UP IN SMOKE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXIII, Issue 10066, 3 August 1925, Page 5

UP IN SMOKE

T.B. ART UNION TICKETS

21,000 HAD NO CHANCE.

SECRETARY’S DARING FRAUD

SYDNEY, July 20. Twentv-one thousand ticket-hold-ers in the “Help for Consumptives’ Art Union” had no chance of winning a prize—according to evidence given at the Central Police Court to-day. “One begins to see how easy it is for the public to he deceived by an unscrupulous organiser, who is experienced in conducting art unions,” said the magistrate.

George Wheeler, aged 34, the organising secretary of this art union, pleaded guilty to stealing 14,000 artunion tickets, valued at £-5 (tlie actual cost of printing) the property of the committee. Air Hickey appeared for the defendant.

Detective Sergeant Truskett said that on June 29 the defendant took a room at_ an hotel at Como in the name of Wei’s. In this room the police recovered 14,000 tickets and the accused admitted that he took the tickets there and put the drawing portion of them in the barrel. Mr McMahon, S.M.: These tickets were included in tlie draw, then ? Witness: Yes—they’ drew no less than 18 prizes, worth several hundred pounds. Nine other prizes were drawn by butts, the tickets of which according to the allotment book, were unsold.

“Defendant told me he had burnt a lot of the tickets he had taken from the office,” witness continued. “In addition. I have 21,000 butts, of winch the t’ckets were sold to the public and had no chance in tho draw. Of those, 9266 were found in tlie room at Como.

“What Wheeler actually did was to substitute his own butts in the barrel for tho butts which were burnt. Over £IOOO worth of tickets were sold which had no chance. He burnt all the winning tickets, except one.” WHEELER CRIED “THIEF.” Mr McMahon (reading a statement by the accused): He told the police he had been robbed? Witness (smiling): He said be find been robbed of some money from bis pocket, and the police, in searching, found the art union tickets. That was how the whole thing came out. Sergeant Napper: It means that tho whole drawing will have to take place, again.

Witness: I don’t’ know how it can be fixed up. That is a matter for the Attorney-General. The actual, drawing was supervised by the police. Mr McMahon: That was merely a superficial supervision. Mr Hickey: The books were, audited. ? Witness: I understand they were never . audited, from the state of them.

About 11,7-50 butts were found in the defendant’s drawer at’the office, and they were not even detached. He told me that he had been burning off all one night at Como. “Under the guise of charity, defendant has committed: a fraud,” said Mr McMahon. “If it can he shown that he is insane, I am prepared to believe he d'd it for the benefit of these T.B. soMiers. One is inclined to ask oneself whether lie lias done the .same thing before.” “T know I did wrong,” said Wheeler. “but I never did it for my own gain.” He was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment.