Guilt Admitted by Bogus Collector

Manawatu Times, Volume LIX, Issue 7470, 22 May 1934, Page 10

Guilt Admitted by Bogus Collector

FORGED LETTER LOOKED VERY CONVINCING

A young man named Alfred William Burton, alias G. A. Soutar, yesterday pleaded guilty at the Fcilding Magistrate’s Court to a charge of forgery by making a false document, to wit, a letter purporting to authorise him to collect subscriptions for the Presbyterian Orphanage and Social Service Association of Wellington, with the intention that it should be acted upon as being genuine. Messrs J. W. Bramwell and F. S. Guy, J.P.’s, were on the Bench, and Scrgt. Angland prosecuted. George Bassett Stephenson, superintendent of the Presbyterian Orphanage and Social Service Association, said that he did not know the accused, who had no authority to collect subscriptions for the association. He knew nothing about the letter which accused possessed. The letter paper was genuine and the signature affixed per medium of a Tubber stamp was also genuine, but the letter itself had not been written in witness’ office. lie had examined the letter and noted that there had been crasions and that the subject matter of the charge against the accused had been typed over what had been erased. Witness produced a carbon copy of the original letter sent to accused at a Wellington address, and this fitted in with the erased part of a letter before the Court. Witness went on to state that on May 17 he had a telephone communication with a man named G. A. Soutar, who said that he had been authorised to collect for the association. Witness did not know the name and asked the person at tho other end of -tho telephone to describe him. The voice replied that witness was fairly tali', of slight build, and while not “ginger” was extremely fair. This did not correspond with a description of witness, who said that he was of medium build and height, and was distinctly dark. He had had no previous dealings with the accused, whom he first heard of when ho applied to have one of his children admitted to the Presbyterian home. That was early in February last, and that was how the letter to accused came to be written. This provided him with the association’s letter paper. Mr Stephenson went on to detail the precautions taken in regard to the collection of money for the Presbyterian orphanage, and said that the official collector for this district was Mr F. W. Osborn. So far as witness knew the subject matter of the letter found on accused was a forgery. To the Bench: He had not received any money from tho accused. The Rev. D. R. McDonald, Presbyterian minister, Feilding, told the Court that as a result of certain information received as to a collector operating in the district, and from inquiries made, he communicated with the police. On interviewing accused he found that he was unable lo give any information as to tho ministers of different Presbyterian churches. Asked for what purpose he was collecting the money, accused said that it was for the building of an orphanage at Marton. Accused said that he issued receipts for large subscriptions, but the smaller ones were recorded on a subscription list. He produced a receipt book. Mr McDonald then told the Court how lie accompanied Scrgt. Angiandifjto a residence on Ivimbolton road, where accused had called for a subscription, and how later they met him driving a motor-car. Mr McDonald was present when the licad-

quarters of the orphanage was communicated with by telephone and heard accused say that he was authorised to collect subscriptions by Mr Stephenson. Sergt. Angland detailed the arrest of the accused and went on to state that the produced by the accused in support of his statement that he was authorised to collect for the Presbyterian orphanage certainly looked very convincing. On the telephone accused, asked to deseribo Mr Stephenson, said that he was sft llin in height and was extremely fair, whereas Mr Stephenson was sft din in height and very dark. Accused was asked to name the Presbyterian ministers in Palmerston North, but could not do so. Accused continued to maintain that ho had authority to act, and claimed that there must have been some mistake. The letter produced by accused read as follows: — “Presbyterian Orphanage and Social Service Association, .114 The Terrace. Wellington, February 12, 1054. “To Whom it may Concern. "Dear Sir or Madam, — “This letter introducing Mr A. G. Soutar will verify his representing our Association in the Wellington, Manawa.t,u and Taranaki districts on our behalf. “The stress of the present time being so heavy in our social work, and the many calls on our services for assistance in the most pressing cases of hardship, that it is imperative that we establish another orphanage in the Manawatu district, and which will be open to receive inmates at an early date. “As you may know,-it is a big financial strain on our limited resources, and we are making this appeal to your kindness of heart to help us lessen the distress that is prevalent, and to provide more accommodation for the more unfortunate children who are given into our care. A donation, however small, will be acknowledged through this office by personal' letter and in the Press. “Thanking you, “Yours faithfully, “p.p. Presbyterian Orphanage, “G. B. Stephenson. “Per E.E.8.” Sergt. Angland went on to state that he then proceeded to a closer examination of all the circumstances as to how accused came by tlic letter. He had occasion to leave the office for half a minute to look up a directory, and on returning found the accused setting fire to the letter and the subscription lists. He forcibly took possession of the papers before they were badly damaged. The accused then admitted that he had no authority to act. and gave a statement that he was a salesman residing in Webb street, Wellington, and that he was a married man with three children, living apart from his wife. The authority to collect was not official, it having been prepared by accused. He came into possession of the letter when he wrote about having one of his children admitted to the Presbyterian home, and received a reply that, the boy could not be admitted. He erased this typing’ and typed in the authority, using his own typewriter. IHe had lived on the money he had colj lec-ted. I Continuing, Sergt. Angland stated ' that he had used the accused's t-ype-I writer, and the typing on the letter I was identical to that produced by ncI cused’s typewriter. A close examina'tion of the letter revealed that some- ; tiling had been erased and ''tj-ped over again. The only portions of the original letter that remained were the date and the signature. Accused pleaded guilty and had nothing to say. He was thereupon committed to tho Supreme Court at Wellington for sentence. On a further charge of being a roguo and a vagabond he was remanded until Thursday.