FORGED ORDERS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20190, 5 July 1928, Page 8

FORGED ORDERS

CANVASSER GUILTY BOGUS ADVERTISING VOUCHERS. Charged with the forgery of signatures to vouchers for advertising space on a souvenir All Black calendar, an advertising canvasser appeared before Messrs J. H. Keesing, J.P., and W. 11. Macey, J.P-, at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Mr H. M, Keesing appeared for the accused. Roy D. Smart, secretary for the Wanganui “Chronicle” Company, stated that accused had been with the Company from December 27. 1927, till June 16 of this year. On May 17 accused was instructed to travel in the Taranaki district and to Feilding, Palmerston North, Woodville and Dannevirke for the purpose of obtaining advertisements for inclusion on a souvenir All Black calendar. Accused stated that no business could be done in Taranaki as other similar schemes had already been in operation. The canvasser had been working on commission except on a trip to Taumarunui, when he Dad notice to leave, and was receiving wages. When accused returned to Wanganui on May 31, he brought 28 orders ..with him, which he took straight to the printer. When the souvenirs had been printed and distributed letters came from several of the firms whose names appeared in the advertisements, denying having bought space on the sheet. As a result of these letters the accused was interviewed when he admitted signing the advertising vouchers himself but said he had real orders from customers whereupon Arthur L. Griffiths advertising manager to the Company had made investigations and had discovered that the orders had not been authorised by the shopkeepers involved. The result of the orders being faked was that the Company had been out of pocket to the extent of £42 17s Bd. Ernest Alan employed in J. K. Carpenter’s boot shop Dannevirke said that he had never seen accused before and had not ordered any space on the souvenir. Moreover the name J. K. Carpenter, signed on the voucher, was not correct, as Air Carpenter had been dead for some 10 years. This evidence tfr’as, in effect, repeated by other witnesses. Detective Walsh stated that he had a talk with accused on June 25, when, he told accused that a warrant was out for his arrest. Accused then made a statement admitting his guilt, which was committed to writing and signed. In a statement to the Court accused said that he admitted sending in bogus orders but had not intended tso con vey the impression that the signatures were real ones. He did not know why he had done such a foolish thing, but he was sorry and would do everything possible to make good. He had a wife and three children. After a short retirement the Bench decided that there was a case to* be answered. Accused pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court at Wellington for sentence, his name being suppressed.