ALLEGED FALSE PRETENCES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 132, 5 June 1901, Page 2

ALLEGED FALSE PRETENCES.

A CURIOUS LETTER.

A man named Adolph Frederick William Eeuss was charged al the Police Court to-day with having on seven occasions obtained credit from John Olsen for different suras of money totalling £98 by false representations; and also with having on two occasions obtained credit from George Patterson for a total amount of £45 by false pretences. The informations were laid under the Bankruptcy Act. Mr A. W. Blair appeared for the prosecution. Prisoner was undefended. The cases were treated as indictable.

Mr Blair said the accused was adjudicated a bankrupt on December 20, 1000. In Patterson's case the facts were that the accused went to Patterson with a leiter purporting to be'written to him by a-cousin in Manchester, and stating that his (accused's) father had died and left him £500. On the strength of this letter, which waß a mixture of sorrow and commercial intelligence, accused obtained credit for a considerable sum of money from Patterson. The latter subsequently sued accused for the money, and the accused then admitted that he had written the letter himself. Enquiries made in England also showed that no such letter had been sent to the accused.

The letter, which was read by Mr Blair, was as follows: —

"Manchester, July 14, 1898.—Dear Fred, —It is with great sorrow that I take up my pen. Poor father passed away last week. He had been gradually sinking for the last two or three weeks. Poor mother is quite knocked up. She has been up with him for the last two weeks night and day. She is utterly knocked up. Before father died he left you £500 in his will. He knew you were always (sic) his favourite. He made me promise that if ever you wanted a friend I was to take his place (sic), but you know I would do that in any case. Father appointed Charlie and myself executors in his will. Please1 let me know how you will like the money sent. Poor Amy sends her kind. love. I really (sic) feel too upset to write more at present, so no more at present from your affectionate cousin Gordon Harvey."

John Lawson, Official Assignee, produced a gazette notice of the adjudication of accused as a bankrupt on 20th December, 1900. Accused's liabilities amounted to £240. His assets were nil.