FORGED ORDERS

Evening Star, Issue 19919, 16 July 1928, Page 1

FORGED ORDERS

BA'n COMMITTED FOB SENTENCE I la tho Police Court this morning, I before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., a young man, Henry .Milton Bates, pleaded guilty to four charges of forging documents, and was committed for sentence. Mr C. J. L White appeared on his behalf. Tho first charge was to tho effect that, at ‘Christchurch, ho forged n order for the supply of goods valued at £o 10s, purporting to bo signed by D. ‘ Wills, with intent that it should bo acted upon as if it were genuine. The other charges, of a similar nature, involved tho sums of £5, £lO, ami £lO, purporting to lie sighed by H. Hodsou, G. Scott, and M. Colo respectively, Phillip Spence Beit, manufacturer's agent, stated that the.accused was canvassing for orders for him_ at Christchurch, tho commission being 15 per cent, on production of the order. Witness reserved 5 per cent, to protect himself from firms which might go out of business. Five per cent, was paid to accused on delivery of the goods About the end of April ho became suspicious about some orders which were coming in, and about a week later witness went to Christchurch and investigated ono of tho orders. He saw accused and told him lie had tried to find tho man who gave this order, but could not. Accused said it was a genuine order, but witness told him ho was suspicious that other orders were not genuine. Later it transpired that numbers of tho orders wore not genuine. However, witness agreed to give the accused another chance, and returned to Dunedin. Three more orders *ame in, and it turned out that two of tho people concerned know nothing about the transactions. The other did not reply to tho letter of witness. He thou wrote to Bates and told aim to return tho samples. After a second request for the samples accused replied that ho had no money. Witness then a dee him to send them back through an express company. Four out of thirtytwo orders were tho subject of tho charges. £22 9s in all had been paid to accused for orders, against widen witness owed him 12s 3d commission.

Detective Russell said that when ho interviewed the accused in tho detective office at Dunedin ho admitted tnat tho statement he had made to Detec-tive-sergeant O’Brien at Christchurch was quits correct. Ihe accused was committed for sentence on each charge, bail being allowed as formerly.