Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-09-17
Greatest Swindler
Dupes Publishers
With Faxed Books
Often Exposed, He Managed,
Under Aliases, to Sell
Fictitious Stories.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS by English
police, book publishers, literary
agents, and journalists as probably
the greatest literary hoaxer and
swindler of the century, Netley Luz
cas-, 81 years old, alias Evelyn Gra-
ham, alias Robert Tracy, man about
town, thief from childhood, forger,
confidence man, jewel robber, py-
romaniac, many times a convict,
member of a wealthy family, is
dead. And the manner of his death
was even more fantastic than any
of the thousands of incidents in the
lives of other people which were
concocted by his own vivid and fer
tile Imagination.
For two months Lucas had been
living under one of his pen names
as Robert Tracy in a beautifully
furnished house which he had rented
at Fetcham, near Leatherhead, Sur
rey.
Most of his time was spent in
drinking, and a few days ago he
was found dead in the partly burnt
out lounge of the house. His body
was cremated at Working.
Considered Good Radiance.
Few people in Fleet street, center
of the newspaper industry, will
mourn the passing of this prince of
tricksters, for despite his personal
charm, his plausible tongue and his
undoubted cleverness, Lucas was
crook and rogue at heart. He
spared no ones honor or reputation
to achieve his own ends.
BY the sale of fake biographies of
royal personages and social celebri-
ties he defrauded publishers of
many thousands of pounds. Convict
ed on several occasions, he was ex-
posed as fraud and swindler, but
still managed, under other names,
to sell his fictitious life stories.
He first came under the notice Of
the police in 1917, when he was only
IA years of age. He was then bound
over at Westminster police court for
attempting to obtain money by false
pretenses. Sent to an industrial
school at West Drayton, Middlesex,
he ran away, but was later arrested
in the west end for begging.
Beginning a real career of crime,
he kept out of the hands of the po-
lice until 1920, when, at London Ses-
sions, he was sent to Borstal for
stealing checks and obtaining money
by fraud.
It was then he stated that he had
associated with every form of crook
and confidence trickster imaginable.
He staged a series of daring jewel
robberies throughout the country,
and squandered the money he OBJ
tanned.
Sold Faxed Biographies.
In conjunction with Sir George
Ashton, an innocent victim of his
plausible tongue, Lucas wrote the
duke of Connaught's biography.
with, it was stated, the dukes per-
mission. He followed this with
Lord Darling and His Famous
Trials" and a biography of the
queen of Spain.
Later came biographies of King
George, King Albert OF Belgium,
the prince of Wales, Princess Mary,
and number of distinguished pub
lie and sporting figures and famous
actors and actresses.
With every publication Lucas grew
holder and holder.
In 1881 he was arrested by the
police in connection with a fraudu-
lent attempt to sell fake biography
Of the late Queen Alexandra. And
at the Old Bailey he was sentenced
to Is months hard labor.
After his release from prison Luz
cas- returned to Fleet street, and
started number of literary agen-
cies and journalistic enterprises. By
this time he was so well known that
his contributions were barred by
most reputable newspapers and pub.
fishers.