HOUSEMAID FINDS PARCEL

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 118, 21 May 1931, Page 8

HOUSEMAID FINDS PARCEL

CHARGE AGAINST SAJLESMAN.

COMMITTAL FOR TRIAL. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. David Collinson, a salesman, aged 35, pleaded not guilty in the Magistrate's Court to-day to charges of having 111 his possession without lawful authority certain forged £1 notes, knowing them! to be forged, and was committed for trial at the July sessions of the Supreme Court in Wellington. _ I When opposing an application for bail, Sub-Inspector Ward said the police suggested that accused was one of the principals in what appeared to be a widespread conspiracy. Evidence was given by a large number of witnesss, the most notable being that of Elsie Chigey, a housemaid employed at the Masonic Hotel. She said that accused occupied a room on the top floor from April 24 to 28. On the latter date, when she cleaned the room, accused was not in it, but his luggage was still there. She did not see anything under the linoleum, but on the following day, when she went to the room to scrub it out, she found notes wrapped up in brown paper underneath the linoleum under the wardrobe. The notes were wrapped tightly like a book. When she found the parcel she opened it, and took the notes to a storeman employed at the hotel. David James Bruce Howe, manager of the Kiwi Club, Wellington, said that on April 25 accused and his brother came into the club, and were the only two visitors. While a game called "hazards" was in progress, witness noticed a forged fl note on the table.

Detective McLennan said that on April 26, in company with Detective Sergeant Tricklebank, he saw accused and his brother at the New Zealander Hotel. Accused and his brother were searched, but no notes were found on them. When searched at the detective office, they had in their possession chocolates similar to thoee purchased -by persons passing forged notes.' Detective Snedden, of Auckland, said he arrested accused a.t his home on April 30.. Accused then said, "They must think I am a magician." He called his brother into the room, and as he entered the door he said, "What about him?" Witness searched the premises, but he did not find any forged banknotes. When accused's solicitor arrived at the house, accused said, "Hullo, Mac. What I predicted has happened." Accused and his solicitor then had a private conversation.

This completed the evidence. , Accused was committed te the Supreme Court for trial. The magistrate refused to grant bail, and eaid that if Mr. Mcltzer wanted to make a further application he would have to go to a Supreme Court judge.