FALSE PRETENCES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 150, 20 November 1914, Page 5

FALSE PRETENCES.

AN IMPOSTOR SENT TO GAOL. - Quito an expert in the art of falsa pretence, James Percy Williamson, alias Williams, appeared at the dock in the New Plymouth Magistrate's Court on Wednesday morning, charged that on November 15 last he obtained board and lodgings and horse hire, the total value of £1 2s, by false pretences. Mr. A. Crooke, S;M., wag on the bench. Sergeant Bowden, who appeared for the police, had an interesting tale to unfold. Prisoner, he said, was an old offender out on probation. He had joined the reinforcement camp at Trenthami, but had been discharged. His mode of reaching Taranaki was delightfully simple. He approached some taxi-cab drivers at Wellington, and said he had an urgent wire that his father had been killed at Waitara. Would they hasten him up by motor, so that he could be in time for the funeral? This was agreed to, the conditions being that he had to pay £SO on arrival. They were to wait until after the funeral, and take him back to Trentham, as he alleged that he had had to get special leave from the' defence authorities to attend the funeral".. When they arrived at New Plymouth l on Thursday, November 12, Williamson Suddenly remembered that lie had to go to the bank. He told the driver he would not be long, but tho motor-car waited in vain. He complained to the New Plymouth police, but the man had' disappeared. Then the police were in-- , formed that a man named Williamson was at Okato, where he had put up at the hotel, representing himself as purchasing horses for the Defence Department. His story was found to be untrue, and Detective-Sergeant Boddam and Constable O'Neill went to Okato and arrested the accused on a charge of falsapretences. The accused had interviewed' ( several farmers with the view of buying; their horses, but the. visit of the police put an abrupt termination to his business. The prisoner was brought into New Plymouth, and brought before the Court. He pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to one month's imprisonment with hard labor. His probation will probably be cancelled on account of his escapades. ■ *■>.**