IT WENT DOWN

NZ Truth, Issue 1184, 9 August 1928, Page 7

IT WENT DOWN

-'■"■■ .— — ♦ — '— The Tale Hulm^ Told The Tailor

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Putaruru Rep.) *j When Robert Hulme was brought _ .'■; ' out -to New /Zealand from th» vT : great Lancashire coalr, centre, Wigan, by the Salvation Army, two years ago, he was given a chance' to make good. : '. THIS lie ignored, as lie also flout? 4 1 the leniency, ot thejcovrt -6n Jbjiro occasions. ;He is now, however, m safe custody • where he -will be unable to impose on the public for at least the next two years. . !/ The Salvation Army has a training farm at Putaruru, on which they place . boy • /emigrants to ': train them m farming occupations., f .-^ '; ' There is no compulsion on the boys to^stay there, but they invariably do so until they have accumulated enough money out of their small weekly wages arid Sufficient experience to find a job . elsewhere. ' I , When, Robert Huline landed here, he was: seventeen years of age. That wasv^wo. years ago. . ■ He: did not remain very long , with-, theV Army, but found employ'.ment.with'different farmers around ■': PUtaruru^P- ■ ' ■ ;'••■'■;' ' . \ Inr'Aiiicklandj early this year, he landed himself 'Mn the hands of the p6li<ie*f6r' theft, when the bench took N a lenient view of the case and admitted; him to probation for twelve months* '■■' - ; He failed to profit by this treatment, however, for a little over a month ago he was m trouble again, this time at Rptorua, where a further act of dishonesty brought him before the court again, when he was given another chance to ' make 'good by a further term ..of probation. Apparently the young immigrant cannot run straight, for since his appearance before the 'Rotorua court he had, stolen a number of cheque-forms from Mrs. Roberts' tea-rooms at Putaruru, filled them m and, cashed them. , j IVTOSIC SA^OHARMS: Some time agb v :Hiilffie^7as a patient m the Waikatb' Hospital.- On his discharge, the local Sunshine League fitted him out with a suit of clothes, conditional on his .paying., back the cost, by instalments.: JiVl'^n^S - Hulme recently- calied;~at the tailor's shop where he had obtained the suit ." and tendered a' cheque for £7 10s.# i telling": thevtailor t6Mke but v of it' £2 - ; as an instalment and -10/- which the • tailor had advanced: ! him. *He was / handed £5 change.. v ' • Hulme then went along, to a ■ music shop and purchased a gramophone, paying a deposit of £1. . He fater called at the shop With a :' cheque for £10, and, adopting the ', procedure, asked the assistant to take out an instalment . , y of £2. He received on this occa- ', sion £8 10s. change. ' ' ; '::.; Quite a - simple : and successful method of finance, far easier, he doubtless' thought, than having to slave for thirty bob a week on a farm. Encouraged by his success, he . cashed two "further cheques - for £10 10s. each. . v ■ '■ .'• „ , Obviously this get-rich-quick game ; \ could riot continue for ever, however, . j and Hulnie found himself again before V the court at Hamilton lasfweek, when * he pleaded guilty to four charges of > obtaining money by means' of valueless * cheques. ;■'/'.■: . .;:, . ',. M '^.;^l,., : ,;r^-.^,: 7' Magistrate Platts expressed surprise .•: at the" apparent ease with -which the * ybiith had.: b^een: able'^to' ?pa*ss . the cheques. ! . " J : - Hulme had been. given every chance :\ to become:: a decent meriiber of society,.^ but had ignored ' the leniency shown " him! . ■■." .. : : The only thing, therefore,' was to in«-t fllct a term of detention. He was sent! to Borstal f6r two years. -. ; §