MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume IX, Issue 1381, 31 March 1884, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

After repeated postponements, the Nathan appeal case has resulted in the -qtiashing of the conviction. It may be remembered that the defendant — a furniture dealer, who found a lucrative branch of his business in supplying furnished houses to women of the unfortunate * class — was convicted dy a suburban Hwnch of aidingand abetting in an unlawful occupation, and was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment 1 The first hearing of the appeal ended in a deadlock, through a disagreement between fcha presiding judge at the Court of General "Sessions and another justice-s itting with him; but on the second hearing, the evidence heard was heW not to justify the conviction. The police, with characteristic ineptitude, had allowed the principal witness, the woman whose proceedings formed the foundation of the case, to slip away to. San Francisco, and the prosecution thus broke clown. The first conviction of Nathan dealt a severe blow to the system under which the social evil has been conducted,' and it is to be feared •- that his escape will be a corresponding encouragement. ' The Melbourne papers state that young man named William Youn« has reported to the police that he had been •defrauded out of 35 sovereigns by a couple of magsmen, by means of the •" paper game." It appears that he leceatly arrived from New Zealand, ami was on board one of the New Zealand steamers for the purpose of returning to that Colony, when he was accosted by a man who also said he was About. to return to New Zealand. A conversation ensued, and an adjournment to a hotel followed, when the ■second man was " accidentally" met with, and the inevitable result ensued, in a fevy minutes the dupe losing all his money. Fie then started to seek th-3 aid of t'iß- police, when the men refc'irn^d him £5. Afterwards a third raan, who expressed much sympathy ? with him, got Young to go with him to '"Iho other two, who, finding he could idontify them, gave him, back £20 on ctndiuion that he did not prosecute. The third man then claimed £5 for his trouble, and Young was foolish enough to give it to him, the three conspirators thus getting £15 out of him.