"-VIEW MATRIMONY"

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12322, 17 December 1925, Page 5

"-VIEW MATRIMONY"

PETONE WOMAN’S MISTAKE ROBBED BY A “CONFIDENCE MAN” HER BUSINESS GIVEN UP, The story of the representations of a typical “confidence man” and the tribulations consequent thereon, was unfolded before Mr W. G. Riddell, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, yesterday morning, when AVilliam Phillips, alias J. Matthews, a builder, aged 46 years, appeared to answer ■charges of havihg obtained £24 from Francis Laura Dean by means of false pretences, and of having converted to his own use £l2 8s 6d, also the property of Mrs Dean. The accused pleaded guilty to both charges. Francis Laura Dean stated that she was a married woman, until recently conducting a con feetionery bus incss in Petone. Having noticed an advertisement in a city newspaper, worded thus: “Retired Aussie wishes to meet

middle-aged woman view matrimony,” she answered it, and the accused called at her shop in Jackson street, Petone. He introduced himself as “Mr. Phillips, the man who had advertised for a wife.” . .

T‘He then produced a bank-book, which he asked me to look over. This I declined to do, but he pointed to .some figures at the bottom of a page. I looked, and the figures I saw were £63,000. After some conversation, I told him I could not marry him, as although legally separated, my husband was still living in England. In reply to this, Phillips said that as he had plenty of money he would finance my divorce. . . . Finally, before he left I agreed to marry him.” Subsequently, said Mrs Dean, she gave Phillips money to cover the cost of the divorce proceeding, and £l2 8s 6d ir tash, with which to pay two accounts owed by her in Wellington. He did not pay these accounts, and she had since been summoned for them. “As a result of meeting this man, I have incurred debts to the amount of £2OO, in fitting myself and family , out to go to Australia. To meet these debts, I have been forced to sell my business. My son and son-in-law have also given up good portions and are now unable to obtain work. Before I met Phillips I was doing well in a prosperous little business.” ' An unusual feature of the prosecution was the appearance in the witness box of William Pilliet Pringle, accused’s counsel, who said he had never received any sum of money from Phillips in connection with the arranging of Mrs Dean’s divorce. Accused was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence on each charge. OTHER OFFENCES ADMITTED On further charges of obtaining £SO from Leopold George Cartnell, lighthousetkeeper at Palhser Bay by means of false pretences, and of obtaining the sum of £6 fro n E. Parker, at Wanganui, by means of a valueless cheque, Phillips also pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supremo Court for sentence.