FORGED CHEQUES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 453, 11 March 1909, Page 7

FORGED CHEQUES.

CHARGE AGAINST A CLERK. STATEMENT BY ACCUSED, mt Ttuvon/tpa—rni',33 association.) Auckland, March 10. In the Polico Court this morning Carl Francis Walker, a young man formerly employed as a clerk in tho office of tho Crown Solicitor (Hon. J. A. Tole), appeared in answer to a long scries of charges 'of having forged cheques on the Bank of New Zealand, Auckland, purporting to he "signed by Joseph Augustus Tole, and with having caused.tho officials of tho bank to act upon tho cheques as if they were genuine. Tho total amount involved was' £416. Joseph Augustus Tole, Crown Solicitor for tho district of Auckland, said that the accused had boon in his employ as clerk and typist, and was aware of his banking arrangements and his method of signing cheques. The 24 cheques produced were forgeries, though the signatures wcro a very good imitation of witness's handwriting. Tho amount debited to witness's trust account by these cheques, 23 of which wcro cashed, was £41G, the last chequo for £40 not having been negotiated. Accused made certain admissions. Walker had been in witness's employ for nine or ten years, and was receiving a salary of two guineas per week. There were occasions on which Walker could augment his salary by typing copies of depositions, etc. Chief Detective Marsack said that after Walker had been arrested ho admitted having forged the cheques and .nvi-fo tho following statement: — \. "For about ten years past up to March 1, 1909, I have heen in the employ of the Hon. J. A. Tole at Auckland as . clerk. Since my arrest on March 1 I have been shown 23 cheques on the Bank of New Zealand, Auckland, by Chief Detective Marsack. These cheques all purport to be drawn and signed by Jos. A. Tole, trust account. I admit that I forged all the said cheques, both in respect of the writing in the body and the signatures thereto, and I utterod the said cheques, and obtained cash for them, which I converted to my own uso. I obtained the cheque forms from various sources. In February, 1909, I removed from the office strong-room a chequo book containing some blank chequo forms. This hook had been originally placed in the strong-room. On March 1, 1009, I forged a.cheque on one of theso forms for the sum of £40, and presented it tho same day at tho Bank of New Zealand. Tho trust ledger had to bo marked. Tho ledger-keeper kept mo waiting some time, and becoming frightened that the forgery had been detected. I left tho bank, leaving tho cheque there and returned to the office. I subsequently made an admission to Mr. Tole, and was 'arrested. I make this statement voluntarily, as I wish to savo as much trouble as possible, and wish to assist as much as I can in clearing up tho matter. Tho statement is a tvuo one. This concluded tho evidence, and Walker pleaded not guilty (with tho object of obtaining hail), and reserving his defence was committed for trial. Bail w.ss allowed in tho accused's own bond of £300 and two sureties of £150 each.