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The Bath Chronicle. Thursday 21 Sep 1905
Page 7 Column 4
BATH LAW STUDENT'S JEWELLERY
At Marlborough Street, London, on Tuesday, Guy Gregory Harper READE, 26, law student, of 22, Palace Road, Buckingham Gate, surrendered on bail to answer charges of obtaining by false pretences credit of £50 from William John WOODRUFF, of £95 from William Leyton VINCENT, of £50 from Edwin Charles BALL, and of £36 7s. From Percy Edwards, Ltd.
Mr. Harold PEARCE prosecuted for the Treasury.
When arrested by Inspector KEMP, READE said he had a perfect answer to the charges. He failed to see how they could be supported, as at the time his banking account was correct. The jewellers around Picadilly, he added, got young gentlemen to incur large debts, and then blackmailed them if they didn't pay.
Mr. PEARCE said defendant was adjudicated bankrupt in 1904, and it would be shown that between November, 1903, and April, 1904, he obtained jewellery to the extent of £1,200, which he afterwards disposed of by pawning, and used the proceeds. In his bankruptcy his assets were nil and his liabilities were £13,000. His income was £2,000, which was derived from gifts by his relatives, and the cheques he gave for the jewellery were on the National Provincial Bank of Bath, where his account was overdrawn to the extent of nearly £750. Although an overdraft to the extent of £750 was guaranteed, he had no reasonable expectation that the cheques could be met when he gave them. When the jewellers presented the cheques they were returned, and when they told the defendant he made various excuses, such as that his cheque-book had been stolen, that documents were missing, or that the bank had made a mistake.
An assistant to William John WOODRUFF, jeweller, of St. James Street, stated that the defendant selected a ring, bracelet and a chain worth £50. He gave a cheque for that amount, but the cheque was dishonoured.
Mr. KENNEDY granted a further remand, allowing bail as before.
<NOTES: Guy Gregory Harper READE son of Jones Harper READE and Maria Henrietta GREGORY, married Florence Amy PERRAM>