POSING AS A RETURNED SOLDIER

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 206, 20 May 1918, Page 4

POSING AS A RETURNED SOLDIER

THKEE MONTHS 0 IMPRISONMENT. A young man, Edwurd B. Bertram, was charged in tho Police Court before Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., says the Auckland "Herald," with boing an idle and disorderly person, and wearing the uniform of a lance-corpcral without permission. Ho pleaded guilty. Chief-Detective M'Mnhon said the accused went into camp about eighteon months ago, and Inter was discharged as unfit. lie enlisted again, and was nko discharged as unfit about seven months ago. Sine* then he had been leading an idle and disreputable life. He met a rcßpectnble girl in \\w snburis, nnd, not content with treating her improperly, ho obtained n ring and bracelet from her and pawned them, using the proceeds to keep himself. He nlso extracted practically the whole of tho girl's wages and utied the money. Accused also went to tho Y.M.C.A., stayed there and rau up a bill until he was turned out. Ho nlso ran up an account at an hotol for £i Bs., which ho did not pay. He had been posing a.s a relumed soldier, but was really a "waster" oi the worst type, and had been loafing round tho streets imposing on people generally. Accused said ho wore tho uniform because he had no civilian clothes.

O'lie Magistrate said discredit bad been ■brought on the uniform by a man who had no authority to wear it. On tho charge of vagrancy accused was sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labour, and on the other chats* ordered to come up for sentence if called upon. Tho Magistrate told accused that when lie was released tho probation officer would supply clothing and find him work, and the Salvation Army would give him a home until work was obtained.