PHILANTHROPIC IMPOSTER.

NZ Truth, Issue 473, 11 July 1914, Page 4

PHILANTHROPIC IMPOSTER.

Greek "Take-down" Taken Up. •~ — -, . . ' ' <#«-• Collects Boodle for Balkans and' Spends on Booze. (From "Truth's" Gisborne Rep.) Th© city by the river Stynx has been having Its share of sensation of late»i and Jonathan Hop h4s been earning 1 the price o* his No. 10 brogues by padding about In search of escaped jewellery. It has also had a visit from a very distinguished /fcerflonage, one LavUchanos, or Zevitchahos. This "Eari of the fried fish-shop" ha» beeh meandering about "God's Own Country"" collecting God knows how much cash, allegedly for the relief of those who ar<» suffering In the Balkan Peninsula. The money thus obtained he immediately deposited In that bank of Which "Mr. Booze" is the leading director; In fact, the life of this dtdgfaoeful Greek must have been '■ONE LONG SUSTAINED JAM^- ' ■': ; BOEtBEJ. His method was to visit a township, 'interview the Mayor, or whatever aniftial happened to bo the chief civic authority, ; produce alleged credentials, together N wlth letters "of recommendation from Mayors of other towns, and then collect like a Salvarmy self-denial week, He was very large potatoes on "addressl ng," nd would - address, pre - ferably, a crowd of volunteers, a mob of schoolchildren— who brought along their Ilttle'blt for "Mr. Booze's" bank— a collection of tombstones, or a draught horse. It was all, one to the "addressed," oa his "English" sounded something like a cracked phonograph. After addressing echoOl kids, bottles, fantods, and other things, all the way up from Gisbin the Golden— where he got a SIGNED, CERTIFICATE FROM THE .. "MAYAH," plus a lot of cash*— ha eventually arrived at Opotiki, and it was here that ho met hiß Waterloo, which would be somewhat of a change from whlskyloo which he had so long enjoyed at the expense of a soft-hearted (or headed) and credulous public. Mayor Short was not long m wiring to Mr. Dyer, the vice-consul of Greece, who replied that "Lawy" had no authority from Greece to collect on behalf of the Greek Society. An Interview with the John 'Ope was probably the only one Lavitchanos was not soliciting. - Sergeant FergUßon invited the Greek to accompany him to the police office at about 8.30 p.m. on Thursday week, TO HAVE A CHAT. As the result of a certain remark let slip, the guileful Greek* was arrested and searched: Here proof was found that he was obtaining money under false pretences, on his ( person . being documents showing that many of the credentials he had shown so freely nad been "called m." Why he carried such Incriminating papero is hard to understand, though suspicions having once boon aroused, a fow lnqulrios would probably have given all the evidence of the man's ,gultt required. Then John Hop justified his existence and gathered m the Greek with the latch -koy name. Meanwhile, the Greek" was busy organising his cadging campaign. He bled MANY MUGS FOR SMALL SUBSCRIPTIONS, though, incidentally, it should bo stated, ho mot with some rebuffs. He almost succooded In gaining permission to address the -children at tho Opotiki school, but was blocked by tho head master. Mr. Gow, the County chairman, ho couldn't tap, but did tho Interviewing stunt with many promlnont cltlsons. He seemed to Imvo v partiality for public addroasoH, und approaohod a local territorial officer, desiring to uddress the Opotiki troops. He was somewhat nonplussed when he was informed by the territorial, whom he grooted as a brother officer, that no parade would bo hold for a month. The Greek was also ambitious to make a public address, and had applied for the uso of St. Stephen's Parish Hall for tho purpose. Before tho Beak he admitted that he wan what ho was charged with being — a roguo and a vagabond — and also to having obtained mono'y by false protenceH. "Latchy" was allowed one month's holiday from tho good Work which he had pumued so diligently. Incidentally, It transpired m tho Polloo Court proceedings that tho Greek had gathered J2IOO at Palmorston North, £100 at Nelson, £90 at Mantorton, and various sum* at other places. Tho donors from thoso placet* can comfort themselves with tho knowledge thut their donations have boen safely deposited In tho beforo-mcntloned bank foe Bafcty.