WELDON'S WINNING WAY

NZ Truth, Issue 818, 16 July 1921, Page 6

WELDON'S WINNING WAY

Collects Cash with Cracked

Cheques

A Good "Sojer" But An Old "Crook."

"Almost like comic opera," said MrJ. W. Poynton, S.M., when he heard the story of how John Edward We.--don had won quite a lot of money by indulging m the most popular pastime of "flying kites." Weldon. a man of fifty- three years, and described as an engineer, was lined up on four charges of floating valueless cheques, and thereby* winning" £13 10s and a gold watch and chain worth twenty of the best There was also a little. item of obtaining £3 6s at Napier, by a false pretence. Chief- Tec. McMahon looked after the "Lor's" corner, while the tricky i one had Lawyer Moody holding his towel. He pleaded guilty. Det.-Sgt. "Jim" Cummings climbed into the box and said that he had a word with Weldon about the way the latter had been carrying on. Weldon then made' a statement m which he said . that on February 1 he went to Moi'ley's m Albert- street, and mentioned that he wanted to buy a gig. He picked out one at £30 and then gpt Mr. Morley to fill m a blank cheque for £35, and this Weldon signed "Thomas Weller." He was then handed a "fiver" and- he asked that the gig be forwarded to Putaruru. Leaving Morley's, he went to the shop of 1 Mr. Stuart Cave and there bought seven cases of benzine and some wire, the lot coming to £40 14s 3d. He asked for a blank cheque, and, at his request, it was filled m for £44. He then signed it "Thomas Weller" and received £3 5s fkl change, and asked that the goods be sent to Putaruru- He then had a spell till May 31, when he went to Davidson's jewellery shop m Queen-street, and bought a gold watch and chain at £20, and he passed over a cheque signed "Thomas Weller." The chain was worth a "fiver" to him as 'he pawned jt for that amount. Evidently, he didn't care how much money he spent on June 15, because on that day he visited the premises of Harrison and Gash and bought a mo -car for £579 15s and^at his request. Mr. Harrison very kindly filled m. a cheque for £584, which accused .signed "Bert Weller," and was o-iven £4 5s change. Of course he didn't take delivery of any of 'his purchases except the watch and chain. The " 'Tec." said that Weldon was a returned "sojer," had married a nurse m England, but his wife had been ill and the money he had obtained on the cheques had been spent m expenses incurred. Mr. Moody pleaded hard for leniency, and said that the worst sufferers would be the accused's wife and child. Chief-" 'Tec." McMahon said that though the accused had been declared an habitual when a single man, and his record might appear a very bad one, he ,had been a good soldier when nt the war.. His young wife was suffering badly, and m spite of his record, accused, if r;-iven another chance, might go straight. After perusing the accused's record, his Worship said it would be farcical to grant probation m such a case. Accused could not be excused for his acts, but there was a certain amount of culpability attaching to the easy acceptance of cheques by people. Accused would be . sentenced to three months. The Chief" 'Tec." then mentioned that the chain had been recovered from the pawnshop and he asked that an order be made against the jewe.ller for £5 to recompense the pawnbroker, because it was hardly fair he should be the *,loser. His Worship made the order as requested.