A DISAPPEARING CHEQUE BOOK.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9647, 23 January 1903, Page 2

A DISAPPEARING CHEQUE BOOK.

CHARGE OF THEFT. ■ A young litUf-ra.sk- named 1U Bartlelt was charged at the Police Court tiliis morning with stealing a cheque hook on the Bank of New South Wales, containing blank forms of the value of 6d, t.he property of W. N. Attwood. The case arose ; out of a previous charge against the stMnti accused of endeavoring to obtain money by false pretences. Sergeant Sidde.ll.s conducted the prosecution, «ntl Mr L. Rees appeared for the defence. ' W. N. Attwootl, secondhand dealer, stated the cheque book was put away on tlie Friday night, and he luad no occa- ' sirai to go there on. the Saturday morn- ' ing. On Saturday morning, 27th," witness saw accused m his shop. Accused or no oae else hud a right to tike the cheque book. By Mr Rees : The book produced had been lost a few d!a.ys before amongst other papers, and witness had to get another. As far as witness knew accused bore a. very good character. James Smith, assistant to last witness, stated accused was at Attwood'.s shop on December 27th. Accused was near where the cheque book wa-s kept «,l the back of the shop, and witness left him there while lie attended some customer's. Witness received the cheque book from Charksj Pitt about tliree or four d.i.ys afterwards. By Mr Rees: Witness did not see accused take the cheque book, which had been missed before that, but was found again on the Friday. Detective Nixon stated when he arrested accused on another charge Bartlett informed him that lie had picked up the cheque book four or five yards from Mr Attwood's door. Accused stated he did not know to whom the book belonged. Mr Rees, for the defence,' said that m discharging the -accused on a former occasion his Worship had said that he would puss no opinion as to the cheque book. Mr Rees said he would submit that this was not a judicious remark to make. His Worship : Ido not think you have :i right to say that. Mr Rees asked what evidence wtis there to show tint accused appropriated the cheque book? Bartlett had made a very open statement that lie found the book, and they aJI knew that m a .secondhand dealer's "shop things were lyin.g all over tilie phice. Ait-wood and his assistant had stated they could not say that the cheque book was* m its place. It would pla.ee people m a very unfortunate position if they happened to go to Attwood's and were cliarged with stealing a few pennyworth of cheques. The matter wtis a trivial one, and the circumstances, though suspicious, did not warrant the S.M. m branding accused as a felon.. Accused had a. good lesson already, having had to pay a substantial bill of costs. In reply to his Worship, Sergeant Siddells stated that accused and his people were respectable natives. His Worship snid he was perfectly satisfied of accused's guilt. He did not believe for one moment his story of finding the cheque book. As far as he was aware accused's character had been good, and m passing sentence he would take that into consideration. A fine of £2 and costs ims inflicted, m default seven days' hard labor.