BANKNOTE FORGERY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16375, 1 November 1916, Page 8

BANKNOTE FORGERY.

CHARGES AGAINST FIVE MEN.

TWO PLEAD GUILTY

A cable message from Sydney recently stated that five men had been sentenced to terms of imprisonment of from ono to ten years on charges of forging and uttering Commonwealth bank notes. The first indictment on which the men were charged set out that they had forged and uttered 5200 Commonwealth Bank notes of the denomination of £5, but as objection was raised by counsel for the defence the indictment was withdrawn, and they were then charged with forging and uttering a £5 Commonwealth Bank note. The accused were Henry William Bradbury, John James Ferguson, Charles Percival Cattell, John Benjamin King, and Leslie Phillip Grummit. Cattell pleaded guilty to the charges, and Grummit pleaded guilty to the uttering "barge. They were both remanded for sentence. In opening his case, Mr. Lamb, E.C., who conducted the prosecution, before Air. Justice Docker, stated he would attempt to prove that the accused forged not only one note, but that there was a system amongst them which enabled them to" forge 5000 or more of the notes. It would also be shown that there was a deliberate plot on the part of the accused and others to utter the notes in various States. He said it was not an ordinary crime, but one which required skill and money to carry it out successfully. He would also show that some of the accused were instrumental in obtaining machinery with which to print the cotes, and that thev went about the ncte-making in a wholesale way. Mr. Lamb said that apparently when the accused went to work to lorge the note thev recognised that it would not be possible to reproduce it bv means of photography, so they obtained the services of an artist from Melbourne, who drew sketches of a £5 tote so as to allow of them being reproduced on zinc. Bradbury came into the scheme under extraordinary circumstances. He, Bradbury, claimed that it was strong coercion on the part of the other men which brought him into it. He was a, man who had led a most respectable life previously. He was a process engraver, and held a good position with a city firm for a number of years At the time of his arrest he was in the employ of one of the dailv newspapers as an etcher It was through him that one of the plates from which the notes were printed was found by a diver " Cook ' ttiver. Mr Lamb tendered a statement by the Jatter said he was approached by Ferguson, then a stranger to him last February. Ferguson asked mm if he was a process engraver, and after some conversation made an appointment. He kept the appointment, ind went wi(& Ferguson to the latter'a office. him would he run a risk {?? he ■* id « J "Xt «n depends what risk it is r The door was bolted by Ferguson who forced open a suit case and took from it six original drawings of a £5 note, and asked him would he reproduce them. He (Bradbury! said it was not worth the risk. Ferguson said, " Don't be friehtened ; von won t get into trouble." He also said If you refuse to do the job or tell anything of what has happened between as you are rare to meet trouble, as I have a big body of the I.W.W. men whom 1 can put m r hand on at any minute. Thev will do anything for me." Morgan was admitted to the room by Ferguson, and shortly afterwards he (Bradbury) saw a revolver on a tvble, with cartridges beside it. He said, v Vhat is this for?" (refernne to the revolver) and Morgan replied, That is a silencer. ' Bradbury continuing, said that be was frightened at seeing the weapon, and consented to do the job. An appointment was m.-.de for the folding dav, but he I did no. keep it That night" Ferguson called on him when he wag working ,nd asked him did he intend to go on with ; the job He replied -that he did not want I to do it Ferguson persuaded him to meet him on the following dav. and after some conversation Ferguson offered him £5 a week while he was doine the iob AnH • £250 after ft was finished. Bern? frightened at, Feronron'a threats he an-eed «o make the blocks, and also assisted m printing the notes from them.