A SERIOUS MATTER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3549, 12 October 1926, Page 3

A SERIOUS MATTER.

The seriousness of signing, without authority, the name of another person to a telegram was emphasised in the Police Court at Auckland. Edgar Vincent Roberts pleaded guilty to two charges of wilfully delivering to a telegraph officer a telegram purporting to be signed by “Marie” without authority of the said Marie, and of wrongfully signing a telegram with the name of another person without authority. Sf flor-Detective Hammond said the defendant had a slight disagreement with his wife, who was living with her sister at Ruawai. He was worried about the matter and asked his sister-in-law, whose name was Marie, to send a telegram asking bis w’ife lo return and bring the children, but she refused. He then wrote out a telegram reading: “Come down home urgent, bring the kids. —Marie.” The defendant wrote the name and address of his .sister-in-law on the back of the telegram. At the time the defendant’s wife happened to. be in Auckland, and the telegram could not be delivered. The defendant’s sister-in-law was notified of the non-de-livery, and knowing nothing about it she communicated with the Postal authorities. In this way the case came into the hands of the police. The defendant hardly realised the seriousness of his action. He was now out of work. The Magistrate, Mr F. K. Hunt, said the public must be warned of the seriousness of the offence. The maximum penalty was £IOO or 12 months’ imprisonment. The defendant was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, and was also ordered to pay 16s costs.