HEARTLESS HOAX.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3390, 4 December 1911, Page 9

HEARTLESS HOAX.

AIISSING SON lAIPERSONATED

FOR A JOKE

Arising out of the prosaic charge of travelling on the railway without paying his fare, on extraordinary case of impersonation came to light at an English Police Court the other day. In. the dock was a youth of IS, who had been charged in the name of Jack Hough with travelling on the railway without paying his fare. He had been under remand for some days, and during that timbe the police said they had ascertained by finger-print evidence that prisoner had been convicted in the name of Johnson. He had admitted having been birched and imprisoned and sent to a reformatory. The court missionary tokl the magistrate that during the remand prisoner had given him the address of his parents, living at Tipton. He had written to them, and the mother and elder brother were outside the court prepared to take the prisoner home, if the .magistrate would allow them to do so. AH's Hough was then called, and without looking towards prisoner commenced an. eloquent appeal on behalf of her son. She said he had mysteriously disappeared a few weeks ago. The Alagistrate : But he admits being in a reformatory school and in prison for thefts. Airs Hough : Impossible, sir. The Alagistrate pointing to the prisoner) : Is' that your son ? Airs Hough (looking for the first time at the prisoner): No, sir. I have never seen him before.

Having made this declaration. ,Mrs Hough swooned. The Magistrate asked the prisoner who appeared greatly amused, what it all meant.

Prisoner replied that he was not Jack Hough, hut met a, lad of that name a week or two ago in Liverpool. Hough told him liis home address and all about himself, and, he (prisoner) decided to assume his identity. When arrested he gave the name and address of Hough for a joke, and torn the missionary to send for his mother. “I wish,” said the magistrate to prisoner, “I had the power to order you to receive a sound, thrashing straight away. ' You are guilty of the most vile and blackguardly conduct. You have brought a. poor woman to London when she could ill afford it, only to trick her in a heartless manner.”

In again remanding the prisoner, the magistrate ordered Airs Hough to receive £1 from the poor-box towards her expenses.