A SPEED FIEND Milestones On Road To Prison

NZ Truth, Issue 1183, 2 August 1928, Page 7

A SPEED FIEND Milestones On Road To Prison

JCProm . "N.Z. Truth's" Christchurch Rep.) There was nothing to indicate that Joseph Andrew Barron, of Christchurch, was a son of Erin's Isle, but he sure loved the murphies; Barren's weakness is the humble spud, not so much as an article of diet, but as something ' which could readily be converted into hard Cash.- • . POTATOES, as many as he could lay f * his hands on!. Such was Barron's "way of, .living on Easy Street, but for the next twelve months the only acquaintance he will have with the vegetable will be at meal times m Paßarua prison, for there he has been sent by Magistrate Mosley on five charges of false pretences. ' ; • .- When it came to, potatoes, Barron j certainly knew his onions, but he was 'too anxious about the business and was bowled out. j However, he had quite an inter- . esting time while the going was good and his tale held. ' Hi's method was to pose as a man of ' parts. He . approached .. various spud merchants m various roles. He alternately assumed the .character of a storekeeper, an employee of the gasworks, a pig-farmer and a sewage contractor. " ■ ■ ■ And he got away with the spuds on the strength of his plausible tongue. and convincing acting. THE GUIDING HAND He lost no time m selling the potatoes and as quickly spent the cash, although where it went the police could not say. AH they knew was that Barron's victims had to whistle, not only for the epuds, but for their money as well. , The amount all told ran into £4ff. Sub-inspector J. Fitzpatrlck drew attention to a list of previous 'convictions which Barron had acquired. His criminal record began as far back as 1913, while m 1926 he had been before- the court on charges similar to the present case. . Lawyer D. W. Russell put up a good defence for the erring one, pointing out that it was significant Barron had not been m trouble from 1921 until his Offence m 1926. i The fact that he had married had helped, him, but recently his, wife had been m hospital and he had not had her guiding hand to keep him straight. ,' Magistrate Mosley commented that Barron's list extended over a lengthy 'period as far back 'as 1913. He had already been granted probation" and had i other convictions for theft. He had been leniently dealt with In the past and toad been given repeated chances. On one charge he was sentenced to 12 months' hard lablor and on theothers to various terms totalling 12 months, the sentences to be concurrent.