A "MASHER" IN TROUBLE Wellington, April 16.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 256, 18 April 1888, Page 4

A "MASHER" IN TROUBLE Wellingt on, April 16.

A (\m winch luif been the Mibject ot a enn^ideuible amount of go--4p dining the liiat tin oc months \\ a-> ime-tigated iti the Supiemo Couit on Satuiday, when I'liilip W'llbeifoiee, an indnidual of the "mazier' 1 t^pe, who has> shone in Wellington foi '■onu' time past, \\a--charged -with obtaining yood.s on fal&e piotoncos fioin Henry Fielder, cabinetmaker. It came out in evidence that the pn^onei had become engaged in marriage to j\li-i W'nUofoid, a young w idow in faiily comioi table eiiounistancc--, and the fuuutuie, the subject of the charge, allied at L'l3S, A\as obtained foi the purpoc of netting up then e-tabli»hment. Home of the ailiclo, counting ot table eo\ei>, etc., were pledged at diHeient pa\\ :sbiolvei"~" •^hop^ i»oon after they mcio bought on ciedit, and it was alleged that Wilberforce icpre&ented himself to be in receipt ot an income of L"80() a-ye.n, and had an account at one of the local bankb, both of which xtatementsi were without foiintlation. Mi> W'akeford \va-> examined, and though apparently cher^lung no \indicti\e feelings tow.udb the prisoner tor the manner in which bhc had been trifled with. -?\\e t?aid that he had bonowed i! 10() iiom her, as well a>- two smaller sum*. On the night befoio he absconded fiom W ellington f»he brought him to book, ami informed him ot the way in which hei banking account had been depleted by ad\ance> made to him. The jury, accepting the theory of the count-el for the do ience that the goods had been supplied on credit on account of the prisoner's iepresentation of wealth, returned a vcidict ot not guilty. Mr Justice Richmond, in discharging him, said with characteristic energy that it was obvious hi-, procedure had been most disgraceful and rascally, though theie were groundb on which the jury niiirht lnue reason to doubt whethei they ought to comict on this particular indictment.