SPELLING A WORD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23205, 26 November 1938, Page 13

SPELLING A WORD

HANDWRITING TEST GOODS IN A PAWNSHOP DEALER'S LICENCE CANCELLED Tlio mis-spelling of the name of an article in the alleged record of acceptance of property, as well as in other papers produced, was a feature of evidence in a case against a second-hand dealer, Stella Cowper (Mr. G. Skelton), in the Police Court yesterday. She -was charged with purchasing two indoor bowls and a fishing rod from a person under the age of 16, in breach of the Second-hand Dealers' Act, and she pleaded not guilty. Detective-Sergeant Nalder said a pair of bowls were reported missing from the Methodist Sunday School Hall, Great North Road, last December, and they remained untraced until seen recently in the window of a city pawnshop. When police inquiries were made no record of the' purchase of the bowls could bo found in the register, which a second-hand dealer was com-

polled to keep, with all transactions entered. Evidence was given that the, boy, aged 13, sold the bowls and fishing rod to buy a radio set. His father gave him written permission to do so. Defendant produced a. loose sheet from the register recording the transaction. She said she had only recently recovered it, and the iivriting was that of the boy. . _ In reply to the magistrate, Mr. C. R. Orr Walker, defendant said the spelling used was that of- the boy, and under the Court's direction she wrote the word "bowls" on a slip of paper. Comparing the writing and spelling on this slip with those in the register the magistrate said they were the same, and the word "bowls'" was misspelled "boles" in each case. "The facts point to defendant having put in these entries afterward, when the police began to make inquiries," added the magistrate, in convicting defendant. "When the rules of' the business are flagrantly _ broken by one who has shown incapacity to carry them out, it is necessary in the interests of the publio that the licence should be taken away,, In fthis case it appears as though defendant was tempted to manipulate her books to meet the situation." The magistrate cancelled defendant s licence and ordered her to pay costs, 18s.