ALLEGED FALSE PRETENCES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17078, 29 January 1916, Page 4

ALLEGED FALSE PRETENCES.

SOLDIER CHARGED WITH OBTAINING £6. At flic Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr T. A. B. Bailey, S.M., Alexander Edward Dickson was charged that on January 14, at Christ-/ church, he obtained £3 in money from Marion Crawley by a false pretence in that ho said that ho was a returned .soldier, and had been wounded and had served eight months in Gallipoli. Dickson was further charged with obtaining £3 in money from the same person oil January 17 by means ot a .•similar false pretence, with intern- to defraud. Accused, who was in uniform and had a lance-corporal's stripe, first said he would be dealt with by the Supreme Court, but eventually elected to be dealt with summarily. He pleaded guilty. , , Chief-Detective Herbert said that Crawley the husband of the complainant in' the case, was at present in camp at Tauherenik.au. His wile had been up to camp to see him, and Dickson was on the same boat coming back from Wellington. He had evidently seen the lal>els on her luggage, lor by some means or other ho made her acquaintance, saying that he was also from Tauherenikau. that he knew her husband well, and that Crawley had told him to look up his wife when in Christchurch, and stay with her. Accused told Mrs Crawley that he was a retired soldier, that he had served eight months on Gallipoli, and had been wounded in the ankle In token thereof, ho carried a stick and walked lame, and had carried out his bluff until arrested by Detective Counollv, who took off his boot, and found nothing wrong with the ankle. Dickson had never been at Gallipoli. He had borrowed £3 on ihe strength of his story, and subsequently another £3. Two days later he left for Temtika, saying that' lie would return that night in a motor-car, but he never came back. Mrs Crawley complained to the police, and Detectives Torrance and Connolly traced; accused to Dunedin where his people lived. Continuing, Chief-Detective Herbert said that apparently Dickson joined the Ninth Reinforcements at Timaru some five mohths ago. He didn't know whether that was right or not. Dickson had been two months in camp and two months absent. That would account for the uniform ho was wearing. "I see ho has got a stripe," said the Chief Detective: I don't know how he got it, but T should say he would soon lose it. He is an awful liar, your Worship, and we can't belief© a word he. tells us." . Asked if he had anything to say, Dickson said he had been in camp. Tho Magistrate: Where? Accused: Tauherenikau. Tho Magistrate: Why are you not in camp now? Accused: I got drunk and into trouble. The Magistrate: Did you get discharged, or are you a deserter ? Accused said he didn't exactly know. Somone had said that lie was discharged, but he hadn't heard anything more about it. The Magistrate: Where did yon got that stripe? Accused : In Tauherenikau. Magistrate: You're not much credit to it- ..,,,, The Chief-Detective said that Lieutenant Livingstone, of tbe area office, had suggested that it would be a good idea to hold the case over for a few days in order that inquiries might bo made as to how Dickson stood with ; the military authorities. Tho Magistrate agreed with the suggestion. They could then find out whether Dickson could be dealt with by the military authorities. Accused was remanded for a week.