Young Woman Bares Her Soul To Save Lover From Shadow of Gaol

NZ Truth, Issue 1080, 12 August 1926, Page 7

Young Woman Bares Her Soul To Save Lover From Shadow of Gaol

"jTHE story was one. of a.single woman m Palmerston North receiving by very covert methods regular payments from a married man m Marton—she said she 1 could have had £50 had she wanted it—at a time when she was convalescing from a serious operation m a private hospital.

OST outstanding among features of n, 6 case was that whom she had extionship with the Marton individual, had her authority 'p .receive and cash the cheques The cause of

the trouble > m the first .place.; was that the fiancee,; one Reginald 'Arthur John Ashby, happened, by stir unfortunate coincidence, to come into i innocent posgpssion of cheques which were really not intend- 1 ed! for the woman. He endorsed them with what he thought were the fictitious names used for .the'- purposes of safety, and m consequence,, the police, stepped m. CHEQUE MYSTERY From the dock, Ashby, a young man of prepossessing appearance, pleaded not guilty, and thereafter placed the matter m the hands of Lawyer Harold Cooper. Evidence was heard from. Robert , William Turner, farmer, of Greatford, to the effect that m May last he forwarded by post, from Marton, to one Albert Ashby, an employee, two cheques m a letter, which he addressed to "A- Ashby, c/o Palmerston North Post Office."

One of the cheques was for the A. Ashby mentioned, and the other was for T. Baverstock, another employee. Both the employees . mentioned stated m evidence that they had been expecting these cheques from Turner, i and had called at the post office for ! the purpose of obtaining them, but they had never come to hand. -, The cheques (produced), had not been endorsed by them. In evidence, Victor Goldfinch, a dealer m meri's wear,. said that ac- " cused had come into his shop, and purchasing goods to the value of a few < shillings, had tendered a cheque for £8, made payable to T. Baverstock, and endorsed \with that name. Witness had cashed the cheque, and taken accused's name and address. Ac-' cused had given his correct name, R. Ashby. MONEY FROM MARTON Detective Holmes took the box and said that he had taken a statement from accused,' m which he stated that he had called at the post office and asked if there were any letters for Kirn. The clerk had asked him his initials, and he had replied "R.A.J.," whereupon he was handed a letter addressed to "A." Ashby. Accused stated that the letter was postmarked Marton, and although it contained nothing beyond two cheques, accused, had assumed it was from a man m Marton from whom he had been expecting money on behalf of a woman friend of his. The reason why he had been receiving this money was a private one, and he wished to "say no more concerning it. , Although the cheques had borne the names of A. Ashby and T, Baverstock,

|| . (From "Truth's' Palmerston No^rth Representative.) If DECAUSE a mysterious married man m Marton failed to I j write a letter to a young woman m Palmerston North, with 11. whom he had a -secret friendship, an amazing story of m II trigue which would otherwise have remained hidden was If brought to light m the Supreme Court. t .

accused had endorsed them m the same way because he had believed they were intended for him. In outlining the case for the defence, Lawyer Cooper said it was admitted that the two cheques were converted 'into false documents, but not knowingly, and the question for the jury to decide was whether accused had Known what he was really doing when he signed them. Counsel would call evidence to prove that when accused signed the names, he was under the impression that the cheque for A. Ashby was for himseif, and the other also, the name Baverstock being only fictitious. k ■ The man m Marton, whose name was Galpin, was married, and consequently the cheques to -the young woman, whose name was Kathleen Boyle, had been payable m the past to all sorts of names. Miss Boyle, continued counsel, had undergone a serious operation, and at the time was an inmate of a private hospital m 'Palmerston North.

Before she entered the institution she was given by Galpin a cheque-book, with instructions that whenever she required money from him she was to post a blank to "Mr. Richards," care of the chief steward of a certain club at Marton, when it would be filled m and returned to her. T, wo cheques , had been used m this. manner. One of these cheque-forms was sent to Galpin on May 5, and on May 8 accused went to the "post office, with the result described. When he tfiok the letter and opened it accused had not for one moment doubted that.it was intended for him and thus for Miss Boyle, having come from Galpin. a Counsel went on to read a letter which accused had written on May 15 to Galpin. In that epistle he expressed some surprise that two cheques had been forwarded, and asked if both were intended tor the girl. If so, he said, they would come m

very handy, and he thanked Galpin j for them. ..,..„' "The whole unfortunate incident, said counsel, "is that Galpin did not wire back immediately and say that there was something wrong. "Had he done so then this case would never have come before the Court and. the whole circumstances would have remained hidden. -■',■ "As it was, accused- acted m all good faith, and did not for one moment suspect that he was turning legal . documents ( into false ones." • In evidence, accused stated that Miss Boyle had explained to him her former relations with Galpin some weeks before the arrival of the cheques m dispute. ' He had taken them to her when she was m hospital, and she had said they were all right. She told him to sign . them, 'which he did. m her presence, and he then cashed one at the clothier's as described. ' ' : The balance of that cheque he had used- to pay for some repairs to Miss Boyle's car, and the other cheque for £15 he had paid into Miss Boyle's account at the post office. ■ He personally had gained nothing except a few. articles 'of clothing. Under cross-examination, accused said that he had never before received personally any cheques from Galpin, nor had Miss Boyle to hi 3 [knowledge. ■■■ v ■ He did not know how much was expected from Galpin on 'this occasion —it .was left for that gentleman to fill m the cheque. Galpin might have sent £5 or £50; neither sum would have occasioned witness any surprise. Kathleen Boyle, single, of .Palmers-

ton North, proved to be a small, dark woman "nearing. her thirties, She was neatly attired, 'and wore a brown coat and close-fitting pink hat. -/ She had. ho -suspicion that the cheques m this case were not from Galpin, whether ; direct or from 'a gobetween in -Fending.- (the cheques being made payable . v on a bank at Feilding). ; , ..■■ " ■■-• ' ". ' During the last few years,, she had received cheques at' different times from Galpin. Cross-examined, witness said that she could not remember one fictitious name Galpin had used on the cheques he had. sent her from time to time. : The reason why. she could not '• ' remember any of the names was because it ; was eight or nine years ago. '\\' .■' She had "not" particularly wanted the money m this •"fca'se;. .she .could have had £50 had she desired. :'-'- WHERE Ig THE MA^? : V: "Where is Galpin?" asked Mtv Gooke; m addressing' the jury. "Why is he not called as a' witness? One could understand sparing the feeU ings of Miss Boyle, but there is no reason why Ashby should have any consideration for Galpin." Mr. Cooper made some interjectory remark regarding the effect . on Galpin's wife. . "But instead of, that," said Mr. Cooke, "Miss Boyle 'is placed m the box and the man from Marton is not called." Mr. Cooper stated that Miss Boyle had come forward voluntarily/ After a short retirement, the jury returned with a verdict of not guilty on all counts, and accused was discharged.

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