GONE THROUGH HALF A MILLION

Evening Star, Issue 18031, 27 July 1922, Page 4

GONE THROUGH HALF A MILLION

GAOL FOR ELDERLY MAH.

[Peb United Peess Association.]

WELLINGTON, July 27

Richard Noel Belcher Birkiu, a man of sixty, was charged at Wellington with obtaining £5 by false representations, and some interesting statements were made during the hearing of the case.

The police said that accused, who had been working on the wharf and grubbing gorse on the hills, persisted in declaring that he was coming into afortune of £300,000, and .on the strength of this had obtained money from a number of people—in one case as much as £IOO. He was a man of good English family. Accused himself had made a state-: meut to the police which was read. Birkiu alleged that his father was a rich manufacturer in Nottingham, and after his father’s death andrthat of other relations ho came into much property. He understood also that some leases had run out last year which would give him £388,000 more. He came to Now Zealand in 1912, and had been employed at Somes Island as guard and in the Dental Corps. Sines March ho had been out of employment, jind owed money for board and lodging. . * Accused’s counsel said he believed Birkiu had gone through half a million of money.. He had.communicated with the London agents, but he had not received a reply yet. Accused believed that he was entitled to'a further largo sum under at least two reversions, but there was some doubt as to? whether the father had not cut him out of them in his will. The Magistrate said he could not pqss over a deliberate fraud, and 'Sentenced accused to one month’s im-' prisoiiment.