YOUNG MAN’S POSE

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 210, 1 June 1929, Page 13

YOUNG MAN’S POSE

FALSE PRETENCES CHARGE By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, May 31. Lou King, a well-dressed young man, was fined £lO on a charge that, witn intent to defraud, he obtained ss. from Mrs. Lily Elizabeth Keen by falsely re-, presenting, that her two girls had been picked out of fourteen Children. in her district for four months’ free tuition in mandolin-guitar playing at the National Academy of Music. On these representations she paid a deposit of ss. on a mandolin-guitar. Mrs. Keen told. King that she could not keep the payments up. However, he induced her to sign an agreement. When Keen heard what his wife had done he objected and said that the instrument was not worth £5 ss. Mrs. Keen wanted King to take the guitar back, but he refused. Shortly afterwards Mrs. Keen received a letter threatening her with court pro-, ceedings if she did not Keep up the instalments.: • The Magistrate ’ (Mr. Hunt): She should have thrown it at him.. (Ladghter.) ■ r „ Mrs. Mabel Borne said that King told her that the price was £5 ss. “I told 'him it was onlf worth 155., and that 1 used to play one like he had when I was a child, and that was a long while ago,” said Mrs. Jlorrie, amidst laughter. “Oh, we just want to give you poor people a chance to go to the academy,” he said. He talked big about the National Academy of Music. Just then my little boy came in. King said, .’Just look at the music in that child’s eyes.’ ” Witness also signed an agreement.Mr. Hunt: Have you got any property, Mrs. Borrie? —“No, sir.” ' \; Mr. Hunt: Well, don’t you pay them — they can’t do: anything to you. (Laughter.) An elderly man named Charles Osborne also received a visit from King, who said that he had selected his child as one of the .fourteen in the district. “I said to him,” said witness, “You must be a liar, because my youngest child is 34.” (Loud laughter.) For the defence Mr. R. A. Singer submitted that the prosecution had not established false representation. Mr. Hunt: The representation is that this learned music society, or whatever you call it, sent out its emissary and chose two children for free tuition. Mr. Singer: There is nothing to show that they had not been chosen.” Mrs. Keen accepted the authority when she signed the agreement in two places.. She did not keep her part of the bittgain. Mr. Hunt: How ’is it, then, that King chose a child of 34?”* (Laughter.) Chief-Detective Hammond said that no such place as the National Academy of Music ever existed.