FORGED BANK NOTES. '

Waikato Times, Volume 110, Issue 18395, 31 July 1931, Page 8

FORGED BANK NOTES. '

FOUR MEN CHARGED. AUCKLAND, Friday. The hearing of a series of charges arising out of the circulation of a number of forged Bank of New South Wales £1 notes in April was commenced in the Supreme Court yesterday, before .Mr .Justice Herdman. Maurice Goodman, aged 42; Percy Short, aged 51; Percy John McKenzie Short, aged 20; and Harry Torpy, aged 40, were charged with conspiring together to defraud the public by uttering forged banknotes, and on five counts of uttering forged banknotes at Otahuhu, Papakura and Huntly. For the prosecution lengthy evidence was heard. Two women engaged in shops at Huntly gave evidence of receiving forged notes, one of them identifying Short, junior, and the other Short, senior, as having visited their shops. The wife of a fish shop keeper in Hamilton identified Short, senior, as very like the man who had passed her a forged note.

A Frankton Junction storekeeper who was victimised said the man responsible was like Torpy. Mrs Elsie Mary Vickers said she had known Short, senior, since February. He arranged to drive her and two others lo Hamilton on April 25. He said he fell ill, and he looked ill that, morning. She got 30s worth of half crowns in change from him. He look silver from three pockets, and explained that he had been gambling. Short, accosted her recently and asked her why she had turned against him and his son in the lower Court. He offered her £1 she had given him for benzine, hut she told him to keep it, as he might want it for his defence, lie suggested that, she should give false evidence. - UJLIU i A.l.M".""‘il t,h C