A CLEVER SCOUNDREL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 213, 29 February 1872, Page 6

A CLEVER SCOUNDREL.

The man John Christie, who succeeded in playing Upon the credulity of several hotelkeepers and stablekeepers in the Province, is an old offender, and well-knpwn at Hampden, He left Winton In company with a man named Boardman, who got drunk on the road and fell off his horse, when Christie robbed him of what money he possessed, consisting of a cheque for £5 Us. 6d., a £5 note, two £1 notes, and 20s.- in silver, and rode away upon his victim's horse, with saddle and bridle. The horse knocked up at Wallaceton, where Christie represented that he was going to Invercargill in pursuit of a man who had robbed another man. at the Lakes. On this representation he obtained a horse from the landlord, upon which he was traced to the Mataura. Christie next turned up at Lawrence, where he succeeded in borrowing another horse on similar representations from Mr Searle, and at the Waipori he was again^successful in obtaining a fresh horse. We next hear of him at Waikouaiti where he-left the horse he was riding and got another ostensibly to* go to Hampden for some cattle, representing himself as a cattle dealer. He also left orders to have his own horse shod, so that it might be ready for him on his return the following day. Instead of going to Hampden, however, he made a detour by the Kakanui, and was next heard of at Oamaru, where he got a horse a.nd buggy, stripped it of its harness, which he replaced with a saddle he had managed to hide, and rode off on horse"back. Christie was ultimately* caught inttie* GajflntWDnry Province, and brought to Dunlin in the Phoebe.