THEFT AND FORGERY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 119, 23 May 1910, Page 7

THEFT AND FORGERY.

THE PIANO CASES. i FALKINEI! SENTENCED. • To-day Edward John Falkinev, ail employee in the Telegraph Department, who had been found guilty cf peveral, charges of fiwdulent conversion and theft and forgery in connection with transactions in pianop, came before his Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) for sentence. The prisoner, who was. an agent of the London and Berlin Piano Company, had in a series of tramsa'dtions 'failed to account for moneys received for the .alleged sale of certain pianos. The forgeries were alleged to have been, committed in the signing cf bogus receipts. Mr. A. Dunn, on befcM of ,the prisoner, said that Failkiner pleaded guilty <to the charges of bh&ft, but net to the charges of forgery. • Mr. Myers. (Crown Prosecutor) said he was prepared U> accept the plea. Mr. Dunn, in asking for lenience, pointed out tihat Falkiner'hnd be-Mi 35 year? in the employ of the department, and in & few years would be entitled to a retiring allowance of £650, and a pension of £150 This h« woirl-d lose in. consequence of nis conviction. His character previously had been quite good. The whole series of crime wa_ more tihe act of .a. foolish muddier rather than the*act of criminal intent. There was no ground for *,he theory that the prisoner benefited materially by hi« fraud. He did not nvnke any great 6um o.ut of th© business. The prisoner intended to pay the amount lo«t by hi» frauds in full. He was now bankrupt, but there was reason to anticipate a •dividend in his estate. He had endeavoured after his arrest to redeem th» 'pianos, and he would in the future, if given a chance, endeavour to maks good what had been lort to .the company through the frauds. His Honour said he would take into consideration the recommendation of tho jury aad the previous good character of ths prisoner. How the pri'onsr had iO!-t 'his-money he could not make cut. It might be that he had engaged in land speculation, a form of gambling, \mfoiitunateiy, not uncommon in the .li?trict. The Prisoner: Your Honour, that i» not so. Hia Honour said he could net underMand in what mode the money had been lost. If he had carried on his business propenly — Tihe prisoner declared that the oxpenses were too great. His Honour said in that caee he should have stopped business. The prisoner had, moreover, apparently instructed his counsel to make charges, in the lower court against t'he-character of the chwf witness r.gainst him. It had practically amounted to a cHargs of penury, aid that could not be overlooked. The saaten'Cß would be imprisonment with, hard labour for two years and throe months.