SIGNATURE OF TELEGRAM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19454, 9 October 1926, Page 12

SIGNATURE OF TELEGRAM.

ANOTHER PERSON'S NAME. AUTHORITY NOT OBTAINED. The seriousness of signing without authority the name of another person to a telegram was emphasised in the Police Court yesterday. Edgar Vincent Roberts pleaded guilty to two charges of wilfnlly delivering to a telegraph office a telegram purporting to be signed bv " Marie" without the authority of tho said Marie, and of wrongfully signing a telegram with the name of another person without authority. Senior-Detective Hammond said defendant had a slight disagreement with his wife who was living with her sister at Ruawai. He was worried about the matter and asked his sister-in-law, whose name was Mario, to send a telegram asking his wife to return and bring the children, but she refused. He then wrote out a telegram reading, " Come down home. Urgent. Bring 'kids. * Marie." Defendant wrote tho name and address of his sister-in-law on the back of the telegram. At the timo defendant's wife happened to be in Auckland and the telegram could not bo delivered. Defendant's sister-in-law was notified of the non-delivery of the telegram, and knowing nothing about it-sho communicated with the postal authorities. In this way the case came into the hands of tho police. Defendant hardly realised the seriousness of his action. He was now out of work. The magistrate, Mr. Hunt, said the public must be warned of the seriousness of (lie offence. The maximum penalty was £IOO, or 12 months' imprisonment. Defendant was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, and was also ordered to pay 16s casts.