PLAUSIBLE IMPOSTOR

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 611, 13 March 1929, Page 6

PLAUSIBLE IMPOSTOR

COURAGE OF NINE CONVICTIONS GAOL FOR “ARTHUR GEL’’ Prcas Association MARTOX. Tuesday. •'Hullo. 1 am Arthur Gel from Halcombe. I don't suppose you remember me ?” These words were used by a smartlydressed man with a glib tongue yesterday afternoon when he approached two local business people. The latter confessed that they had no recollection of having met the man before, but his plausibility, born of practice, eventually convinced them that they had met a long lost friend. The man spun a long story of having a cheque for £B7 coming from Masterton and of wanting a “few bob” to carry on, and the local men apparently swallowed the hart, hook and sinker. This morning, in the Magistrate’s Court, “Friend” William Henry Bowman, alias Arthur Thomas Gee. alias A. T. West, appeared to answer charges of receiving 10s from G. T. Avery and £1 from G. B. Gregory by false pretences. In Feilding. his plausible story had also been good, and there were two further charges of receiving £ 1 from each of two Feilding business men. He pleaded guilty and made a statement from the dock. “It is so remarkably easy to get money in this way when a man is down and out.” he said. ’ Spurred on by one success, one cannot help canwing on. My story always seems to go down.” Accused had nine previous convictions for similar offences. He was convicted and sentenced to four months' im p r iso nm on t.