HOW HE NIPPED

NZ Truth, Issue 1202, 13 December 1928, Page 10

HO W HE NIPPED

Spread Himself Well

Fraudulent Tricks

Joyce Could A Tale Unfold And Did, With Profit, Until Caught PLAUSIBLE IMPOSTOR'S CAREER (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Dunedin Representative). , Epitome of the vicissitudinous life of Selwyn Joyce. — Exwarrior against Maori uprisings; ex-lieutenant of Her Majesty's Forces m the Boer War; ex-officer Canadian Highlanders and later New Zealand soldier during the Greati War; one-time journalist for periods with London "Daily Telegraph," Toronto "Evening Telegram," New York "Times," "Australasian Trade Journal," a Port Pirie (South Australia) newspaper and Mexico correspondent for the "Dallas Times"; Art! Director for films; officer on the Sydney repatriation staff, and an employee of N.Z. United Political Party.

THIS varied career, embellished with a few fictitious billets with such firms as Goldberg's Advertising Agency, Wellington, the Christchuch "Sun" and the Wellington "Evening Post," neatly topped- off with the genuine information that he is a son of a late member of Parliament, formed the self-eulogistic spoon- with which "Joyce has skimmed the cream from credulous people when he has been short of cash. No doubt details of. these chapters, so closely crammed into the . 4G years of Selwyn Joyce's career, have been poured into the ears of many New Zealand citizens since his reappearance m Auckland from Australia on the good ship "Ulimaroa" last February. Other chapters, however, which complete the biography of this veteran of three battle grounds and gladiator of the Inky Way m many countries, were left to go green within the bindings of the crimes records of Australia. They tell of some very dark passages m the wanderings of a worldling who seems to have changed his name as he would a soiled shirt! Joyce has a very interesting history, as many people now know to their sorrow, but there are phases m his life which even he cannot bear to hear revised before the public. At the Dunedin Police Court last week he refused to commit himself when Chief-detective Cameron asked him to peruse a list of crimes credited to a man who is well-known to the Australian police. The official photograph accompanying the records, however, convinced Magistrate Bartholomew that the Selwyn Joyce m the dock pleading . guilty to a number of charg-es of false pretences was no other than Selwyn Joyce, alias Samuel Joyce and John Ward, oid 'friend of the New South Wales police; i and John Joyce, alias Blannerhassett, Foley, Rees, Field, Hazlett, Kirkpatrick and McCorqudale, similarly acquainted with the law m Western Australia. As recently as April, 1927, m Fremantle, Joyce received three months' hard labor on each of three charges of "fraudulent tricks/'^the sentence to be concurrent with twelve months' imprisonment he had been given three weeks previously at Perth on four similar offences. Prior to 1 that, he received terms of hard labor on nine charges of false pretences m Sydney and Redfern m July, 1926. Later, m Sydney, he was arraigned for assaulting a female, and was ordered to keep the peace for six months on a surety of £20, or one month's gaol. In outlining the charges preferred against Joyce, for whom Lawyer Ciaude White appeared, the chiefdetective stated that Joyce was a native of New Zealand and formerly a journalist by occupation. After a long absence, accused returned to New Zealand from Western Australia last February, landing m Auckland on the "Ulimaroa." On his way down country he called at Te Awamutu and got £5 from a man named' Armstrong to whom he gave an 1.0. U. ■ Thence he went to Christchurch where he obtained £3 from' a George Witty on the representation that he wanted his fare for himself and his wife to Wellington, where a position awaited him with the Goldberg Advertising Agency. '

On the same day he collected £ 6 from a, man named Chapman by falsely claiming: that his brother-in-law owed him money but had not sent it as arranged. Next, on April 30, he received £4 from William Sylvester Lamb, stating that he had a job with the Goldberg firm. On March 29, Joyce approached an old lady m Linwood who had been a friend of his parents before their deaths. He asked for £3, but as she had only £1 m the house that was alt she was able to lend. ' Joyce had stated to the lady that he was getting £20 on an insurance policy. In the following month he received £ 4 from William Sylvester . Lamb by stating that he had a job with the Goldberg firm. On May 21, Joyce called on Chiiman, of Wellington, and informed him that he had been to the war with his son. Accused represented that he had just arrived from Australia on the "Maunganui" and wanted £3 12s. to pay for ferry fares for wife and son. Later, he visited the Rev. James Thomas Pinfold, a well-known social worker m Wellington, and asked for £ 3 12s. Gd. for ferry fares as he had a position to take up on the Ctiristchurch "Sun." The amount was handed over. From J. McCombs, M.P., Joyce obtained £2 12s. on June 26. Thence he journeyed to Timaru, where a wellknown harbor officer fell for a sum of £ 3 on a "hard-up story." Joyce made his appearance m Dunedin about September 12, and drew first blood of £3 from the pocket of a wellknown citizen on the strength of a tale that he had only 7%d. m the world. He then turned his attention to South African War veterans. By pitching a tale about a remittance from an insurance policy, the old soldier duped George Alfred Orange, of Green Island, for £3. Joyce had then said he was staying, at the Leviathan Hotel, when actually he was residing at Mosgiel with his wife. Then came £3 from Thomas Henry Moxford, another S.A. veteran. This, said the prosecuting officer, had been accomplished by a plausible story which so appealed to M oxford's wife that she handed out one pound more than the man had asked for.

The story was about a £10 a week job, awaiting him on the staff of the Wellington "Evening Post," and an advance of £300 on an insurance policy. To wind things up, Joyce £2

out of Albert Manuel Harris to whom he advanced the information that he had just arrived from Australia on a tramp-steamer, and -was anxious to reach Wellington and tho "Evening 1 Post" newspaper. He also stated that he had money m the post office, but the day being Saturday, he could not draw on his account. Some of the instances mentioned, said the chief-detective, were not itemized m the charge-sheet. "He is a plausible impostor," declared the police officer, m handing m Joyce's record, which, on his counsel's advice, accused refused to identify. It was intimated by Detective Cameron that finger-print evidence could be brought from Wellington to establish the identity of accused. In pleading on behalf of the accused, Lawyer White reminded the court that cases mentioned by the chief-detective which were not on the charge-sheet must be -discounted. "Most of his stories have been - of the 'hard-up' order f and that has been more or less true," counsel said. "In one or two cases there is a doubt as to whether they constitute false pretences, but m view of the number of charges against him, he has pleaded guilty and thus saved the country a deal of expense m calling witnesses from all over the place." Counsel reviewed Joyce's life from the time when, as the very youthful son of a well-known Otago family, he joined up with the N.Z. Permanent Forces, and was on service against the Maoris m the last Rawene rising. Joyce sailed to the Boer War with the first contingent to leave these shores. He returned to New Zealand, and reappeared m the fighting: area with a commission m ] the Seventh Contingent. When he finally returned home after seeing action m most of the major engagements, he was faced with a brokenup home and the news of both parents' deaths. Joyce sought solace and livelihood abroad, and obtained a reportership with the London "Dally Telegraph"; thence to the "Evening Telegram," of Toronto; a,nd then to the New York "Times." When the Great War broke out, accused was doing correspondence work m Mexico for the "Dallas Times." The call to arms saw him breasting the offices of the British Consul m New York with a view to offering his services with the Imperial Army. He was sent to London, where he was offered, but refused, a commission m a Burma garrison force. Returning to Canada, he received a commission and was for some time engaged on an instructional staff until 600 officers were put off oh' leave without pay. Joyce made tracks for his homeland m time to join up with the 30th reinforcements. Reaching the western front, he was gassed on the Somme m 1918, and returned to Australia. In Sydney he was employed by the ! repatriation office, and then went on to j the staff of the "Australian Trade Journal." Later, he was given a position on his uncle's newspaper m Port Plrie, South Australia. Afterwards he held a job as art-director for the Union Theatres of Australia Films, Ltd. Meanwhile he had suffered a severe _, financial loss through the fraudulent bankruptcy of a lawyer, and had since fallen on "evil days."

Early m the present year he married, and his wife spoke highly of his care and treatment of her.

Except for a brief period of employment with the United Political Party, Joyce had been unable to find work, though he had searched diligently m both islands since coming to New Zealand. Counsel said that Joyce and his wife had not, as usually attended such offences, lived m an extravagant manner. On the other hand, he Had stayed only at the cheapest hotels, and all that he had obtained had been devoted to the maintenance of himself and wife. "He seems to have spread himself well over New Zealand for the purpose of getting a longer run for his fraudulent means of living," observed the S.M., m sentencing Joyce to six months' hard labor. Joyce's activities m Dunedin created a mild sensation among South African Wai- veterans — a fraternity which is characterized by its stout bonds of old-comrades-in-arms friendship. The caddish manner m which this impostor Avas groping his way into the pockets of old soldiers was known to the staff of this newspaper, and when it became known that Joyce had stooped to the despicable depth of worming £ 3 from a working man with a family of eight children, steps were taken to give a public warning of his methods of victimizing Lads of the Old Brigades. Joyce's arrest, however, relieved "Truth" of this duty to the public.