AUDACIOUS FORGERY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3745, 2 October 1886, Page 3

AUDACIOUS FORGERY.

(By Telegraph.) Chbibtchtjhcit, Oct. 1. A clever and audacious forgery of a cheque . ! for a large amount has occurred here. On j Tuesday evening a boy called at Messrs I Bullsintyno and Co.'b drapers' shop, and said ' ho bad been sent by a gentleman who wanted a cheque for £2 7s m exchange for ensh, as the post oflico was closed, and he wanted to send tho amount to a person m Wellington. The request was complied with, and nothing more was thought about tho transaction. I Yesterday a cheque for £7G, signed by BaHantyne and Co., was presented at tho , National Bank and cashed. On inquiry, it was found to be a forgery, and the supposition was that the cheque for £2 7s was obtained for the purpose of copying the signal turo of the firm, which was remarkably well imitated. The ense was placed m the hands of Detective O'Connor, who went to work 1 with a great deal of cleyomess and astuteness. The result was that this afternoon he arrested a man named Jonathan Roberts, formerly a clerk m the Bank of New Zealand at Timaru, and afterwards m Christcliurch. ' Subsequently £64 m National Bank notes 1 were found m a pocket of Roberts' coat at i his lodgings, and n person who was m Roberts' company when ho was arrested, gave tho police a letter signed by Hoberts, the writing being a requost to bury the coat and a canvas bag m which tho money had been sent from the bank to the sandhills. Tho detective has , earned great krnlos for his smartness m following up the caso, and bringing it to » successful issue so quickly.