VERNON HAD TAKING WAYS

NZ Truth, Issue 1190, 20 September 1928, Page 9

VERNON HAD TAKING WAYS

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative.) IT may be thought that Robert Vernon took on a tough proposition when he commenced taking down various solicitors, but he got away with it. He fell down m his bluff a few months ago and now has six months m which to think of the time he had for about three years as a bogus land agent, for Robert is now m gaol. He osrtainly had an original soheme for extracting the hard-earned cash from members of the legal profession. Bogus Bob told the solicitors he selected as easy marks that he had sold, or was about to sell, farms, and would arrange with them to do the necessary legal work. There was always the matter of his expenses, however, and he would borrow a fiver or so from the, man he had given the business to. He also took care to change his name each time he worked the deal. It was no doubt a successful scheme, for a while, but his system, like many others hatched, to provide easy money, let him down. "Four times he has been before the court, and four times he has been extended leniency," said Magistrate Hunt when accused mentioned that he had a job to go to and if given a chance would make good. He was convicted and discharged on one charge of false pretenoes, but on the other he was detained for the period mentioned.