REBOUNDED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 16, 19 January 1940, Page 3

REBOUNDED.

"JOCKEYS' JOKE."

LABOURER CHARGED.

FRANKTON WOMAN'S LOSS.

SENT MONEY BY TELEGRAMS. The -lury of how a woman at Franktun Junction wns defrauded by a smartly rli.'-M'd farm liibourer posing as a jink. 1 * . let tin;; her into a "jockeys' Juki." and money from her to put I'll ;i "jjuod thins," whs told in tlie I'nliir (unit this nioriiinp, when Clifford K'iiiii', n»eil 2.">, appeared before Mr. I. Morliuy, S.M., on a fraud charge. \-> it incited out, the "joke" was on the pi-.pelrnl..r. Ke.ine, fur wiioin Mr. M. Robinson np|n',ind, v\ms charged tlmt on Noveinher IT. \\iili intent to defraud, he olitaiin-,-! from Ktliel Wuckrow, of Frankti'ii ilillii'tidli, two money order telejjruni- fur a total of £11 b v falsely rep-rc-eiit in- thai lie was Cliff Spratt, a jock.-y Kr.i lie, ulio appeared voluntarily, |iU>iidi'd -uilty. "Joke Coming Off." Di'li'Olive VV. ft. Slater, who interviewed Ken no, produced a statement which defendant made to him. In this Ke.ine *aid that with a man named Alhin Brown he left Auckland by the ;t [i. in. express for Wellington on Xovenil>cr l.'i to look for a job. They got off the twin at l-'rankton Junction and went to a counter lunch place for a men I.

"Wα had a few drinks," said Keane in the statement. "Mrs. Waekrow asked if I was a jockey. Brown said, 'Yes; Wμ name is SpraH. , Mrs. Waekrow nsked u« if we knew anything good for the races. Brown said 'Yes, there's a joke coming off. We will put yoii on. , Mrs. Waekrow said she would wire the money to us and that we were to ring her and let her know where to send it to. I had taken a double on Royevrus and Suleiman, two horses which were running at Te Rapa. Mrs. Waekrow gave me 10/ for a half share in the double. It was a genuine double. It didn't win."

"Wo rung Mrs. Waekrow from Wellington." the- statement continued. "We both apoko on the 'phone. Brown asked her to send £10 to put on a horse running at Levin. I spoke to Mrs. Waekrow the next night when she said she was sending £11. The next day I received two money orders—one for £5 and the other for £0. 1 didn't give Brown anv ©f the money. He knew the money was eoming, but he didn't receive any of it from me. I had some words with Brown and left him in Wellington the night before and I came straight back to Aiick-' land. I lost £tt of the money from my overcoat pocket and the other £5 I spent on myself. I had no intention of outting any of the money on any racefiorse, and I had no racehorse in mind to put it on."

Detective-Sergeant McHugh: Brown, the young man with whom Keane left Auckland, represented that Keane was a well known South Island jockey and 'Jiat they had a joke. All the other horses were to be "dead" in the race. They tonvinced the woman that they had a good joke on, and at Frankton Junction they really laid the foundation for taking her down later. Brown was arrested on another charge. He it at present serving a sentence. Keane has appeared in Court many times and he has a really bad record. His list speaks for itself. Appeals to Magistrate. Mr. Robineon admitted that Keane had been in trouble continuously up to two years ago, when he was discharged from prison. For some time afterwards he had great difficulty in obtaining ♦■mployment. He had since married and during the last 20 months he had made a serious effort to lead a better life. Keane did not plan to take Mrs. Waekrow down. It was Mrs. Waekrow who epened the subject and asked him if he knew of a good thing for the races. The whole idea originated with Brown, but, of course, Keane was a party to the fraud. In view of the effort made by Keane, counsel asked the magistrate to eonsider giving him another chance.

Mr. Morling adjourned the case to consult the probation officer, but when tho hearing was resumed he said that in view of Keane'e previous offences and the nature of the present one he would not grant him probation. He would have to be punis'hed.

Keane himself then made a strong appeal for another chance, stating that ho had been making a great effort to keep straight since his marriage and that he could make restitution almost immediately.

"I beg of you, sir, to give me just one ■lore chance," he pleaded. "I can assure you I will be all right in the future. I was realjy dragged into this offence. It was an accident. If you put me on probation—l don't care for how long— you will find I will do well. I do not go «ut at night, except with my wife. , '

"But you have been associating with people of bad character," said Mr. Morling. "However, I will 3tand you down for further consideration. ,.

Tho case was adjourned until Monday, the magistrate ordering Keane to remain in custody until sentence is pronounced.