AN EXTRAORDINARY SWINDLER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1116, 3 July 1883, Page 2

AN EXTRAORDINARY SWINDLER.

William Moore, who, as proprietor cf Auchinraith, near Hamilton, a year or two since came before the West of Scotland public as a property speculator, has just been sentenced to five years’ penal servitude at Kipon for fraud. His career is altogether a remarkable one. Born at Cape Town,theson of a non-commissioned officer in the army, in 1868 he went to reside at Beccles, in Suffolk, taking over the business of a local printer, and covenanting to pay him an annuity. He soo n increased the printing business, which ho called the ‘ Caxton Works,’ and having in 1872 made the acquaintance of two members of the firm of Clowes and Sons, of London, in the following year he entered into a partnership, which lasted two years, and which terminated on the. Messrs Clowes discovering that they had

been deceived and swindled by him. Ho was at the same time discovered to have imposed on two local bankers, who had him adjudicated a bankrupt, his liabilities being £42,181, of which £22,500 was due to unsecured creditors, and his asserts £SOO. Moore absconded and was, next heard of in 1876 in Manchester, while a year afterwards a firm of solicitors in London communicated to his creditors at Becoles an offer of £ISOO, with promissory notes at deferred dates for payment of £IOOO more, on condition that they annulled the bankruptcy. The creditors, on the principle that it was so much saved from fire, accepted the offer, though the promissory notes were aeyer honored. Moore next in 1877 turned up in the neighbourhood of Glasgow. He bought the estate of Auchinraitb, the whole of the purchase price (£43,000) being borrowed, and, with the view of forming a Hydropathic Company, entered into an arrangement with Mr Lamb, builder, Glasgow, by which he received from Lamb £5650 and a bill for £2500. When in 1879 the bublbe burst, and his estate was sequestrated, Moore went to London. He was afterwards brought up for examination, when he stated that the bill for £2500 was discounted at Edinburgh at the Clydesdale Bank, and £ISOO drawn on cheques to pay an old debt (the one at Becclea' by which his bankruptcy was annulled). He confessed that when he bought the estate be had no money of his own of any consequence, abd that it was a speculation on his own part. After leaving this dis- ; trict he continued in his old course, and in the spring of 1880 he was passing as Captain Moore at St Leonards-on-Sea. By an introduction to a . London gentleman through an ; architect, he proceeded ’to negotiate for the purchase of an estate of 88 acres in Kent at £32,000, stipulating, as he had trustees and his wife had a separate estate, for a month’s time to pay the price. In the interval the vendor found him .out in an attempt to re-sell the property, and the bargain was never completed. He was next heard of at Bristol, and about the end of 1880 was living at the Oliftondown Hotel as Colonel Moore. He gave out that he was posseesed of considerable means, being in receipt of £I6OO a year, while his boys were to have £4OO a year at their mother’s death. He took a house called ‘ Sovernleigh,’ unsuccessfully attempted to float a bubble company, incurred considerable liabilities) and, after absconding, was, in September, 1881, for the third time, adjudicated a bankrupt. Being traced to Oakland Park Hotel, Weybridge, Walton-on-Thomas, where he was faring sumptuously in' his old character, he was served with a bankruptcy notice to attend in Bristol, when he instantly left without paying his hotel bill, but was arrestedj in London and lodged in prison at Bristol. He was subsequently released, and his impudence taking a new turn, in 1881 he got his sons into Eton School, never, of course paying a farthing for them, though ho did not fail to make plunder out of * my sons at Eton.’ On January 9th, 1882, he was in London sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for the theft of a diamond necklace, but nothing daunted, on regaining Ms liberty, took Brough Hall, near Hull, giving himself out as Captain Moore, E.N. After exhausting his credit there, he migrated to the neighborhood of Bradford, where the advertisement of an estate near -Ripon caught his eye, and henceforth the latter locality was his chief theatre of operations. He announced that he had purchased the estate and that he was to build a mansion upon it, and oblaining lodging at Hill Top Fountains, three miles from Ripon, was there joined by his wife and family. Ho also stated that he had just broken up his home in Scotland, that be had lost £25,000 by the City of Glasgow Bank, but Tad saved something from the wreck, and that his wife had a large fortune under trustees. He was constantly in Ripon, going about introducing himself to the various tradesmen, and, by representing that he was a man of means, obtained goods . on credit to (he extent of over £IOOO He employed a Bradford contractor to build a mansion house, with patent poultry houses heated by steam, conservatories, peach houses, etc., at a cost of £IO,OOO, The architect’s fees, which amounted to £2OO, were never paid. The contractors fared no better, and after doing work to the extent of £250 they declined to proceed further until payment was made or security found. He continued his nefarious‘work at Colchester, where, as ‘ William Gordon,’he took up residence at the Cups Hotel. Though he had no luggage, having, indeed, to borrow a hairbrush from the chambermaid at the hotel, he at once set himself to purchase an estate at Dedham, about six miles cff called ‘ The - Rookery,’ and, on December 18th, having completed an agreement by which he was to occupy the property from Christmas to Lady Day, to see if the place would suit him, paid £lO on account of the rent, and took possession. He furnished the house from Colchester, and got goods, including wines and whiskey, from Dedham, on credit, entered into negotiations for sending Ins boys to the Grammar School, and sent hampers of game, etc., (Tor which he never paid) to Mrs ‘ Moore at 3 Kirkley y’iilas, Lowestoft.’ On January 4th he left‘The Rookery,’ com plan ing that he had not been well t rented'Jby the Dedham

tradesmen, and remained in Colchester until January 23rd or 24th, not wholly in idleness, as in the interval he purchased another estate at Braintree, but of course did not pay for it. Afterwards he was apprehended by the Ripon police at Lowestoft.