Dunedin Police Court on Saturday morning, when a young man named Arthur Patrick M'Guire was charged with that on divers dates between May, 1917, and August, 1918, at Christchurch, he did, with intent to defraud, obtain from one William John Cupples the sum of £194 4s by means of a false pretence—to wit that he was endeavoring to obtain the release of a Miss Hines fronl a cotlvent,

Chief Detective Bishop asked for a remand to Christchurch, and, upon bail being asked, rehearsed to Mr. Widdowson, S.M., a few of the extraordinary statements, upon which the case is based. He said that the complainant Cupples lived at Christchurch, and while working at a convent became acquainted with a young woman there, and concerned to obtain her release. He got to know the accused, who expressed the opinion that it would cost a good bit of money, and that he would get two detectives from Wellington. The "detectives" arrived, were introduced to Cupples, and saw him frequently, large sums of money being obtained on each occasion.

Accused was remanded to appear at Christehurch on Tuesday. TheßO ara only the bare outlines of the credulous man's story. The full tale of the reports and conferences Ire alleges to have taken place between himself and the bogus detectives lifts the affair into the realms of sensational fiction. It appears that they convinced him that the girl had been sent to Wellington, and it was necessary to despatch a detective there; and later, to show that the money he was constantly handing over was being spent to some purpose, he was shown what purported to be a wire from the detective hot on the scent. This wire was signed "5.Y.D.," which the complainant was informed with portentious solemnity signified Scotland Yard Detective. At length complainant, according to his own tale, was successfully "kidded" that a Bilnedin lawyer had undertaken his case for a sum of £OO, and a document was shown him by which the lawyer engaged himself to secure the J release or return the money. Needkss to say, no lawyer had ever been approached on such a mission, and the first lawyers to come into the case were those tardily consulted by the complainant himself. It was through them that the ' wholo story came to the police »omo months ago. Complainant throughout was the absolutely perfect "boob," and his evidence at Christehurch should proj|U« A «Ul Uttftt in.ltself.