MOCK AUCTIONS A SNARE

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 25 January 1933, Page 8

MOCK AUCTIONS A SNARE

PEOPLE' SOLD 'OWN MONEY. Mock auctions were described as a “snare to stupid people” by Major Eawcy Elliston, the recorder at Yarmouth quarter sessions, a few weeks ago, when Frank Cook, aged 47, au auctioneer, pleaded guilty to obtaining money by false pretences. Prosecuting counsel said the false pretences were well known as the mock auction fraud. A crowd was attracted into an auction room, where an auctioneer started operations, and it was a curious law which allowed a man, by taking out a licence, to deal with his audience iir a way that could only be calculated to deceive.

•Counsel explained how a pound note was handed up for an article, whereupon the auctioneer would run up some other article to XI, arid then, placing I lie original note on it, would ask the man or woman who luid put it down to give him £2 for the lot. People did not realise that they were being sold their own note until they went out and counted the contents of their purse. •Cook was bound over for two years on (lie charge of false pretences, and found not guilty on a charge of obtain- ( ing money by means of a trick.