The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
NAME STEALER is
CAUSE OF TROUBLE
Ingenious Attempt to Swindle Bishop
of Manchester by Man Who Pre-
tended He Was Also Bishop

An army officer was posted the other
day at Tattersall's as a defaulter. The
officer, a wealthy and well known man, al
once demanded an explanation, says Pear
sons Weekly. 1t turned out that it was
| not he but his ex-butler who was the
defaulter. The latter had wired bets in
his former masters name, and when he
lost had proved either unable or unwilling
to pay.
| There Is no more unpleasant or danger
Gus type of swindler than the name steal
er and ii is a form of fraud which is dis
tinctly on the increase Not long ago
an ingenious attempt was made to swindle
the Bishop of Manchester who told the
inquirer that the bishop was in bed with
bronchitis and could not speak to him.
II am sorry for that" was the reply
Il am the Bishop of Bath and Wells.
am interested in a man who has just
come from America, and is dying of cam
GER in Manchester hospital. L want you
to send him down sufficient money to
have him moved to a London hospital"
Where are you speaking from, my
lord?' asked the chaplain.
From London was the reply.
The chaplain was certain that the call
was a local and not a trunk call. His
suspicious were aroused, and making in
quiries he found that the call was indeed
swndler who had tried the same sort of
game on several previous occasions.
There is no limit to the impudence of the
impeisonating swindler. Some few years
ago good looking, well set up young
man appeared at Valencia, in Spain. He
was very we'll dressed, and seemed to
have plenty of money. He tried to get
into communication with British warshps
at Gibraltar by wireless, and though he
failed to do SO, the impression was given
that he was a British naval officer of
rank.
Presently it was whispered abroad that
he was Prince Alexander of Battenberg
travelling incognito Journalists inter-
viewed him and every one made much
of him. He then went to Toledo, where he
lunched with the archbishop and bor-
rowed money from him.
Subsequently he came to Madrid, where
he called on the director general of the
civil guard and asked for an audience with
King Alfonso. But by this time Inquiries
had been made, and the fraud blown
upon.
The impostor was arrested and found
to be man named Joseph Conquy, ma
tive of Gibraltar
Millionaires are frequently. the victims
of iinpersonators. An advertisement ap-
peared in various Belgian papers saying
that MI Andrew Carnegie had decided to
send his son to Belgium to be educated,
and asking masters to send prospectuses
and terms.
Supposing 1t was the millionaire, many
complied, and in each case the applicant
received an answer accepting the terms
offered. and fixing a date for the arrival
of my son, john
Some days later each schoolmaster was
warned that Johns luggage was being
sent on in advance. Then followed a let
ter from a pretended goods agent on
property headed paper, explaining that
he was forwarding the luggage, bait that
as it was the rule to pay carriage in ad-
vance. he inclosed the bill
In every single case the money was
sent, but the professors, school managers,
tutors, and masters are still awaiting
the arrival of my son Johnp and his be-
belongings.