IMPUDENT IMPOSTORS.

NZ Truth, Issue 145, 28 March 1908, Page 5

IMPUDENT IMPOSTORS.

A GROSS CARICATURE OF TWO

Twelve Months for Impersonation

The simple person who comes m from the country is at a disadvantage when pitted against > the " razorlike" wits of the. city crook, and it is double-distilled lunacy for . him' to put- a beer, .into his mouth to steal a/^ay his rustic intellect. He is li- , to pick up some ' questionable friends white m a drinky condition. , is what Gordon • Harvey did re-cently-when he left his wife and family m Ohoka. and came ,to Christ- : ctgLitcli to see a. man. about .a whteky. Harold- Williams and , Alfred Qenet are persons of tiie beerrtouinming perjsuasion; who acquire -a dishonest crust by going through the casual jdrunk, so that when abeer-inflamed ,Harvey loomed . over ; the horizon .each brutal battler said vipiently to himself, : ''He's ' Jr^neM' I j The ,Ohoka laborer probably jtold. his. life .'. history m ten minutes, beers,^. and _ dpubtless ; hinted ; that' his missus didn't, know ;he was m .Christchurch. He -certain-ly /did;^enMpn that* he 'had a sister ,'jjx '.the city^ kno.wn as' Mrs MaHon I^t^ray, wlip resides at 23 Holly-rioad,/ S.t. A-lbans; .. This lady -was, imn^efl-iately , marked! as, 'a victina, and,' assuming the role of detectives, the criminal couple visited the bouse. Genet experimented, by iniquiriilg if Mrs" Mitcheir ;iived there, "aiid found 'that Harvey 1 was on the jHramis^ es." He then mentioned that he was ■that notibie criminal detector,, Ward, 'and introduced his friend William as 'Tec. Bishop. ' The impersonation was a ; terrific libel on both Bisbop^ and -Ward, as granite could -be broken with comfort on the concrete dials of the 'impostors. PixHig a severe eye oh the woman, they demanded mr Jbrother;- who was wanted for wife desertion. • •■ ■ Genet remarked, sicnifithat a lot of trouble would be obyiaited if she were . TO HANO OVER A FIVEJI; : She explained, tearfully, that' she had only 8s m. the house, but "could 1 Write a chejque for £2: This was accepted on kccouriifc ' f or Mrs Harvey, Who wtis Alleged to. be at the Police Station. . Haxvey came on the scene somewhere hereabouts, and though mentally irresponsible from the effect pfmany beers/had suffioient brain high and dry m the flood of alcohol to demand, the warrant of the pseudo' Ws. This couldn't be produced, but Geneif fumbled with a pocket-book (subsequently identified) m search of his card, which persisted m remaining invisible, and, under pressure by Mrs Rattray, he handed her back her cheque, but retained the 8s by an bversight. Williams and Genet then arrested man, and took him m tbedirectkm of the Carlton pub, whicli the victim entered for the purpose of ; ' identifying his ' captors. They made themselves scarce, however, and when arrested by 'Tec. Gibson sutosequently. denied -being near the St.. Mbans house. In sentencing the temporary cops .to twelve months m seclusion, with laborious physical exercise, Beak Bishop remarked, "To mv mind, it is a most, impudent- and^dangerous imposture.?' Mrs Rattrayis to be refunded her silver out. of 10s found on Genet.