CONFIDENCE MAN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 113, 16 May 1933, Page 9

CONFIDENCE MAN.

THREE YEARS' GAOL.

"A GREAT LITTLE COUNTRY." PROPOSAL TO DETECTIVE. 'Tolice, Wellington, N.Z. — John Walker is Jack Manning, Portland, Oregon. Ninety days' euspended sentence, October ' 29, 1932; Vagrancy, bunco. Known coin matcher, card shark.—Police, Vancouver."

This police cablegram was read by Mr, Justice Smith in the Supreme Court this Morning when lie sentenced Jack Walker, salesman, aged 32, to three years' hard labour on a charge of conspiring to defraud. Walker had obtained money from a Xorth Auckland farmer, and wae arrested by Detective-Sergeant P. J. Doylo on the Wanganella in Wellington.

"Ho has pleaded guilty to a charge which involves trickery, but in which there wero no acts of violence," said Mr. Hall Skelton, -who appeared for Walker. "Wo have not been able to find any history of the man, except that we have got an extraordinary statement from him."

"I have some of hie history attached to the report of the probation officer," f-iiid his Honor, and he read the cablegrain from the Vancouver police. "Apparently he has had eome practice in confidence work in various countries."

Mr. Hall Skelton: He pays he has never been in gaol. Ho brought 1000 dollars with him from America, and he says that these men were, cracksmen who got away with the money.

His Honor: He told DeteetiveSci'geant Doyle, according to the statement, that he got only According to the evidence of the detective, he eaid to liim on the. train, "This is a. groat little country. I like Kotorua. Thero i* a lot of money there with a couple, of good men. but I would want ii little protection. We would give you 5 per cent and a gun ran toe that we would only take on visitors and never touch Xew Zcalanders."

'■"You liavo pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring to defraud, with another man named Taylor, a. man of £580," wiid hi* Honor to Walker. "It is quite clear that you are a- practised confidence man, and it is plain that yon are an undesirable. You arrived here in December of last year, and it will be necessary to keep you here tsoine time longer. * When you get out of gaol it will bo a« well , for you to leave the country. Tho maximum for this offence U five years. I propose to sentence you to three years' hard, labour."