The Mysterious Elixir

MYSTERIOUS ELIXIR.
Extraordinary Tonic Mentioned in Conspiracy Case.

COUNSEL'S TESTIMONIAL.
Medicine That Enabled Sick Man to Pass Insurance Doctor.

In the course of the opening proceedings yesterday at Bow-street in a remarkable charge of conspiracy mention was made of a tonic which appears to possess all the properties of the long-sought-for elixir of life. In the dock were Percy Clark, forty-two, an engineer, address refused; Percival Edward Norgate, thirty-nine, a commission agent, of Rosebery-avenue; and Edgar Green, thirty, a mortgage broker, of Waldemar-avenue, Fulham, and it was alleged against them that they had conspired together to obtain 312 pounds by false pretences from Mr. John Thomas Higgins, a Strand money-lender.
Mr. Bodkin appeared on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and said this case arose out of the prosecution of a man named Richard Harcourt, who, in the autumn of 1908, was sentenced to five years' penal servitude for impersonating a gentleman named Campion Watson, and obtaining money by fraud. After his conviction, Harcourt expressed a desire to see the officers in the case - Chief Detective-Inspector Stockley and Detective-Sergt. McEvoy. To them he made a detailed statement as to the circumstances which led up to the fraud to which he had pleaded guilty, and in consequence the prisoners were arrested.
In order to make the case perfectly clear it would be necessary to give the history of a reversion. A Mr. Irving, who died in 1864, left considerable property for the benefit of his daughters, one of whom married the Rev. John Campion, who himself died in 1894.
Through the latter, Mr. Campion Watson, an accountant, now about seventy years of age, living at Notting Hill, was entitled to some property. Mr. Campion Watson had two sons, John Stephen Watson and Campion Watson, jun. In February, 1907, Harcourt started in business in Wells-street, Oxford-street, as a commission agent, with a man whose acquaintance he had made in prison, and Green was a frequent caller at their office.
Norgate was acquainted with the other men, and sometimes got cheques cashed at a public-house near the office in Wells-street. One of these was returned, and Detective-Sergt. McEvoy had to make inquiries respecting it. In this way Norgate became acquainted with the officer named.
On one occasion Norgate, Green, and Harcourt were standing at the corner of Villiers-street, Strand, when Norgate suddenly said to his companions, "Go away, go away." Soon afterwards they assembled together in a public-house in the Strand, and when Norgate was asked to account for this sudden change of venue, he explained that he had noticed Detective-Sergt. McEvoy on the other side of the street, and he did not think it advisable for them to be seen together.

Mysterious Prescription.

Harcourt's business as a commission agent did not prove successful. He became short of money, and at a meeting at which he, Green, and Norgate were present it was agreed that he should impersonate Campion Watson and obtain money on the reversionary interest of that gentleman, amounting to about 1,200 pounds. Later on Clark came upon the scene, and he suggested that, as Harcourt would have to be identified as Campion Watson before he could obtain money on reversionary interest, he had better wear glasses, to enable him to conceal his identity in the event of discovery.
In order to carry out the scheme Harcourt took rooms at Sheen-park, Richmond, in the name of Campion Watson, and it was arranged that Harcourt and Clark should each have one-third of the money it was hoped to obtain, and that the remaining third should be divided between Norgate and Green. Harcourt was provided with a trunk and hat-box bearing the name of Campion Watson.
On July 8, 1907, Harcourt went to Mr. Higgins, a money-lender, having an office in the Strand, and represented himself to be Campion Watson. He said he wished to borrow money on his reversionary interest, and Mr. Higgins wrote to Mr. Elmshurst, of York, solicitor to the trustees under the will of the Rev. John Campion. That gentleman said that Campion Watson was entitled to money under the will, and Watson, who produced the birth certificate of Campion Watson the younger - the gentleman entitled to the money being seventy years of age - obtained several advances. The money obtained from Higgins was divided as arranged.
It was afterwards decided to obtain a substantial sum from Mr. Higgins, who said that "Campion Watson's life must be insured." Harcourt was therefore examined by a doctor representing a life insurance company, but he declined to pass him.
When this became known, Clark reminded Norgate of a doctor who had prepared a wonderful prescription for him. Clark and Harcourt afterwards went to the doctor referred to, who gave them a prescription, which was made up by a West-End chemist. That prescription was now to be seen in the chemist's books, but he (Mr. Bodkin) did not propose to make it public.
It was certainly a wonderful thing, because Harcourt, who had been rejected by one doctor, easily satisfied the medical man who examined him on behalf of another insurance office after he had been stiffened and strengthened by this extraordinary tonic. Harcourt's life was afterwards insured, and a letter recommending him to the insurance company was believed to be in the handwriting of Green, although the name given was J. Armstrong. On the security of the policy further sums were obtained from Mr. Higgins.
In the following August Harcourt wanted to sell his alleged reversion outright, and for that purpose Mr. Higgins introduced him to Mr. Thorne, of Luton. Mr. Thorne wanted Harcourt to be identified as Campion Watson, and for that purpose Mr. Higgins sent his clerk with Harcourt to an address at Barnes. The door of the house was opened by the prisoner Clark, who, as soon as he saw Harcourt, said, "Hallo! Watson." This convinced Mr. Higgins' clerk of his identity. Mr. Thorne bought the reversion, and after Mr. Higgins had been paid Harcourt was handed 30 pounds.
Then, in March, 1908, the real Mr. Campion Watson communicated with his solicitor with respect to his reversion, and the fraud was discovered.

Source: Lloyd's Weekly News, April 18, 1909, Page 3