ALLEGATION OF FORGERY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21247, 29 July 1932, Page 12

ALLEGATION OF FORGERY

YOUNG SALESMAN CHARGED ALTERATIONS TO ORDER FORMS Tho trial of Joseph Keith Orr, salesman, aged 28, on charges of forging two order forms and with causing two forged order forms to be acted upon as if they were genuine, was commenced beforo Mr. Justice Smith in the Supreme Court yesterday. The Crown Prosecutor said last year accused entered into an arrangement with Northern Automobiles, Limitod, with regard to an agency for motor-car headjight reflectors. By this the firm became the sole distributor and accused acted as an agent, canvassing' various motor distributors in the Auckland Province for sales. Among the orders ho secured, while acting for Northern Automobiles, Limited, were some from Mr. Gresham, of Tauranga, and Mr. Granger, of Tauranga. Later accused approached tho Electric Construction Company, Limited, with a request that it should take over the agency. It was alleged that he. then altered Ihe dates on the order slips of Granger and Gresham and inserted tho words "Electric Construction," to make it appear that the orders had been booked for the latter company, when duplicate copies of the slips showed that they had been made out for Northern Automobiles, Limited. The result was that the orders were duplicated. Evidence on these lines was given by witnesses for tho prosecution. Detective-Sergeant P. J- Doyle read a long statement, made to him by accused. In this accused staled that he had altered the order forms, but had done so because tho arrangement with Northern Automobiles had fallen through and ho had entered into another arrangement with tho Electric Construction Company. Ho had advised the people concerned of tho altered arrangement. "I asked him if his solicitors had advised him that he was within his rights in altering tho order forms," witness said. "Ho replied, 'No. Tlicy said 1 was a f °Counscl for tho defence intimated that, he' intended to call ovidenco and tho Court adjourned until this morning.