"R H Porter," (?-?). "an ingenious young man"

The internet has allowed humans in all parts of the world to contact, observe, help and sympathise with each other.  It has of course, also become the tool of what was known in centuries past as the "confidence trickster."  

The first appearance (at least, the first to be revealed) in Dunedin of such a specimen of humanity was recorded by local newspapers in 1885:

THEATRICAL. 

Wanted, Ladies and Gentlemen to Complete Dramatic Company Novices for Australian Tour. Apply personally to “Agent,” Gladstone House, Moray place.   -Evening Star, 6/6/1885.

— An enterprising young man, who passed by the name of R. H. Porter, planned and executed a very ingenious "confidence trick" in Dunedin last week, and anxious inquiries are consequently being made for him just now. The individual in question professed to have arrived in the Janet Nicoll from the North Island, and certain evidence left behind him seems to show that he has been connected in some way with Oddfellows in the Auckland district. At all events, he took up his temporary abode in Gladstone House, Moray place, and proceeded to advertise in the papers for stage novices, whom he desired to engage for country towns in Australia. Stage novices, male and female, rose to the bait with astonishing readiness, and for a couple of days a servant at the boardinghouse was kept tolerably busy showing in ladies and gentlemen who only wanted opportunity to develop their latent histrionic powers. The applicants were interviewed separately by Mr Porter in his consulting room in a thoroughly professional style, and he represented himself to them as an accredited agent for Messrs Williamson, Garner and Musgrove. Certain of these unwary ones (nearly a dozen names have transpired) consented to accept engagements and to proceed to Melbourne by the Tarawera, which left last Friday. As a mere matter of business, in order to ensure their keeping faith, Mr Porter was compelled to request each recruit to deposit with him the trifling sum of £1, to be returned to them upon their presenting themselves at the wharf on the morning of the vessel's departure. They were, of course, to have the gratification of meeting Mr Porter again on that occasion, and receiving from him then tickets for the passage. Some of the victims appear to have been sufficiently suspicious to ask the pseudo agent a few pertinent questions, but these were easily parried. Mr Porter explained that his Australian principals desired to introduce strangers upon the Victorian stage, and were unable to get girls sufficiently respectable in that colony. This neat compliment appears to have settled the business with several of the fair debutantes. They paid their pound, for which no receipt was given, except in the case of a few male victims unworthily suspicious even when dealing with such a pleasant-spoken gentleman as Mr R. H. Porter. The "novices" thus duly engaged went to work at once to prepare for the brilliant stage career now opening before them. Some proceeded to throw up their situations in Dunedin; there was great packing of boxes, tears and lamentations from mothers obstinately opposed to the idea of brilliant stage careers, and a general upheaval of domestic relations. However, the young ladies protested that Mr Porter was "the finest fellow out," that he was thoroughly "genuine," and, in short, that nothing should stop them. They were mistaken, though. One little circumstance did stop them. On the arrival of the "novices" at Port Chalmers with their luggage they looked in vain for their pounds, their passage tickets, and the thoroughly genuine Mr Porter. On inquiry at his lodgings, it transpired that the day previous to the boat sailing Mr Porter had found himself suddenly called upon to start on a visit to a friend at Clinton. He accordingly departed, leaving as security for his little board account a carpet bag containing some linen in every respect ready for delivery to the washerwoman. Mr Porter has since then abstained from making any public appearance. It was rumored that the man arrested at Oamaru for horse-stealing, who arrived in Dunedin last night, and will appear at the Police Court this morning, was the pretended theatrical agent, but this proves entirely incorrect. The Mr Porter who created so favorable an impression in the minds of visitors at Gladstone House is a diminutive young man about twenty-five years of age, 5ft 3in or 5ft 4in in height, of slender build, with thin features and dark eyes. His shoulders are rather contracted, and he stoops in walking. He remained only one week in Dunedin, conducting his little manoeuvre to a successful issue, and during that time he wore a pepper-and-salt suit and an ordinary black felt hat. His movements since leaving Dunedin have so far been singularly discreet.  -Otago Daily Times, 19/6/1885.

That there are a numerous class who wish to fret their hour upon the stage has received a striking example. A young man who has an insight into human nature recently arrived in town, and being short of filthy lucre he hit upon the device of playing on this soft spot. So he sets himself down in a central boarding establishment, inserts an advertisement calling on young ladies and gentlemen anxious for a stage career to consult him, and then lays low. The bait took, and for the next few days he was like some great magnate who has favors to dispense, for the slavey was fully occupied in showing visitors in and out of his room. The young man — who gave the not inappropriate name of Porter — gave his visitors to understand that he was agent for Williamson, Garner and Musgrove, who had commissioned him to secure a company composed mainly of amateurs for the country districts of Australia. Those who expressed surprise at his coming so far afield he smoothed and flattered by the intimation that those available on t'other side were none too respectable. To a glib tongue and flattered vanity everything was easy, and the payment of a sovereign as a sign of good faith was not at all out of the way, especially as it was to be returned, together with a ticket for Melbourne on the day of sailing. At least a dozen are known to have "parted," and more are suspected. In several instances situations were thrown up, and the packing, mingled with the tears of parents and friends, was carried on m haste by those who deemed a career like Miss Ward or Miss Terry lay before them. But alas! on reaching Port Chalmers the faithful few could not find their guide. Suspicion and enquiry followed, and Mr Porter was discovered to have taken wing, urgent business with a friend requiring his presence at Clinton. His well-stuffed portmanteau did not contain goods likely to satisfy the claims of his landlady, but it was all that was left. The police are on the lookout, and so ought the residents of country districts, for it is scarcely likely that an ingenious young man like Mr Porter has attained finality in his schemes for securing money. The South is supposed to have been his destination.   -Cromwell Argus, 23/6/1885.

OUR DUNEDIN LETTER.

(From our own Correspondent) 

Dunedin has had the honor of a visit lately from a young man who certainly possesses remarkable talent in the way of victimising the credulous. To him belongs the honor of having introduced into New Zealand a method by which an impecunious stranger can raise enough money to take him to fresh fields and new pastures without much trouble or risk. Mr Porter, on his arrival in Dunedin, put up at a very respectable boarding-house, and, at the cost of a shilling, inserted an advertisement in one of the daily papers stating that he required respectable young ladies for a good theatrical company. When the respectable young ladies called upon him, he informed them that he was an accredited agent of Messrs Williamson, Garner and Musgrove, and as such had full power to engage actresses for the Melbourne stage. He also informed the respectable young ladies that he would pay their passage over to Melbourne, and, I believe, guaranteed so much a week after arrival there. He then dwelt upon the brilliant prospects that awaited fair damsels in Victoria, and wound up by asking a guinea from each as earnest money. Having received the guinea, he told them that he would take out their passage-tickets (saloon, I suppose), and if they would meet him on board the steamer he would furnish them with further instructions. It does not require a very strong imagination to be able to picture out what happened in the majority of instances. A young lady goes home and tells her ma (if she has one) of the result of the interview with Mr Porter, whom she no doubt described as a very gentlemanly-looking, young man. After tears, mamma consents that her lamb should go over to Melbourne and bloom out as a Mary Anderson or a Sarah Bernhardt. A journey was then made down town, and perhaps, in some cases, the already too slender purses were emptied to the benefit of the drapers. Next day, after a hurried farewell to all friends, the young lady goes down by the 2.35 train to Port, and is astonished at not seeing Mr Porter. She, however, does not suspect anything, especially as she meets with others starting on the road to fame and wealth. The first whistle sounds, and then the second, and by the time the third, has gone our lady friend discovers that she has thrown away her guinea, and, what is worse, will have to return to Dunedin to be the laughing stock of the unfeeling, and to receive the commiseration of those who had always prophesied that "no good would come of such madness," etc." Anyhow, Mr Porter has managed to evade the police, and if, as is suspected, he joined the same steamer; at the Bluff, he is by this time laughing and clapping his breeches pockets at the success of his little game. It is also reported that he "had" one or two enterprising gentlemen amateurs, but this part of the story requires confirmation.  -Tuapeka Times, 24/6/1885.

Henry Smith, alias Harry Percy Fisher was arrested at Oamaru yesterday by detective O'Brien on a charge at stealing a black gelding and a horse-cover from a resident at Blueskin on the 9th inst. He sold the animal at the Empire Hotel yards on Saturday, and it was traced and identified by Detective O'Brien, who had a description of it by telegraph. Police believe that this man is identical with an individual who is "wanted" in Dunedin for victimising several young written, by pretending he was a theatrical agent, engaging them to join a theatrical company in Melbourne, and receiving money from them by way of a guarantee that they would fulfil their engagements. Smith is said to be a recent arrival in the Colony.  -Evening Star, 15/6/1885.

It turns out that the man who was arrested at Oamaru yesterday for stealing a horse at Blueskin is not the pretended theatrical agent who is wanted for false pretences.  -Evening Star, 16/6/1885.

Mr Porter is, of course, long gone now.  But his successors ply their trade from half a world away and, if they were not successful in a tiny percentage of their many online attempts, they would not be in business.  As a rule, of course, if an offer looks too good to be true, it will most probably be so.