HOW TO BORROW MONEY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 3722, 7 January 1913, Page 6

HOW TO BORROW MONEY.

AN AMUSING NAPIER STORY.

[Bsf TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT] NAPIER, Jan. 6.

A rather amusing story, in which the central figure was Donald Gordon, the proud _ possessor of a string of aliases, was told in Court this morning by Detective Kemp, when Gordon pleaded guilty to a charge of obtaining 6s from *J. W. Boyce, tailor, by means of false pretences. The detective said that on Friday last Gordon went to the shop of Mr Boyce, tailor, and stated that he was working on Tutira station. He remarked that Boyce had previously made him a suit, and that it had given satisfaction. Two or three station hands also wanted suits, and he asked whether self-measurement forms could be supplied. These Boyce gave him. A little later Gordon returned. He said he had been to the Masonic Hotel to to get some money from Mr Guthrie Smith, the owner of Tutira station, but the proprietor would not let him see Mr Smith and ordered him off the place. He said lie had about £37 coming to him from from Smith and until he got this money he was penniless, and asked for Is for a meal. This Boyce gave himAbout half an hour afterwards, continued the detective, someone rang ud Boyce on the telephone and gave ins name as Young, representing that lie' was >the . manager of Tutira station. He asked if a man of the name of Gordon had been in his shop. Boyce t-old him that he had. He said lie had been looking for Gordon, and that he saw him iif Emerson Street near the shop, and losing sight of him, concluded that he had gone into the shop. Bovce told him that Gordon had been here some little time previous, and the voice over the phone asked wliat condition he was in. Mr Boyce said “He is half drunk,” and lie added that he believed that he had gone down to a restaurant for a meal. The man at the ’phone then asked if Gordon had got any money from him, and Boyce replied' “Yes; Is for a meal. I also gave him some self-measure-ment charts.”

“Oh, yes.” said the voice, “he has tackled its all for suits, including the (loss, and gives you a great name. He is a decent - sort of chap and has plenty of money coming to him. but is inclined to get on the spree when lie is in town. However, wliat he got from you I will make good if he doesn’t.” Soon after this Gordon went .back to Boyce’s shop and said he had been unsuccessful in getting hold of Smith, and asked for another os.

Acting on the talk over the ’phone, Boyce gave him the money. About 5.30 the same evening Boyce got another ring on the ’phone, the person speaking saving he was Moeller, and asking Boyce to try and keep accused away from there, as he was a perfect nuisance. “We are very busy here,” said the speaker, “and we are afraid he will go into the dining room and upset Mrs Smith, as he did once before. He is a decent fellow, and steady enough when off the drink, hut you can quite understand we don’t want him knocking about here just now.”

Twice during the conversation Boyce asked who was speaking, because he could not recognise the voice as that of Mr Moeller, but on each occasion the voice assured him that it was Mr Moeller- At this juncture, Mr Fox from Cook’s grocer’s shop came in and asked if anyone had been ringing up and representing himself as the manager of Tutira station. Boyce said that there had, and from tlit description given by Fox he concluded that it was the same man tit at had borrowed money.

“On Saturday morning:” continued Detective Kemp,' “accused again vent vo Boyce’s shop. Boyce asked for the 6s hack, and Gordon became indignant and asked Boyce if he did not trust him, and added, “Oh, you will get your money all right. As a matter of fact I can get it for you now, and I can gei it from him.” And with that lie ruslied out and ended to some imaginary person and made off as if he was following him down the street. He cut / through a right-of-way and va lost to sight. “Later in the day,” concluded the detective, “I arrested him at the Ferry Hotel, Westshore, and charged him with the offence, which he admitted.”

His Worship (to accused): Well, have you anything to say?

Accused: No. _ , His ’Worship entered a conviction 1 and sentenced Gordon __ to three months’ imprisonment in Napier gaol.