COURTS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12244, 18 June 1909, Page 8

COURTS.

ALLEGED FALSE PRETENCES

(Per Press Association.) AVELLINGTON, June 16

I A young man named Stephen Kotze i was charged on four informations at the ' S.M. Court to-day with obtaining £4 115s by false pretences. The accused had ! represented himself as an insurance I agentjmd accepted money as premiums. j Accused's counsel said his client had ! been driven to the offence by force* of 1 circumstances. Kotze was a native of ] Capetown arid had been lured to New ! Zealand by reports as to prosperity of [this Dominion. He emigrated with his 1 young wife and baby, but on arrival did \ not find things as had been represented and after much trouble he obtained employment as insurance canvasser. His commission averaged about £2 7s per week. This jhe found insufficient to I keep himself and family, and driven to desperation committed the offences he was now charged with. • ' His Worship said that while he was always ready to give a chance to first offenders, in this case there was more than one lapse, and a penalty must be imposed. He would be fined £2 on each of two of the charges and £1 on the third. He was also ordered to re_ \ fund the money he had accepted; de- • fault in ea£h case was fixed at fourteen j days' imprisonment. Kotze was also i charged with the more serious offence of j forging the name of Joseph Charlton to ; a bonus form on a policy issued by the I Government Life Insurance Departj ment. The value of the bonus was £52." "J Accused pleaded guilty and was remanded to the Supreme Court for sentence.

! . GORE, June 17. Two young men in the Railway Department appeared before Mr Kenrick, S.M., to-day, charged with being concerned in thefts from railway trucks. Francis William Shepherd, 20 years, charged with stealing from a railway carriage at Clinton one bag of sugar and one box of butter, to the total value of £3 2s lid, the property of the Department, pleaded guilty. He was fined £5, in default 14 days. On a further charge of the theft of a tin of biscuits, accused was ordered to come up for sentence' when called upon on j.oondition that he paid the deficiency on the goods. Leslie Wilson, also 20, was charged with receiving the goods knowing them to have been stolen. Accused had used some of the butter and sugar stolen by Shepherd, and did not report the matter as "he did not like to put a pal, away." The Magistrate said it was unfortunate that Wilson was in such a position. He could not be altogether accused, however, and would be fined 40s. Representations will be made to the Department regarding* Wilson's case. ; . [■■" W-;tt ■; i.- '■■-Oa majru > ; j:«ne .17.' ,' _Mr. Hutchmson, SIM., fined: Walter Lhurlow. licensee of a i>illiard- saloon,' £30 and costs for illegally selling hquor. Thnrlow, when plea.amg, denied the allegation. The magistrate, referring to this and other coses, said it was a remarkable feature thai the sale of liquor was mainly to mere lads and boys. It was1 a disgusting and shocking feature of the liquor trade hero.