ALLEGED FORGERY.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19211, 18 January 1928, Page 5

ALLEGED FORGERY.

ACCOUNTANT COMMITTED

FOR TRIAL,

In Hits Magistrate's Court yesterday Cuthbert Harold Flanagan, accountant, 36 years of age, residing at 224 Westminster street, St. Albans, pleaded not guilty to a charge of forging the name, of his employer, James Mo Kenaie, coal merchant, Barbados* street, to a cheque for £3O. He was committed to the Supreme Court tor trial, bail being allowed sell in £loU and one surety of £l5O. Accused was represented by Ui J. B. Batchelor. Detective-Sergeant Young prosecuted, and Mr K D. Moslev, S.M., was 1 on the Bench. James McKenzie, coal merchant, said Flanagan had been in his employ as accountant. It was his duty to looK after the books. Witness had never given accused a cheque for £3O, or had there ever been any question of a •loan to Flanagan. He remembered giving him a cheque for £2 10s in exchange for cash, Flanagan saying that ho wanted to sond it away. He had found the cheque for £3O, and did not remember it, so he went to the bank. The manager and accountant were thore when ho inspected the cheque. The signature was not his, but was very like his. Erio John Young, teller at the Bank of New Zealand, said that on October 4th last a cheque for £3O signed with McKenzie's name, drawn on the bank, was presented and cashed. He did not remember who presented it. A cheque for £2 10s. signed by McKenzie, was also presented on that day and cashed Cross-examined: If McKenzie had not denied that the signature on the £3O cheque was his, the bank would not have questioned it. Detective Thomas said he interviewed accused on November 24th last. He showed him the cheque for £3O. and said it wis from McKenzie's cheque book, anJ that it was a forgery. At first Flanagan denied any knowledge of it, but later said it represented a loan from McKenzie. He had not given any receipt for the loan. He said it was to be repaid in a month's time, but up till that date none of it had been repaid. Accused admitted that the body of the cheque was in his handwriting He said McKenzie had given him the cheque book, and he had taken out the cheque not in sequence, but from the back of the book. He said be had intended to send the cheque for £2 10s away, but had later changed his mind and cashed it. Accused refused to sign this statement until he had seen McKenzie. He promised to return-to the police station that night, when McKenzie would l>e there, but did "not. and left fa" Auckland. He was arrested in Auckland on December 19th.