TELEGRAMS USED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17081, 14 October 1929, Page 8

TELEGRAMS USED

SECOJf EJWTICH

BETS WITH BOOKMAKER BACK-TIMING ALLEGED CHARGES OF FORGERY HEARD The attention of Mr. P. 11. Harper, S.M., was occupied in the Police Court again this afternoon hearing further evidence in the case in 'which William McKiiiribn, mercantile broker, and Wallace Fountain, telegraphist, were ' jointly charged that on August 13 they did'conspire to defraud Arthur Yeo, of Napier, bookmaker, of £99 by meaiis of a forged telegram ; and that on August 15 they did conspire to defraud Yeo of £BO by means of a forged telegram. The charges arose out 'of a series of Wagers allegedly made by McKinnon by telegram with Yeo, and it was alleged that the telegrams had been back-timed, thereby making them appear to have been lodged prior to the advertised starting times of the races in respect of which' the wagers were made.

Detective McLeod prosecuted, and Mr. J. S. Wauehop appeared for' McKihnon, 'and Mr. L. T. Burnard for Fountain. The witness' TUihgworth was' giving evidence before the luncheon adjourninent. " •(>.■; .Mr. Burnard : The teJegram is received by the ccXmter-clerk; what does lie do? —lie times the receipt of the telegram from the sender, aiid it is sent up the abate and is placed' on the wire, after Ihe record of the number is taken. Are you ever on'the coJntcr?—T have been, but seldom'. : ' " ; There is sometimes a delay on the Shute?—Not often; (here is sometimes a slight delay.

Sometimes the boy on the shute is called awtiv?—-Sometimes;

It"is a' ffequcHt 'thing to hear the shute belj ringing because of inattention?—On occasions the bell rings' twice.

Mr Burnitrd produced telegrams 'showing de.lays ranging between sijji and 15 'minutes, and hc'vislVed' whether it did not often happen that such 1 a" delay occurred.

' \Vitness: Sometimes; not often. Mr. Burnard r'Hrt've you noticed since this case.comjihn'njs being made of delay on the shule?-—'!' caPl'sav'T have.

lie-examined 'by Detective 'SjfcLeod, witness said traffic on the wire between Gishorne and Napier was" neavie'st "usually in the morning, and some of the telegrams produced by' Mr. Burnard were in the morning. In the telegram in question there .was .24 minutes delay, and only 'two telotrrams hat! been sent that afternoon. Witness was'probably on the Coast wire at that time. 'Witness would consider 24 minute's ? aii excessive delay.

Mr. Burnard: po you know who is to blame for that delay* "' ; ' Witness: No; Part of it would be caused .by your being engaged on the Coast wires?-—lt may be so; I may have nh'rt other work on the Napier "wire besides. Even if the wire hart 1 ' beeii sent up promptly there "still might have been this 'delay if you had'been engaged ii) the way you > say?—Yes. "

William 'Author .Rauch, telegrahpisfc in the Gisborne'office during the past seven months on .being'shown the telegram referring to Black Mint, stated that it liad' been despatched by him at 6.5 p.m. on Augtist-15.' .The' countercleric's firiie on'tlio telegram was 4.37, making a delay of '2B' minutes which witness would say was exceptional. Mr Burnard : Do'you know what the cause of the delay was? ' Witness: I cannot say definitely. I should think it- would be either at the counter or tlio shute.

There sometimes' is a delay at the shute?—l do not know of any particular case.

Jf you had thought at the time, there was any Undue delay you'would have reported the matter to -your superior?— Hud I .suspected anything ; ''fishy." about it I'would'have done so.

Delay is more likely to occur between ' those titaes than at any' other hour'?—l do not know.

Detective McLeod ': Would it be possible for this" telegram to remain in the shute from 4.37 to 5.5 p.m."? 'Witness: it wotild hardßy be possible.

Mr Burnard : As each wire comes in at the counter it is stamped with the exact time received ?—AVben it comes, in it should be timed.

And it is the duty of the distributor to enter the telegrams' in order of number t— Yes. Tlie distributor would notice that a telegram of a previous number was missing and would ring the counter and have it'se'nt up'?—Yes. . •' Charles David Panckhursfc, telegraphist in the Gisborne office,' stated 'that 1 he was on duty on August 15 as check clerk from' 2 to 3 p.m., and from 3 to 6 p.m., he was working the ""Auckland wire. He remembered the sbute being cleared at about 5 p.m., and he noticed that about 10 or 12 telegrams came 'up. Witness asked the'distributor what he had there, and as bis wire was clear he went over and .took two or three of them. In looking over the telegrams he noticed the "telegram referring to Black Mint, and put it on jtJie " jtfapier wire. He had since examined the telegrams sent between 4.'3j) and 5 p.m., pid he fixed the 'time bi 'those telegrams coming out of l,he shute .it 5 pirn'.,' as be himself had sent one at 5.2 p.m. Mr. IJnrnard : You would not be aware of the cxacjt time they came out of the shute? Witness: I actuaUy saw the boy take them out of' the shute. It was before 5 : p.m., was it not ;.? Not more than two minutes before. You arc reasoning 'bade from iho fact that you sent '.a telegram at 5.2 p.m. ?'—That is so'. Are you familiar with the practice regarding receipt' of telegrams?- 1 -Tees. What is done?—lt is' taken .by The counter clerk and timed by hi in, and it would depend on whether there 'were any more of 'the public waiting whether it was numbered and sent up" the shute. There is a certain limit, of course; he could not let them block up indefinitely. Have not instructions been issued fo the counter that the public, must not "be kept/ waiting'—l believe so, but I could not be sure.

What else does the counter clerk do?—He numbers the telegram and puts it through the Cash register, arid then sends it up the shute. The distributor en.ters the telegrams on his book in numerical order?—Yes. And if oho of the numbers were miss ing he would' at'once notice it?—Ho should do so.

It would be his duty at once to get it up from the counter?—Yes. Delays sometimes take place owing to the distributor not attending to the shute?—Yes.

The distributor is -usually a boy, and not- through his own fault mav bo called away for something else?—'Yes.

Tlie counter clerk has no one to relievo him after 5 p.m.?—That is so. If lie wished to leave the counter for a. few moments he would like to do it between 4.30 and s?—Yes.

The tea upstairs is made between 4.30 and s?—No.

Did' you send a message to a place called Leigh; a 5 o'clock station?—Yes.

Well before s?—No; two minutes past

Can you say how much the other wires that afternoon were delayed?—No.

;> . **■»; »■ —~'" : ~:*-;my;;- ■vam === Detective McLeod : The wire you were working is close to the shute f—Yes.

Had the shute bell been ringing and )eft unanswered?—l could not say.

Cotfjd it have been rung several times and not noticed by yon?—Tt could not have 'been rung a great deal. 'What is your opinion of a delay of 28 minutes between receipt at the. counter and placing on the wire?—lt'is certainly excessive. At this' stage the court adjourned until 2.15 p!m.