YOUNG MAN CHARGED.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 12 September 1924, Page 10

YOUNG MAN CHARGED.

ALLEGED THEFT OF BICYCLE. HIS MOVEMENTS IN SOUTH TARANAKI. A young man going by the name or Robert Clifford St. Fraser, but whosn correct name is said to be Alonza. Albert Hewison, who lias been masquerading in South Taranaki as a cattle buyer from the Waikato, lias been arrested by the police at Napier and charged with the theft of a bicycle, the property of I. J. Bridger, of Eltliam, which lie sold at Wanganui. A Star reporter sought information concerning the man this morning, and gathered the following:— Described by those who met him as a “quiet decent sort of a young, fellow,” St. Fraser came from Palmerston North representing himself in South Taranaki as a buyer of pedigree cattle. He is reported to have visited the well-known Jersey breeder, Mi- G. T. Gibbons, of Pukengahu, and after inspecting the herd, remained with him for a few days as 0 • guest.-, He said that he banked at a Palmerston North bank, but when enquiries were made concerning the account the reply was not .satisfactory. St. Fraser was therefore. told to move on. He obtained a position with Mr. Mason, of Chiselhurst, KlLhani, as a farm hand, but after remaining there for a. few weeks left suddenly for Wanganui, where he sold the bicycle purchased from Mr. Bridger under the hire purchase agreement system. He then decamped to Hamilton, where he is alleged to have stolen another bicycle. He was finally arrested in Napier, and the charge concerning the bicycle will be heard at ■'Eltliam after the charge against him at Hamilton has been dealt with. It is stated that he has been previously convicted on several charges. It is said that his mode of operations is to make himself known to the various churches, pretending to be well comneeted, and thus obtaining their confidence, loans, etc.

St. Eraser’s first appearance around llawera was at the farm of a wellknown Jersey breeder, Mr. Robertson, where he introduced himself as the reP* esentative of a number of returned soldiers in the Waikato, he being sent by them to purchase a consignment of pedigree Jeisey cattle in Taranaki. He was entertained to afternoon tea and was shown round the faun, and during the course of the inspection of the stock he lodged quite a- large older. The arrangement- was that he should lift them later, when the cheque was be handed' over, hut in the meantime the masquerader even went so far as to sign the official transfers as required by the regulations of the New /r&aland Jersey Cattle Breeders’ Assocuttioii. ,On the date agreed ■ St. It raser failed to call for the cattle, ami unfortunately the transfers were later Cost, roved. 1 he next visit made by the ambitious young fellow was to the farm of a wellknown Friesian breeder, where he told the same story, hut stated that he was looking for pedigree cattle, hut he had not made up his mind as to whether they should be Friesians, Ayrshires, or Jeiseys. Later lie made an appointment with an Ayrshire breeder, but he failed to keep it. St. Fraser next appeared at Kaupokonui, where he visited a Jersey breeder, still representing himself as a buyer from the* Waikato, and mentioning that he was going to visit several other breeders in the neighbourhood. During a conversation the matter of semi-official testing cropped up, and St. Fraser was asked if he had ever had any cows under test. He replied that he had, and he mentioned

the names of the cows. The latest A.It.M. was then produced by the local breeder, but it failed to disclose the names of the animals mentioned or St. Fraser’s own name as the owner of any qualified cattle. When this information was conveyed to St. Fraser he left in a hurry, while other breeders in the district were warned by telephone of the impending visit. However, nothing further was heard of the visitor in South Taranaki.