A FORGED CHEQUE

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 47, Issue 2666, 6 September 1937, Page 5

A FORGED CHEQUE

NEW ZEALANDER SENTENCED RINGLEADER STILL AT LARGE. At the Old Bailey last month John Clarke, aged 45, described as a trainer and as a native of New Zealand, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment with hard labour for uttering a forged cheque for £l9OO. Alfons Hartley, 29, a waiter, was found not guilty. The prosecution alleged that in November, 1935, a man opened a banking account in the name of William R. Grogan. He was asked to furnish references, and for this purpose he gave the name of Mi' Salter, with an address at Cambridge street, Victoria. Clarke, it was alleged, posed as Salter, and booked a room at this address just long enough to be able to provide Grogan with the reference. In December a book of cheques was obtained from another bank by means of a forged letter, and a form from the book was forged for £l9OO and paid into Grogan’s account. The following day a man alleged to be Hartley went to a firm of jewellers in Sloane square, gave the name of Grogan, selected jewellery valued at £34 ss, and paid for it with a cheque. When an assistant of the firm took the cheque to the bank Clarke w r as there to see if it would be met and thus learn whether the forged cheque for £l9OO had been successfully passed. ' Hartley, in evidence, declared that he had never opened an account at the bank and had never been to the firm of jewellers mentioned in the case. Detective Inspector' Greenacre said Clarke was a native of New Zealand, and had several convictions in this country. He had known Clarke since 1920. Clarke was sentenced to 11 weeks’ imprisonment in 1933 for being a suspected person loitering with intent to commit a confidence trick, and was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment in 1936 for stealing £75 by means of a confidence trick.

“So far as forgery offences Detective Inspector Greenacre added, “he and others have been concerned in some rather big cases. He is not the ringleader, who is still at large.”