FALSE PRETENCES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 11248, 11 April 1908, Page 5

FALSE PRETENCES.

A VALUELESS CHEQUE

At the Magistrate's Couit this aftercoon, Alexander Camera, alias Joseph Forbes, was charged upon remand with having on May 11, 1904, at Gisborne, with intent to defraud, by means of a cheque drawn on the Bank of New South Walps at Bulls, obtained from. Edward Harris, holelkeeper, of Gisborne, the sum of £4 16s. Mr T, Alston Coleman appeared! for accused. Sergeant Hutton conducted tho prosecution, and called —

EdWard John Harris,,, of Hastings, formerly part proprietor of the Albion Club , hotel. He deposed that he last saw accused m the Albion Club hotel m. 1904, when he cashed v cheque for him which he presented m payment of board. Before doing so he asked witness for it blank Bank of New South Wales cheque, which he (witness) said he did not keep. With that accused went across to the Bank and returned with, two or three forms of cheques m his hand. He filled one m m his (witness's) presence, for, he thought, £5. and it was drawn upon the Bank of New South Wales, Bulls. As far as he could say the cheque produced was the one. He was pretty sure it was. Witness cashed the cheque, but could not remember the change given. The cheque was paid fin to the firm's account through the. Bank of Australasia. Accused left Gisborne the same day. — By Mr Coleman: He had . not the slightest doubt uccused Avas the man who cashed the cheque. He then had the appearance of not having shaved for a few days. . Cecil M.Sairgisson. teller of tho Bank of New South Wales, Gisborne, said he remembered -a man named Alexander I Camera applying, some time' m 1904, for blank cheques, stating 'that he ■had' an account m 'the Bank at Bulls. Witness supplied him with six. Tliey would all be stamped "Counter cheque." He thought the cheque produced was one. ' Witness; asked as to means . of identifying the cheq jes. said the person applying for the cheques would sign a butt of 'the chequerbook at the Bank. He had looked for this butt, but had been unable to. find.it. They had had a burning-up recently, and it might have been destroyed. Continuing, witness said the man was similar to the accu^d ; h»"-.mi«?hti hava been a bit stouter. — By Mr Coleman : He had' no clear recollection as to what the man was like.-, . . Robert H. Gover, assistant clerk at the Bank of New South Wales, Bulls, deposed that no persoi^ of the name of Alexander Camera had an account m the Bank m 1904, so 'far as they 1 had been . able to trace; he was satisefid no person had one since. The' cheque produced was presented at his bank on. May 17, 1904, from Gisboyne, and was returned dishonored, with the answer, "No account." -..".'. By Mr Coleinan : He could not say whether any person had such an account m 1903, because he had" not searched to see. Accus'hl. upon the advice of counsel pleaded guilty. Accused was committed for sentence at the Supreme Court at Napier, bail being allowed m one sum of £50. and two sureties of .625 each. Accused was further charged with having, on. or about May, 1904, at Napier, ohtained £2 10s from Henry Sergeant, hotelkeeper, of Napier, by . means of a valueless cheque diawn on the Bank of New Zealand, Kimbolton, with intent to cheat and defraud. Upon the application, of the police accused was remanded to Mapier, bail being allownd.

Th» Government has decided tlmt- it cannot accede to a request that an agency of the Tourist Department should be established m Napier, as it does not consider that the volume of tourist 'traffic originating m Napier would warrant tlie expense.