FORGER’S BRIEF CAREER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3783, 14 September 1926, Page 15

FORGER’S BRIEF CAREER.

CHRISTCHURCH, September 9. Yesterday a farm hand, to-day a temporarily successful forger. That was Henry Blackwell, aged 20, but his sojourn in the higher criminal circles was shortlived. He flew too high for his wings, and the crash brought him into the Police Court to-day. He stole a blank cheque, made it payable to another man whose name he ‘'borrowed” and came to Christchurch. Here an unsuspicious hotelkeeper cashed the cheque, and on the proceeds Blackwell bought clothing, tripped to southern towns and regaled himself with drinks and cigarettes, and then the police brought the holiday to an abrupt ending. He came before Sir H. A. Young, S.M., to-day charged with forging the name of A. Boucher to a cheque drawn on the Union Bank of Australia, and causing Allan V. Dodd to act upon it as if it were genuine. Allan Vincent Dodd, proprietor of the Trocadero Private Hotel, said that accused called at the hotel at 11 a.m. on September 1 and booked a room for himself and Ills brother for a week, giving the name of G. Tate. In payment of the ruom he presented a cheque w-hich witness cashed, giving accused £22 12s. That afternoon witness presented the cheque at the hank and was told that the signature “A. Boucher” was irregular. Leslie M Brian, ledger keeper at Ihe Union Bank of Australia, said that Mr Boucher had an account at the hank, hut the signature on the cheque produced was not his. The cheque, however, was out of his book. Mr Brassington : Quite a clumsy forgery is it not ? Witness: As a matter of fact it is rather a good one. Mr Boucher usually signs ‘Alfred Boucher,’ this cheque «s signed ‘A Boucher.’ ’’ Accused was arrested at Ashburton, said Detective N. W. Bavliss. and made a statement to tlie Ashburton police m which he said that he had been working foi T. Stevenson at Spctswcod, Parnassus, until August 30 when he left. On August 27 or 28 he was occupying a room in the same house as Alfred Boucher, who had a mom next to his. About 8 o’clock al night, when Boucher was absent, accused went into his room and took a blank cheque from the book of Boucher’s cheque book, which he then returned to the other ma’h’s coat pocket. He filled in the cheque making it payable to G. Tate for £27 12s, and signed it “A. Boucher.” Accused had never met a man called G. Tate, but lie had heard that such a man existed, because he had heard people talking of him. Accused bought clothing and cigarettes, and spent several pounds on drinks in Timaru and Christchurch.

Accused had nothing to say. He pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. •