A BAD SPELLER.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 213, 8 September 1923, Page 14

A BAD SPELLER.

■ h ISSUES VALUELESS CHEQUES. , J Whatever may be the accomplishments j] of a fitter named Albert Frederick j Clarke, ability to spell is not one of them, ;, as was revealed when he apppeared before !Mr. E. Page. S.M., in the Magistrate's Court at Wellington on a number of charges concerning the issue of valueless cheques. The accused, who conducted his own defence, stubbornly denied hi? guilt, but the magistrate decided otherwise and imposed .a term of IS months' imprisonment with hard labour. The charges were that < larke had attempted to obtain goods and nioiicv to the value of £8 "IIV fruin Stanle'v Frederick Brailsford by means of a valueless cheque for that amount; had ] obtained goods and money to the value ! of £12 9/ from the same person; and - had attempted to obtain £13 10/ from 1 Charles Moran by the fame method. ' Four charges of a similar nature were • held over for a week. It was in the course of the evidence that the accused had visited Urailsford's shop and purchased an overcoat for £4 5/. for which he tendered a cheque for £12 9/. The change was handed over, but when the cheque was presented at the bank it was found that there was no account to support it. 1 Later, the man made his appearance at ■ another clothing establishment of which : the complainant was the proprietor, but the cheque submitted on this occasion attracted attention by reason of its curious spelling. The wor* " shillings." for instance, appeared in the somewhat obscure form of " ehilingeß," and the '"s" in the word " pounds" seemed to have gone astray. Recognisng the individual whose other cheque had been dishonoured and noting the similarity of the mis-spelling on the second occasion, the proprietor demanded an explanation. As none was forthcoming, the matter was placed in the hands of the police and led to aa arrest.