THOROUGH RASCALS.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 September 1921, Page 2

THOROUGH RASCALS.

ATTEMPTED FRAUD. CAUTIOUS SOUTH AFRICAN. London, Sept. 16. Remarking, “You are two thorough reacals,” the magistrate at Bow Street sentenced David Lewis and Victor de Maurice to three months’ hard labor for having attempted to obtain .V 2506 from a South African stockbroker, George Twycross. The prosecutor said that he met the accused at the Ivanhoe Hotel. Lewis described himself as an Australian, who was buying blood stock, and Twycross mentioned that he had a concession of 300 square miles of fibre-yielding trees on the Zambesi, and wanted capital. Lewis promised to raise £6OOO, and went to the telephone. When he returned de Maurice professed to have drawn a cheque of £O5OO, and asked Twvcross for a similar amount.

Twycross became suspicious, and made an appointment to meet the accused later. He then communicated with the police. Lewis had been convicted three times in Australia and Maurice eleven times in England.

Lewis is well known to the police of Sydney. He left there many years ago. It is said that he was the first to sell the' sundial in the Botanical Gardens for £lOO to a visitor from the country.