WICKS THE WANDERER.

NZ Truth, Issue 160, 11 July 1908, Page 5

WICKS THE WANDERER.

PITiFULLY PLEADS FOR PROBATION.

Mr. Justice Edwards Says No.

Twelve Months' Hard.

When Arthur Joseph Wicks a few weeks ago distinguished himself whilst '.' giving evidence m the Elliott case as being a mean contemptible cur, he had the effrontery to pose a grossly injured '.than,./ and indignantly denied that he was biting the hand Tvhich had fed him. Wicks on that occasion, when confronted with a statement of moneys lent to him by Albert Clarence Elliott, refused to admit the correctness of the statement, and with a cool audacity which showed the mar* vellous cheek and brass of this criminal he posed as a martyr. Wicks will have good cause to remember his attitude m regard to the friend who had literally, pulled him out -of many a'hole, andprobaby by now Elliott will have recognised his bosom pal— „-•'.' WHO TURNED DOG ON HIM— among the grey who form the awkward. squad at the Terrace Gaol. When the wilful, wicked Wicks designed 'his hair-Trained scheme to fleece his creditors and flee from ' this Dominion, he apparently overlooked the existence of sub-, marine . cables, but their existence was' speedily brought under hJts notfoe.7 In order :to .pose as a superiah person to the end of the chapter,. Wicks returned to' We"llington m company with 'Tec. Lewi^'as" a first-class pastenger, and m the Lower Court displayed his ignorance of affairs by electing to go before a jury, a matter which, he probably pow regrets /with a bitter regret. -;i On Monday Wicka occupied the dock m the Supreme Court for the purpose of listening to what Mr Weave had to say on his behalf and what Mr Justice Edwards had to say m his cap-,j acity as Law-rgiver. . The latter made some ■ t pertinent remarks, 'which Were not \ so tfull of harmony as^.the, musician Wicks would have liked them to/be, as theyyis^* ibly jarred op that person's sujsbeptibili- \ ties. Mr Neave prefaced his remarks by asking his Honor „.-.".' TO ADMIT-.WiqKS'tb" PROBATION,' poiijting, but 'that the issue of the valueless/ cheques were all portion of one seties ofMffences, committed^' between 3 and '5 o!clock on tbe same afternoon. He went on to say that Wicks was a music teach-" er and had Mtherto borne a good character. Wicks-had been. pressed for money by his creditors arid-had committed the offences during a period of < mental distraction. Wicks had heeri'^a-lbcal offlciaii connected w:ith the Trinity College of Music and the books had been investigated, and found to be ih. proper ..order, v His Honor v I would like you to. explain to me, Mr Ne^ave, if you can/ what possible, excuse there can. be for this man, with £48 m his pocket. When ar-. rested/ deliberately^ setting about to swindle .five persons out' of i>2l l7s. '; , M 5 Neaye reiterated •• his statements re mental distraction^ Continuing, he said he would like to call JVIr J. W;V Aitken, chairman, of the local committee of 'the Tripity Cgllege, to speak as to Wicks' previious ' good character and also other irifluentiaJ." residents, i Prom . thfis it would appear that Mary Ann Aitkenhas ■ A NUMBER OP VERY' CURIOUS t .CHARACTERS ; among his v acguaip'tancesv . ? what witli Wicks' and the bounder, Beeson, aid "Truth" does not understand Mary Ann's? fondness for 'this class . of person, or else' it is -Mary Ann's, very. Dad luck. . ' His Honbr : said he would assume that Wicks Had previously borne , a good character. In passing sentence, his Honor .said the-Pirst OBenders' Probaxiion Act was passed for the .benefit of those /who yielded to sudden temptation, and probably ■ for the benefit of the youhg'to jghom. mercy,.. mighti' reasonably be shown. In the prisoner 's case it ;' jvas r plain : that he had set i.atiout to commit .offences bn. trajdesr. men jtb- whom he was ! ,with the delib'eratiß intention of going oft wit;h their money ,to 'Australia: It was quite plain , his. debts did not' trbubie him. He pretended to pay : thci debts -with*. What he knew was valueless; pape'r—^iot for- the purpose, of satisfying them, but to enable him to defraud persons of sums of . money. The . fraud was ", \.. A PARTICULARLiy INGENIOUS ONIU, and easy to cpmmit. It seemed thatprl-. soner had an'. agency^ for a musical institution and was* one of the persons authorised to sign che.qnes On its behalf, and when' committing the offences he tendered cheques bearing only his signature on them; He would ;be acting wrongly towards sbdiety arid directly encouraging crime . if he admitted Wicks to probation under the particular circumstances of the . case, prisoner would be sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment on each charge, ! terms to; be , concurrent. V

On Mr 1 ; Myers' application, his Honor directed that restitution be made of. the money dishonestly obtained. »