ALLEGATIONS OF FORGERY

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22167, 10 August 1937, Page 6

ALLEGATIONS OF FORGERY

♦ LABOURER CHARGED AT AUCKLAND COMMITTED TO SUPREME COURT FOR TRIAL (TBSSS ASSOCIATION TZCKG&AU.) AUCKLAND, August 9. Forgery, uttering, and attempted uttering of false £5 notes of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand were alleged in 19 charges preferred against Charles Alfred Remmers, a labourer 1 , aged 49, when he appeared before Mr Wyvern Wilson, SJM., in the Magistrate's Court. Detective-Sergeant Walsh conducted the prosecution, and called 12 witnesses. The evidence of one was expunged. Accused was not represented by counsel, but acted in his own defence, questioning the witnesses and taking his own notes on their depositions. He asked for, and received, a light piece of wood oh which to rest his paper while writing in the dock. Muriel McMillan, a saleswoman, said the accused called at the jewellers shop in which she was employed last Christmas Eve about 5.?0 P-m- He bought a set of chessmen for £3, and paid for it with a £5 note, the only one received that day. WitnGSS identified the note produced as being the one she and her employer, John Murrell who gave corroborative evidence, had signed in the presence of a detective after the holidays. “Realising the seriousness of the charges against me, and knowing you are on oath, do you positively swear that I am the man who tendered you that note?” accused asked the witness, who gave an affirmative reply. Purchase of Hat A woman’s outfitter, Betty Stevens, said accused bought a hat for his daughter from her on December 24. It cost 9s lid, and he paid for it with a £5 note, which she later took through to her dressmaker, remarking that it was false. “I identify the note because it is smeary,” the witness added, when shown the note. The manageress and a shop assistant of Cathay House, Nina Clayton and Frances Joan Ramsay, said the accused entered the shop on December 24, buying a Buddha costing 17s 6d for his wife. The £5 note he tendered for payment was split at one corner, and the number ended in “123.” Robert Dunbar Atchison, and Gilbert Harold Treneary, storemen employed by E. W. Pidgeon and Company, Ltd., gave evidence of a transaction by accused on December 24, when he left the tyre off an old model truck to be -repaired.. Atchison said he identified the accused from photographs shown to him by a detective; but Treneary said he was unable positively to identify the accused as the man he persuaded to buy a new tyre, and who bought it under the name of H. Jones, paying for it with a £5 note, and receiving £1 16s 9d in change. “I know the accused by the name of Harry Jones,” said William Reuberi Marsden, a garage proprietor, of Wellington. “He bought a half-ton truck from me bn December 9, saying that he was going to do some contracting work in Napier. The truck was fitted with tyres like the one shown to me in court.” To accused, witness replied that as far as he knew Jones might have been acting as agent for someone else when he bought the truck, although he never gave him any cause to think that he was. Describing another deal on Christmas Eve, Frederick Ernest Kersey, a women’s outfitter, said accused entered his shop to buy hosiery. He selected an expensive brand and proffered a £5 note, which was half folded. “Across the width of the counter I could see it was a suspicious note, on account of its doubtful colour,” witness said. “I took it and examined it out of sight, and saw it was an obvious forgery.” Detective Aplin said he interviewed accused on July 3 about 15 forged £5 notes which had been cashed with various tradespeople in Auckland on the afternoon and evening of December 24. Accused said he' was not in Auckland on that date, adding that he had no explanation to make, and would plead not guilty if charged. Bank Officer’s Evidence Shown the four notes produced In evidence, Cyril Roysfon Guyton Basset, manager of the Upper Queen street branch of the National Bank, said they looked like forgeries to him. The Vvord “governor’ r was missing on each of them. They were light in colour, and a bit thin. The numbers were all the same, with one exception. Shown another bundle of 11 notes,' witness said they were i.ot genuine. “I would hot cay the notes r are a noor imitation of the real thing,” Witness said, in reply to accused. “Anyone in a hurry might possibly accept one; but the average businessman would not be deceived if he took the note himself.” Detective-Sergeant Walsh said he did not intend to call evidence on the 12 remaining charges of uttering forgeries, and applied for a remand, for accused to appear at Wellington on Thursday on a charge of forging notes. This was granted.

Pleading not guilty to the other charges, accused said he had nothing to say at this stage, and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Ball was refused.