WIFE’S NAME FORGED

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 996, 12 June 1930, Page 12

WIFE’S NAME FORGED

CHEQUE FOR HUSBAND’S RELIEF WORK ‘OTHER WOMAN S” ACTION Claiming that if he forwarded all of Jus allowance to his wife, she would not pay out that portion of it which he was responsible for to : nother young woman. Harold HenryMills instructed May June Sutherland io sign his wife’s name and receive the allowance, which had been deposited at the Post Ortitre Savings Bank. This act led to liis appearance in the Police Court this morning, together with May June Sutherland, jointly charged with forgery of a « heqtie for £8 8s from the Public Works Beparti^gnt. Both Atills and Sutherland pleaded .guilty and were committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Bail was allowed on sureties of £SO and £lO respectively. In outlining the case, Chief-Betec-tive Hammond said that Mills received employment from the Labour Bureau in February at the relief works at Rotorua and. as was usual, an order was made for half of his wages to go ro his wife. But instead of giving his wife’s correct address he gave that «*f Aliss Sutherland, to whom he was under an obligation. He came to i own later and got Aliss Sutherland to go to the Post Office to sign for the money, using the signature “C. Alills,” which was his wife’s name. PAYABLE TO WIFE Betective said that the accused, when interviewed. said that the ordinary allowance whicli was made payable to married men, he made payable to his wife, Mrs. Christina Mills, at 16 Phillip Street. Ponsonby. But this was where the defendant Sutherland was living, his wife residing at 3 Mackie Street. The reason he had given his wife’s wrong address waft owing to the fact that he did not want her to get his married man’s allowance because she -would not pay out the amount which he was responsible for to Aliss Sutherland. He had returned to Auckland when the moneyorder was received by Aliss Sutherland and he told her to sign his wife’s name as payee for the amount and chat everything would be all right. Mills told the detective that he accompanied Aliss Sutherland to the Ponsonby post office, and he waited outside while she went in and cashed the money-order. He admitted that he had no authority from his wife to sign for the money. AVhen interviewed at Phillip Street, May June Sutherland corroborated this. In evidence, Christina May Airis said that she did not receive any money. Later, acting on something he had heard, she made inquiries at the Ponsonby post office, and subsequently put the subject in the hands of the police. Douglas Frederick Whitmore, a relieving clerk in the Labour Department in Auckland, testified that the agreement produced in court was made out by him, and was signed by H. If. Mills. Other evidence was given by Leslie Buchanan Bent, clerk to the Public Works Department, of Rotorua, and Lucie Candy, employed at the Ponsonby post office, who admitted paying out the amount.