Newton Abbot: Before Dr. J. W. Ley (chairman) and Mr. R. Vicary; Albert Laken was brought up on remand charged with endeavouring to obtain £2 by false-pretenses from Mrs. Pinsent, 6, Devon-Square, Newton Abbot. Prisoner called on the prosecutrix and endeavoured to collect her gas account. She objected to pay as it was such an exorbitant amount, and he then told her that he believed the Gas Company was robbing her. At his suggestion he examined the meter and, on his return from the basement, found two policemen waiting for him, and he was taken into custody. He now elected to be dealt with summarily and pleaded “not guilty”.
He said the policemen had been dogging him about from house to house when he was peddling. When he called at Mrs. Pinsent’s, she asked him if he was Mr. Clarke, the gas manager, and he replied that he was called Wild. She then told him that there was something the matter with the meter, and, thinking to help her, he offered to examine it. Nothing was said about collecting any money. He had a peddler’s certificate, and a ten year’s character from the 4th Battalion Gloucester Militia from which £1 was due to him, and if he was sent to prison, he would lose that. The Bench sent the accused to prison for a month with hard labour.
[see also Exeter and Plymouth Gazette: Tuesday 28th January 1908]
Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.
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