"A PLAUSIBLE LIAR"

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 75, 23 December 1918, Page 3

"A PLAUSIBLE LIAR"

YOUNG MAN'S CAREER OF FRAUD.

"Ho is a plausible liar, and is apparently a postmaster at this class of fraud," was the description given by Chief-De-. teetive Boddnm of a young man named Reginald George Smyth, who appeared before Mr. F. V. 'Frnzer, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court on Saturday, charged with having obtained a number of sums of money by means of false pretences. There ware ten charges against accused, to which he pleaded guilty, and tlio total amount of the monov ho obtained was ,£l6 12s. The firms he victimised were J. Duthie and Co., P. Hayman and Co., Briscoe and Co., the D.1.C., Kirkcaldie and Stains, C. and A. Odlin, Ltd., E. W. Mills and Co., and Mackay, Logan, Caldwell and Co., and with tho exception of one case in Ootobor all tho offences were committed in December. Chief-Detective Boddam raid Hint on the previous Saturday the man pleaded guilty to two charges of fnlso pretences, and was remanded for sentence in order that inquiries might be made concerning him. The inquiries were made, but were not very much to the man's credit, for eight further charges were preferred against him. Accused was twenty years of age, .and in 1915 he was convicted of theft, being then admitted to twelve months' probation. In 1916 he was seu- ( tenced to a month at Diinediif for false pretences, but was subsequently transferred to Burnhnm, from which he had since been discharged bv Governor's warrant. On arrival in Wellington he immediately commenced a career of crime. He had committed the wwent offences in a systematic manner by representing that ho was authorised tn collect monnv on behnlf of a Young Man's Bible Class at King Geprtre V Hospital, Rotonia. TTe used a rubber patmrj for reeeintfi. the ptnmp bearing tbe initials "Y.M.B.C. When arrested he had the sum of £\ Is. In his iwsseesion. which ho had received from Gollan and Co. Accused was the son of a widow. Accused said he had tried to follow the strnight path, but had found it n failure:, ".Anonrently you won't work," said M.r. Frazer to accused, "and you want, to tnlce the easiest wiw of earning a livinß. There is plentv of ivsi-k for young fellows who are willing to wnrlr. and there b| no renson why n yonntt fellow like yon should have to sleiil. A fellow who tries to make his livin* off other people generally ends up badly. It mav be an easy life, but it has its drawbacks.' Accused was ordered to undergo reformative treatment for a -period- not exceeding three years.