KITSON THE KIDDER.

NZ Truth, Issue 299, 18 March 1911, Page 5

KITSON THE KIDDER.

SPURIOUS SPRIG OF NOBILITY. Queered m the Queen City. Attempted Suicide — False Pretences Forgery— A Liar and a Fraud— History of the Kitson Family — Sir Joseph Ward Victimised — Jimmy Millar Mislead—A Crook that Came a Cropper — 7 Years m a Reformatory. "The criminal career. of Albert Gittos or Gordon Palmer, who bounced and bluffed his, way through the North Island, received a check at Auckland on Wednesrlny ir." . when Mr Justice Cooper EcnXcjAn-d the individual 'm question, on charges of false pretences, forgery, and attempted suicide, to a term of reformatory treatment not exceeding seven years. "What, however, was the unpardonable offence of all, Gibbs or Palmer, who is stated to possess a criminal record m Australia, when he first struck Wellington, gave it forth that he was the Hon. Evelyn V. Kitson, second son of Lord Airedale.. This is the same YOUNG FRAUDULENT FILI- ' BUSTER who was reported from Palmerston North as having travelled on our railways as a guest of the country, and who, incidentally, hit up one or two Palmerston publicans. Anyhow, it was on the strength of him being the Hon; Evelyn V. Kitson, second son of Lord Airedale, that everybody in 1 Auckland fell over , themselves to grip the hand of a sprig of nobility, and, as our story will tell, everybody fell m. However, as New Zealanders, like our Yankee cousins, DEARLY LOVE A LORD, or the son of a lord, or a lord's bedroom steward or washerwoman, "Truth," wft^ich is never behindhand m social gossip, proposes to tell who and what Lord. Airedale and his family are. They are people • who have built up the famous engine-building and iron and steel manufacturing firm of Kitson and Co., the head of which is Lord Airedale of Glasgow, P.C., one of the mushroom peers emerging — like our own beloved Islington — from the ranks of the .allegedly House-of-Lords-destroying Liberal Party. He boasts of no blue blood, but is a novus homo, or, to use a- word which has latterly dropped out of use, a' Parvenu. Beginning life as a tradesman, he devoted himself .to the iron and steel business, and, m the course of time, "BUILT HIMSELF UP A FORTUNE, and founded I the firm already mentioned. He was created a baronet m 1886, and was elected President of the Iron and Steel Institute for the year' 1889-90. He also became a director of the Nor th-Eastern 'Railway Company, as well as of the City and Midland Bank. In recognition of his important advances m the scientific treatment of steel, he •was, niade an honorary Doctor of Science (D. Sc). Ambition led him to enter both municipal and political life, and m 1896 he was elected Mayor of Leeds, becoming first Lord Mayor on the occasion of ithe Diamond Jubilee of the late Queen Victoria. He represented Colne Valley, Yorkshire, m the Liberal interest for fifteen years, and so gained the usual reward held out as a bait to servile followers of the Little Englander Party, viz., a Privy Councillorship m 1906 and a Peerage m 1907. Strenuous a life as he has led, Lord Airedale, now m the 76th year of his life, is still hale, hearty, «uad active. HE HAS BEEN MARRIED TWICE, once m 1860 to Emily, daughter of J oseph Cliff, being- left a widower m 1873, and again m 1881 to Mary Laura, daughter of E. Fisher Smith, the second wife being still alive. He hus seven children m all, viz., three sons and two daughters by his first wife, and one son and a daughter by the second wife. The sons are :— Hori. Albert Ernest Kitson, 8.A., born. 1863 ; Hon. James Clifford Kitson, born 1864 ; Hon.. Edward Christian Kitson, M.A., born 1873 ; and Hon. Roland Dudley Kitson, born 1882. ' From the above little family history of the Kitson family, it will be seen that there is no Evelyn V. Kitson, and that Gibbs is, as, of course, he is, ai liar. Just, however, to show, what mugs there are m New Zealand,- and particularly m Auckland. Kitson the Kidder actually touched Sir Joseph Ward for a goodsized cheque, fooled Democrat Jim Millar into handing him over a. free railway pass, while the firm of the Hon. George Fowlds also DABBLED IN KITSON'S CROOK PAPER. j Various publicans were defrauded, per cheque, while the "Hon. Evelyn"' went a step too far when he forged j the name., of Arthur Myers, M.P., to I a cheque of £>T. Troubles one after j the other struck the crooked man, who is . ai mere slip of a youth, long, lean, and lank, with a small mouth, deep-set and shifty .eyes, the narrow, forehead of a. criminal, ?and tawsy, fair hair; ■■;.■ Hotel-keepers tumbled to his\ duplicity. SUPPER PARTIES TO CHORUS GIRLS were abandoned, because one publican got wind of the fact that he was entertaining a rotter. Next, the Hon. Evelyn, evidently a morphia fiend, took an overdose of that "dope," and the next thing was he was m the arms of the law charged with attempted suicide, false pretences, and forgery. He pleaded guilty at the Auckland S.M.s Court to three charges of false pretences, one of forgery, and also attempted suicide. Brought before Mr Justice Cooper at the Auckland Supreme Court on Wednesday last, he was sentenced as stated.

A brewer's chemist m England has, by much experimenting, evolved a beer which fully retains the flavor of the bee" whicli is England's glory, but which is non-intoxicating. Now, all that will be necessary to quieten Mrs Grundy when she presides at Wowserian feasts at which hilarity list's high, will be a little ante-dinner manipulation. of j labels. '

All have c great respect for This new -Police Inspector. , If you ask the reason why, None will venture to deny That Inspector John O'D. Is; a man— so now you see.

He's only but an Acting-Tec., Not full-Mown yet you see, Though once as sergeant was on deck, Dressed m authority. To catch the crook is now his dart, Promotion hangs on that ; He'll have to be so very smart, And play off his own bat.

A traveller of some renown, Well-known m, every northern town. Where thrives the liquor trade. Don't tell him that the girls have said, Hi 3 likeness to our late King Ned v A magnate, of Mm made.