AUDACIOUS FRAUD

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 223, 9 December 1927, Page 9

AUDACIOUS FRAUD

FAKE CROSS-WORD COMPETITION 800 ENTRIES RECEIVED Frederick Theodore desmond poulton, aged 38, was discharged from prison on July 29, after having served a three-years’ sentence. The next day, advertisements announced that solvers of the “Oxford Cross-Word Puzzle Competition” would share £l4O prize-money. Poulton got the prize: there were 800 entries.

A T the Police Court to-day he pleaded guilty to 38 charges of false pretences, and one of establishing a lottery. Chief-Detective Cummings said that accused had been discharged from prison on July 29, but he was now serving another sentence. The next day advertisements in the newspapers announced the Oxf # J cross-word puzzle competition. The competition was advertised to close on August 13, but later, the closing date was extended until August 29. A few days afterwards the result was announced, and the list of prizewinners given. The first prize-winner having 33 errors. So far the police had not been able to trace any of these people. 800 ENTRIES “There were 800 entries at Is each,” said Mr. Cummings, “and this money was received by accused.” Continuing, the chief-detective said that accused, in the original advertisements, announced that competitors, on paying 2s 6d, could inspect the solutions. After the prize list was published

the scrutiny fee was raised to 5s and a number of people, knowing they had less than 30 errors, sent in the fee.

Many diseases in plants or animals can be produced by inoculation with the filtered juice of plants or animals sufferfrom the same disease—foot and mouth I disease in animals, measles and scarlai tina in matfi. They are probably due to most minute living organisms like viruIlent bacteria.

“1 would like your Worship to make an example of persons adopting these schemes,” said Mr. Cummings. “There have been too many lately.” The magistrate, Mr. W. R. McKean: It’s an easy way to make money, and quite a number of people have been defrauded. For establishing a lottery Ponlton was fined £IOO, in default two months' imprisonment. On one of the false pretence charges he was sentenced to a month’s imprisonment, and on the others he was convicted and discharged.