LANDLADY DEFRAUDED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21029, 13 November 1931, Page 10

LANDLADY DEFRAUDED.

BOARDER'S PLAUSIBLE TALE

CLAIM TO BE BRITISH PEER

TWO MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT

[BIT TKLEGRAriI. —-OWN f ORHESPONHENT. ] WELLINGTON, Thursday.

For Iwn periods in August and October, William Bidulpli Blackwood, aged 67, described by the police as a plausible and well-educated man, • boarded at Mrs. Agnes McLean's bouse, and told licr be was Lord Dufferin. He apparently drank a good deal and said be was expecting a bank draft from overseas. Mrs. McLean lent him sums of money, and he was charged to-day with having obtained £2 from her by false pretences. In respect of his board, be was charged with obtaining credit to the extent of L 3 10s by fraud

Accused pleaded not guilty. Sub-Inspector Ward said Blackwood had come to Wellington from C'hristehurch on August 15. He had been robbed of £15.3 at Christ church races. Accused said after staying at Mrs. McLean s boarding house for a fortnight, he went, away without paying his board, but said he would pay when he returned. He. came back later in October and he once more obtained board and also two amounts of money. Accused further said ho was Lord Dufferin, and he showed Mrs. McLean a bank book and said he was expecting a bank draft of £703. Supply of Provisions. Mrs. McLean gave evidence along lines of the sub-inspector's statement. Blackwood was an inoffensive man to have in the house. In reply to counsel for accused, Mrs. McLean said when Blackwood went out he always brought back something in the way of provisions. He was very liberal and bought about three or four pounds' worth of provisions. On his last visit he paid her £5, but this was borrowed money. Counsel: How do you know it was borrowed money ? Witness: Well, he borrowed it from my daughter. Detective Waterson said Blackwood told him he had been drinking and had not known what he was doing. In his pockets were some press cuttings in which Lord Dufferin was the subject of news, and he also had with him a type-written sheet describing the family history, arms and estate of the marquis. The detective said Blackwood had boarded for 14 months with a Mrs. Bates and had paid no board after the first week. He told Mrs. Bates he was a relative of Lord Dufferin and had interests in the. estate. He obtained from her sums of money to arrange for his passage home. He later admitted that be owed Mrs. Bates at least £2OO and that he was no relation of Lord Dufferin or of any of the nobility. Heavy Drinking Admitted. Counsel submitted that the evidence did not show that Mrs. McLean had given him the money on the strength of his talk about the bank draft which was delaved. No reasonable person would have believed the statements made by him. In evidence, Blackwood said he was a salesman and that he had £4 or £5 with him when he went to stay with Mrs. McLean. He was drinking very heavily and was in a state of intoxication all the tirpe. Although he was not expecting a bank draft, he had intended to pay his board. Sub-Inspector Ward said accused had not- come under the notice of the police before. The magistrate said it seemed clear that the accused had been living by fraud for quite a considerable time. He was sentenced to two months imprisonment on each of the two charges of false pretences, the sentences to be concurrent. On a further charge of having obtained £lO from Kate Bates by falsely representing that be was a brother of Lord Dufferin. lie was remanded to appear at C'hristehurch.