Art-Union Fraud

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 157, 21 July 1937, Page 4

Art-Union Fraud

MAN GAOLED FOR SIX M0NTHS Had False Tickets Printed, Than Sold Them — * BENCH REFUSES LENIENCY Six months imprisonment was imposed on Bichard Nesbit when he appeared before Mr J. Miller, S.M., in the Hastings Magistrate's Oourt this morning on a charge of being a rOgue and a vagahond in that he had CoOlected suhscriptiona under false pretences by f alseiy representing that certaln art-union tickets were genuine. Defendant pleaded guilty. A further charge of heing idle and disorderly with ihSUiiiCient lawful means of support was withdrawn by tbe police. Detective-Sergeant L. Eevell said that Nesbit^ had had 1000 art-union tickets printed and had sold them for his own benekt. He ha.d tried unguccessfuliy to get more tickets printeG by a Hastings printer, and dn that way he had been appfehended. Nesbit 's excuse to the police was that he had begun by selling two books t)f genuine art'Union tickets in aid of New ZealaM artisfcs and had then conceived the idea of having false ones printed. Defendant, who was aged 58, was living apart from his wife, said the detective-sergant. There were earlier convictions agaittSt him. Nesbit asked for leniency. "I dp not see how I can be lenient," replied Mr Miller. Defendant, he added, had set out on a systematic career of fraud. The offence was a hard one to deteet, and defendant might easily have aucceeded in contiauing with it for a much longer period. One of the worst features, said Mr Miller, was that Nesbit had had the tickets printed with the express idea of selling them fratidulently. Nesbit was convicted and sentenced to six months imprisonment. An order was made by the Magistrate for the destruction of tlio remaining tickets, which were in the pussessiott of the poiicC.