TRUSTING A TAILOR'S TALES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 203, 22 May 1920, Page 12

TRUSTING A TAILOR'S TALES

MEAN METHOD OF OBTAINING MONEY.

A journeyman tailor named Herbert Henry Workman pleaded guilty in tho Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, before Mr. E. Pago, S.M., to obtaining several ,sums of money totalling ,£lB from Johan Theodore Jorgensen. The informant, who is the manager fo:- J. T. Lewis, Ltd., tailors, Wellington, in a statement to the police, said that Workman cajno from Christchurch in January last and was engaged by the firm. On April 23, Workman came to the Bhop, and saw him. He stated that his wifo had died and that he had just come from the hospital. Workman commenced to cry and said that' be did not know what he was going to do with his young children. The informant told Workman that he had been drinking and tho best tliing he could do would be to keep sober and get work after the funeLater, Workman again called on the informant nndnsked for some money to pay the funeral expenses. Believing that the man's wifo was dead, informant gave him .£O. During the whole of this interview, Workman was crying. The following day the accused called on informant again, and obtained a further M. At every interview Workman was crying, and on one occasion, lie wept for an hour. The employees of .Lewis, Ltd.. believing that the man's wifo had died, subscribed and purchased a wreath, which was sent to Workman's home. The bearer of the wreath was invited into the house to see the coffin, but declined the invitation. The funeral, according to a statement ■by Workman, was to take place at 9 a.m., and none of the employees were in consequence able to attend. Some days later, Workman came to the shop and said that his sinter was going to look after his five children and they were going to Christchurch. .Workman asked, for £o, and was given M, which was all the money the informant bad on him at the time. A day or two later, Workman intimated that ho would bo returning to work shortly and added thnt he could not keep away from Karori Cemetery. Finally, the accused oblained £1 to pay his board. Jorgensen then learned that Mrs. Workman was not dead, and that same afternoon Workman rang up and stated that he had made a terrible mess of things. Mr. C. A. L. Treadwell, who appeared for Workman, eaid that on the previous day he had a;iked for a short adjournment iii the hope thnt the friends of the accused would be able to find sufficient money to make restitution, but they were unablo to do so. Even if the money had been found, that would not have made any difference to the quality of the offence. The man and hJB wife and children had been living in some degree of poverty, and while the accused was _ not a habitual 'drunkard, be was inclined to "take more than was good for him." He had kept himself in check until his wife went to the hospital, when he gave way to drink. . He was a good' worker, and his employer was quite willing to take him back again. Counsel said he was pleading more on lx>half of the. wife and five children who would be thrown on the charity of the State. He suggested that the man should be fined and restrictions placed upon him. Tho Magistrate remanded the accused until Monday for sentence.