SERIES OF SWINDLES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19963, 3 December 1926, Page 9

SERIES OF SWINDLES.

OPERATIONS IN AUCKLAND TWO MEN CHARGED. BOTH SENT TO GAOL. % (Special to Dailx Times.) AUCKLAND, December 2. Terms of imprisonment were imposed this morning on Roland George Collins and Francis Edward Diggle, two men previously known to the police to have operated in Auckland with a view to obtaining money from shopkeepers and others by false pretences. In all, the pair obtained £2O 14s, and made attempts to obtain the sum of £46. Collins pleaded guilty to the theft of £l4 6s Sd from the Provident Life Insurance Company, Wellington, by which company he was employed as canvasser and collector. , , Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M., sentenced Diggle to six months’ imprisonment. Collins, who was stated to have influenced him, was sentenced to two cumulative terms of six months, to bo followed by 12 months’ reformative detention. _ When Collins bad hts solicitor (Mr Tennell) ask that the term of reformative detention be changed to imprisonment with hard labour, the Magistrate refused. "What I've done, I’ve done,” said Mr Hunt. "Perhaps the Prisons Board wont release him so soon this time.” Collins was remanded to appear at Christchurch on two charges of false pretences and two of forgery. His companion m crime was remanded to Christchurch on one charge of false pretences. Each of the ac cased was convicted this morning _on six false pretences charges, while Collins was also convicted of theft. The fraudulent operations of the pan; were brought to an abrupt termination oa November 11 when they were arrested in a Queen street restaurant by Detective Sergeant Issell, of the Newton Police Station. When brought out to the street Diggle broke away, and bolted for the waterfront. By tiie irony of fate he was overtaken and held by one of the very shopkeepers whom the pair had endeavoured to victimise a few days earlier. Neither Collins nor Diggle made any attempt to conceal hie guilt, and the full story of their exploits in Auckland is now known. Arriving in Auckland on October 23, the companions in crime put up at a city boarding house under fictitious names. They next set about providing a means of procuring money without the trouble of working lor it. Diggle went to a bank and gave an assumed name. He represented himself as a contractor to * suburban local body, deposited £k and obtained a cheque book. The first victim was George D. Bates, chemist of Karangahape road. Collins entered the shop and bought 7s 6d worth of goods, tendering a cheque for £o 4s, which was cashed. There was more finesse about the next deal. Collins entered Mrs Mair a florist shop in Karangahape road, representing that he was the representative oi a firm of furniture manufacturers. An employee had died, Collins explained, and the film desired to purchase a wreath. The florist went to the trouble of going into a private room in order to consult a newspaper, and sure enough there was a funeral notice of the man named by Ooliins. A cheque for £5 10s was presented Colhns stating that the wreath must be delivered to the undertakers’ mortuary by 11 a.m. next day. The florist, who at first demurred about cashing the cheque, eventually handed the money over, Colima explaining that he must have the cash with which to pay for the funeral taxi cabs. After her customer had departed tfl© florist consulted the telephone directory and found that the name of the firm given by Collin* was not shown on it. She rang up the police. ~ Parneil grocer named omitn was ta© next honoured with a call. Oollms, assuming the role of a benefactor, told the grocer that he had come to pay an account owing 'by one of the shopkeeper’s customers. Being led to believe that Collins was a brother-in-law of the customer, the grocer expressed delight at this offer, but as the amount owing was only £6 16s ha was surprised when Collins produced a cheque filled in for £ls. He was unable to cash' it Collins said it was his last cheque form, whereupon the grocer said: "Oh, here is one of mine. Fill it in for the amount owing.” Hoist by his own petard, Collins was "compelled to make out a valueless cheque without profit to himself. A visit to the Strand Hotel, Parnell, waa the next item on the programme. The licensee cashed a worthless cheque made out for £3. Collins then conceived the idea of buying furniture, and he had himself introduced to N. W. Travis, of the Dependable Furniture Company, by his friend Diggle. who was very pressing in his request for £5 commission for bringing about a sale. Collins, who was represented as a wealthy man, bought furniture to the value of £3l, stating that he was about to get married. Mr Travis accepted a cheque for £3l and said he would pay commission to Diggle when the cheque was cashed. Needless to say the cash was never paid, and the police soon had another complaint with which to deal. Mr Fennell asked for probation for Diggle, the younger of the two. who had been led astray by what counsel termed “a master mind.” As far as Collins was concerned it could not be denied that be had a list, but Mr Fennell thought the court might impose only a short term of imprisonment. Collins had a wife and child in Australia of whom he was very fond, and if he were given a short term he would get away to Australia as soon as possible, locate bis loved ones and set to work to make a home for them. Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M., remarked on the fact that Diggle had served six months for theft on a previous occasion. He had not profited by that lesson and could not be granted probation. As for Collins, said Mr Hunt, he was a man who had been released on probation by the Prisons Board. He had a very bad record, and had been in and out of prison since 1923.’’ You say he is very fond of his wife and child,” said Mr Hunt, "but I see here on the list that he has been proceeded against on a maintenance order. That doesn’t look like being very fond of them.” The Magistrate thought it best to put him out of the way for a long time.