CLERK AND LABOURER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19505, 5 February 1926, Page 6

CLERK AND LABOURER

APPEARANCE IN DOCK CHARGE OF FALSE PRETENCES SUPREME COURT JUDGE’S COMMENTS [Per Press Association. V WELLINGTON, Feb. 4. The trial of William Smith, labourer, and Sidney Baume, law clerk, on charges of false pretences by means of valueless cheques paid into the Post Office Savings Bank, commenced before Mr Justice Alpers at the Supreme Court this morning. Air J. F, u Stevenson appeared for Smith land F H. F. O’Leary appeared for Ba urn JI Mr Macassey appeared for the Crown. Before the accused, wore charged Mr O’Leary applied in Chambers for a severance on the grounds of prejudice to his client. .Mr Macassey opposed the application and Air Justice Alpers refused the severance. Bank officials gave evidence that at first cheques on the Bank of New Zealand, Jnvcrcargill, were deposited in the Savings Bank and were drawn against before the cheques were cleared. It is alleged the money was divided between the pair. One postal official said there was nothing wrong with their system, but the human element entered into it. His Honour said that when two men could draw such sums from a bank after merely depositing a piece of jxipcr, something was wrong with the system. He questioned if, in any other banking institution in the Dominion, a man could have done what had been done.

The case was not concluded when the Court adjourned for the day.