ORDER CANCELLED

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 842, 10 December 1929, Page 16

ORDER CANCELLED

WOMAN UNABLE TO PAY COSTS OLD CHARGE RECALLED Remarking that the woman was earning nothing and had young childdren to support, Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., discharged Florence Ryan, who was called at the Police Court this morning for sentence on charges of false pretences, to which she had pleaded guilty before Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., six months ago. Ryan, a middle-aged woman, first appeared before the court last March charged with forging public works money-orders to the total value of £l2 12s 6d, and a memorandum said to have come from W. T. Morrison, Conservator of Forests, Rotorua. With her was Charles Jackson, a labourer, aged 47, charged with forging the name of Mary Jackson to a public works money-order for £2 2s. The offences were committed in October and November of 1928 and February of 1929. On the application of Chief-Detec-tive Hammond, the charges were reduced to false pretences. Mr. Hammond said that Jackson had been working with the public works at Taumarunui. There was a maintenance order against him in respect of his wife, and the department had sent half the man’s wages to her by moneyorder. The letters had been sent to the man’s wife care Mrs. Ryan, with whom she was then living. Mrs. Ryan had been a Mrs. Jackson and was a sister-in-law of accused. The wife had gone to live at Northcotte but the letters had still been posted to the same address. “Jackson had come to town,” continued the chiefdetective, “and persuaded Ryan to sign the money-orders as his wife and cash them.” This morning the chief-detective recalled the case and the fact that Mr. Cutten had ordered the two accused to pay half the costs each. Jackson had paid his £4 ISs but the woman had refused. There had been a host of expenses incurred iu bringing witnesses to town. Ryan was a peculiar woman and hardly normal. The probation officer could do nothing with her as she was earning nothing and had young children to support. In the opinion of Major Gordon, probation officer, it was no use making an order against the woman as she could not pay. She had first been given an opportunity to pay the costs at 5s a week. That had been reduced to 2s 6d, and still she had been unable to pay. Mr. Hammond added that the charge against the man had been struck out on September 9 as he had paid his share of the costs. The magistrate remarked that it was obvious that the woman could paynothing so he would make no order.