LOANS TO SOLDIERS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 107, 2 November 1923, Page 8

LOANS TO SOLDIERS

CHARGES AGAINST HODGINS.

The trial of Harry Patrick Hodgins, an ex-officer of the Repatriation Department, who was charged with forgery in connection with an application for a loan, was concluded at the Supreme Court to-day, before Mr. Justice Reed and a jury of twelve. Mr. P. S. K. Macassey appeared for the Crown, and the prisoner was repre-sented-by Mr. H. F. O'Leary. On behalf of the accused, Mr. O'Leary urged that there was nothing to ■ connect Hodgins with Burns'g application. This application was the foundation of the charge, and he suggested that somebody else had put it through. Evidence of handwriting experts was not always of a reliable character, and was a dangerous element on which to base a case. It might be looked upon a s the refuge of a weak prosecution. The Crown, he submitted, had failed to establish its case. It could not be said that because Hodgins's handwriting was on tho file it was he who perpetrated the forgery. The jury retired at 10.55 o'clock.

The jury returned at 2.40 o'clock, and announced a verdict of not guilty on all counts. Prisoner was discharged. Following the announcement of the verdict, Mr. Justice Reed made the following comment to the Crown Prosecutor: "It looks almost 1 as if we want a change of venue in these repatriation ewes."