CHARGE OF FORGERY.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16817, 8 June 1926, Page 4

CHARGE OF FORGERY.

A CHEQUE FOR £l6O. MABIUED MAN AND A GIRL. A middle-aged man named William Johnson, of Ngaruawahia, was charged before his Honor Mr Justice Herdman and'a jury of 12 at Hamilton today with allegedly forging and uttering a cheque for £IGO, purporting to be drawn by one B. G. Harris, and with attempting to obtain by means of it a quantity of clothing from a merchant named Henderson, of Te Awamutu, and the balance in change. Mr 11. T. Gillies appeared for the Grown, prisoner being represented by Mr Noble, Te Kuiti. In opening the case for the Grown, Mr Gillies said the prisoner had been Jiving with a girl named Pearl Bicklcr, at Ngaruawahia. The couple went to Te Awamutu for a holiday, where they got hold of a cheque form, which was filled in in the name of E. G. Harris, for £l6O. They took it to Henderson's store, where they purchased goods to the value of £l7 odd. They stated that the cheque was for wages. Before the goods and the change were handed over, however, Henderson communicated with the bank, and was informed that the cheque was of no value.

In a signed statement to Constable Doyle, Johnson said he had been living with Bicklcr for some time. He was a married man living apart from his wife. He visited Te Awamutu with Bicklcr, where she said she could borrow money from Ned Harris to buy a motor car. He purchased a car from an agent named Grant at Hamilton, and expected to gct'tlic money to pay for it from Bicklcr. He admitted that he had never worked for Harris. lie further added that as soon as he got his divorce he intended to marry Miss Bickler.

Mr Gillies said that Johnson had made a further statement, in which he declared that Bicklcr had never told him that she had forged two cheques, one of which she had given to a motor agent at Hamilton. Evidence for Prosecution. Robert L. Henderson, draper, Te Awamutu, said that prisoner and Miss. Bickler entered his shop just before noon one Saturday. They said they wanted some things, and handed him a cheque for £IOO. Witness remarked that it was a big one, and asked prisoner if lie had been selling Harris some rattle. Both prisoner and Bickler declared, however, that it was for wages. Johnson added that he was a foreigner, to which witness rejoined that bis name was in that case not Johnson. It would be Johansen, perhaps. Prisoner replied: "Johnson for short."

Johnson was supplied with a suit and'hat, and the woman with other goods, to the value of £l2 in all. Just then a bank clerk happened to enter the shop, and witness mentioned the cheque to him. The clerk said that one cheque purported to be signed by Harris had been returned, and warned witness to be careful.

Witness said his wife told Bickler that she should gel a now hat now that she had a big cheque. Bickler then asked Johnson if she could get a hat, and he said she could. Witness said he asked Johnson if he was going to marry the girl, and he said he might, when he got some cash. Mr Noble: You were rather inquisitive, were you not'.' —Yes. You are, as a matter of fact, an inquisitive person?—Very (Laughter.) You wanted to know what the cheque was for in the first place?— Yes; and so would you. Mr Noble: And then you look the cheque over to the bank to see if it was genuine? Witness: Not so much against Johnson as to see whether Harris had the money in the bank. (Laughter.) Emma I<\ Henderson, wife of the last witness, corroborated her husband's slorv and said that Johnson himself dcflniiely stated that the cheque was for wages. Bad the cheque been even as smalt as £5 she would not have cashed it for Bicklcr, as she knew her too well.

Stolen Cheque Forms. Edward Harris, drover, To Kuiti, said that on the Saturday morning in question Bidder called at Ids house and asked lo lie allowed to use the 'phone. The cheque form produced was out of his book, and must have been stolen from his book, which was in a box in the house. Mr Noble: This young woman Had the run of your place, had she not? — No- she had been away for a long time. Harris said that three cheques had been stolen from his book altogether. Bidder had visited his house several limes to use the 'phone, once or twice while he was away. Constable Doyle said he interviewed Johnson and Bidder on the Saturday. The former made a statement which he signed, and when Bidder's statement was read over to him, lie said the latter was not true. To Mr Noble witness said that what Johnson referred to when he said "that is not true," was Bidder's statement that lie knew Ihe cheque was forged. Mr Gillies did not address the jury. Mr Noble said that with regard to the charge of forging the cheque, there was not a scrap of evidence that Johnson forged it. The girl had, in tact, pleaded guilty to the forgery, so howcould Johnson be held guilty of the offence 1 When Johnson went into Hie shop of the talkative and inquisitive little storekeeper at To Awamutu, who asked him if lie was a foreigner, if he was going to marry the girl, and what the cheque was for, Johnson naturally thought the man was a little too prying and told him the cheque was for wages because he did not desire to gratify Ins curiosity. * The jury returned a verdict ot guilty, and sentence was postponed until'Thursday.