CHARGE AGAINST SHOWMAN

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23946, 13 May 1943, Page 3

CHARGE AGAINST SHOWMAN

POSED AS PRISON WAftDER (P.A.) AUCKLAND, May 12. Charged with obtaining £B6 10s from a woman by falsely representing that ha was chief warder at the Auckland gaol, and that he could obtain the release of her husband from gaol, Franklin John Smith, aged 46. a showman, pleaded not guilty before Mr Justice Callan in the Supreme Court yesterday. He also denied a charge of obtaining £l2 10s from William Henry Faulkner by representing that ha was chief steward of a ship and wanted money to clear goods through the Customs. A woman gave evidence that in March last her husband had been sentenced to a month's imprisonment for a breach of the Licensing Act. A few days later she was visited at her home by a man who said he worked at the goal, and that her husband had got in touch with him. He then introduced the accused to her as chief warder of the goal, and gave accused's name as Peterson. Accused asked the other man to leave the room, and then said if she could give him £SO. he could get her husband out of goal that afternoon, She went to the Chief Post Office in a taxi with the accused, who said she had better make the amount £6O. She drew £6O from her savings account and gave it to the accused. That evening another man came to her house and said her husband would not be home until the following morning. Next morning the accused came and said he could not set her husband out unless she gave him £250 at once. She said her assets were tied up. He asked for all she had. and she gave him £lO 10s from her purse, and drew another £lB from the savings bank, giving it to the accused, who said it was not enough. By this time she realised that the accused was not a warder. Her husband was not released, and she reported the matter to the police. She had later identified accused in a parade at the Central Police Station. William Henry Faulkner said two men, who gave their names as Peterson and Adams, came to his house on January 28 and said they were stewards from a transport, and had some stockings and other goods for sale. He identified the accused as the man called Peterson.'The men said they could not get the goods a=hore until they paid duty on them. They asked him for about £l2 to clear the goods, saving they would sell them to him, and what he paid then would be in part payment. The money was paid to the accused. When the trial concluded to-day accused was found guilty on both counts and remanded tor aentenofc