"Mother Dying; I Want to Go to Her!"

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 32, 30 April 1927, Page 1

"Mother Dying; I Want to Go to Her!"

A CONTEMPTIBLE TRICK SIX MONTHS FOR IMPOSTOR A poorly-clad, unkempt and sadfaced man stood on the doorstep twirling his hat nervously in his fingers and looking a picture of misery. It was a sad tale that he had just told the sympathetic householder. He had no money and his mother lay dying at Cambridge. He would do anything in the world just to see her before . His voice broke and there were tears in his eyes. “Poor fellow, here’s a pound, go and see your mother,” and pressing a note into his hand the sympathetic one guided him gently out of the gate. Not far away dwelt another possessor of a sympathetic heart, who likewise was touched by the sad story —sadder if anything than before —for his mother was dead this time —and handed the sad-faced one another pound note. In the course of a month or so five sympathetic people gave him his fare to Cambridge, and their blessing. The scene of his mother’s death had moved to Palmerston North by this time, but still he tarried in Auckland. This morning a poorly clad, unkempt, and sad-faced man stood in the dock at the Police Court, nervously twirling his hat in his fingers, and looking a picture of misery. It was Robert Wotherspoon, aged 30, who as well as being charged with obtaining money with intent to defraud, on five different occasions, was deeme' *o be an idle and disorderly person. Then the court was told. He had no mother —in New Zealand at any rate. Chief-Detective Cummings described Wotherspoon as a “real professional impostor. He said that the sad-faced one had told the police that he came to New Zealand from Scotland as an assisted immigrant. He was married and had five children whose ages ranged from nine years down to eight months, but his wife was of the opinion that she would be better without him. “There’s only one thing to do.” said Mr. F\ K. Hunt. S.M. “Six months—three on the first charge, and three on the second, cumulative, and convicted and discharged on the others.”