A BOGUS ART UNION.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 283, 28 November 1924, Page 10

A BOGUS ART UNION.

MONEY Bt FAME PKETEKCES. pijNED £50 OR TWO MONTHS. •;' - At;l the Police Court, before Mr. W. % MeKean, SM., yesterday, a young man named' George Joseph Silver admitted ra, charge of having commenced a lottery at Helensville on November 21. Chief Detective Cummings stated that Silver had gone to -Helensville, where he instructed a printer to prepare for Kirn several hooks of tickets for an alleged art unioii. Accused had. -a card printed with the inscription, "A. I. Sterling," with the following words under his alias, "Farmers' Representative, Auckland Province." The tickets stated that the funds from the art union w.ere for the purpose of supporting the "farmers' candidate" at the coming- elections. The price of the tickets was 2/6 each. The whole thing was bogus, added Mr. Cumminge. Silver had several convictions, including theft and false pretences, and in 1!)22 he had been sentenced to two months' imprisonment for false pretences in issuing bogus "Tatt's" tickets. Accused: I know now that it iras foolish for mc to do this. Mr. McKean: Foolish? Why, it Is more than foolish. . You got money toy false pretencesAccused: I've never ibeen placed on ■probation yet, sir. I have no friends out here; my people are in England. I was brought out here by a Methodist minister. ~Hr. McKean: Probation is out of the question. You really deserve • a long sentence. However, I will fine you £50, in default, two months' imprisonment. Accused then stated that he had no assets and no money.