REMARKABLE STORY.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 January 1922, Page 10

REMARKABLE STORY.

ALLEGED WAR RECORD , DUNEDIN POLICE BLUFFED. Th© real name of the man, Edward Theodore Scott, the husband of Janet Scott, who was fonud asphyxiated at Sumner last Sunday, is William Theodore Thompson, and he is at present on probation in respect of two charges of theft at Dunedin in 1920. When he appeared at the Dunedin Police Court to answer the charges, Chief-Detective Bishop described the case as a “sad and. regrettable one in many ways.”. Accused, he said, arrived in New Zealand in June, 1920, and came to Dunedin, staying at Warwick House. He met a young lady and became engaged to her. She took him to her parents’ home, and later on he stayed there. All arrangements were made for the wedding, the banns being read out in church on two occasions. Accused obtained £6O from the girl’s mother and set out to buy a house. With some of the money he bought part of his bride’s trousseau, and spent the rest of the money on himself. He then stole the watch and chain and cleared out. At one time the accused said he was an architect carrying on business in Dunedin; then he said he was a diver, and on one occasion borrowed underclothing from Mrs. Pledger and brought them back wet to confirm his statement, probably having dipped them somewhere.

■“The accused,” continued the ChiefDetective, “lias a record of which any person would be proud. He has been in the Navy for twelve years, and during the latter part of the war as a petty officer. He possessed the D.0.M., the Croix de Guerre, the Medaille Militaire and 1914-15 Star. The French decorations were won for the raid on Zeebrugge. Accused was one of the crew of the submarine which entered the harbor ahead of the Vindictive for the purpose of blocking the outlet. The mission accomplished, the submarine was blown up, and the crew were in the water for some hours before being rescued by motor-boats. In addition to this, accused was «on the submarine which performed the wonderful feat of going up the Narrows of the Dardanelles, diving under numerous rows of mines, and after sinking several Turkish trasports in the Sea of Marmora, running right under the eyes of Constantinople.” Accused had gone to Lumsden, said Mr. Bishop, and asked, for certain medicine from a doctor, by which he thought he could commit suicide. The medicine which he given, was harmless. The reason accused gave for coming to the Dominion, narrated the Chief Detective, was that as he had four brothers killed in the war, and his mother having died as a result, he had no relatives in England and decided to come to New Zealand.

This extraordinary story, as regards the war service, is on Thompson’s own admission to Detective-Sergeant Quartermain at Christchurch, absolutely untrue, yet he succeeded in “bluffing” the Dunedin police thoroughly. Before accused. was convicted, Chief-Detective Bishop said he had made exhaustive inquiries into his war record, and as a result had not the slightest doubt that it was true. Accused had promised that if he were given a chance .he would keep straight and give up drinking. He was quite satisfied to take the word of honor of the accused that he would give up drink. The Magisrate, speaking to the accused, said: “I do not intend to deliver a sermon to you. Yon have an excellent war record of which any person might be proud. You have suffered severely through the war by losing your sister, your brothers and mother, and no doubt these matters had considerable influence in placing yon in your present position. I intend to give yon a chance. I am sure you could become a member of the community we would be proud to have here.” Accused was admitted to probation for a period of two years, and is still on probation. Before being arrested in Dunedin Thompson was employed in one of the Christchurch clubs as a porter, and distinguished himself by wearing a largo number of medal ribbons across his breast. Some of the members of the club became suspicious of his war record, and he was compelled to leave the' club. He then hired a taxi-cab and motored through from Christchurch to Dunedin, and he first came under the notice of the local police when the taxi-cab driver reported that Thompson had not paid him for the journey. He was soon afterwards arrested in Dunedin on the charges of theft.