COMMITTED FOR TRIAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 205, 29 August 1921, Page 6

COMMITTED FOR TRIAL.

CHARGES OF FORGERY. AX AUCKLAND AND WHANGAREL A young man, Theodore Desmond Poulton, was brought before Mr. Bundle, S-M., this morning on charges of having forged two cheques, one of £58 10/ and the other £7. He was also charged with stealing two books from the Auckland Public Library. The forgery charges were dealt with first, Mr. X, A. Singer , representing the accused. Chief-detective McMahon conducted the case on behalf of the police. ' He called Miss I ranees Donovan, a [ clerk employed at the National Bank of New Zealand, Auckland, who stated that the accused called at that nank on June 13 last and opened an account, placing £12 .to his credit under the name of i-dmoiid Cattaro, "Burwood," Princes ' Street. On August 18 of the present ' month witness p'-ked the accused out from a number of other people at the ■ police station as the individual who opened the account. Stanley Hayward, ledger keeper at the ' same hank, said that there was an ; account on the bank books standing to the credit of "Cattaro." Four cheques : had been drawn, leaving a credit of 12/6. : One of these was for £7, which witness ' initialled. He could not identify the accused- At the request of the chiefdetective witness compared the writing in two books with that in several cheques handed in as exhibits, and gave it as his opinion that some of the writing was identical. Leslie Dewar, a teller at the bank, stated that a cheque was presented to him for payment on June 23 last on Cattaro's account, which at the time showed a credit of £70. From the time ■ the cheque was marked hy the ledger , keeper, and it was handed to witness it had been altered from £7 to £70 by adding the figure nought and the letters "ty." The alterations were made in . different ink to the original ink on the cheque. Like the previous witness, he considered that some of the writing in ' the hooks and on the cheques was identical. Detective Torrance, Wellington, stated that on July 19 last he was present in the Central Police Court, New South Wales, when the accused was charged with forgery in New Zealand. He escorted him back to New Zealand. At the time accused had £64 G/ in his possession. The two books which had been handed into Court witness found amongst accused's belongings. The.name , Edmond Cattaro was written on both. Witness questioned him about the charge under review, and he denied it, and also , said that he knew nothing about the . names in the books. , George Henry Barton, labourer, Hikurangi, stated that lie had an account with the Bank of New Zealand at Whanj garei. In consequence of information , from the branch- manager .he examined . his cheque book and found two cheques , missing, Nos. 320735 and 320736. The lust-mentioned one had been drawn on the bank at Whangarei, but the signa- . turc attached thereto, G. IT. Barton, was not in his handwriting. It was a fori gerv. He alone had authority to sign his cheques. He knew the~accused. He occupied the same room with witness. p His cheque book witness kept in a coat pocket in the bedroom, to which access could easily have been'obtained. Henry Arthur Shepherd, a clerk employed at the Whangarei branch of the Bank of New- Zealand, said that shortly after the bank had closed on June 14 a man came to the side door and asked witness if he could cash a cheque. After looking up a specimen signature witness told the man he could not —it was after booking hours, but suggested that he should get it cashed at one of the business places. Later he received a phone message from the Fanners' Union Trading Co., and in reply to an inquiry he supplied certain information. G. if. Barton had an account with the bank. Kega'fding the signature on a cheque handed in, witness said that it was a good specimen. He was of the opinion it had been traced. He could not identify the accused as the person who called at the bank iv respect to the cheque. Miss Jane Symes, a clerk employed at the Farmers' Union Trading Co., at Whangarei, said that two men, one older than the other, appeared at the office on June 14 at 3.30 p.m., and the elder of the two asked her to cash a cheque for £58 10/. explaining at the same time that he Lad been to the bank, had been told that it was against the rules to cash cheques after hours, but had lieen advised to apply at the Trading Co. Also, he suggested that she shouhl ring up the bank. This she did, and as a result cashed the cheque, which was paid into j the Whangarei branch the following day. She had identified the accused frbm I among a number of people as the person who cashed the cheque. Detective-sergeant Hammond said that nt the police station on the 18th of the present month he explained the Auckland charge to the accused, who replied that he knew nothing about it. Subsequently the accused was picked out from a number of other men by Miss Donovan and Mr. Newsome, also by Miss Symes in respect to the Whangarei charge- He also admitted having cashed a cheque, and added that that was a portion of his defence. On behalf of the accused Mr. Singer pleaded not guilty in respect to the charges, and said that prisoner would reserve his defence. He was committed for trial at the Supreme Court. In respect to the theft of two books from the Auckland Public Library, one of which was entitled "Outline of Criminal Law," Mr. R. A. Singer, on accused's behalf, pleaded guilty, and suggested that "about 14 days would just about suit the bill, for at present accused was servin«a month's sentence, which would expire on the 10th of next month. This was for stealing books from the Wellington Library." The chief-detective pointed out that the accused was also committed for trial on charges of forgery at Wellington. -accused was charged to 14 days on the summary charge. Bail was granted on surety amountin" to £400. "