A CONFIDENCE TRICKSTER

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11411, 6 January 1923, Page 6

A CONFIDENCE TRICKSTER

LIVING AT OTHERS’ EXPENSE. SENTENCED TO IMPRISONMENT. “This man is a menace to society,” remarked Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday in reference to a man who was called upon to answer numerous charges. ’Hie accused's name was given as Archibald Andrew Charles Scott, and his aliases were Smith, Archie or Welham, alias O’Brien, alias Masters, alias Detective Russell, alias Detective Jamieson, alias Detective McAlpine, alias Detective Bennett, alias Dr. Russell, alias Dr. Jamieson. Tho charges were as under:—At Wellington, on December 2nd, 1922, of theft of clothing to a total value of £l2 16s 6d, the property of James Dawson ; Wellington, December 4th, 1922, theft of clothing to the value of £l2, the property of Victor Masters; Wellington, December 7tli, theft of clothing, jewellery, and money to a total value of £l7 Ils, the property of John Bvamley; Eastbourne, December 16th, 1922, theft of suit of clothes valued at £l2 12s, the property of Alice Garood; Eastbourne, December loth, theft of bicycle valued at £6, the property of James Barnes-; Eastbourne, December 15th, theft of bicycle valued at £6, the property of James Braggins; Eastbourne, December 18th, theft of bicycle valued at £O, the property of some person or persons unknown; Eastbourne, December 16th, theft of shaving gear and pocket knife, valued at 9s, the property ' of David Morrah. On December 15th., 1922, at Eastbourne, with intent td defraud, obtaining the sum of £6 from one Maria Mazzola, -by falsely representing that he was a member of the New Zealand Police Force, engaged in the inquiry of auditing certain book®, the property of Maria Mazzola. On December Bth, 1922, at Petone, with intent to defraud, obtaining the sum of £2 from one Ellen Moore, by falsely representing that he was a member of tho New Zealand Police Force, engaged in the inquiry of certain. forged banknotes, in the possession of the said Ellen Moore. On December 7th, 1922, at Khandallah, obtaining, with intent to defraud, one gent’s bicycle valued at £6, from some person unknown, by falsely representing that he was a member of the New Zealand Police Force who was searching, for two -prisoners who had escaped from a train between Wellington and Johnsonville. For ,each of the last three charges there was an alternative of “assuming the designation of a member of the New Zealand Police Force.” The accused pleaded guilty to all counts. It was explained by Senior-Detective Lewis that the accused was -discharged from a reformatory at Invercargill on November 18th, 1922. He arrived in Wellington on the 23rd of the same month, and commenced obtaining hoard and lodging at several seaside places by falsely representing that he was a doctor, a detective, a wool-classer, etc., and having secured the confidence of the people with whom he happened to be staying, 'at some opportune time he almost invariably decamped with all the movable gpods of any value about the premises. The clothes whioh he was wearing at hia trial weere part of the booty obtained) from one particular place. The “total value of all the goods stolen was Bomewhere in theregion of £7O, -but the greater part ot it had been recovered, there being only about £l2 worth still unaccounted for. Hie accused had previously been convicted in 1918 on five charges of forgery and uttering, and in the present proceedings had given the police a great deal of trouble. “This man is e menace to society,” said tbo magistrate. “He has done no honest work since he cam© here. Sentenced to six months’ hard labour, to be followed by a period of reformative detention for two years. The Prisons Board can deal with him after that.”