SHE HAD TO HAVE MUSIC

NZ Truth, Issue 1214, 7 March 1929, Page 2

SHE HAD TO HAVE MUSIC

Woman Sets The Tune, But Now Must Pay The Piper COUPLE GAOLED FOR FRAUD

"* (From "N.Z. Truth's" Invercargill Representative.)

It is not every day m the week that Invercargill business people meet such extravagant spendthrifts as Jamesena Yeads Craig Rosa Roberston Spiers, and it. is' just as well for Invercargill. With her alleged "husband," Henry Hailey McNally, the lady: with the redundance of baptismal names arrived, m the Southland city a few weeks ago. Their- assets then were a wealth of plausibility and a cheque-book. Nevertheless, they found plenty of business-men ready to sit up and take notice of a cheque written with a flourish and three figures.

\X7ITH the story that she was a wo- * 'man of some substance. and possessed of acres rich and wide, she managed to fool an Invercargill landagent, of whom she made a catspaw for gaining her the confidence of other firms. Posing as "Mr. and Mrs. McNally," she and McNally made it their .business to become acquainted with' '.the sales-manager of several firms., on whom they made quite an impression. A cheque for £100 was nothing to these two adventurers, who placed orders largesse. , In a very short time they "spent" nearly £500; always remembering to fill in their cheques for a'few pounds more than the actual amount of purchasg. . „ •'*' Thus it was that several firms ■ were duped for goods and cash „: which amounted to £115/10/6. 1 Deteptive-sergeant Hewitt and • .. Detective Le Sueur were given the \ task of picking up the "McNally" She Collapsed trail. In less than 24 hours -the spendthrifts were located, in Gore. » On four charges of obtaining credit by false pretences and issuing valueless cheques, the two accused pleaded guilty 1 " in the lower court, diirtag which proceedings the female accused collapsed and had .to be carried out of court. When the couple arrived in Invercargill, ' they approached James Tweedie .Wilson, a land-agent, and asked him if he knew a Mr. Campbell, of Wyndham. The female accused, who appears to have acted as. spokeswoman, represented that, lor health reasons, she wished to reside in Southland, and would like to see some properties. She was given a temporary lease of a room in Dee Street, and subsequently both she and McNally signed up an agreement to purchase a certain dwelling. ■ The woman told' Wilson that she owned an un-mortgaged farm and. another property in Palmerston. At her request, the land-agent took the pair round and introduced them

to William Strang, of W. Strang & Co., m whose premises the woman selected elaborate furniture amounting to £230, and for which a cheque for £240 was tendered. The sum of £10 m change was then handed to her. ,

So impressed was Strang wit£ the woman's attitude that as he told the magistrate, he thought that she was a "keen buyer and a good business woman." Still ,in the* capacity of obligingguide and general business agent, Wilson next took the couple along to the Bristol Piano Company, as the woman had said she "must have- music in the house." There they were introduced to Arthur Hore, manager, and a £150 play-er-pian,o and a portable gramophone, valued at £11/10/- was, earmarked and placed aside for her. A cheque for £170 was tendered, and the woman and her silent "husband" later pocketed another £4/4/cash, paid to them as change. Next came the question of draperies and clothes, so Spiers and McNally were taken round to make the acquaintance of Robin Thomson, of the firm of Thomson and Beattie. Work On Wharf i At this* establishment goods to the value of £85/10/6. were purchased and paid for by cheque. Prior to their . operations in Invercargill, the two accused had boarded with Catherine Crawford, of Bluff, from" January 29, to February 7. Their boarding bill, amounting to £2/5/-, wasi paid by .valueless cheque.- » In her evidence, Mrs. Crawford stated that it appeared to her very peculiar when McNally took work for a day on the wharf, af tec the woman had spoken to her about owning a farm. When the accused appeared for sentence later in the Supreme Court, Mr. Smith, their counsel, mentioned that McNally was an ex-Imperial Service man who had served in the Chinese Rebellion and the Great War. He came to New Zealand about eight years ago, and recently found it hard to get work. Meeting the female accused, McNally had become infatuated with her. His Honor, Mr. Justice MacGregor, sentenced each of them to 12 months' imprisonment. "