The sun., 1909-02-14

Among other flies attracted by tht
honey pot was wealthy widow living In
france named the Countess de Qonoourt
Ihis lady had rather a larger share OF
the love OF sport than most OF her sex
and she was particularly fond Of horse
racing. Benson knew his France well
and through one or other OF his rami-
fcations there he managed TO see that abe
should have copy OF Sport This
! seemed 70 Are her with desire TO secure
the wealth which the chagrined English
bookmakes denied 10 Montgomery.
Her hesitating mind was made up, how
ever. by the receipt Of letters from that
WONDERFUL gentleman himself. This is
what Montgomery (Benson) wrote:
"'DRAR MADAME: Your name has been
favorably mentioned to me by the Franco
English Society Of Publicity, and oon-
sequ entity sepose In you the most esteemed
confidence. What ! require OF you is
simple indeed. will send you for each
race, the amount which / desire to put
win. You will have to forward the
money in your name. but on my account.
TO the bookmaker. and thus win be able
TO get the real odds, which on account
Of my success and great knowledge are
denied TO me. The bookmaker will on
settling day send you the amount, added
TO the stake originally forwarded to him.
J
its receipt | will forthwith forward to
you a commission Of per cent
This seemed such plain sailing that the
Countess readily fell into the trap. When
she had signihed her willingness TO act
in the capacity Of agent she received
as an initial Investment a check for
GOO. with instructions to send IL TO an
eminent English bookmaker named mr..
jackson at a given. address. This she
duly did. Later ON abe received a check
drawn upon the Royal Bank OF London,
Charing Cross. An Englishman might
have searched Charing Cross for this
bank in vain To get TO its history
one has 10 go to Edinburgh. at the office
OF the printer OF that enterprising journal
Sport Here, IN Elder street, were not
only the necessary stationery for Gard
ner 4 Co.. but engraved plates for print
ing checkA on the Royal Bank of Lon
don. dies and headings for note paper, &C.
Nine. de GoncouH received quite
number OF these v0uable documents
as her in agency R5GIeeeded o, one dra,t ssnt
TO Mr.. jackson, being for alarse amount.
but was TO be forwarded to a bookmaker
named Francis 1t represented bet
ON particular horse In the Great North
ern Handicap. This was such a certainty
that the considerate Montgomery ad-
vised the lady very strongly TO have
explained that he had selected Mr.. Fran
CHS for this transaction because he was
"a sworn book maker The certainty and
the high status Of the 'bookie' induced
the lady TO try her own luck and while
sending on the Royal Bank of London
check as directed she also forwarded
one OF her own for similar sum. IL Is
needless TO say what was the fate OF this.
Several other transactions followed, until
the firm had had no less than ten thousand
pounds sterling out Of her hoard so
great was her credulity that she sent all
the Royal Bank checks to various other
sworn book makers and when, TO en-
cou rage her, she received equally valu-
able checks for her own supposed win
nings from the sworn pencillers she Kept
them over until a certain date, in order
to be within the English law, precan-
ton which Montgomery explained was
necessary.
"A few days later madame received
an urgent and pressing letter from
Montgomery advising her to invest
a great sum Of 10000 with sworn
boekmaker named 'Ellerton,' this time.
Montgomery letter said
Never, madame, will you have a
similar opportunity to win an immense
fortune, He further told her II she
had not the whole amount at hand
TO send as much as she possibly could
lot tnlS rSal kOOu hc "cof
himself willingly advance the difference
to make UP the amount
Now, unfortunately for Montgomery ,
and the fraternity OF sworn BOOK.
makers, il happened that they had |
skinned the lamb to such an extent |
that she had no more ready money by |
her. So infatuated was the lady, how
ever. that she determined to raise 1t. She !
accordingly went TO her banker and
all al hia assistance
THE banker, as man Of business, was
A very different party from the easily
duped Countess. He at once commu-
nicated with London and in short space
of time he found out one or two very
unpleasant circumstances, chlef OF them
heine that while no such bank as the
Royal Bank OF London existed at Charine
Cross a nd that the checks Of Montgomery
were useless, the whole Of the remttances
sent by the French client had been pre-
sented and cashed at their proper places.
BY whom cashed and who had the money
was of course q mystery for time. When
abe learned the way she had been duped
MAZDA me de Goncourt came over 70 Eng
land and laid the matter before the exist
ing Lord Mayor and prayed for his help
to recover her money.
sThe subsequent proceedings on the
part of Benson and his confederates
seem to have been chiefly confined TO
realizing their i'll gotten assets ana 70
escaping justice. The possession oi the
money obtained from Nine. de Goncourt
was not necessarily the enjoyment OF
il Numbered Bank OF England notes
are not silent witnesses in case OF fraud,
but their names often speak with trumpet
tongues. The first effort therefore Was
TO get rid OF these and TO obtain some saie
and portable medium that would he less
bulky than gold and which would not be
earmarked. The way often was 10 get
their money changed into scotch Dank |
notes, which we're not always recorded
as they left the bank
-The members OF the gang were, how
ever, wanted and strong representa-
tions we're made 10y the French police
70 scotland Yard to intercept letters com
ing from France and 10 secure the
In the ordinary course OF
eyents they would doubtless have been
brought 70 justice out the
Iarina Benson and Kurr had led them ~
seduce and get under their influence
various members OF the detective force.
From these they learned that the war
rants were out and other Information
which enabled them for a time to keep
nut OF the way. This succeeded Tor
while. but at last the matter grew into
yraye scandal and the men were gwen
welye hours TO clear out OF the country.
Bensob and the others escaped to Hol.
and. Here for q while they avoided
speuding the time at hotter-
lam n was in consequence OF having
,hanp their names that trouble first
,ame They had reached this city OF
-ef,iee. each by q different route. each