MUSIC TEACHER IN TROUBLE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 239, 2 July 1908, Page 3

MUSIC TEACHER IN TROUBLE.

THE CHARGES ACAINST A. J. WICKG. ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE. Tho fivo charges against Arthur Joseph Wicks, music teachcr, were dealt with at the Magistrate's Court .yesterday morning before Mr. W. G. ltiddell, S.M. . Defendant was charged with the following offences, all of which were alleged to have been committed on June 5: (1) Obtaining o snd from Arthur lllingworth' tlio.

sum of £5 ss. by means of a certain falso pretence, to wit, a valueless, cheque, with'intent to defraud; (2) obtaining £4 16s. Gd. from Ambrose John Hum; (3) obtaining £3 12s. 6d. from Robert AYilloughby Armit; (4) obtaining £4 from Francis Frederick Grady; and (5) obtaining £4 4s. from' Stanley .Stewart Brown, tho last four charges being couched in the same terms as tho first. _ Chief Detective M'Gratli conducted Lno case for the prosecution', and Mr. noavo appeared for the defence. Tho charges wcro taken together with tho consent ot counsel for the defence. . , ■ Robert W. Armit, tobacconist, deooJJd ui.it accused called at his shop on June 5 to pay an account for £1 12s.- 6d. Ho gave witness a cheque for £5 55., saying thaj tho cliequo represented fees for secretarial duties to tho Trinity College of Music, London, and was given £3 12s. 6d. change. The chcqno (produced) was tho one defendant had tendered. On presenting tho_ cheque at tile bank witness found it required another signature, that of Mr. W.. H. P. Barber. On communicating with Mr. Barber ho said ho could do-nothing foi^-witness. To Mr. Neavo: Witness had had considerable business dealings with defendant previously, and had always 1 found him honest, Ambrose J. Hum, part proprietor of tho I Grand Hotel, stated that accused called at the hotel on June 5 to pay an account tor £5 13s. 6d. He tendered a chcquo for =.1U 10s., and received £4 .16s. Gd. in change. Oil presenting tho cheque at tho oank witness was told that it wanted tho signature of Mr. W. H. P. Barber: )Vitncss coi.ld not get Mr. Barber to sign it. To Mr. Ncave: Accused had had previous dealings with witness, who had always been straightforward'with him. , • Mary Grady, wifo of Francis F. Grady, jeweller, deposed .that accuscd called iit-hcr shop on June 5 and presented a Trinity fcol- ■ lego cheque for £10 10s., signed by aecissd. Threo pounds of tho account was for a geld medal for ,tlin. local. committee of li'imty College, and the balance was' his own ]'ii- , vate account, which ho paid out of tho cliequo produced. Witness gavo him £4 change. ' The chequo was dishonoured when prosout,od

at the bank. , . To Mr. Neavo: Accused had done l/i-si-, noss with tho firm previously,; and although ho had sometimes bpe'n. a bit long aV.rut paying had always paid. Stanley B. Brown, of S. Brown, Ltd., coal and produce merchants, deposed that accused called at' witness's office on Jtne 5 to pay an account of £1 Is. lie tendered a similar cheque to the abovo for i'o cs., and received £4 45.. change. On presenting tho cheque at tho bank witness was told that it required another signature, that cf Mr. Aitkcn or Mr. "\V. 11. P. Barber, both of whom refused to sign tho cheque. ' . Arthur Illingworth Grabham, mechanical engineer, said accusod called on him on Juno 5 to pay an account of £8 13s. tie grve tho chcquo (produced) for £10 10s. in pi"

Mont, and was given the change. Tho cheque accused had given was returned ficrn tho bank marked as other witnesses haa deposed. Witness could not got tho otlior signature. Lewis H. Whittle, ledger-keeper at tl.o Bank of Now Zealand, doposed ;<liat (no Trinity College London local committee had an account.at the bank, and cheques signed by accused and Mr. W. H. P. Harbor di»wn on tho account would' be' honoured. - Without tho two signatures they woro valueless. The cheques produced wore handed-;n at tho bank, but were dishonoured as they did not boar the signature of-Sir. Barber. v Detective Lewis deposed that, ho escorted accused from Sydney on the present (h:u'';es. Witness know that accused had been secretary of the Trinity College Board, London, for tho past five' years, his duty being to receive entries and foes for musical examinations, deduct his own. allowance, and ' remit the- balance to London. -When arrested in Sydney accused had £>18 10s. in his possession. £21 18s. of this amount was still in hand. ' ; This concluded .the caso for tho prosecution. Accused pleaded.guilty, and was committed to tho Supremo Court for sentence.- Bail was allowed in the sum of £100 and two sureties of £50 each. . " ■ — s