ALLEGED FORGERY

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 259, 2 November 1925, Page 7

ALLEGED FORGERY

POSTAL OFFICIAL ON TRIAL. An alleged theft and forgery committed in 1021 was brought to lipht in the Supremo Court before Mr. Justice Herdman this morning, when Aubrey Leigh Middlemiss was charged with, on January 18, U>2l. at Puki-kolip, stealing the sum of £20, and further, with committing forfrory by eriisin" an entry of £20 in a Post Office Savings bank book. Mr. Palerson prosecuted, and Mr. Mason appeared for accused aiul pleaded. not guilty. Mr. Paterson stated that accused had i)CPn a clerk in the Post Office at Pukekohi, , an<l liad received a deposit of £20 in January. lJfil. Instead of atountin? for the iii°ni'y, it "'as alleged that lie destroyed the deposit slip and kept the money. With regard to the forgery, it was a lejrc.l that some time after the. appropriation of the money he struck out the entry in the book. In a subsequent, s-t.itemer.t to the police, accused had admitted the olTenc-e, Detective Lambert in evidence read a, statement he had taken from accused, in which the latti-r admitted taking the money, but Mated that lie had paid it back in instalments, lie had not lakea receipts for the money. For the defence it was contended that accused did not steal the numev, but that lie liehi it for the < 1 .f;.--^' , "v. 1' was I accused'- word nisiinst a Maori -. Hi* Honor staled thnt it v.-a-, .-u.-h a Rimpli' [•a-e tli.i: h ■ did itft think Uic ! truun nee! h<-v .-. ltd utli'T evidence 1 than thai uf t'i" jioliie f> Jieer. it was ; true lha! a .■■i-.-l li. d taken i'ao v.i mey nnd l:ad fa'-ili' i f.:v •... .:.-. I: ;..•■! to be doeded w!:c:!!-: ; ■ i. -c ! •■• •» '""•■'•7 Tllo ■;,.!■■ i-/:i:--d M-:!rc.i ai l-'-'O.