“CONFIDENCE TRICK,”

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1948, 3 December 1906, Page 3

“CONFIDENCE TRICK,”

FIVE YEARS’ IMPRISONMENT,

At tho Supremo Court, Dunedin, boforo Mr Justioo Cooper, Patrick Opporkuoh, William McPherson, and Walter Houry Mitchell, found guilty of dofrauding tho old man Dickenson, iv farm laborer, of €l7O by means of tiro confidence triolr, wore hrought up for sontonne. Mitchell g-kvo his ego at 33, McPherson hia ns 27, aud Opporkuoh his ns 32 Nona of tho prisoners hod anything to say why erntonc' should not be passed upon them. The Crown Prosecutor sold that Patrick

Opparkuoh was also known as Patrick Egan and other names as well. On the 11th of November, 1903, at Sydney, for vagrancy, ho was discharged on hia promising to leave tho Stats. In 1901, at North Brisbane, ho was fined £2 for theft, or one month, In tho same year,

at Perth, Wentnrn Australia, for playing an unlawful game, ho was nentonord to two months. At the same time, at Perth, for osojpiug from custody, ho gut seven clays. Ho was described at boing au rxoot't confidence man,

llis Honor ; llavo you anything to say to that’. 1

Opperktteh : No. Tho Crown Prosecutor said that Me Phot

sou was ttlso known under the name t William Adams and Mttnro Mo receive

a sentence of three months for vagrancy at North Brisbane on the 27th of April, 1904.

J iis 1 lonor : Have you anything to say' McPherson: No; nothing. The Crown Prosecutor said that Mitchcl

was supposed to be identical with Matthew Tierney, alias John S. Kewthorpe, who was convicted at Bundtibcrg, Queensland, on the 7ch of September, 190, >, of obtaining money by a trick, aud sentenced to throe months’ imprisonment. Mitchell: I deny that eliargo. I was iu London in 1905.

His Honor: As you deny it I won t tako any notice of it. Addressing the three prisoners, His Honor said: Tho jury have convicted you on cvidonco which, in my opinion, amply supports the conviction of defrauding the old man of JSI7O by a confidence trick. It is quite clear that tho circumstances show, whether the records against each of you arc correct or not, that each of you belongs to that undesirable class who oroy upon tho follies of other people. Tins crime of obtaining money by a oonfidenoo trick, or in oivoumstancos such as were shown in this case, is one that I shall put down, aud I intend to pass a heavy sentence on each of you, not only as a puuiskmont you deserve tho utmost punishment I can give—but tis a warning against any others of your olass eemiog from other colonias to this colony in order to tako advantage of tho folly of people horo. Tho sentence of the Cjuri upon the

seejnd, third, fourth, and fifth counts is •hat eaoh of you bo imprisoned aod kept to hard labor for a period of five years. On the first oount eaoh of you will bo imprisoned for throe years, the ssntoooes to run concurrently. That is, upon the lot of the indiotmonts each of you reooivos a senteDco of five years' imprisonment with hard labor. The Ocowa Prosecutor then made application that the mousy (£93 6s lid in all) found on the prisoners bo paid over io the

prosecutor, Dickenson. His Hooor: 'Toe Grown Proseoutor tnakos application that tho money found on you and eaoh of you be handed over to tho man whom you defrauded, Hiveyou

anything to say to this '? Tho prisoners replied in tho negative, Hi 3 Hooor : I will make the order. No doubt thu mousy found on the prisoners is the proceeds of their crime.