“BILKING LANDLADIES”

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1006, 24 June 1930, Page 14

“BILKING LANDLADIES”

FOUR MONTHS’ GAOL FOR FIVE MONTHS’ BOARD OFFENCE TOO PREVALENT “There is far too much of this sort of thing—young men bilking their landladies. Some of them make their living out of getting free board by telling tales to women,” said Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., at the Police Court this morning. Remarking that the practice would have to be stopped, the magistrate sentenced Augustus William Sullivan to four months’ imprisonment for obtaining credit by fraud to the extent of £3l. Sullivan, a salesman, aged 34, pleaded not guilty, through Mr. Schramm. A woman proprietor of a boardinghouse said Sullivan had boarded at her house from December 10 to the end of May, and paid only one week’s board apart from 10s she had received from him after information had been laid with the police. He had told when he came that he was out of work but said, some time before Easter, that he was working for a number of men, one of whom was named Alcorn, and could get no money out of them. Charles Graham Alcorn said he knew Sullivan but had never offered him employment, nor did he owe the man any money. Mr. Schramm submitted that there h<ad been no false pretence, but the lyiagistrate disagreed and imposed the penalty. “Four months’ imprisonment for five months’ board,” he said.