EX-SOLDIER IN TROUBLE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2535, 9 August 1915, Page 3

EX-SOLDIER IN TROUBLE

FIVE WEEKS' IMPRISONMENT. ftjy Telojjr&Dli.—i'ies.? As£ook'.t!r.n.) Auckland, August 8. A man who had abused the privileges of a soldier came before Mr. Frazer, S.M., yesterday on charges of drunkenness, misrepresentation, and attempting to obtain credit by misrepresentation. The man, John Fleming, aged 34 years, was described by Sub-Inspector M'llveney as an absoluto waster. He had, tho Sub-Inspector said, enlisted in the Expeditionaiy Force, but had been afterwards discharged. He, however, retained his uniform, and ho went round the city drinking. On July 2!) he went to Daniels and Co., tailors, and represented that he was a non-commissioned officer, and obtained tho insignia of a sergeant-major, a crown and four stripes, which he had sewn on his uniform. The Del'enco Department subsequently learned of this, and on Friday the authorities arrested him and stripped him of the uniform, giving him civilian clothing, but did not punish him for his offence because of the story lie told about his dependents being in ill-health. After that Fleming went to Daniels and Co. and ordered a complete uniform for himself, bearing the insignia of sergeant-major, tho cost to be £13. His demeanour, however, made the tailors suspicious, and they later rang np the Defenco Department, and learned that Fleming was an impostor. He had also managed to obtain £6 from the Patriotic Fund. A general report of him w - as that ho was a waster who made himself a nuisance about tho town by his drinking habits. Fleming offered no defence, and His Worship remarked that anything that tended to bring disgrace on tho uniform was looked on just now with tho utmost disfavour. Prisoner would be prohibited and sentenced to five weeks' imprisonment with hard labour.