ROGUE REAPS THE WHIRLWIND

NZ Truth, Issue 1144, 3 November 1927, Page 5

ROGUE REAPS THE WHIRLWIND

Dancing Partner

New Chapter In Criminal Career Of Francis Fletcher

KISS THAT COST HIM GAOL SENTENCE

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative.} He requires no introduction ; he is still the same "clean-shaven, fair-haired, blue-eyed" Francis Jocelyn Johnstone Fletcher, but seven months older since "7V. Z. Truth* so described him when giving space to his unworthiness as a citizen of Auckland.

FROM those disclosures the public no doubt formed its own opinion that Fletcher .was a bird of falcon feather. Probation Officer Campbell thinks he is "one of the shrewdest criminals m Auckland." So he told Magistrate Hunt at the Auckland Police Court last week, when giving a synopsis of Fletcher's doings m recent years. In 1922 Fletcher tested the flexibility of the law when he was convicted and placed on two years' probation on charges of theft and false pretences. Again, m November, 1925, the elasticity of justice was stretched to its uttermost point when he was given a further five years' probation on two charges of false pretences — another chance.

Apparently it was not the kind of chance that appealed to a man of his calibre; rather did he prefer to avail himself of further opportunities of victimizing his fel-low-men.

Coupled with the last sentence was an order to make restitution of a sum of £51 10s. After paying £7 10s. of this amount, Fletcher disappeared — that is, he kept his identity under cover and the probation officer knew him no more. Just how long Fletcher co.uld have hookwinked- the authorities it is hard to surmise, but despite the fact that his name was prominent on the list of those "badly wanted" at the Auckland detective, office, he managed to evade the sleuths until

about seven months ago. It was then due to one of his own criminal caprices

that he was brought '■~ _ ' within the long and searching clutch of the law. When the law's grip did close upon Fletcher, it did so fairly tightly and this elusive gentleman was placed m Mt. Eden gaol for a couple of weeks on a charge of assaulting a young woman. He was also convicted and fined £10 or 14 days' imprisonment on a charge of breaking the terms of his probation. Public memory. will not need to extend itself m recollecting the contemptible nature of the details that led up to Fletcher being charged with assault. Advertising m an Auckland daily paper, he received nearly a hundred applications from girls who were at' tracted by his subtle whim: "Wanted — a lady, young, as dancing partner. Willing; to travel; experience not necessary; good salary and expenses. Write J. c/o Rushton's, Three Lamps, Ponsonby." Fletcher hired the Ponsonby Hall wherein to reap the harvest of his freakish motive. One girl was selected and after playing to the full upon her ingenuous anticipations — even to making certain measurements with a handkerchief — he

i immediately exposed the true object of his advertisement (and, incidentally, [his own dishonorable character) by i taking her m his arms and kissing her. The girl's report to the police 1 was responsible for Fletcher's arrest and sentence to gaol. But even this was not sufficient lesson for Fletcher, who chose to transgress against — rather than accept — the. conditions of his term of probation. He was arrested m the act of boarding a vessel under an assumed name m the hopes of reaching Sydney. "During the last few months he has not been complying with the terms ot his probation," said Probation Officer Campbell. "He gave his address as Onehunga when he was not there. A great number of people m Auckland have complained about him advertising for travellers. . . "When they have applied, they have been asked to deposit fidelity bonds of £25 on the assumption that they would be handling money." There was also a suggestion that Fletcher was involved over some clothes and jewellery valued at £90 and that he had "got away with a new tyre and £6 m cash from the manager of a motor garage." Chief Detective Cummings: "He was arrested m Wellington as he was about to sail for Sydney under a bogus name. I think he should be put away for a long term."

In cross-examining the probation officer, Lawyer Schramm, who appeared for the accused, asked if witness was aware

that the

fidelity

' bonds had all been refunded. The witness knew that some of them were paid back, but counsel insisted, that all except one had been made good. "I have the receipts for them here," he added. Your reference to clothes; was that a fur coat? — Yes. "Well, I have the receipt for that also," remarked counsel. Detective O'Sullivan threw a little light on Fletcher's past, particularly the dancing partner episode. It was Russian dancing, said the detective, that accused had promised to teach the girl who had fallen into his snare. She had been persuaded to leave her employment and take a flat; she was. to receive a salary of £10 and commission. Chief Detective Cummings: "Was he to take her out of New Zealand?" "Yes," replied witness. "It was the same with some other young women. One, a married woman, he persuaded to leave home and take a flat, where he was to visit her and give her lessons, but she thought better of it."

"Do you know that accused is very good to his wife?" asked Lawyer Schramm. The witness was not .able to say much about .Fletcher's virtues as a, husband, but what he did know quite a lot about was the fact that, he had induced his mother to sign an agreement which gave him a right to sell her property. "The mother, who is an elderly lady, complained very bitterly," said the. detective, "and there is a sum of £200 not yet paid back. She has now to go out to work at times." To this allegation, counsel contended that while at the war Fletcher allotted his money to his step-father and the transaction on the mother's property was the way it had been paid back. "You say he defrauded his mother of this money?" asked the lawyer.. "She told me so at the detective office," was the reply. "I know there is no hope of his escaping prison," said Lawyer Schramm m his plea to the bench. "But he is still a young man, only 29 years of age, and may yet make good. . . "He is supporting his wife and mother and is very good to them. It was the influence of another man that persuaded him to leave the country. . . "He had a long period — four years — at the war, where he was badly wounded." "He was brought up on two charges of false pretences involving one sum of £27 10s. and the other £40," said the bench. "He was given the benefit of probation, although m 1922 he received two years' probation. . . "While on probation, he is convicted of assault. I find that he now commits further breach of his probation and sentence him to six months on each of the two original charges of 1925. "For breaking the terms of his probation, he is sentenced to three months — terms to be cumulative."