IN SOCIETY

NZ Truth, Issue 1215, 14 March 1929, Page 4

IN SOCIETY

Had Big Ideas Of Things girl'sllapse

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Christchurch Rep.) ;■••■■ : She was only a farmer's daughter, 1 but she had clever ideas on ; the question of;, separating other people from portions of their pro--. :. •..perty. ' Mary 'L'unanJ aged tender / 20, who came out of the Borstal,; f last September, will now have to, ; pay the penalty of her errors. , ■'' \- J7QR two years she must remain m the care of, the Salvation Army Home at Christchurch. It is her chance to reform, to overcome the influence that led her to tell a trusting woman shopkeeper that she was a friend of Lady Rhodes, of Tai

Tapu and that she was going to marry a leading doctor, all of which resulted In her obtaining goods to the value | of. £29/7/-. Needless to say, she did not pay for these things; on the contrary, she was cool enough' to approach the shopkeeper again and ask if. she could have further goods to the value of £129. The owner of the shop was Vera Bustin, who, m the first instance, was entirely deceived by the pleasant appearance and tasteful attire of the plausible Mary Lunan. Her bogus claims of a position m society, were . related to Mr. Mosley, S.M., when the girl, pleaded guilty, to the charge that, on. February 35, with intent to defraud, she obtained from Vera Bustin goods ..to the value of ■£29/7/-, by means of the false pretence that she lived: at 97, \ Bealey Avenue: and knew Lady Rhodes. -._.. .■-,;•'■ •• ■ • '„-■;■ '■ • ' •• Well-dresE<ed and sufficiently . assured of bearing; she' told Vera Bustin that she was the daughter of a Dunedjn doctor, and was pre? paring for her marriage with an- . other leading medical man. She obtained the goods she selected on ..the.' well-known approval system, and let the shopkeeper understand that she was dealing with a young woman- well and favorably known to Lady Rhodes. ' - . -,•.'•! In the course of general conr ; versation, she represented , that ' Lady. Rhodes was giving her; one V "■ of i those/ China afternoons which are occasions similar to kitchen • ; evenings and linen mornings. It was. rather awkward, m a way, • for she arid her husband-to-be ■■■'■, were, planning to go to 'the. Old .■•.'■ .Country for their ."''■honeymoon— v she said." .Instead, -she went tp- , -Court.- : ; ■ ■'■-'•■ - >y - ,'■■'':' ;-'..' ■•.; v: But all things come, to an end. As Chief-Detective Carroll observed, the girl was "rather a problem." ■; Her ap-: pearance, he pointed but, was .very respectable. He thought it would be: as well, if she were sent a^ay ' f or; a time, as she seemed impossible to deal with/:;; .■■.••".<■■'•■ ;■ , ; ■-' - ; ' ■-;/;■'.;.■,':.•■ ■■', Mi*.- • Murchison,. who appeared for the girl said her-; people were, very respectable." He : :'knew- them m his •professional capacity. . ••■■■'■;;- She was' convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called on at anytime m the space of two. years; the condition being that she stayed at the Home tor that period.