The Edendale Sensation

Southland Times, Issue 14512, 13 December 1900, Page 4

The Edendale Sensation

ARNETT BEFORE THE COURT. Before Mr S. E. McCarthy, S.M., yesterday, Charles Aruett was charged on remand r -with having, on or about 6ch Jnly, 1900, a) Eden dale, stolen a valuable security, to wit. a cheque drawn by F. J. Sullivan on the Union Bank of Australia, for the sum of £f>( Bs, in favour of Charles Milne. Accuser was further charged with stealing, at Mataura, "cheques similarly drawn on date. 1 and for the amounts specified, viz., July IS £40 10s 2d ; August 3, £35 15s 3d ; Augusl 21, £62 10s 6d; September 4, £30 ]8s 2,\ September 18, £26 os— totalling £261 7* Id Mr T, M. Macdonald (Crown Prosecutor instructed by inspector Pardy, conduct et the prosecution, and Mr A. C. Hanlor. up peared for the accused. Mr Macdonald said the case had bwn ie manded from Wyndham after evidence ha< been heai'd in support of these charges which, in order to save the time of tin court, had been taken together. The charge! were for the theft of six cheques and hi proposed to close the case for the pmsrcu tion after calling one more witness. Colin Mac6ibbon,|manager of the Bank o New South Wales, Gore, continuing hi: evidence, produced the deposit receipts am' cheques paid in to the bank by Arnelt, cor responding to those in the information.— Mr Hanlon said ho had no questions to ask this witness, and that tho accused reservGc his defence. — The accused was then com mitted for. trial at the next sittings of th< Supreme Court in Invercargill. Charles Araett was then charged with theft of cheques drawn on the dates and foi the amounts specified, viz.— October 6th 1899, £30 ; October 6th, £16 7s Id ; Marcl: 28th, 1900, £30; April 18th, £53 15s £63 10a 3d; October 3rd, £15 Us 9d ; am October 12th. £4 7s 9d. The accused wai also charged on eight informations witl forging C. Milne's name to eigh cheques, and with forging a receipt, datec 30th June, and a letter dated Bth July, pur porting to be signed by C. Milne, and als< i with forging letters purposing to_ bo signec byF. J. Sullivan, dated Bth September 15th October aud 16th October. Mr Macdonald said it had been agreed t< take these charges together, in order to save time, but it would not prejudice Mr Han lon's right, either now or at a future time "*- t6 take exeoption to the admissibilitj of evidence, and he would have the same rights as if the cases had been taker . separately. The cases of attempted murder would be taken after those involving dis honesty. It Avould be necessary in the poisoning cases to givo all the evidence that had been heard at Wyndham, and that would be heard next day in order to show i motive. . The facts were that the accused had been acting at Mataura as agent for F. J. Sullivan, a rabbit exporter in Dunedin. Arnett's duty was to purchase rabbits from trappers in the neighbourhood, and one ol these was C. Milne. The money to pay these trappers was forwarded by Sullivan to the Bank of New South Wales, Gore, where the account was in Arnett's name. The money that was placed there from time to time was Sullivan's money entirely. Arnett had authority to draw upon this account r .aud pay the trappers. The first offence .was in connection with a cheque for £30 in favour of Milne, which accused cashed and appropriated. The next offence was also in the month of October, and tho. cheque was .payable to Mibae, but was never given to . him. Unfortunately tho witness t who received that cheque had not yet j arrived, but the fact that Arnett had entered the amount as having been paid to Milne was priyia facie evidence of theft. The next stolen cheque was for £30, drawn on the Bank of New Zealand, Matnura. A difference now arose. Sullivan opened an account at "the bank in his own name, and . authorised Arnett to draw upon that account. The cheque for £53 15s was handed to a tradesman at Gore in payment of an account. The cheque for £63 10s 3d was paid to the accused's own account at Gore. Th v cheques for £15 lls 9d and £4 7s 9d were cheques sent direct from Sullivan in pay ' ment of Milne's account, under a new syatem of paying the rabbiters. Araett wrote a letter hi Milne's name to Sullivan, requesting him to forward the cheques to Mataura, as it was more convenient. Arnett thus became possessed of these letters to Milne and received these two cheques tp Milne. They were paid to Arnebt's account at Gore. Then there were eight charges of forging Milne's endorsement to the cheques, and Milne would say that the writing was not his. Then there were also the charges of forging the receipts and letters. The letters were forged for the purpose of putting Milne off, as he had been pressing for payment, and the letter signed "C. Milne" was written so as not to rouse Sullivan's suspicions, or the whole matter would have come out long ago. W. T. Simpson, manager for F. J. Sullivan, deposed that Arnett acted as agent for Sullivan during 1899, and up to the end of July, 1900. An account was opened in March, 1899, at the Bank of New South Wales, Gore, by Sullivan in Arnett's name. Moneys were supplied to that account by Sullivan, and Arnett paid the rabbiters. Ifc was Arnett's duty to keep books in. which to enter the various transactions. Witness had seen the books, and now produced the ledger, which was one of the books he had bought for the pur- *' pose of sending down to Arnett. The ledger, for 1899 was in Arnett's handwriting, ""' and the ono for 1900 was in the writing of Espie, the clerk under Arnetfc at Mataura. The entries in 1899 in the bank account • were in accused's handwriting. All the amounts corresponded with -drafts from Sullivan. la Milne's account he was credited with £91 0a 9d and debited with ' cheques for that aniout. In 1900^ different mode of payment was adopted by Sullivan, who opened, an account in his own name at * Mataura. A cheque by Sullivan for £15 lls «w, w 9d, drawn on the Bank of New South Wales, Gore,* in favour of Chat les Milne or f order, and dated 3rd October, 1900, was filled up by Espie and posted to Milne, with a credit note, to Mataura. Witness posted the letter. A cheque produced, signed by Sullivan, and dated 12th October, for £4 7s 9d, payable to Milne or order, was also filled up by Espie and posted to Milne at Mataura, They got no receipt for either of thesecheques. Achequefor£s6Bs,infavourof C. Milne or bearer, drawn on the Union Bank of Australia; Dunedin, and dated 6th July, 1900, was posted to Milne at Edendale. The credit note was returned receipted and signed "C. H. Milne." in consequence of a letter received Milne's letters were sent to Alataura instead of Edendale. Witness knew Milne's handwriting and had seen him write. In witness' opinion the signature to that letter was not Milne's handwriting. A letter of Bth September, 1900, and signed by J?. J, Sullivan, was iv the writing of Arnetfc. A letter of sth October, over the . signature of "E. J. Sullivan," was also in accused's handwriting. The signature looked as if it had been pencil inked over. A letter on the 16th October purported to be signed by F. J. Sullivan but was in the accused's handwriting. In his opinion the r—---«^dorsements on the six cheques were not \ in' Milne's handwriting. The other two 'in October, J9OO, were also not in Milne's handMxiting. — Mr Hanlon said lie had no questions to ask this witness except as to how often he had seen Milne write his , name. .Witness replied,' three or four times. Tfie court then adjourned till 10.30 a.m. next day.