WEDDING POSTPONED

NZ Truth, Issue 1228, 13 June 1929, Page 3

WEDDING POSTPONED

McKerizie Fixed ! The ■:Dft^bjfft : Magistfdte-JPat A Damper On His Plans FRAUDS ON SHOP (From "N.Z. Truths Special ; G(iristcKureh Rieprescntativej. .

I ' j Because of tjieir fiag-erriess to g-ain business, there j I are many shopkeepers who prove easy "prey" for the 1 | man with dishonest inclinations. So easily are some of 1 1 them "galled " by the confldehce man .that one wonders | ; | whether "they take any precautions, at all to protect 1 j themselves from this class of person. < > a j

.-iiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiM A FEW Ghristchiirch business men we.re told a tale recently by Leslie Ross McKenzie, with the result that they parted with some of their goods. ' „ The system McKenzie employed was very simple. „, ■ , : ' One of his methods was to telephone a firm and, giving a fictitious name, ask them! to send goods on approval to a certain address. Then, h^ would call at that address and collect the goods, or send a boy to do so. His other method was to write a note to a firm asking them for certain goods. This' note he would : give to a boy to deliver, and the unsuspecting storekeeper would give: the goods to the boy, who. ■ would then hand them : over , to, ! MeKenzie. > " . .;;'./ McKenzie seemed to have a Jpefnchant ' for shoes, silk stocking^ .snd watches, and these were the only articles which he attempted, to obtain. He managed to get m quite a large stoqk of them before the police eventually got on' his ' tracks.

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiii)iiiiii|iiiilJiiiiiiiniiiiliiniiiii?' When they, did arrest him' he had ten charges, of fraud." and attempted fraud preferred against him. '. McKenzie, a young laborer, was' brought before the Magistrate's Court, when he pleaded guilty; to all the'offences. • .■•.-■" ■ ■ ' , The probation officer gave a few particulars of NJcKenzle's home life, yvhich, apparently, was not of the: best.- . ■. . -. „,-.-.-.v •.■■ ■; ■ -••.■•"■ ■.■..•,...;< Mr. A. A. McLachlan, who appeared for. McKenzje, pleaded for leniency. He told the magistrate. that his client was the second eldest of a family; of eleven and had never had a chance. ' A date m October was fixed fpr his wedding, and' in counsel's opinion- the girl, who '"wks ,a decent sort," might; have some, influence over him. , , . : The Magistrate thought that, a visit to Waikerla would be the best . thing, for McKenzie. .He would have the[advan tages of training there and Avoqjcl be away from certain bad. influences. He was sentertced' to ;twb' years' Borstal treatment. — ■■•;.-.•