STAGE STRUCK GIRL.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 May 1920, Page 10

STAGE STRUCK GIRL.

i 4 - 1 ! . ; PITIFUL AUCKLAND STORY. A rather pitiful story of a stagestruck girl of seventeen having fallen into evil hands, was told to the Auckland police. The complaint was that the girl had been inveigled to a house in the city, where she went under the belief that a display of her talent in stage dress would possibly lead to a theatrical engagement, and that there 6he was violated. As a result of inquiries into the complaint Detective De Norville and Plain-clothes Constable Knight made search for a man who was described as a theatrical artist who- had at times appeared before the public as a "magician." As a result they accosted in the street in the city a man named Franklin John Smith (24), and eventually arrested him. When he was brought before Mr. J. E. Wilson, S.M., named in the charge-sheet as F. J. Smith, alias "Pit-Pot Smith," he was remanded for a week, a request for bail being refused. The accused was recently a witness in a case before the court, where, under cross-examination, he described himself as an "illusionist, or magician." Asked if lie had not ti ken down the public in Wellington some time ago, he denied the imputation. He added that he had given illusion acts in Chinese costume, but there had not been any question of cheating the public or anyone •1m beyond the usual limits of illusion Mb on the stage. He wished to make fin wplanation of how his name came to <m associated with an incident in Wifflagton referred to as the "Low Kun llwMent,* but the magistrate remarked Jw wan not interested in the matter, an it did not pertain to the case befor# the court, and the explanation was not carried further.