In A Scrape Now in Prison Print E-mail
West Cumberland Times - Wednesday, March 23, 1932
 IN A SCRAPE
   ______

NOW IN PRISON.

Whitehaven Man's Hire Purchase Frauds.

   "I had to do this to get out of my scrape" said  Edwin COOK, of Newtown,
Whitehaven, when answering a charge at Manchester City  Police Court that he
as a bailee fraudently converted and thereby feloniously  stole a motor car
value £40, a player piano value £120 and a wireless set value  £18 18s.

   COOK, who also pleaded that he had a wife and child  to keep and was in
debt, was sent to prison for four months. He started work in  Manchester as a
motor engineer last year and hired cars out. He told the court  that he did
badly in this line and had to sell eight cars he owned for  scrap.

   COOK pleaded guilty to the charge.

   Detective-Sergt. RICE said he saw the prisoner at  Cavendish Street
Police Station on March 8th when he charged him with stealing  on November 12th,
1931, a motor car, the property of Walter John GREEN. He  replied "I sold it for
£25." He then admitted selling a player piano, the  property of Alfred
EMERSON which he purchased on a hire agreement. He said he  paid £5 deposit and
promised to pay £2 monthly. He had sold it on January 11th  for £30 after only
paying one installment. He said he also obtained a wireless  set from Trojan
(Manchester) Ltd., Alexander Road, Moss Side, on  a hire  purchase agreement, paid
£1 deposit and sold it for £4 a few days later.

   "This morning," Sergt. RICE, "I further charged him  with stealing as
bailee the piano and the wireless set and he replied, "I plead  guilty."

   Walter John GREEN, motor dealer, of Deansgate,  Manchester, said he
agreed to sell the car to COOK in November, 1931, and agreed  to accept another car
value £16 in part exchange. No other payment was  made.
 
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