SHOWMAN GAOLED

Hokitika Guardian, 24 June 1932, Page 3

SHOWMAN GAOLED

SERIES OF FRAUDS.

HOSPITAL IMPOSED ON

WANGANUI, -June 20

Charged with having imposed on tin Wanganui Hospital Board bv false \ representing that be was a mari-ie man residing at Wilson Street, therein obtaining a railway ticket valued at £2 5s 6ii, John Valentine Proctor '«is sentenced to six mon-dis - imprisonment, at. the Police Court to-day. On a charge of having stolen an overcoat and ha-, valued at £6, he was remanded to New loymoiith. On a further charge oi hiiving obtained board and lodgings t,i the amount of £55 13s 4d for hinimli and wife and child by fraud, Proctoi was sentenced ):o lour inlontlis im-priisonnie-nt, and on charges of obtaining money by falsely representing tied •ho could get money by the “ale of his wife’s -property' at Stanley Bay, Auckland he was convicted -and discharged.

Deboeti vje Walsh said that Proctor arrived in Wanganui on April 8, accompanied by his wife and child, and put up at a local hotel, where he staved until May 26. Accused represented to the proprietor that his wile load just disposed of -property in Auckland, ‘arid that they were" waiting for the money. OfT May 24 lie made a -further representation ’that there was .some hitch, and he asked for £5 to go to Auckland. On May 26 lie went to the Hospital and ’Charitable Aid Board and represented that, he was a married mail hard np against it, and that he had prospects of getting work at Hamilton.

-■He is a- ishowman by occupation.' said Detective Wai'sh. “There nr t . two classes of showman ; the one class i« c,‘-npr>M , d of decent citizen.', and the other- type that can only b t > described as confidence men and 'spielers.’ This man is among the latter. He went to the Wlwngarei Show, and it was more than coineijderice that the Hanii'.t.on Winter Show was on when he obtained a ticket from the- Hospital Board. The hoard i.s hard up against it at the pr ..s -ut time, ii'-sisfitlg local cases of distress, and c-amint afford to be taken down by men of this kind. Proctor lias (hive previous convictions."