WANGANUI DUPED.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 119, 22 May 1928, Page 8

WANGANUI DUPED.

BOLD "CONFIDENCE MAN." BOUGHT HOUSE AND FURNITURE. PROMISED A "HOUSE-WARMING." (By T"lpzmph.—Own Cnrrpspn-nflfnt.) WANC.ANI I. thi- d.iy. The story of how John Elwanl Weldon, alias ff. A. Our,int. n middle-aged man. trader! on the credulity ol unsuspecting business men of .inganui was related in the Police Court to-day. Weldon lii'-t engaged a taxi proprietor named Richard Kendrirk. o[ New Plymouth, to drive liini ti> A\.'uignnui. On tnc w;i v d own li" called at several dairv factories, leading the taxi proprietor t o belicx e lie \\a*. an inspector of machinery. At Wanganui he got the taxi to drive 'liiu on to Marlon. where he stayed the night, and returned to Wanganui the next morning. He asked the taxi to meet iiini in the afternoon, but did not. keep an appointment to pay his account. £!•">.

On M iv 7 Weluon interviewed Thomas Hillman, 'land agent, and signed ti|> for the purchase of a seven-roomed hou*u at St. John's Hill, intimating that he would pay cash and that he was a West Coaster witn n banking account at Westporf. He then interviewed Leonard <r. Trovers, of Pursers, Limited, and took him to the h .use, and alter a minute inspection and most careful negotiations arranged for the purchase of £437 worth of furniture. With an introduction from Pursers, lie then arranged with Mr. flilbert-on, carpenter, to make about £Jii() worth of alterations to the house, and for Tingeys,' Ltd., to thoroughly renovate the interior.

Workmen from l»oth the latter firms started work. Weldou also went "joyriding" in the taxi of Harry Dunstall, running up an account of £2 13/, and borrowed a "fiver" from one of die business linns with whom he had been negotiating. With this he '•shouted" for sundry heads of firms who thought they had an excellent client. He told them the alterations were being specially made for his daughter, who was <fn the West Coast, and that he wanted her to have the best, as she deserved it. He also promised a "house waryiing" in typical West Coast style when the home was ready for occupation.

A disconcerting reply to a telegram to the Bank of New South Wales it Westport, showing that he had no funds there, caused the man to fly from Wanganui, and subsequently he was arrested at Wellington. To-day lie pleaded guilty to three charges of having attempted to obtain credit by fraud. He was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.