A CONFIDENCE MAN

Taranaki Daily News, 9 March 1920, Page 6

A CONFIDENCE MAN

BAD CRIMINAL HISTORY. WANTED AT WAVERLEY. "This man lias u very bad criminal history!" said Chief -Del .active Mellveney at the Cliristchureh Magistrate's Court last week, when Francis Roy Barry, alias Barry, alias John Henry Wither.-, alias Walker, alias Beasley, alias Harry Willis, alias George Henry Williams, alias H. Barnett, alias Robert John Wivtkins, appeared before Mr. V. G. Day, M.AI. The accused was charged with false pretences on four counts in that he obtained money and goods by means of valueless cheques. On February 24, stated the Chief-De-tective, the accused went to a confectionery store in Cashel street, and ordered goods to the value of £lO 10s, tendering a cheque for £ls in payment. He received £4 10s change, and stated that he would call later for the goods. The proprietress, becoming suspicious, called on the bank with the cheque, and was informed that the accused had no account there. On the return of the accused, she told him of her visit to the bank, and he explained that his banking aceouut was at Wvodvillc, and thai he, had omitted to alter the wording from Christehurch to that place. The goods were not delivered, and Hie accused went to Beath's and tendered the altered cheque there. . Meanwhile the police were making inquiries.' The police had ascertained that the man was identical with a criminal named "Withers" who was wanted on various charges of false pretences in the North Island. The sums involved in the. charges for which he was "wanted" in the North Island were as follows: Woodville, £2 9s (id; Fei'ldiug, £5; Taihape, 13s; Wellington, £2 10s; Pahnerston North, £;">(); Masterton, £1 ISs and £4 7s; Waverley, £SO; and Auckland, £3l 9a lOd. The accused, said Chief-Detective Mellveney, had a very bad criii. nal history,: with 20 convictions for false pretences i and four for forgery. He had served one sentence of three years' imprisonment and two of two years. He had been twice declared an habitual criminal. In IMS, he was released on probation, and reported regularly until 1010, since when the offences referred to had been committed. The Canterbury charges, he continued, could be dealt with that morning but it would be necessary to send the accused to the various places in the North Island to be dealt with on the separate charges. Accused was sentenced to three months' imprisonment on the three first charges. the sentences to be cumulative, and was remanded to appear in Wellington on March 11th on the last charge.