DEALING IN POTATOES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3881, 31 July 1928, Page 15

DEALING IN POTATOES.

FRAUDULENT REPRESENTATIONS OFFENDER SENT TO PRISON. CHRISTCHURCH, July 24. A lather unusual .scheme for obtaining easy money through fraudulent dealing in potatoes was disclosed in the Magistrate's Court to-day before Mr E. D. Mosle/> S.M., when Joseph Andrew Barron pleaded guilty to several charges of fraud. Barron, who is a married man, was charged as follows:—On July 12, at Upper Riccarton, attempting to obtain two tons of potatoes, valued at £ll, froni Robert M’Seveny by falsely representing that he was a shopkeeper at Riccarton; on July 16, at Halswell, obtaining 11 sacks, valued at £4 10s, from Herbert M’Kay by representing himself as an employee of the gasworks on two weeks’ leave; on July 10, at Upper Riccarton, obtaining eight sacks, valued at £3 14s, from James A. Hyndman by representing that he was the owner of a pig farm; on June 4, at Middleton, obtaining from Joseph O’Neill one ton and a-half of potatoes, valued at £7 10s, by representing that his name was Brown and that he lived in Barrington street and was an employee of the gasworks; on May 20, obtaining 18 sacks, valued at £9 18s, from Arthur William Moore By representing that he was a sewerage contractor working in a street at Riccarton. .

Sub-inspector Fitzpatrick said that the accused was a labourer with a wife and child. He was not what he represented himself to be when he committed the offences. He got hold, of the potatoes and then apparently sold them, spending, .the proceeds. In 1926, strange to say, he was before the court for a similar offence. “He seems to have a. kink for dealing in potatoes,” added the sub-inspec-tor.

Mr R. W. Russell, in asking for .leniency, said that the accused’s previous list was a decided handicap. He had been out of work and had been drinking heavily. Between his offences in 1921 and 1926 he had been married. His wife exercised a good influence. Strange to say, the offences had occurred while his Wife was in hospital suffering from a serious illness.-

Mr Mosley: Over a period of 13 years ‘he seems to have been addicted to offences ’of this kind. Counsel: Yes, sir. He seems to have a kink that way. ' Mr Mosley: It is impossible to extend the Probation Act to a man like this who has had repeated chances. I would not he doing my duty if .I so dealt with him. The , accused was sentenced to 12 months’’ imprisonment, with hard labour, on the first charge, three’ months with hard labour •on each of the second and third charges, and six months with hard labour on each of the fourth and fifth charges, the sentences to be concurrent.

(For continuation of “Farm and Station,” see page 19.)