ALLEGED UTTERING OF CHEQUE

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXII, Issue 12381, 4 February 1908, Page 2

ALLEGED UTTERING OF CHEQUE

At the Police Court yesterday, before Mr R. L. Stantord, S.M., a young Maori halfcaste woman, of rather prepossessing 1 appearance, named Annie Ross, and residing at Pipiriki, was charged with uttering a cheque for .£l2 to Jas. T. Watson, on the 18th of January, pui porting to be signed by Geo. T. Lynch, well knowing the same to be forged. She was defended by Mr Treadwell. Sergeant Bourke conducted the case for the police, and called — ( Grace E. Sigley, shop assistant at Crichton and Newman's, who stated that on Saturday, the 18th of January, the ac(/iined in the afternoon visited the sly>p and bought a pair of button-un boots, valued at 19s, and in, payment tenders! a cheque for -£12. which the Bi^nager consented to accopt, and the accused was ieturued .£ll 1«. The cheque was signed "Geo. T. Lynch." Accused asked that the boots should be addressed to Mrs Sullivan. Witness visited Pipiriki on the 28th of January, in compaay with Constable' lsaell, and wtmt direct to Boss's store, where, on the verandah, »vere several Maori women, including accused, wbom witness pointed out to the constable. In the evening saw accused «t her father's store, and in reply to Coustable lasell, accused jjai* < Bhe ) "l]»ad not seen witness /before. Had* no l doubt what-ever-that accused was the person who handed her (witness) the cheque for ,£l2 on the 18th of January.

To Mr Treadwell. — The object in going to Pipiriki was to see if accused wae the girl who' went to the shop. Had not known •accused before.

Nellie Gerrie, shop assistant at Crichton and Newman '6, corroborated the previous witness's evidence, and had no doubt as to the identity of the 'accu&ed. Saw her pass the shop on the Monday again, and then identified hex 1 in the Police Station on the 29th instant. - To Mr Treadwell. — The 18th of January was the first occasion' on whisii witness had e&dn accused. % Jas. -T. Watson, manager for Messrs Crichton and Newman, recognised the ac cused as the woman who went to the shop on the day in question, bought a pair of boots, and presented the cheque mentioned. The cheque was paid into the bank on the following Monday, but was returned marked—"Not like signature." The accused was in the shop in November, and paid for some repaired boots, leaving instructions to send same to Pipiriki. Identified accused at the Polio© Station on Wednesday last, and had no doubt she wae the person who presented the cheque ii). payment for the boots. "

To Mr Treadwell. — Knew that the accused asked that the boots should be addressed to either Mrs Sullivan or a Mrs Sutherland.

Constable Issell deposed to having accompanied Miss Sigley to Pipiriki on Wednesday last to identify accused, and having interviewed adcused and her father. The cheque was shown to accused, who denied all knowledge of it. Shtf-made a siatement, which she signed, to the ofEe<;t> that she was the daughter of Wm. Rosa, st-TP-keeper, of Pipiriki ; that she went to Wanganui on the 18th and returned on Ihe 21st, but did not go inijo Crich'on and Newman's; that she did not mU<r the cheque, nor had she seen it; -md that the only money she had when she went io Wansranui was a .£lO note, givon. lier by her father; that she purchased. booU, but got them at Thorp's, and that Mra Earakat was with her when ehe got them. Witness, continuing, said he asked accused to produce the boots,, and on this being done he found that they were branded "The Queen Shoe." ' ' John Thorp, boot importer, stated that accused did not buy any boots from him on the date in question, and further that he did not stock the- "Queen" brand of shoe. ' ■ " Bella Barakat, wife- of Simon Barakat, said she knew the accused and saw her in Wanganui on the night , of the 18th of January, but did '-not go with her to do any shopping. This was the only time witness saw her.

he had an account at the Bank of New South Wales, but the cheque produced in Court was not drawn, by him, nor was it out of his book, and as far as he was concerned it was a forgery. Percival M- Foofcee, ledger-keeper in the Bank of N.S.W., said the ohjfeque produced was presented at the bank*'ror payment, but was not passed, the signature being irregular.*' The cheque w.aa out of a cheque book supplied to Mr Kilgour in August last for the use of Wm. Ross, storekeeper, of Pipiriki. This concluded the evidence, and the accused ,who reserved her defence, wae committed for trial at the next sittings of the Supreme Court in Wanganui. Bail was allowed, accused for ,£SO, and two sureties of ,£25 each.