TWO MORE CHARGES. AGAINST AN EX-CONSTABLE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 69, 23 March 1910, Page 7

TWO MORE CHARGES. AGAINST AN EX-CONSTABLE.

ALLEGED FORGERY. An ex-constable, named William Patrick M'Dermolt, alias Arthur Shrelfo, already awaiting trial on a number of charges of forgery, was brought before Mr. W. (',. Riddell, S.M., to-day to answer two additional allegations. One charge was that he forged the name of J. A. Farmer to a document, being a request for money, sent to Joseph Ames. Chief-Detectivo Broberg prosecuted. Joseph Ames, commission agnnt, gave evidence to the effect that on the 50th December last he received a letter purporting to come from J. A. Farmer, private horse trainer to Mr. W. E. Bidwill, of the Waiiarapa. The writer requested that witness should leave £10 with Messrs. Izard and Western, solicitors, in a supplied envelope addressed to T. A. Hutton. In the hitter envelope was a note, addressed to Hutton, asking him to nominate Mr. Bidwill's racehorses, Tribulation and Provocation, for various events at a Sydney racing meeting. Witness received the letter too late to leave the money with Messrs. Izard and Weston. He communicated with a friend, who forwarded the nominations to Sydney. Later, these were cancelled. When called, J. A. Farmer, Mr. Bidwill's horse trainer, denied writing the letters, and also that he had authorised anybody to nominate the horses for tha events. Andrew Patterson, solicitor, stated that on the 30th December last a note was found un«j?r the door of Messrs. Izard and Weston's office. The letter advised that the writet, who signed himself "T. Hutton" was expecting £10 to be left for him with Messrs. Izard and Weston Sergeant Dart produced two police reports written by accused whik> in the police force in May, 1908. Theodore Richnrd Hickson, accountant, Bank of New South Wales, gave it as his opinion that the various letters put in, and the police reports, were written by the same person. Henry John King, teller,. Bank of Now Zealand, gave corroborative evidence regarding the handwriting. Accused pleaded not guilty, and intimated that he proposed to call evidence. Joseph Hamilton, billiard-marker, denied aM knowledge of accused. Other evidence called by M'Dermott was held to be irrelevant. Having no other witnesses, accused was committed to tho Supreme Court for trial. In addition, accused was also charged ' .nth forging the name of T. Hutton to a document for a request for money, which he uttered to Andrew Patterson. In this case it was alleged that accused telephoned to Stnples's brewery in the name of Mrs. O'Halloran, licensee of tho Porirua Hotel. Ho asked that £5 be left with Messrs. Izard and Weston. The money was forwarded, and a boy called for it, but delivery was refused. Accused himself called, and said that he was related to Mrs. O'Halloran, and gave a receipt for tho amount in the name of T. Hutton. Accused pleaded not guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial.