CHARGE OF FRAUD.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 204, 30 July 1931, Page 5

CHARGE OF FRAUD.

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, July 29. Guilty of conspiring to defraud involving an alteration to a betting telegram, Alfred Jansen aged 45, a restaurant keeper of Wanganui, was today before the Chief Justice and was remanded for sentence until to-mor-row. This was the second case heard concerning the alteration of a betting telegram. The charge was that Jansen conspired to defraud Peter Healey, tobacconist, of Wanganui, of £B3 ss, and further that he attempted to obtain money from Healey by false pretences. Evidence was given by the Crown on the same lines as that at the trial of John Maitland, who was acquitted on a similar charge. It was alleged that Jansen came to Wellington and handed in a telegram at Te Aro post office worded “Singleton” signed “0. Jansen.” The telegram, it was claimed, indicated that Jansen wished to put £ls on the horse Singleton, which was running in the Remuera Hurdles at Auckland on June 6. When the telegram reached Healey the word “Singleton” was not in it, but the words “High Pitch,” which horse it was known at the G.P.O. Wellington at 1.17 pan. had won the race. His Honour, summing up the case, said that all sorts of possible doubts were suggested in the case, but the point upon which the case turned was: “Was the telegram handed in at Te Aro Post Office in the same condition as it is now?” If the telegram was altered it could not have been done except by prearrangement with accused. His Honour pointed out how bad writing on the telegram, caused the counter clerk to ring the name “Healey” and write it again and also the name in the body of the telegram. He drew the attention of the jury to the fact that the letters ‘ltch” in “High Pitch” were outside the ring which the clerk said he put round the word “Singleton,” which he said was the 1 name in the telegram. He also put the number of the words on the telegram which would have been nine instead of eight had the name been “High Pitch.” The jury were absent 33 minutes and gave a verdict of guilty on the counts of conspiracy and false pretences.