THREE CHARGES OF FORGERY,

Otago Witness, Issue 1911, 6 July 1888, Page 13

THREE CHARGES OF FORGERY,

At the City Police Court on Saturday last, bfore Messrs W. L. Simpson and John Roberts, J. P.'s Andrew K. Frederiakaon was charged with forging and uttering a cheque on the 23rd April, for a sum ot £3 4s. drawn on. the Bank of New Zealand at Oamaru — Chief Detective Henderson conducted the case for the police. — John Curran, Imperial Hotel, Oamaru, deposed to seeing the accused in his hotel on the 23rd April, when, in payment for Is 6d, accused gave a cheque to him for £1 4s on the New Zealand Bank, Oamarn, signed " Matthew Morton." The following day he presented the cheque to the bank and they refused payment. He knew a man nami d Morton, a farmer, who resided eight miles out of Oamaru.— Samuel Charles Phillips, gaoler, said that he had the prisoner in custody for sometime awaiting trial on two charges of forgery. He asked permission to write two letters on the 27th insfc. One was directed to the Inspector of Police, Oamaru, and the other to the Inspector of Police, Dunedin. Witness read them over and identified the two letters produced. In one of them accused pleaded guilty to the charge of forging a cheque at Oamarn, and asked to have the case tried here. The Utter to the Oamaru Inspector of Police was as follows :— " I humbly beg your permission to allow me to have my witnesses now in Oamaru in a case now pending against me sent to Dunedin, bo that I may have that case tried with the other charges against me, to which I plead guilty, at the same sessions, for which kindness of you I shall always be grateful."— Mr Simpson said that the letter could not be taken as evidence that the prisoner was guilty.— Chief Detective Henderson deposed that on the 2t3bh or 27th he was called to the gaol, and he saw the accused there. He [said in the pi esenee of the clerk of the gaol that he wanted to see witness respecting the charges against him. Accused told witness that there was ;i charge against him of forging a cheque at Oamaru, aud lie would take it as 'a great favour if he could have the charge brought on Saturday, with other charg< sagainst him, so that he might be finally disposed ot at the coming sessions of the Supreme Court. Witness told him that he could not do that for him, but if he made an application to the Inspector of Police at Oamaru, he might ask him to have the witnesses in the case sent down here. — This concluded the case.— Mr Simpson said that they should have produced the man who signed the cheque. He thought the charge had not been proved, notwithstanding the letter. — Mr Roberts concurred with Mr Simpson's suggestion' as to Morton being called. — The Bench allowed the case to stand over until the hearing of the other charges. — Accused was further charged with forging and uttering a cheque on the 31 st May, at Lawrence, for the payment of £1, on the Colonial Bank at Lawrence. —Jonas Harrop, chemist, Lawrence, said he remembered the 31st May last. Accused came into his shop on that day and bought medicines for a man at the station amounting to 10s. He gave a cheque on the Colonial Bank for £1 sighed " James Smith and Son, Greenfield." He paid the cheque into his account at the Bank of New South Wales. It was returned marked " signature unlike " The cheque was drawn on the Colonial Bank. It was a Bank of New South Wales cheque altered to Co'onial. He never saw the accused before that night. The bank sent the cheque back to him, and he sent it to Mr Smith to see if it was his signature. —James Smith, steep farmer, Gieenfielu, slated that the accused worked at his place for a fortnight about the end of May. The signature on the cheque was not that of the firm.— Richard Webb, hotelkeeper. Lawrence, stated that at the end of May he gave accused two blank cheques on the Bank of New Zealand . He iilled up one of them .—Detective Madden was called, but the Bench intimated that a prima facie cisc had been made out, and accused would bo committed for trial. — Accused was also charged with forging and uttering a cheque for the sum of £4, on Juni 1, at Waiwera. Clinton, on the Colonial Bank, at I nwrenee.— Catherine Breeze, wife of Fdward Breeze, storekeeper, Wiuwera, said accused called at her store on June 1, and she .supplied him with a pair of boots, half a pound of tobacco, a pipe, a tweed hat, and two pairs of socks. He gave witness a chrque for £1, drawn by Smi h and Sons on the Colonial Bank, and he got £2 17s 6d change. He said he had been employed at Greenfield. 'Hie cheque was retu-ued marked "signature unlike.' — James Smith gave evidence that the signature to the cheque was not that, of the firm.- John Johnston, Commercial Hotel, Lawrence, stated ihsithe gave two blank cheques on the Colonial Bank to the accused about the end of Mh}'. — Detective Maddern said he was in the watchhouse when accused was brought in from Invercargill. Accused «aid he would plead guilty to all the charges, i c said th.it after forging tho cheque in Oamaru for £5 4s he hud forged the others to get money to clear out of tie colony.— ln reply to the Bench, the witness said accused used the word " forged," and that the statement was made voluntarily.— Accused was committed for trial.