TWO SERIOUS CHARGES

Otago Witness, Issue 3384, 22 January 1919, Page 8

TWO SERIOUS CHARGES

FORGERY AND THEFT ALLEGED. ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. A well-dressed young man named Angus George Foster appeared in the dock to answer two serious charges upon winch he had previously been remanded. Mr H. ' Y. Widdowson, S.M., was on the bench. On the first information Foster was charged that on January 2 he forged a. ccr- • tain document, to wit, a telegram purporting to be signed by one Salmon, witn intent to cause one James Connor to act h upon it as if it were genuine. This charge was heard first, tho prosecution being conducted by Chief Detective Bishop. Robert Booth (Superintendent of Telegraphs, Dunedin). who was the first witness called, produced a copy of the telegram which was the subject of the charge. lfc> read as follows: —"George Foster, Leviathan Hotel, Dunedin. December totals completed, commission £73, cheque Saturday.—Salmon." This telegram was handed in as an exhibit.

Annie Connor, wife of James Connor, proprietor of the Leviathan Hotel, said the accused came to stay at the hotel m company with a Miss Fitzgerald on November 23. He paid the first week's board for both, and prior to December 27 he paid a further £5 ss. By the third of January the accused's account was about £l3 10s, and witness had several times asked him to pay it. On one occasion, a Friday, she believed, the accused showed her a telegram which she understood to b-i from Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Co., Wellington, saying that there was trouble in the office, and his cheque had not yet been sent on. On January 3 ho showed her the telegram which had been produced, and she asked Foster for it so that she might show it to Mr Connor. James Connor, husband of the previous witness . said the telegram produced had been shown/to him on January 3. He sent for the accused and asked him if the telegram came from Messrs Wright, Stephenson, and Co., . Wellington. The accused said "No." Witness told him that he had represented himself at ' the hotel office as an employee of Messrs Wright, Stephenson, and Co. Accused replied that the, commission referred to in the telegram was for a deal with Messrs Wright, Stephenson, and Co. Witness asked him who the telegram came from *in Wellington, and he replied that it was from the National Cash Register Co., and the cheque referred to was his commission on the sale of cash registers to Messrs Wright, Stephenson, and others. Witness subsequently made inquiries about the matter, and then reported it to the police. j Mr White: Did you looE on the telegram for the stamp of the. office of origin.—Yes, but it 'was rubb=d out. Detective Sergeant Cameron said he saw the accused on the 4th ins't., and the latter stated in reply to a question, ' that the telegram had been sent by Mr Salmon of tho Cash Register Company, Wellington. Witness told him it would be alleged that be sent the telegrum to himself from Dunedin, and Mr Salmon would be called to say that he had not sent'it. The accused said he wished to explain. It was a confession Miss Fitzgerald was worried over lack of funds and he had gone to the tc-Jegraph office and sent tho telegram to ease her mind.- When Mr Connor asked him for money he pulled it out and ehowed it. to him to keep him quiet. This closed tho case for the prosecution. Mr White admitted that there, was a prima facie case. After the charge had been read over to the accused Mr White entered V a plea of not guilty, and said would reserve the defence.

The accused was committed to the Supreme Gourigtor trial. He was admitted to bail in his own surety of £IOO and a further surety of £IOO, or two of £SO each. On a second count the accused was charged with the theft at Wellington, on or about March 20, 1918, of a suit case and evening dress suit, valued at £l2 12a, the property of one Joseph Percival Lavin. On the application of the Chief Detective an adjournment was granted' until this rooming m order to make arrangements for sending the accused to Wellington, where the case will be heard.