A MASQUERADER'S MISTAKE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 21 September 1909, Page 2

A MASQUERADER'S MISTAKE.

■b6b>GOT THE REDUCTION VOTE. "Age about 40 — hair tinged -with grey — clothes good, but time-worn, " weTe the most striking facts about Fred List, a well-educated and travelled man, who stood in the dock of the Police Court on Thursday afternoon (says the Auckland correspondent of the "Lyttelton Times"), while Messrs A. Epsser and J. Rountree, Justices of the Peace, reviewed ' his vicissitudes while masquerading as licensee of" a hotel which does 'not \ exist. • The charge against him 'was that be attempte to obtain £150 from ¥. Doyle by represening himself;/ as the proprietor of the Queen's Hotel, ' Unnedin. The evidence showed that accused had learned his role well,, but '. \made one little mistake — that ; _ of <■ taking the Post Office Directory af ' evidence of the existence of the hotel. ; Francis Doyle said that on Sept. ' 4 ihe saw an advertisement: "Want- . Ed, a Manager for a Country HoteL" > He got into correspondence with- ae- * cused, who met him at the Yp^S? ■ Slei'i Chrißtia'n Association's Bourns, ' and examined hia as to qualifica- ' ftois/ l «n6; v h.is testimonials. I A'^ujeoT-said the hotel was in ..the Country, and indicated that it :■ was , doing a good i>Ußiness. He further stated that he had not had a holiday s for ten years, and intended to take B one now. Accuse made another appointment with witness, and told- him ■ he was the most suitable out of 41 applicants. Accused said the hni tel iwas the Queen's Hotel, Dunedin, s and asked how £6 a week -would suit » witness. Witness said, that was too * much for the manager of a hotel! Ac- * cused said Ke would r allow witness * £^0- as 'fare Q,owi for 'himself.' ' •/ Snd _ hjs .wife, V'lJP fii "thq length" of what uegot{atioiis, v fi'ad 'come up from r Wellington, and take it out of. the II '< fidelity bond" to be returned *'in six months'. ' : Witness; 1 however,:, ben came suspiciouSj and cpnsultgj £ci tective MarpaQk, audit w»» discovora ed that the Queen* Hotel, Dunedin, „ had recently lost its license o-wing [. to r^dustion being c,ar.ried. Meani- whilq a six months'. a.gre£ment was i- drawn out in duplicate;. %ggftgin« wrtv n|ss ty ii t^ ast Q| %Bag4r. of the * hgi'e). Sy %pp9in<Jmeiit aeeuaed and' * wi^Ress met on September 10, and * the duplicate documents were stamper ed and registered in the Stamp Office. ;. Accused wrote out a letter istjo^on ing iwitne^s to tte |ft?»er. Maonsee of t^S hqter' y (Detective 'MeHolai gave evidence jj as to arresting accused. In a volijn- [ t'ary statement ag^usgj attii is had l) na intg^eJt in the Queen '-a Hotel. i- Dune.din, and only knew of its.exis- ■- t^nce through the Post Office Directory. His reason for trying to h obtain the mo.ney. wag tfeftt Up was \' v.p. could not gat work; 6 When lie got the money he intend- ? Ed to leave the country. t. .Accusea pleadea "Guaty," to the b- charge, and was committed to the i- Supreme Court for sentence.