FALSE PRETENCES

Hokitika Guardian, 23 January 1931, Page 2

FALSE PRETENCES

MONEY FROM PATRIOTIC ORGANISATIONS.

INVERCARGILL, January 21

“This is one of the finest cases of bluff 1 have ever heard o',” said Detective Hewitt in the Police Court this morning when outlining a charge ut false pretences against Frederick Alexander Daniel Eraser, a labourer, oi Invercargill, who admitted obtaining a total sum of L'lo2 from various

patriotic organisations by posing as a returned soldier. Tile societies affected wore the F<‘ihliug Petri tie S cicty, the N. tional War Funds Council, and the Southland War Funds Association, ilie bulk of the money having been extorted from the Fcilding Patriotic Society. A reused pleaded guilty and elect-(I to be dealt with suminaiilv.

1) ■tective Hewitt said the case presented rather unusual features. Two or three years ago accused met with an accident and lost an arm, as a result- of which he conceived the idea of posing as a returned soldier. Ho had approached the various patriotic soci- ti s I'm* assistance, and ’had answered all questions regarding his dates of eiiiislment and service to the satisfaction of the officials apph>a(.4ied. Eventually the suspicions o; file local Returned Soldiers’ Association were arous'd. Accused had given information concerning the dates of Ids enlistment, his entry into camp, and his sailing from New Zealand, and by a strange coincidence had said he was a member of* a certain reinforcement which the detective had seen sail from Wellington, the date mentioned tallying exactly with the detective’s recollection. Accused also named comrades, who. lie said, had served with him. The file had been sent to (he North Island and it was there that the falseness of accused’s story was proven.

Accused made a statement to flic Court that lie had 1(1 operations since lie lost an arm and his wife had liceii in hospital twice. He had found it impossible to obtain work. The Alagistrato remanded accused in custody until to-morrow, in order to obtain a report from the Probation Officer.