POSED AS A DOCTOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15249, 12 March 1913, Page 5

POSED AS A DOCTOR.

PATENT. MEDICINE VENDOR. COURT PROCEEDINGS FOLLOW, A tottng man named William Frederick Clark, whose age was given as 22, pleaded guilty in the Police Court yesterday to a charge of having " wilfully and falsely pretended to be a practitioner in medicine." The accused was stated to have* beem canvassing for the sale of patent medicines in the Kingsland district. To several buyers he represented himself as a qualified practitioner— Clark." Several persons were apparently so much impressed by the young man's representations that on subsequent occasions they inquired over the telephone for Dr. Clark. The operators at the exchange naturally put them on to the genuine Dr. dark, When the latter visited the patients they all said that he was not the right doctor. Dr. Clark communicated with the police, with the result that Detective-Sergeant Cox investigated the matter, and a summons -was issued against the accused. The chief detective stated that the accused was before the Court in July last on charges, arising out of his failure to pay for his board and lodging. He was given a chanoe then, but had not, apparently, made any effort to discharge his liabilities. Accused, in his defence, said that he found some difficulty in obtaining work, owing to his defective eyesight. It did, not strike him that he was doing wrong, and now he was quite prepared to turn over a new leaf. Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., convicted the accused and fined him £5, to be paid at the rate of 5s a week, or a months' hard labour in default..