BOGUS ACCIDENT CHARGES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3434, 27 January 1912, Page 3

BOGUS ACCIDENT CHARGES.

Allegation of 200 frauds; Wholesale attempts to victimise shopkeepers by a bogus-accident trick were, alleged at ' M.-irylebone Police Court agtuasi Ernest rendrigh, a young man. of Ralston, N.E., who was charged before Mr Plowden with obtaining £6 by fraud from J olm ■ Don will ie Ross, a butcher, of West Green road, Tottenham,' N,, and with attempting to obtain sums of money by similar means from two other butchers. —John Edwards, of Kentish Town road, N.W., and John Brazil, of Caledonian road, N. It was alleged that the' prisoner has a permanent enlargement of the right wrist, and has made use of his deformity to impose on tradesmen in various parts of London. His method, according to tlib evidence, was to fall down outside a butcher’s shop and proceed to claim compensation from the proprietor on the ground that" lie had slipped on a piece of fat from the shop and injured his wrist. Invariably, after his fall, he was followed into the shop by a “tall, fair man,” who represented himself as an eye-witness of the occurrence and demanded pencil and paper for the purpose of taking the proprietor’s name and address. THE “EYE-WITNESS.” Several of the butchers against whom the claim was made were members of the Incorporated Society of Meat Traders and when the claims were placed before the association it was noticed that although they apparently emanated from the same man they were made by different' solicitors. This aroused suspicion, and arrangements were made for the prisoner to attend at different shops with his “witness” for the ostensible purpose of receiving compensation; but lie failed to keep any of the appointments. On November 15, however, the “wit ness” was seen to leave the shop of Mr Page, a butcher, of High street, Camden Town, N.W., with bis arm in‘a sling, and join the prisoner, who was waiting outside. The prisoner was captured by Detective Rees, but the “witness” escaped. Mr Ricketts stated that the inquiries showed that the prisoner had been “the poor unfortunate victim” of no fewer than 200 accidents. Mr Plowden: All on fat? (Laughter.) —No, some were supposed to be due to brewer’s-dray ropes, defective area sky-lights and doormats. Mr Plowdon: He must have made a small fortune. - The prisoner declared that the number had been exaggerated, and said he had only done it five or six times. Mr Plowden committed the prisoner for trial on the three charges before the court and also for conspiring with the other man, who has not yet been arrested.