STRANGE STORY OF FALSE PRETENCES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1939, 13 February 1919, Page 3

STRANGE STORY OF FALSE PRETENCES.

Christchurch, Feb. 12

An amazing story of credulity was told at the Supreme Court: before Air Justice Herdman To-day. Arthur Patrick McGuire was charged with consph’ing by deceit and by means of false representation to obtain money from William John Cuppies by falsely representing that Cecil McCullough was a delectiv,* named Lewis, and Frederick John Wormald was a detective named Jamieson, and by obtaining £194 by this means from Guppies by representing that they were securing (he release of Lizzie Hines from Mount Mngdala Home. McGuire, McCullough, and Wormald were also charged alternately with conspiracy together. The two Ih'sKuamed pleaded not guilty, and Wormald pleaded guilty. : The evidence showed that Cuppies, while working at the institution, became infatuated with the girl and set about getting her away from the homo. He enlisted the services of McGuire, who subsequently said he had decided on employing two detectives who would obtain the release of the girl. By various statements they obtained £19.1 from him, but as they did not obtain the release of the girl he became suspicious and consulted a lawyer, with the result that the accused were arrested.

Wormald, in his evidence,, said dial McGuire told him he had “a fair dinkum mug,” and was going to take Guppies down for some money. The jury, after a retirement of sixteen minutes, returned a verdict of guilty against McGuire and McCullough, with a recommendation for leniency in regard to die latter. Sentence was deferred.