WANTED IN THREE CITIES

Evening Star, Issue 19063, 5 October 1925, Page 8

WANTED IN THREE CITIES

PSEUDO-KKIGHT'S FRAUDS WAITRESS “ENGAGED” AND ROBBED. Except that a deserted wife mid a. deceived girl—waitress at a Dunedin tea rooms —figured in the ease, the hearing of the charges against Frank Norman Lloyd provided a somewhat hilarious farce at the Police Court this morning;. Llovcf, then charged under the name of Maurice Norman Raymond, appeared last week to answer the following charge, for which ho was wanted in Auckland:—

That, on August 23, at Auckland, Raymond did obtain of ami from Clias. Haiiscombo, Kingsforcl, one suit case and ouo shaving gear case, of a total value of £8 Bs, by means of a certain false pretence—to wit, by stating that the goods were intended as a presentation to the manager of the Fuller Brush Company at Auckland. (1) That he obtained of and from Schnicdemann and Sons two suits of clothes, of the value of £l4 10s 6d, by means of a valueless cheque on the Bank of Australasia; (2) obtained of and from Dawson and Co., jewellers, a watch and chain and cuff links, of a total value of £ls, also by means of a valueless cheque. The worst feature of the case, however, was prosaically outlined in the remaining counts: That he obtained from, the girl to whom he had become “ engaged ” the sum of £SO by means of a valueless He appeared before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., this morning to answer the following charges;— That, being the husband of iMorencc Lloyd, of Christchurch, he had failed to 'provide adequate maintenance for her. “ A take-down posing and swanking, on other people’s money, as a man of importance,” was the description Chiefdetective Lewis gave to the man. “ OUTBURST OF IDEALISM.” “ To show your Worship what kind of man he is,” added the Chief Detective, I will hand in this letter.'!

The letter handed in had the heading of “The Fuller Brush Company, Hanford (Conn.), Fuller Brush Co., Ltd., Hamilton. Canada,” and was dated 2-9/25, Y.M.C.A., Moray place. In the hand of a poorly educated man it reads; “Dear Miss “ I cannot conceal _from myself the fact that in approaching you as 1 did 1 committor! a, well-nigh unpardonable breach of ettique: hut when yon have favored mo by reading this ephistlo 1 trust you will not only forgive my presumptiveness, but accept this as an ultimatum of good faith. I am at present on six months’ vacation from my Hartford office, and will ho staying in Dunedin most of that time. My impulsiveness has proved that I am very temperamental, likewise romantic, and I’m sure our acquaintance is just part of the Destiny that controls all things. “ I have never had ns much time on my hands as I have at present; but my gloomy monotonies are now ‘ non est ’ since I’vo basked in the ecstasy of your smile. I liavn’t any acquaintances in this town, and therefore greatly value and look forward to the treasured moments I may spend if the Fates continue to be kind. “Your bright personality indicates your artistic nature, and Pin sure if you arc as musical as I think you aro our pleasures will he reciprocated. 1 thought that this explanation would help to enable yourself to understand me—but I’m afraid this outburst of idealism will only complex matters. However, Miss , it isn’t likely you would he bothered with mo after the unfair tactics I’ve employed, hut please remember that words can’t express my feelings any more than J can repeat that which I wislp you to forget. “I.will he looking forward to morning tea on Friday morning, and feel confident you will fake this friendly overture in the spirit in which it is intended, and not make the harrier of conventionality insurmountable. “It. is needless to add more now— I value your friendship too much to ramble on into what the ignorant would call idioeracy. .1 am deeply grateful to you for giving mo the information this afternoon, and look forward with great pleasure to the time when I'll have the right to call you ‘ friend ’ 1 “An revoir! until Friday.

“ Hoping our next meeting will enable me to tell you more about myself, with the greatest of pleasure I sign myself yours very sincerely, Maurice N. Raymond, sales manager, Fuller Brush Co., Hartford.” The chief detective also handed to the magistrate “cards” used by accused, the text of which was:— Flight-commander J. J. Powell, D.F.C., Avialion Dept,, IJ.S. Naval Reserve, and Wing-commander Sir Maurice Raymond, K.C.M.G., D. 5.0., M.C., Pilot of lI.S. “Boston” Round-the-world Flight, 1922. ’Phis week the claim of knighthood was dropped by the accused, who said it was his father who was the K.C.M.G. A POSING LABORER. The man, said Chief-detective-Lewis, was born in New Zealand in 1899, ana

was a laborer who had been posing as a “flying man.” _ The firms, ho said, had grown suspicious of him after the cheques had been fried on them. Since then the suits, the cuff links, and the watch and chain had been recovered. “ What about the £50?” asked the magistrate. “I am mentioning the other offences first,” explained the chief deteciivo. Ho then proceeded to outline the story of Lloyd’s deception of the waitress. The young woman, related the chief detective, teas employed in a Dunedin tea shop. Lloyd became acquainted with her, and, whether through Ids overtures or otherwise, she had since left her occupation. The. ‘‘marriage” was to take place on Friday, October 2. “The man’s own story is that meantime ho grew scared,” continued the chief detective, “ and ho made, preparations to clear out. Ho took a ticket in the name of llenrys, and was to leave for Melbourne aboard a steamer sailing on September 28. He obtained the cheque from the girl prior to that, and spent practically all of it.” Clothes and shoes were recovered by the police after the man’s arrest, the chief deteciivo added, and with the usual 10 per cent, deduction the money paid for the faro was refunded by the Union Company. “ In getting this £SO from i&e young woman,” said the chief deteciivo, “he gave her a cheque for -Cloo, stating that lie had £1,700 in Auckland that was tied u]) for the moment.. Flo was a. complete stranger to the woman at the lime.”

Previous convictions against Lloyd were on two charges of theft at Christchurch on April 2S, 192.'1. He was wanted in Auckland on the charges of false pretences, and the Auckland police had stated that there would probably bo other charges. Ho was likewise wauled in Christchurch for failure to maintain Ids wife. The exposition of his frauds and deception did not disturb the tranquillity of the accused. “ It is quite true that 1 have money in Auckland,” was his glib reply to the magistrate's question as to whether lie had anything to say. “MORE AS A RECEIPT.” “I came here with no criminal intent,” he went on, “ f gave the girl the cheque lortClilO more as a receipt than anything else. i could have redeemed it on the sth.” “He doesn’t account for the steamer incident,” remarked the chief detective. “ Wlat about these cards?” asked the mjgislj-ate, holding up to the accused Hie two portentious visiting cards that the police had put into court. “1 have the D.F.C.,” said the accused, 1 ” which I .won in Franco. When I was jin the United States I had another hame registered, and am in the' rcservt. And! the K.C.M.G. ?—My father was ji knijbt. He was in charge of the air defences of London JP

How did you meet this girl?—Oh, by iiccidcnt. Yon were going to leave, the girl after defrauding her of this money?— I had no intention of defrauding her. Did you intend to marry her?—bes, eventually. “ With"a wife in Christchurch?” said the Magistrate. Lloyd made another claim, that ho bad been educated at a well-established ('h rist.ehn reh college. STRAIGHT TALK FROM REXCIT. and a liar into the bargain,” said the and a liar into the bargain, 71 said tne Magistrate. That was the only comment he made in convicting accused and sentencing him to six months’ nnjiruonment on the charge of defrauding the girl. On the other charges of false pretences at Dunedin lie was convicted. and on the Auckland charge <if false pretences and the Christchurch charge of wife desertion remanded to appear in tho respective cilie«. ‘'The girl was foolish,” the Magistrate when the chief-dottc-iKe a,a Hal the question of having tho value of the goods in accused’s possession refunded to her. If the accused to sign an order consenting to this. Raul the Magistrate, application could again bo made to the court.