FOOLED 30 PEOPLE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 752, 27 August 1929, Page 11

FOOLED 30 PEOPLE

TRICKSTER GAOLED FOR 12 MONTHS DUPED HAMILTON’S MAYOR Imprisonment for 12 months was the punishment inflicted on John George Moir, of whom it was said at the Police Court this morning that he had tricked at least 30 people. including the Mayor of H amilton, with hard luck stories. Aloir. a carpenter, aged 33. pleaded ! guilty to being a rogue and a vagabond. having imposed on certain private individuals. Accused also appeared for sentence on two charges of false pretences. According to one charge, he had obtained tools valued at £4 9s 5d from John Robert Fow. at Hamilton, on July 4, by falsely representing that his own set of carpenter’s tools had been burned in a lire at New Plymouth. The second charge was that, at Auckland on July 3, Aloir had obtained 6s from a woman by representing that he had lost the return half of his rail ticket. “For the past three or four months Moir has been telling the tale that he was a carpenter employed in the country, and that he had lost his return ticket, so couldn’t get back to work,” said Chief-Detective Hammond. “He has imposed on 30 or 40 charitably inclined people for a few shillings each time.” The magistrate then commenced to read a statement made by accused, and detailing his series of frauds. “We could bring 30 or 40 charges if we looked up all the complaints,” added the chief-detective. “Aloir - is a married man, living apart from his wife.” Sentence of six months’ imprisonment on each of the two fraud charges was imposed. The terms were made cumulative.