IMPECUNIOUS, WHAT!

NZ Truth, Issue 1149, 8 December 1927, Page 10

IMPECUNIOUS, WHAT!

Interested In £300,000, Yet No "Visible Means"

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Wellington Representative,)

TT seems a mighty big jump from vagrancy m a New Zealand town to nobility m England, nevertheless James Davenport essayed it — m imagination. He claims relationship to the Duchess of "Warwick and says he is vitally interested m trust moneys on the other side of the world to the tune of something like £300,000.

THE accused, Davenport, tall, rawboned, unkempt and idle, has

several convictions of one sort and another against his name on the police files of New Zealand.

Last week he added another to them when he was found guilty by Magistrate Page, m Wellington, of being 'a rogue and a vagabond m that he had no visible means of support.

Davenport Is now sojourning In one of His Majesty's prisons for a period of twelve months at the order of th« bench.

No doubt the Duchess would not be very flattered with a knowledge of the man who claims relationship, but it is quite possible that James' pride rises with his own flattering assumption that he has a wee drop of Royal blood m his veins.

He says he is a seaman by occupation, but for nearly twelve months he has failed to answer the stirring call of the salty sea.

It is his ambition, however, to take ship back to the land of his ancestors and there take a more lively interest, which a closer scrutiny permits, of that £300,000.

No more would James go hungry, unshaven and unwashed, through lack of necessary coin of

the realm to Indulge

m these luxuries,

With a fair slice of this tidy sum at

Home which he has

his eyes upon

could brush up, dine at the club and be the perfect gentleman about town.

How much better than to suffer th© ignominy of having suspicious constables telling him to move on, prying into his private affairs, his means of livelihood or "private" means. It must be very demeaning to have to admit that you have put m a day's work gardening about a week ago.

But it is harder still, not to be believed and having a doubting limb of the law ask who was the gracious employer who provided the' garden.

And for one to rise m open court and tell the world that he had never known you to do a day's work! That surely would be a slight to your Royal lineage — if you were such an one as James Davenport.

When James faced Magistrate Page m Wellington charged with his offence he pleaded not guilty — as one of his heritage undoubtedly would feel disposed to do — through the instrumentality of Lawyer J. F. R. Wallace. James maintained a stony silence during the time the facts were placed before the bench — he left all the talking to his legal man.

A detective said James used to stay at the Army Hostel, but he never paid his way.

He used to creep In late at night and do the vanishing trick early m the morning to avoid payment.

He had been placed with the Army Home at Miramar for three months,

Unemployed

but since then had done no work. On two other occasions he had faced the bench on similar charges to the present one, but he had been fortunate ln seeing the evidence insufficient to convict him.

Lawyer Wallace told the man of the law he -was only talking hearsay as he wasn't bringing evidence to sustain the charge of omitting to pay for board. Jamea, with the regal ancestry, he said he knew for a fact had been staying at a boarding-house m town; he had seen him near there himself; and what was more, he was always washed and shaved.

He was related to the Duchess of Warwick, said Lawyer Wallace, and wanted to get a boat Home because he was interested m trust

money to the extent of £300,000.

James is evidently a menace to women and children, for evidence, or rather statements by police officers, went to show that he frequented certain places m the city and suburbs where children might go.

The chief detective said James was fond of going round the houses where he frightened the women and children. In his mind, James was not sound mentally. Lawyer Wallace explained this away by the fact that James went round

looking

1 and before he asked for a job he liked to have a look at the garden.

Possibly he wanted to see if it was really worth attending to by HIS hands?

The bench didn't seem impressed with James' tale of Royal descent, nor would it give him a chance — not yet at any rate — of going home to get a look at that tidy sum.

In the S.M.s opinion, James was a vagrant and the charge of being a rogue and a vagabond had been amply proved by the numerous police witnesses who had accosted the wandering James at all hours of the day and night.

The police regarded him as dangerous to children, his conduct at the Army Home had not been satisfactory and he had already served a term of imprisonment for an indecent offence.

The only time when James condescended to speak was when the bench handed out twelve months and then he wished to say a word or two, but he was promptly cut short by the court orderly and had to stand down.

After his period of detention is expired, no doubt James will — if the energy and the inspiration still hold good — take a boat and return to the bosom of his noble relations.

Perhaps he cherishes the fond hope he will be received with open arms and under the soothing influence of better times pour out the romantic story of his sojourn under the southern cross his experiences, privations and hard treatment at the hands of the men m blue.