"UNCLE CHARLIE."

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 222, 19 September 1929, Page 8

"UNCLE CHARLIE."

FICTITIOUS INVESTMENTj i TRUSTING WOMAN DUPED. ADVANCED MAN £337 10/. •

ACCUSED ADMITS FRAUDS. A friendship that started in a Newton tearoom, imposition by a young mechanic, a widower out of employment, on a trusting woman; the fictitious story of a company formed by "Uncle Charlie, of Remuera," and the ultimate advancing of £325 in a mythical concern were -incidents related to Mr. F. K. Hunt. S.M. v at the Police Court to-day when Wilfred- Harold Adams, aged 28. stood in the -dock. The charges against Adams were that on June 2, 1028, he- obtained from Ellen Pauline Smith £325 "by falsely representing he was Wilfred. Cahill and that he had £1500 in the. National Bank at Auckland, and that- an. ajnount of £325 was required to complete.an investment in a company formed by his uncle in Remuera; that on August 28, 1928, he obtained from Ellen Pauline Smith £12 10/ by falsely representing-that he had a £1000 life policy in- ao insurance company and that he required- £12 10/ to pay a premium; further-,-on-July .2, 1929, that he incurred a deht- of- -£28 5/ with Arthur William Larsen, -thereby obtaining credit by fraud. Chief Detective Hammond-prosecuted. Accused was represented- -by Mr. B. Elwarth on behalf of -Mr. J. F, W. Dickson. Customer's Proposal. Mrs. Ellen Pauline Smith, who has a tearoom in Karangahape Road, Newton, said accused was a- customer at her shop early last year. He came to the shop sometimes three time a day and became talkative about business. He said his name was "Wilfred Cahill," and mentioned that he had £1500 in the National Bank. He made a proposal that she should lend him £325 to invest in a company which his uncle was formin<r. He never mentioned his uncle's name. He • said his uncle resided in Remuera, and always spoke of him as his "Uncle Charlie." Witness said she agreed to lend accused the money and on June 2 last year she withdrew £325 from the bank and handed it to Adams, believing that he was investing it in his uncle's company. After he had received the money Adams allegedly- rang up his "uncle" and had a conversation on the telephone. He mentioned that he would go to Mr. Dickson, the solicitor, and' get a receipt made out for the money she had lent him. As security, accused said he was insured for £1000 and that this would secure her if anything happened to him. Accused's Excuses. "After I. handed him the £325 I never saw him for a fortnight," continued Mrs. Smith. "I then told him I had discovered that his name was not Cahill, but Adams. He explained why he had given me his .wrong name. He said he did not want his people to know that he had. 'got money from a girl.' The money I lent him was to be repaid, by November last. However, a few days • before it was due his aunt, of Remuera, died and I did not press him for the money at the time. Adams then told me that the reason why there was a delay in my not receiving the money was on account of his aunt's death. It was not until January of this year ■that I became . suspicious that the jnoney was not invested and I consulted a solicitor. Later I made a complaint to the police and a warrant was issued for the arrest of Adams. Before I did this I went to his people, but could not find any trace of him." Witness then explained how she came , to part with £12 10/ after she had : already lent Adams £325. "A year ago ; last August, Adams told me that a premium of' £12 10/ was due on his insur- ; ance policy," she said. "He told me that if I lent him the £12 10/ to pay the premium he would be able to draw £500 from the insurance company and pay me back the £325. On that repre- , sentation I advanced hhn the money. Until this morning I had not seen Adams since last January. I have never been able to get one penny out of him." , Publican's Story. 1 The licensee of the Ambassador's ! ' Hotel, Arthur William Larsen, was the next witness. He said accused and a . young lady booked in at his hotel on July 2 last. They occupied separate bedrooms. When witness handed accused an account for £9 after he had stayed at the hotel for one week, Adams then said that the young lady had come to Auckland from Wellington to get £4000 which a relative had left her. He said the money was to come from the solicitor's office of Mr. Dickson. On such representation, witness said he allowed the two to stay on another week, provided confirmation was received from Mr. Dickson's office. Confirmation did not come to hand, so witness went to see Mr. Dickson at his office. Mr. Dickson was busy and witness could not • see him. At the end of the second week accused was asked to settle his account, 1 which came to £28 5/. "Adams said he 1 would go to his 'uncle' in Remuera and ! get the money," said Mr. Larsen. "Ap- ; parently he did not get any from this 1 source, because Adams later told me he 1 was going to see a schoolmaster in Grey Lynn and borrow it. No money was ] forthcoming and the accused left. I ' have still got his baggage at my hotel."

Declined to Produce Money. Detective H. E. Knight said that following inquiries made by him concerning the complaint made by Mrs. Smith, ho arrested Adams on August 16. In his effects were found four luggage labels addressed "Cahill, Hamilton." Adams made a statement in which he admitted having obtained £337 10/ from Mrs. Smith by false pretences and also having incurred credit by fraud from Mr. Larsen. Questioned as to the disposal of the money obtained from Mrs. Smith, accused declined to say : what had become of it. However, he gave witness to understand that it was recoverable by him. Adams pleaded guilty to all three charges and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.