GAOL FOR IMPOSTOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20903, 19 June 1931, Page 15

GAOL FOR IMPOSTOR.

teller of /fortunes.

'AMAZING FRAUD PRACTISED.

HOW VICTIMS WERE ROBBED

'A case which presented many unusual features was heard in the Police Court yesforday, when Claudo McLaughlin, aged 21 described as a fortune-teller, moro commonly known as "Claude Dolores." appeared on charges,of telling fortunes; obtaining money by false pretences; theft; being found in a state of intoxication when in charge of a motor-car; and driving without a licence. Tho. two last-named offences were committed when accused was on bail awaiting charge on tho other counts. Ho was arrested when ho called in tho car fi t the police station to report. Tho charge of being intoxicated when jn charge of the car was called first, accused denying; that he was in charge cf the vehicle.

Drunk at the Police Station.

Constable Nicol stated that on Wednesday afternoon accused left the police gtation after reporting and walked across Princes Street to a motor-car, entering the vehicle on tho driver's side. Witness, v ho noticed that he appeared to be intoxicated, took him back to tho station. There was another man in tho car who drove it away later. Accused said ho bad driven tho car to the police station from Durham Street. Tho watch-house keeper, Constable Miller, stated that when accused called B t the station he was undoubtedly under tho influence of liquor. He admitted to fitness that he had drunk some beer ,»'to keep out the cold." Sergeant Brenchley said ho had examined McLaughlin on bis arrest and had found that ho was intoxicated. A car salesman 'said accused had called Rt his firm's premises on Tuesday and said ho was thinking of buying a car. "Witness was suspicious, but when McLaughlin called again on Wednesday he took out a car, which accused drove He drove quite well, but not as well as be had done on the previous day. Accused was convicted of the offence.

Defrauding a Woman.

\cccsed was then charged with obtaining sums of £22 and £2O from a woman by falsely representing that the money was to bq invested in a radio company, and with obtaining £SO from her by representing that that sum was.required for Stamp duty for tho company. He pleaded guilty, also admitting further allegations that he had told tho woman's fortune, and the fortune of a tramway conductor, that ho had stolen £lO, the property of that man, and that ho had stolen a typewriter, valued at £lB.

Detective-Sergeant Kelly said that in January a woman employed in a city hotel had gone to accused, who was to have her fortune told. He had informed her that she . would bo very lucky if she invested money with him, and obtained £44 from her to invest in a radio company which/he said he was forming, and Jl5O on a later occasion.

Accused admitted subsequently that ho had no association with any company, and said he would return the money. When the woman met him in Queen Street outside the Union Bank of Australia, accused filled in a dummy lodgment form for £3OO and handed her the butt. He bad put no money in the bank, and the slip was not stamped with the usual receipt stamp.

Tramway Conductor's Experience.

A tramway / conductor had called on , McLaughlin to have his fortune read, continued Mr. Kelly. Accused gave him ;i reading, telling him that if ho went to England and traced his dead stepfather he Would receive a lot of money. Accused said that if he would give him as much money as he could raise, the man would receivo £4OO. r llie conductor told accused that his stepfather had been dead for some years and lie did not have any money to leave. The next time this man went for a rending he gave /accused two £5 notes at McLaughlin's request. McLaughlin inserted what the man took to he the notes in an envelope, which he placed in a saucer of spirits nnd set light to it. This was a "blind," us accused did not put any money in the envelope. Cumulative Terms In Gaol

In conclusion, Mr. Kelly stated that McLaughlin had borrowed a typewriter nnd sold it to a dealer for £2. "Accused is a pure, • unadulterated impostor, ho added. "He has been fined for fortunetelling before." Mr. Noble said that although accused's conduct could not be justified the t people who gave him money deserved to lose it. Accusea would repay the woman ho had defrauded. "He will not be earning anything for the next 12 months," remarked the magistrate, Mr. F. K. Hunt, who sentenced McLaughlin to six'months' imprisonment on two of the charges, the terms to bo cumulative, and convicted and discharged him on the/others. ,