A BOGUS DETECTIVE

Hokitika Guardian, 21 November 1924, Page 4

A BOGUS DETECTIVE

SIIORKKKI'KRS DKFRAI'DKD AUCKLAND. Nov. ID. The stor.v of how a mail appointed hie" a detective on hical stall and imposed on suburban shoplieepei s viiis i '.I j,t. the Police Court uhoii Frederick Henry Rowley (11) appeared ~ii nine charges of unlawfully assuming the designation of a detective. Accused pleaded guilty. Detective O'Sullivan said lie interviewed licensed on November llth. Accused then admitted that he had visited the (trey Lynn. Devonporl. Klh'islic and Penrose districts. He would go into chemists’, grocers’ and Chinese fruiterers’ shops and inform the man behind the counter that lie was a detective who was inquiring into the theft ol f'l notes from a city hotel, lie would then ask leave to inspect several notes, and would remark: “This is one of them,” afterwards putting a mark on il and placing it safely in his pocket, lie would then turn hack the lapel of his coat and display a “detective’s badge” to the unsuspecting shop-keep-er. Oil one occasion accused was ushered into 11 io back room ol an Epsom shop, where lie was given the sum of £7O in notes to look over. He took awav a L'l note and also a £■> note.

Chief Detective Cummings produced accused's list, which showed several convictions for tlielT since 1021. “TL is a serious matter for a man to go round posing as a detective and preying on shop-keepers in this manner,” added Chief Detective Cummings. Accused: T was under (lie inlluenee of liquor and did not know what I was doing. Sir. Air l’oynton, S.AL: Oil, that's all bosh. A'ou are a menace to the public and will have to he put away for a long stretch. You will Is’ sentenced on one charge to six months’ imprisonment. to be followed by two years’ reformative treatment.