BOER ARTIST

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 656, 7 May 1929, Page 2

BOER ARTIST

HOME BURNED IN WAR PRISON FOR FALSE PRETENCES John Joseph Bourchier, artist, of 15 Hill Street, Glasgow, told a remarkable life story before the Sheriff sentenced him to two months’ imprisonment on charges of obtaining money by false pretences. Born in South Africa, he was 11 when the Boer War was fought. His home was destroyed, he said, and his father and brother were captured and sent to St. Helena. He escaped and for a while had adventures in the veld trying to restore confiscated horses to Boer farmers. For this he was convicted and punished, though it was only a boyish act of patriotism. he took an art course, and during the Great War fought with the Australian Forces at Gallipoli. It was shown that Bourchier, by pretending he was collecting on behalf of three stranded South African orphans, induced three ladies to buy his water-coiour pictures, stating that they were by a noted artist. The pictures were probably worth the £1 each paid for them, hut the ladies would not. have bought but for the false story.