AN UNUSUAL CASE

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 77, 27 September 1918, Page 7

AN UNUSUAL CASE

CHARGE OF. DECEIVING THE

STATISTICIAN.

(BY TELEGRAPH,—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

DANNEVIRKE, This Day. A somewhat unusual case was heard before Mr. Dyer, S.M., in which Sydney M. Mead was charged with wilfully deceiving tho Government Statistician respecting the number of his children. Mead first gave the number as three, and subsequently four. Investigations elicited the fact that he had three legitimate children and one illegitimate child. Regarding the last-named, the defendant alleged it had been taken by his wife to "be brought up as the twin brother of her last born child, both" legitimate and illegitimate having arrived about the same time. Defendant, however, was not supporting his wife and three legitimate children, but was now living with another woman. Ho had now been put into Class A of tho Second Division. He contended that he had acted in all good faith, being of opinion that the illegitimate child hacl been legally adopted. He was fined £10, ill default, two months' imprisonment/ -The MagisI irate informed defendant that he wa* 1 Hying' like a beast. ■ • ■