WHANGAREI PROPERTY DISPUTE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 36, 11 February 1905, Page 3

WHANGAREI PROPERTY DISPUTE.

A BROTHER CHARGED WITH FOIIGESY. AX EXTRAOROIWAiIY E2TDIWG. STROHG COMMENT BY THE JUDGE. Mr Justice Edwards and a jury continued yesterday to investigate the criminal charge against George McConnell a Whangarei farmer, of l> "?'ng his brot.hers name v.o a di'M-uinom purporting to give him a half share in Robert's farm. Cross-examining the prosr:utor. Mr Peacock asked: "Do you know who wrote your signature on this agreement which you say is a forgery? Prosecutor: No, I don't know. Didn't you tell George be.for? the case pot into the Lower Court tiiat if he did not iidmil it was ;i furjjpry within n work \ on vroald take pmevi'dinps?—No; but I H.-.id so to Inw lav.yer, .Vlr tarruth. Why should you rn.ke jf you did nnt know i;e fm? 1 il.?—Because he was milking use ff i... Pi'! yo:i never rntnticn vi any member Of your family that y> did male an arrange nt with yoni nthrr -r.:ch iis sot oi'f. . this .r-;,-'.;. r?— KtJ. - Vir. Rfi-cs; !>o.l by".\ir r-drwu (.".• :,> October, ■.HI. tbu i.-v, ■ i-.;nsitt'. j rt:il as mucii ,iid as h'H b. .ihei , '.-;? IJis 11. .;or: Why? Because it was b - ; ' with i"iney of both <„•;' ;is. But an r then I r.-.slstcd on it b-:! , • transferred. Who t dered it p.s much yours as his?—My ~.other did. Because you lent him the sums of money? —Yes. That gavt! you no claim at all on the property. James Oriee, ' a eoachbuilder, of Whangarei. was 'shown a promissory iK'te dated ',H'.yj, cm which he tfcstiften , \e> ih« (!t»;r.iir!er.e»!i of ;: signature of Crnvp y : ,-< 'iiiini'll. Several haudwrii inji pxpn':-. rompnTed tiir disputed «ignaturo with genuine >■■;:■ DAiures of Rf.hert. end L.\j>rvst;,-i ihn upi iiion thai it was <t forgery. Tiiey were put through n severe oroj-s-exaininaiidn. Tjipy onnsisted of Ilcniy Wnllnc;y>y\ (banker,. K. (Jcrnrr] lOHlcial ~ ^^ Slgnee.at Aufkland, and for snnic y.ars a member of ,i Knrnpean exiJiarigc rommittec, where the i< ~line m signalurr? was his .-Ijief ; ;-.i- - 1 ,nd Thomas Kiistace Cori;:ll ftu;Ml;\r,' v of the Bank of New Zealand Lit l\«i»ri'a). •T. T. (o-,'-. ? p,!. a Whimgarei photcgrop'ner. testified tv i.he accuracy of the photographs of a group of signatures usf>J in Court. His Honor protested against the '"monstrous \vi\rdc of public money" iavolved in bringing down Mr Cowdel] am! Mr i.i'nco to "rive evidence which was tinnecessarj. lir- exjjressed a desir:.that tljoss; responsible for it could be uiado to payThe rase for the defence was begun with two handwriting experts—Henry Wilding; and 11. W. Briggs—who expressed the opirrton that the dispnfefd Mjrnauire was the genuine signature of Robert McConnell.