FORGERY ALLEGED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 178, 29 July 1932, Page 8

FORGERY ALLEGED.

SALESMAN ON TRIAL. ALTERED ORDER ' FORMS. The -trial was commenced before Mr. Justice Smith, at the' Supreme Court yesterday, afternoon, of--Joseph Keith Qrrj aged .28, described >a -salesman,' who was charged, on four counts, with forging and uttering "order-forms. ; The., assistant Cmwn" Prosecutor said that last year accused entered into an arrangement with Northern Auto-j mobiles, Ltd., regarding an agency for motor car headlight reflectors. This empowered the firm to become the sole,distributor and accused acted, as agent, canvassing various motor distributors in the. Auckland province for eales. Among the orders he secured, - while acting for Northern Automobiles, Ltd., were, some from Mr. Gresbam, of Tauranga, and Mr. Granger, of To .Puke, Later- Orr approached' the Electric ; Construction Company, Ltd., and requested that they should take over the agency, . ; ;■ .It was alleged that Be altered* the dates on the order slips of Granger and Gresham, and inserted the words "Electric Construction," with the object of -making it appear that the' orders had been booked for that company, when the duplicates showed that they had been made out for Northern Automobiles, Ltd.- As a'result the orders were duplicated. ' ■ Evidence, was given by several witnesses in support of the. charge., Detective Sergeant Doyle said that in a statement accused said .he had- altered the order, forms because the arrangement with Northern Automobiles, Ltd., had fallen through, and he had entered into - another arrangement, with the Electric Construction Company.- He said he had advised.- the people concerned .of the altered arrangement. When asked if his solicitors had advised him he. was within his .rights in: altering the. forms he replied: "No; they said I was a fool." When the case was resumed this morning, counsel for Orr a'ddressed the jury.' He said' the defehep was perfectly simple, namely that- the orders were accused's own property, and any alterations made were immaterial. It was quite clear that . Northern Automobiles, Ltd., had refused to buy and supply because they had no right to do so. Accused had acted quite .within his rights, and had never at any time acted dishonestly. Giving evidence, accused-eaid the only orders he altered were his own property. He put in the name of the Electric Construction Company, by whom the orders were fulfilled. When he heard that the police were inquiring for him, ho cairic ■voluntarily to Auckland and eaw Detective Sergeant Doyle, giving him a -'. ■; Questioned "by his Honor, accused said lv» ; had ; never , handed. iin orders .to