A REMARKABLE CASE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 24, 23 October 1920, Page 10

A REMARKABLE CASE

YOUNG WOMAN ACCUSED OF FRAUD

A STORY OF RICH RELATIONS By TsUarapli—Prees Ai»noi«tton. Auckland, October 22. llemarkable allegations of fraud wore niado in the Police Court against a young woman, Christina Kato M'Donajd, aged 22 (Mr. Sullivan), who was charged with having obtained £138 2s. by false pretences. It was alleged that by posing rs Uio daughter of a wealthy diamond merchant in New York, accused obtained £lt 2s. from Mr. T. Chatfield, residing at Heme Bay, and members of his family. The,remaining £95, it w:(s alleged, was paid to her by Fritz Scholium, land salesman, in tho belief that her father was an officer in the Lands and Survoy Department, and that she had X' 5113 in tho Post Office Savings Bank. . Fritz Scholium, land salesman, in the employ of Wcnzl. Scholl&Sn, said that on August U and 10 accused, who gave her naniQ as "Miss Goertz," visited his office and made inquiries regarding the purchase of a house in Heme Bay. She said she was buying on account of hej father, who was an officer in the Lands Office, and had recently been transferred from Wellington to Auckland. She said 6ho was a niece of Captain" Goertz, of the Northern Steamship Co. She showed witness a Post Offieo Savings Bank book indicating a credit balance of £5M3. By appointment, witness took her out in a motor-car to inspect several properties eho had selected, ranging from .£2OOO upwards. One of tht'se, situated in Sarsflold Street,' she decided to purchase for £2500 on behalf of her father. _ She also decided to buy a houso in Clifton Street for ,£1250 on-her own behalf as a speculation. Ho asked her about deposits, and sho said her money was in (trust, and that Mr.' Salmon was trustee. Sho asked for t]io loan of £15 until she could .see her trustee. He gave lier a cheque for the amount. He took her to luncheon. ' Later in the same day she came to his office and requested n further JSO to enable her to refund that amount to her account;, which she Haiti alio had overdrawn without the authority of her trustee. Ho gave her a chequ'o for £80. The following day she called twice and made excuses for tho non-completion of her agreement. She left the office saying she was going to .meet her trustee at the Strand Arcade, ami would lie hack in live minutes. That was the last lie paw of her.

Mr. T. Chntfield said Hint last Fel>runry his daughter brought to his house the accused, who said her -name was "Tiny Gocrtz," r.nd that her father was a diamond mere-hunt in New York. She mentioned ithnt sho had travelled a lot, ami had been an acrobat in a circus, and also a vaulleville ne.lTess in the United Rhvfos. She stated that sho was bom in llerlin, awl educated there, and was afterwards adopted by a Mr. Gorii'tz, cnmpleti.HK her education in the United States. She paid frequent visit* to witness's house, and told him that Mr. A. Kissling, "an old friend of her father's," was his agent in connection with laud properties in Auckland. A letter was read to witness and his family _ purporting to bo from her father, asking Kissling to find his daughter, who was supposed to be in Auckland,-and authorising him to givo her the choice of any of his houses in Auckland, and to furnish it and provide money for its upkeep. She suggested that witness should take n lease of one of these houses at an annual rental of .C 72, with a purchasing clause, «p<l that he and his family should live there. She said'she would arrange with Kissling to got -possession of a, house in. Jervois Road, stating there were certain legal difficulties owing'to the fact that hor aviii brother, Roy (.inert?,, who she said was a doctor practising in Auckland, had met with a serious accident. She said that Mr. Meredith, a Wellington solicitor, had come up to arrange about the division of 21 houses botween herself, and her brother Hoy. Witness made every possible effort to secure the lease of the houso in Jervois Road, but failed, lie paid hor two guineas in May for money expended in executing a document in connection wltn tlw lease. Sho showed him a letter referring to the legal position, that purported to come from Mr. J, E, Reed, K.C., and Jeff. B. Arnold, P. Cahill. and Mr. Meredith, members of legal firms. On her assurance that everything in connection with the Jervois ltoad house was practically in order, he gave notice to fclio. landlord of the houso he was,at that time rosidiiur in in Lignr Placo

Ellen Prances Chatflold said that in April accused told'her she owned a Dumber of shares in a South African diamond mine. She said that, if witness cared to buy a, share for £\0 it, would bring her in a quarterly dividend of .£ls for at least hvo,ye<ir.«. Witness decided to buy a share, and paid accused .£lO for it. Sho wan (riven a receipt for ,■B2O, signed by a Sir, Elliot, accused Baying she was giving her ( anothor shard as a present. In'reply to Mr. Snllivnn, witness said accused seemed peculiar at times, and on one occasion nftcr this cho spoke of being drugged or made drunk bv a. man. Hdrefcice Catherine ChfitfleH BtVitrd thai in Anril "Miss Gonrtz" told her slio had ,£3OOO to her credit in a German bank in New York. She asked for ,£29 to defray certain bank rcmiire-" mwih in connection with the transfer of .£3OOO to AucHimd. Wiinw* gave her thft money. This amount had not been refunded by accused. On oiw occasion aocused was" ill and said something about a drug.' Detectivo-Kergennt Issel irave evidence that Accused, when interviewed, admitted she had obtained money,.and that she had aiven it to'a man. Accused pleaded not guiltv. reserved her defence, and was committed to tho Supreme Court for trial.