A RED RUSSIAN REFUGEE.

NZ Truth, Issue 215, 7 August 1909, Page 5

A RED RUSSIAN REFUGEE.

IS "DR" BORANOfF BOGUS?

Copped for Crook Cheque Capers.

IS FINED A FIVER FOR FRAUD.

If Nihilistic gangs or societies m; UZar 1 Nicholas' huge territories breed products such as Arthur Copland Boranoß, this Dominion would be pleased if these' gangs or societies kept them at home, for this Dominion has any amount of swindlers and spielers of • iti's own without importing any. "Truth" would recommend to Acting-Premier Jimmy Carroll that a high protective tariff be placed on all goods such as Boranofi, and ail other goods of a like description, so as to contribute something towards the Dreadnought foolishness, or the unemployed lund, or the retrenched Civil Servants' poor-box. Arthur Copland Boranoft, or Leo Arthur Copland Boranofl, is THE ALLEGED RUSSIAN EXILE, who claims to belong to the Russian j Reform Party, and bas been travelling Ward's Own Dominion delivering lectures On Russian! prisons and politics, not so much to the enlightenment of the public, as •to the aggrandisement of his own pocket. Boranoff, the boohed, claims that' hei isa medical cuss . and graduated m " Sti Petersburg, (the capital of Holy Russia) f Berlin (where Kaiser 1 Bill hangs out), and London (where Joe Ward and King Ned are at present hanging out theif shingles). Now, no one m this festive city, or the rest of the Dominion, has" seen the result of Red Russia's diplomas, and counting out the ones from Nick's 1 and Bill's countries, it is up to Copland the copped to dig out the one from the Modern Babylon, as common or garden colonials will be able to see whether itis the "straight griffin" or not. Another little bit 'of advice "Truth" would give to; Leo Arthur Copland Boranoff, Licentiate of the Royal College ' of Physicians (Haw !) .and God knows what other degrees, is to buy a cheque book of his own and, having, backed it up m any bant m New Zealand, to square up some of his advertising accounts with the newspapers who have swallowed MS stories from the platform and have BOOMED HIM IN CONSEQUENTS. Leo the lost might also, before he skips by the light of the moon, explain things m general about his belonging to /th«f Russian Reform League to those alleged compatriots of his who have been casting, doubts on his shaky, veracity m wh&"t he j himself would term the "Plutocratic Press." Also, Boranoff the biffled might as well clear out of this delectable spo^ and join the I ' Chapman- Alexander Money; Mission on the other side, as he 'won't' be able to pick up enough pence irt Ward's Dominion, m future, to cover the bottom of one of Boodler Booth's tambourines. Leo might also explain his statement that his degree of Berlin* dates 1906, that of St. Petersburg 1904, and that of London 1903. Ii is only natural to suppose that Leo' the lagged woirid graduate, if he ever did, at St. Petersburg, ia his native cotfntry, first, yet he says that 1903 is his date in 1 London, and his degree is L.R.G.P. A search of the register fail's to discover any such name as the Boobed Boranoff. Leo also reckons he got four years for~ a political offence on February 2,' 1905, and was sent to the mines at Irkutsk, m Sibera, but escaped m three months. Now, apart from the fact that it is news to us that there are any mines in' Irkutsk, Arthur the 'Astute is cutting; things fine when he says he escaped via; Japan, and took another degree m Berlin m 1906 (months are not specified)^ Anyhow, the "aforesaid" (as the Devil's! own would say) Arthur Copland Boranoff was duly presented to Beak Riddell, of the Iron Mask, last' Monday to explain why he "obtained from Minnie Motile' the sum of £1 10s bf means of a" false pretence with intent to defraud." Arthur the Astute pleaded' not guilty and Labor Lawyer HindmaTsh backed' him up. Big Chief-Tec. Broberg, he of tiff big voice', looked after the police interests. Minnie Moore is a nice-looking young lady, and after imprinting a Chaste salutation on the' court testament, said she was a photographer m Cuba-Street. About two months ago the Red Russian refugee called at her landscape emporium and ordered some photos of his beautiful "physog" at the price of thirty hob. He received the counterfeit present^ ments of his Hebraic countenance on the 17th July, and m payment ' handed her a cheque for £3 drawn on the Bank or Australasia and received' 30s m change. Minnie Moore never thought the cheque was a "stumer," and presented it at the Bank on the 19th, when an unsymapathetic cashier placed on the bottom corner of it the two mystic letters "N.E.," which, to the initiatedMEANS' "NO EARTHLY."" ' Minnie saw Leo or Arthur or Copland orBoranoQ the same day and asked him' about it, and the Czar's minion said he had' made a mistake, and that he ought to have marked the cheque "Levin Branch." In answer to Lawyer Hindmarsh, Minnie admitted that Arthur, the accused, had spoken to her about some enlargements when he had paid the thirty bob. The enlargements were to cost another &ds. She had offered the change to him, although he had 1 offered to give her another cheque. She had received the wiiole of the £3 on the following Weduesdky. To Chief 'Tec. B'roberg : That was alter the information had been laid. Thomas Dixon, ledger-keeper, stated that accused had no account m the Bank of Australasia at Wellington, and enquiries had revealed the fact that he. had no account at the branch m Levin. 'Tec. Kemp said he had asked accused if he had' an account at the Bank of Australasia at Levin, when he was first! brought up on the charge, and accused had answered "No." Lawyer Hindmarsh, for accused, contended that there was FAILURE TO PROVE CRIMINAL INTENT m the evidence, and tnat it was necessary to do so before a conviction could be made. Accused was m the same position as a man who had drawn a promissory note. The question was, did Boranoff intend to get this 30s when he tendered the cheque, and there was no evidence to that effect. Beak Riddell considered that accused should be called upon for some explanation. Lawyer Hindmarsh stated thai; probably accused was animated by a. desire to "show off" m bringing out has cheque book before Miss Moore and iier friend. 'At the suggestion of the "Iron Duke," he called Boranoff to give evidence. Accused gave his name as Arthur Copland Boranoff. He stated he knew Miss Moore. He gave an order for photographs, and went to Miss Moore's studio on Friday, 17tb, and on Saturday, 17th 'July, and on the latter date he spoke about the enlargements, whi6h were to cost 15s each. He gave her a cheque tor £3, and did not ask for change as he thought tße balance would go towards the enlargements. He met Miss Moore again m the evening with a friend. When lie found that his cheque was dishonored lie wired the money from Dannevirke. A man named Willio.ni 1 Card 1 was to deposit £10 for -him at the Bank of Australasia m Wellington. Chief Tec. Broberg n«xt took a hand m the game, and gave ijhe Russian medico A BAD TEN MINUTES. In answer to- question?*, accused said ho had nurt Card at the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel when he stayed there. Caxd had

promised to Seposit £10 m the Levin branch and £10 m the Wellington branch of the Bank' for him ; Card also gave him a cheque book. He received a telephone message from Mr JLJwyer at Dannevirke saying that Miss Moore had called to say that the cheque was dishonored. It was not to say that the police were moving m the matter. Card owe* him some money, and had offered to finance him. He admitted having given another cheque to a Maori. "If Mr Card says that you stole his cheque book from his bedroom, and that he received it back after the police had ' made enquiries, and that he never owed you money, will you swear that he is swearing falsely ?" thundered 'Tec. Broberg. . , , Boranoff reckoned he would. Continuing, he did not tell Mr Hustler of Johnsonyille, tnat nis name was Dr. Copland. His name was Leo Arthur Copland Boranoff. He had come out from the "Cold Country" as a greaser on a b#ty under the name of Ban. He did no* tell the Customs his name was Louis. Boranoff. Admitted having " ' . MADE A FALSE DECLARATION to the" Customs. He had' been' m London* for four months, and prior to that was ! with the Hunger Marchers aft CardifL He was also medical officer to the White--way colony of Unemployed. Chief 'Tee. Broberg then called William' Card. Lawyer Hindmarsh Objected" to the Cnief 'Tec. calling evidence for s tfie prosecution' after he had closed his case. ' The Beak over-ruled the objection. William /Card stated that he was a barman by occupation* tout was out of cm j ployment at present. fcfe sliayed at the Duke of Edinburgh when accused was there. Oh Isth' July he missed Ms cheque book, and it was afterwards returned with four cheques missing. He identified two cheques produced- as coming out of his cheque book. The "book was taken out of His coat,, and was returned to him through Mr Dwyer. He- never owed accused any money, and never gave him" reason to suppose he 1 would deposit any money m the bank for Mm. . After cross-examination, Mr- Hindmarsh again complained at Chief 'Tec. Broberg's conduct of tße case itf calling Card, but the Beak said., he did '. not- propose to argue the matter. In giving his decision; Magistrate Reddell said that accused was a man of education and should have known something about cheques. Me must have been aware when he issued the cheque that- it was valueless. Accused would be convicted afld fined £5; m default 21 days' imprisonment. Boranoff, when aSked if lie intended to pay the fine, explained he was short .of ■funds, and' elected to take W out on the Terrace, nonchalantly adding that iU would be no new experience for him. Ac^ cordingly, he was sent to "The Nick."