INGENIOUS METHOD USED

Taranaki Daily News, 19 April 1934, Page 3

INGENIOUS METHOD USED

MONEY BY FALSE PRETENCES. TRAIL OF VALUELESS CHEQUES. Having secured two blank cheque forms from a storekeeper at Drury, Henry Robert Watkins, aged 54, alias John Henry Withers, alias Francis Roy Barry, issued one valuelessly in payment of goods ordered by him and with part of the change he received in excess of the amount of the order he opened a bank account at Newmarket and secured a cheque book. Following this ensued a series of similar false pretences at five different places to which Watkins pleaded guilty at the Magistrate’s Court, New Plymouth, yesterday. He was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. It was the suspicion of an employee of a firm at Hawera whom Watkins imposed upon that resulted in. his arrest. He followed Watkins and saw him board a bus for Patea. At Patea Constable Kelly arrested him. Alfred George Yates, branch manager at New Plymouth for Arthur Yates and Co., Auckland, seed merchants, said Watkins called at his office and introduced himself as A. Watkins, Takanini. Watkins said he had seen the results of certain manure sold by the firm and wanted to use it on a property he and his brother had purchased at Marakopa. Watkins inquired/ the price, stating he would get a New Plymouth carrier to cart the manure to Te Kuiti. Watkins decided to buy four tons of manure and some turnip seed. The total of the order was £2l 15s and Watkins presented a cheque for £2B already made out and signed by A. Watkins and B. Watkins. He explained to Watkins there was not sufficient money on hand to give him change on the cheque. Watkins seemed disappointed and said he wanted to,pay the carrier. Watkins said he expected to get fixed up with Arthur Yates and Co., claimed acquaintance with a member of the firm at Auckland and conversed regarding one of the firm’s farms. He suggested to Watkins he should retain the cheque and wait to be invoiced in the usual way. Watkins seemed about to agree to this but decided to leave the cheque and asked for a receipt for the balance of the cheque for which change could not be given. The cheque was returned from the bank marked “no account.” The order was not due for delivery for five weeks so that nothing beyond a twopenny stamp was obtained from his firm.

James R. Alexander, lorry driver, employed by Newton King Ltd, Hawera, said Watkins ordered manure and other goods at his firm’s seed store on March 26. The value of the goods was £22 6s 7d. Watkins paid with a cheque for £3O. He had the cheque approved by the manager and gave Watkins £7 13s 5d in change. He became suspicious and followed Watkins, who got into a bus proceeding to Patea. Watkins had said he had a Jersey farm at Auckland and a farm at Patea.

Thomas Harvey Merrichurch, accountant, Newton King Ltd., Hawera, said he telephoned the Commercial Bank of Australia’s Newmarket branch after the cheque for Watkins had been cashed. As a result of what he was told he informed the police at Patea. Detective P. Kearney produced Watkins’ statement admitting offences at Papakura, Pukekohe, New Plymouth, Carterton and Hawera. Watkins stated in this that he had obtained two blank cheques from William J. Brooks’ store at Drury. One of these -he made out incorrectly and destroyed. The other he filled in for £2O to the Farmers’ Trading Company, Papakura, in payment of seven hundredweight of wire valued at £6 Ils 9d, which he ordered. The balance he received in change. Watkins opened an account with the Commercial Bank, Newmarket branch, depositing £3. He went to Pukekohe and ordered grass seed from Perkins and Co., tendering a £l7 cheque and receiving £5 6s in change. At Carterton he ordered windmill equipment from Masson and Co, giving a cheque for £6O and getting about £lO in change. At New Plymouth he ordered manure and seed from Arthur Yates and Co. to the value of £2l 15s, tendering a cheque for £2B in payment. The' manager had no change and he received an acknowledgement of the balance. He received £7 3s 5d in change from Newton King Ltd, Hawera, to whom he tendered a cheque for. £3O in payment of manure and seed. Watkins’ idea in going into the shops was to get the cheques cashed. He knew beforehand they were valueless. He wished to give the police every assistance in clearing up the five charges. Alfred Martin Purcell, assistant head ledger-keeper, Bank of New Zealand, Auckland, said the signature A. Watkins on the cheque was in some respects similar to that of a client of the bank, A. Watkins, Whitianga. He did not think there had been any attempt at forgery. •The cheque was passed and paid in error, being debited to the account of A. Watkins, Whitianga. As a result the bank and the Fanners’ Trading Company had had to reimburse Watkins’ account to the extent of £l3 15s 2d and £6 4s lOd respectively, a total of £2O. > Harry Vincent Parkinson, accountant, Commercial Bank, Newmarket, said Watkins came to the bank on March 22 wishing to open a current account. The acting-manager interviewed Watkins, who gave his name as Henry Trevor Watkins, Jersey breeder, Papakura. Parkinson gave evidence of receiving cheques for various amounts made out on forms from the cheque book Watkins received and paid cash for on the day he opened an account. Detective Kearney said Watkins admitted as substantially correct statements by Brooks, Thomas David Bratty, Papakura, Arthur William Atkins, Pukekohe, and Beatrice Evelyn Perkins, Pukekohe, relating to the cheques.