A DEBT COLLECTOR'S CAREER

Otago Witness, Issue 3325, 5 December 1917, Page 5

A DEBT COLLECTOR'S CAREER

- ■--- - " CONTEMPTIBLE METHODS. The career of a man named Rowland Percy Beste, better known as Roily P. Beste, was made known in the City Police Court on Saturday, before Mr H. A. Young, S.M., The accused, who had been arrested at Wellington a week ago on a charge of obtaining £3 8s on terms requiring him to account for it, was further •charged with obtaining £1 10s, £2 ss, 10s, £l, and £4 5s under similar conditions. These amounts, as shown by the information, had been collected by the accused on behalf of various business people. Beste, who is a cripple, and who walked with the aid of a crutch, and was not represented by counsel, pleaded guilty to all the charges. Chief Detective Bishop stated that the accused was a single man, 43 years of age-, and a native of London. He arrived in Australia when a child with his parents, and came to New Zealand about the middle of 1915. Pie joined the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in October, 1915, and returned to the dominion on December 19, 1916, and was subsequently discharged as unfit. He was in receipt of a military pension of 35s per week. He came to Dunedin in February and about the end of August he started as a "debt collecting specialist" in the A.M.P. buildings, obtaining his office furniture from two furnishing firms. The furniture consisted of partitions, counter, roll-top desk, chairs, rugs, etc., also a typewriter, obtained from a typewriting agency. No money having been paid on these articles they were seized by the parties from whom they were obtained. He ordered a large quantity of stationery from three printing firms in the city, but paid for nothing, and one of these accounts amounted to about £lO. He employed a young lady clerk, and left her lamenting to the extent of £7 for wages due. His business method consisted in canvassing business men by letters and personally to give him bad debts to collect, and ho obtained a number of debts-from shopkeepers, medical men, and solicitors, his charge being from 5 to 20 per cent, on all moneys collected. Ho collected £3O for one man, and did not account for a single penny, and there were numerous other accounts, ranging from 2s 6d to over £4, which he had colleoted and had not accounted for. It was impossible, of course, to state the exact amount he had collected, but it must be somewhere in the vicinity of £7O or £BO. At this time he was staying at the Leviathan Hotel, but he was on friendly terms with a family at Caversham, and eventually persuaded them to take him as a boarder. He became engaged to a daughter of his landlady and borrowed £5 and £lO in war bonds from her on the understanding that he would invest the money to better advantage. When he cleared out he took this money, and he also owed her mother £l2 10s for board. He also borrowed various sums of money ranging from Is up.to £36. In the latter case he borrowed the money from a young man who was starting business for himself, the money being requirftd to establish the accused on a sound footing, and as soon as he was established himself he purposed financing the young man in his business. He made arrangements to open .an account with the National Bank, having represented that he had a large' sum of money in Australia which he was expecting daily, and on the strength of these representations he was given a cheque book containing 24 cheques, and ot these he issued four, although ho had not a penny piece in the bank. The bank officials then took the cheque book away from him. Ho also obtained clothing from different shopkeepers, for which he had not paid. At the time of his arrest in Wellington, he was on board a steamer about to sail for Australia, and was in possession of a passport and a ticket for Sydney. _ There was nothing that could be said in favour of accused, except the fact that he was a returned soldier, who was crippled for life as a result of injuries received while fighting as a member of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. The chief detective drew attention to the contemptible nature of the accused's action, especially in regard, to practically robbing his intended wife and her mother.

His Worship (to the chief detective) i What has ho done-with the money? Chief Detective Bishop: Spent it, I suppose. He had only 2d in cash when he was arrested. In reply to the magistrate as to how he had disposed of the money, accused said that he had lost £35 in notes out of his pocket. That was tho beginning of his troubles.

The Magistrate: What about tho rest of the money? You were in receipt of a weekly pension of Jos. yet you did not pay your typist o, or your landlady.

Chief Detective Bishop: Yes, your Worship, and what about the £36 he borrowed? Accused i I lent a good deal of money, and got taken down. However, lam not saying anything about that, as I did the same thing myself. I may say, however, that it is my honest intention to repay every penny of this money, and I will not rest satisfied until I have done so.

The Chief Detective (to accused): Did you give your sweetheart any presents? Accused: I would rather not answer that. I am guilty j she is not. The Chief Detective: Your answer might put your action with regard to the war bonds in a more favourable light.

Accused: Yes, I gave her a present. The Chief Detective: An engagement ring* which cost a good deal of money?— Yes.

The Magistrate, in passing sentenoe, said accused had pleaded guilty to a series of thefts, the sums involved, however, being small. The police statement showed, however, that between £7O and £BO was involved. In addition .there were business debts, which accused could not now -be expected to pay. . There were also the amounts owing to his typiste, his landTidy, and his fiancee. Being a singlo man and in receipt of a weekly pension of 355, he ought to have been able to pay his way. The police could not explain what ho did with the money, and accused himself offered no explanation. There must be something wrong, and it would be for the Prisons' Board to find out, if possible. He purposed detaining the accused for reformative treatment. With respect to the charge relating •to the theft of £4 ss, he would be detained for reformative treatment for a period not exceeding two years. With regard to the other charges he would be ordered to come up for sentence when called upon.