STORY OF FORGED CHEQUES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13650, 18 January 1908, Page 2 (Supplement)

STORY OF FORGED CHEQUES.

HOTEL PORTERS AS TOOLS. Wmkn Guy Riclwrd Preston (alias Redgrave), Herbert Arthur Chili!.", 23, Mai colm Campbell, 32, Arthur Coleman, 69, «nd Leonard Elston McQueen,- were, charged before the Common Serjeant at the London Central Criminal Court with forging and uttering cheques on the London City and Midland Bank, Ludgate Hill, a "remarkable confession was made by the prisoner Child*. Giving evidence from the wit new-box, Child? said he was a plasterer's labourer, and in July of last year was living at New Barnet Preston, whom ho bad known as Redgrave for some time, was also living in Lancaster Road, New Burnet. A few days after Bank Holiday h« was introduced by Redgrave to two friend* named Greenbaum and Butt. He saw * forged cheque made out to Percy Tindall, though he did not know who forged it. The cheque was for £153, and Greenbaum ae>ked him to go into the Hotel Cecil and endorse it. This lie did in the hotel reading-room. Subsequently the cheque was placed in an envelope, and witness gave it to a commissionaire with instil*--non to get. it cashed at the bank, Th« commissionaire did tin*, and brought b*ck the money in notes and gold.

CHANGED INTO KRKKCR MOKXT.

While this was going on Redgrave and Greenbaum were waiting outside the bote'. The money so "obtained was changed at a money-changing bureau, finst- into French money and then back into English money again, the proceeds being divided among Redgrave, witness, and the others. On a subsequent occasion another forged cheque, for £94, hearing the signature of Mr. Gibson, wan given to a commissionaire at the First Avenue Hotel with iustruc.-, tions to take it to. the bonk and get it cashed. This was done, and immediately afterwards the English banknotes were changed into French notes and then changed again into English gold. Witness handed the gold to, Greenbaum, and all , four of them (Redgrave, the witness, Greenbaum, and Butt) then repaired to a email public-house, where the proceeds of the cheque were divided. Childfi also dealt with other similar cheque transactions, and explained how he met McQueen in the company of Redgrave, when the former remarked that, an additional sum of money must be given to a certain man whom witness did not know. McQueen said, ."He, must have another £10, or lie will 'cackle.'" On another occasion McQueen mentioned the names of several good tirnis whose signatures he said had been obtained, and he added that he and Campbell hoped to raise from thou; signatures a. sum of over £20,000 in the ■course of a year. WKM' Til KM lILINC TO TUB HANK. The witness desciilred how he opened' an account at the New South gate branch of Barclay's Bank, where he deposited £110. The money belonged to Redgrave and himself, and the. witness gave as his re femnees the names of McQueen and another man, and described himself as a photographer. As he left the bank he noticed that one of the clerks followed him out and saw him join McQueen. Two days later the witness went to the batik trembling, but to his surprise the manager simply told him that they could not keep his money. " A good job too, • I thought," added the witness, "and I tool* my money and went." McQueen, on one occasion, proceeded Child's, said a cheque was going to be forged on Hampton's for £40,000. The hearing was adjourned.