FORGED PASSES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16285, 19 July 1916, Page 9

FORGED PASSES.

INCIDENT IN LONDON. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT-] London, June 1. Lieutenant Frederick Codd, Assistant Provost-Marshal to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in England, has just made a noteworthy capture. Recently a number of forged passes have been in circulation, and it was decided to make an attempt to discover the offenders.

On Tuesday Lance-Corporal Wennacot and Private Sellars, of the New Zealand Police, met in Waterloo Road Thomas Williamson, a porter, of Leyton. Some conversation ensued, in the course of which the two soldiers told him they bad no passes. Williamson replied that he thought he could get passes for them, and an appointment was made for the i following day.

Williamson was accompanied by a private in the Royal West Kent Regiment, who produced a blank pass form. The four men went to the Strand, where the West Kent man filled up a pass, which Williamson signed as "T. Williamson. Major Commanding." He received one shilling for his trouble. A second pass was also filled up by the West Kent man, and signed "J. H. King (Major)." The two men were then given into the custodv of the civil police. The prisoner Williamson told Police-Segeant Wesley that he had been at the front, and was absent-minded. He said he thought he was doing the soldiers a rood turn. Lieutenant Codd said that the Royal West Kent man would be tried by courtmartial.

The magistrate sentenced Williamson to three months' hard labour, and said that the next offender would have six mcnths.