A CHARITY IMPOSTER.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1309, 14 April 1883, Page 4

A CHARITY IMPOSTER.

Ax impudent charity swindler says the XK Times has been brought to book in Wellington. ANorwegirn named Peter Johnson, alios Jansen, was yesterday brought up at the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, before Mr Hardcastle, charged with imposing on the Wellington Benevolent InstKution by falsely pretending that he was destitute, with a view of obtaining money. Prisoner being asked how he pleaded, was at first rather deaf ;but improved in his hearing ..and said ; “Just as well say guilty, I suppose ’ Mr Hardcastle s I shall require soma evidence of the false representations. A. G. Johnson, secretary to the.institution* said the prisoner was visited at his home in December, and his wife being very ill the prisoner stated he could not procure necesear- - les for her ; that the little money they had saved was all gone during the sickness, and they were destitute. The case then came before the committee, was allowed £1 a week. This money the prisoner called for regulary until February. In that month, the secretary followed the prisoner into the Post Office Savings Bank, and, standing behind him, saw the prisoner draw ont some five or six notes and some silver. W’hen the prisoner turned to go and saw the officer, he made a rapid bolt. But the prisoner turned up on ■ the usual pay day after that, and claimed his pound as it nothing had happened. These tacts being reported, the Colonial Secretary (through whom the funds are supplied) ordered a prosecution, Magistrates Have you (prisoner) any* questions to ask the witness ? Prisoner; No. Magistrate : That evidence will suffice, as he has pleaded guilty. You are sentenced to one month’s hard labor. It should be added to the above that the case would have appeared far worse if all the witnesses present had been called on; bi!t this full exposure was prevented by the witness pleading guilty. It appears that the prisoner is an idle loafer; that his wife has been a hard-working washerwoman, but died while this impotture was going on ; that several neighbors and charitable ladies had bean imposed on for a long time by the prisoner’s professions of extreme poverty and hardship; that he often got drunk, and brought on epileptic fits j and that ho used to boast in a sly way of his success in imposing on the secretary to the Benevolent Institution and • on others, while all the time he said he had £2O in the Saving's Bank.