CHARGE OF FORGERY

Taranaki Daily News, 13 August 1930, Page 10

CHARGE OF FORGERY

ACCUSED PLEADS GUILTY. CHEQUE UTTERED AT ELTHAM. Daniel ITawe was charged at the Eltham Police Court yesterday that on August 19, 1929, he forged the name of J. J. Scheuber to a cheque for £l6 15s and uttered it to J. A. G. Clemocs, of the Farmers’ Co-operative Society at Elthani and did cause the document to be acted upon as if genuine. J. A. G. Clemoes, clerk, stated that the cheque produced was handed to him on August 19, 1929, by the accused, who represented that he was J. Tuta and that the cheque was for wages. Accused said that the cheque was “quite I 0.K.,” and at witness’ request endorsed it. The endorsement was dissimilar from the name J. Tuta on the face of the cheque. The firm had had dealings with Scheuber and he had no hesitation in cashing the cheque. This was returned by the bank marked “No account at 'Bank of New Zealand, Hawera.” John Joseph Scheuber, Auroa, stated that he had employed the accused on day wages for a period of two months, nearly two years ago. During that time he had paid him some cheques for wages. The signature on the. cheque produced was not his, nor, had he given the accused any authority to sign his name. Detective Meiklejohn said that the accused was arrested at Wellington on July 25 last. On August 9 he showed accused a copy of a statement taken by Constable Mullan on October 4 last. Accused admitted that it was .true and said that since the affair he had been working in Sydney and Paramatta and had returned to New Zealand only a short period before his arrest. In his 'statement the accused said that he was a quarter-caste Maori residing at Fraser Road. On August 15 or 16, 1929, he walked into Mr. J. G. Johnston's house and took a cheque, form- from his cheque book. He filled in the cheque for £l6 15s payable to J. Tuta and signed it J. J. Scheuber.

lie knew lie had no right to sign Mr. Scheuber’s name and that he was committing forgery in doing so. He did it because'he was short of money. After receiving the cash he went to Wellington, where he paid £lO 10s to a friend from Napier, to whom he owed money that he had borrowed three or four years ago. He was being threatened with a summons over this. He knew ( that lie was obtaining money by false ! pretences. He was prepared to return I the money to the Farmers’ Co-op. The accused pleaded guilty and was commuted to the Supreme Court for sentence. FUNERAL OF MR. H. MASTERS. Nearly a mile of motor-cars followed the remains of Mr. W. H. Masters from his residece at Toko to the Kopuatama cemetery yesterday afternoon. Mr. Masters was exceedingly popular throughout the Toko district, and had a wide circle of friends in Stratford, New Plymouth and other parts of • Taranaki. There was a great number of beautiful wreaths, and the bearers were representative of the ■ various organisations with which Mr. Masters had been associated. The Rev. Skuse, of the Methodist , Church, ' conducted the service at the graveside. ’paj PERSONAL. . Mr. B. Richmond, Wharehnia, left yesterday on a. holiday trip to. Gisborne and Wellington. KING’S THEATRE TALKIES. . BRILLIANT “RIO RITA.” As Florenz Ziegfeld has “glorified” the American girl, so Radio Pictures glorifies Ziegfeld in its superb spectacle' of music, beauty and drama, “Rio Rita/’ at the King’s Theatre, Stratford. All the rich qualities which drew Broadway crowds for G2 consecutive weeks to the Ziegfeld Theatre have been retained in the film production, and to these have been added inobilitv and magnitude

'which the stage, even under the direction of a Ziegfeld, could not hope to attain. Against the most lavish sets yet seen on the screen Is played and sung, the magnificent drama of the Mexican borderland by Bebe Daniels, John Boles and a supporting cast of hundreds. Mighty vocal choruses, inspiring dance routines and beauty ensembles show for the first time the endless possibilities of the speaking screen. The whole ‘of the second part of the production is filmed in technicolour aboard a sumptuously furnished galleon anchored in the Rio Grande.