YOUNG MAN’S FORGERY

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12039, 17 January 1925, Page 10

YOUNG MAN’S FORGERY

SAVINGS BANK RECEIPT. * ' DOCK STOIfE&.IIN HOTEL. The drcUmstanoes_surrqunding the forgery of. a Post Office withdrawal receipt tendered in the name of “Leonard Forbes’.’ toy a young waterside worker named Leonard- Clarence Olsen (alias 'George Clarence Forbes), aged 21, Were told before Mr E. Page, S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court. The amount of the receipt was £56 14s. ‘ ' The aeoused - was represented by jMr W. E- Lieoester, and police evidence was cohduqted by Chief-Detective Kemp. V . ■ A plea of guilty was entered on behalf of OlsenLeonard George Forbes, a carpenter, residing at the King’s Private 'Hotel, Courtenay Place, saw that he possessed a hank pass 'book for the ■ Post Office, numbered 493491. He last saw the book about a fortnight ago, when it" was in an unlocked-portmanteau in his room. He had gone to the. hotel on Saturday and lost his book the following Tuesday morning. Olsen was unknown to him, and he gave no . one permission to, use the hook or sign a receipt. - A clerk employed at the Savings Bank counter of the Post Office, John Peter Keenan, said- that on the 6th instant tHe .book produced was passed' in to him. 'Wlien sept to the ledgers it was found the signature of “L, G. Forbes” did not agree with the specimen. Accused was then asked to go into the accountants office, -tout making au excuse-he hurried out, and was not seen again. Alfred James Nicholls, supervisor of the Saving Bank branch of the Post Office, said a report wax made that someone had attempted to forge For--hes’s name that morning. Early in the afternoon someone rang on the ’phone asking if Leonard George Forbes’s a<\ count was all right. Witness said that it was, and invited the speaker to come round, and bring someone toidentify him. - About three - minutes later accused appeared' with » i«» panion, saying no was Forbes, and wanted to close his account.., Olsen was detained, and the pelioe were called. On being summoned to the /_Post Office on the same day, said Detective Nuttall. accused held to his identity of Leonard George Forbes, but "ly afterwards he declared he was George Clarence Forbes. Asked how lie came by the book he said-hq had found it that morning in Courtenay. Plaoo. He admitted that the sumature, ana the wljple of the writing on the receipt was his. In a statement made at the detective offioe accused, confessed he had done wrong" in forging the name, but he had been wanting money at the time, otherwise he would not have done it. In a later statement accused admitted his' theft of the hook from the hotel.

On accused being arrested!, .continued Detective Nuttall, a metal watchcase was found on him. It was later ascertained that the watch and case' had been stolen from the King’s Private (Hotel, and belonged to a man named John William McOsraley. On January 7th accused' was interviewed in connection with the matter, but he denied.all' knowledge of it. Two days latef, when seen at the Terrace Prison, Qlsen confessed ho had stolen the watch and case. The watoh was recovered from a secondhand dealer’s. A plea of guilty w.as entered, and the accused was committed to the Susreme 'Court for. sentence. ,