A J. P. UNDER A OLOUD.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume 30, Issue 30, 30 March 1880, Page 2

A J. P. UNDER A OLOUD.

The Wellington correspondent of the Auckland Star writes ;— *One would imagine that Justices of the Peace, like Caesar's better-half, should be above suspicion. But it is not so. A few days ago, the manager of a bank at the Bulls received a letter with the signature of "A Amond," containing a request that a £50 note and three £1 notes might be forwarded in an envelope to "H. ! Howell," to be called for at the Poxton Post-office. Suspicious of the genuineness of the signature, the manager wrote to Mr. Amond, one of his customers, with a view of ascertaining whether he had really made the request or not. Mr. Amond replied that the signature was a forgery. The question then arose, Who forged it? After communicating with the police, the following plan was arranged tipon : An envelope, addressed to " H. Howell, Post-office, Foxton,— to be left till called for," was immediately despatched, and a constable in plain clothes was stationed in the vicinity of the Foxton Post-office to await subsequent events. No great interval elapsed before a tap came to the office window, the enquiry made, " Any letters for H. Howell V IC Yes, sir, one," replied the clerk, at the Bame time handing him the closed envelope in question. The stranger, carefully deposited the supposed treasure in his coat pocket, at once marched home, and was followed by the policeman who had been an observer of the whole of the proceedings. Arrived at home, the man was arrested. It turned out to be Mr. Hermann Rockell, a member of the Manawatu Highway Board, and a justice of the v peace. About the house were discovered slips of paper bearing evident attempts at producing the name of Arthur Amond, and in a pocket was placed another slip containing the words " Henry Howell," which it is supposed served as a reminder to call for the letter. Mr. Rockell has been brought before the Fielding Court, and committed for trial at the ensuing criminal sittings at Wanganui, having been let out on bail, himself in £500, and two sureties of £250 each. Having announced his subject at a club meeting, last night, an eloquent fellow citizen was going to say : " Gentlemen understand this head I propose to treat — " and then as his audience began to rise unanimously, he was forced to explain that his hearers were decidedly too " previous," as he didn't mean all he had said, but desired to qualify the remark.