A CLERICAL SWINDLER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1057, 20 January 1883, Page 3

A CLERICAL SWINDLER.

The London Daily Chronicle veporfs that on 26th October, at the Aldershot Police Court, before Captain Newcombe and other magistrates, Samuel Rabey Leigh, a young man of good appearance, attired in the garb of a clergyman, was charged on i era md with obtaining by fraud £2O worth of jewellery from Mrs Cooper, of Cdiham. Mrs Cooper now

stated that on the 29th September last the prisoner called at her shop am! showed her a card hearing tie l name * The Bov R. Leigh.’ Owing to this representation, and that lie was to j reach at the parish church on the t'ol owing Sandav, by permission of the vicar, the Rev Mr Clark, she let him have a number of articles of jewellery on approval. The other evidence was to the effect that the prisoner was a deserter from the Army Service Corps, had only recently come out of Bmton prison, and that his victims were principally young ladies. He deceived a governess living at Odiham in a most barefaced manner. Having made her acquaintance at Beverley, in Yorkshire, whilst conducting revival services in that town, he followed her to Odiham. Having previously notified her by telegram of his intention, she took him to comfortable quarters, and handsomely entertained him for several days. In a very short time he became acquainted with elite of the town, being consideied a somewhat charming young man and highly charged with religious zeal. A pony and chaise was hired for him, and everything went on smoothly until he disappeared, and then the matter of the jewellery was referred to the police. Prisoner was apprehended in London in the act of pawning a watch. Prisoner was committed fi>r trial.