A WARNING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 490, 24 April 1909, Page 7

A WARNING.

'CANCELLED ;;NOTES: IN- CIRCUL ATION . ■v l :'': (BY TELEGKAPH—rR'ES3.-:ASSOCWTIOK.) •'' : H j 'tV t ; s l ' ; Chri3tchurcli,: : April>23/ • '.;-. During the last few, days a number of cancelled Bank of New Zealand :notes, have been put into.:circulation in.Christclrarch.: 'Tho : notes formed part of a bundle stolen in Wellington in v the early part'-.of, the year. Can.oellatioii.'.is.effeot'ed^y: -means/of punching out' atcinmlar/section of the noto about the size of a ehillingj.but in to -restore- to. tho note the appearance of, genuineness tho •opening, has;, been ~filled:,up. ; .by-a-patch of. .-j>aDer : resembling: note.jand on which -the. .proper-: tracing' has-been', drawn .by.handwork.carried '■ put; most ; is a .difficult matter; to "ileteot'theimposition ■ ,by a survey .of tho'faco of:the ..note;. When. Jield up to.the light, however, a dark rim ;orj. double' ; of' ; paper, : ,whero -'-.the .forged and/genuine part overlap can.-bo distinctly.': seen,, and doublo thickness can also.be felt if the note is .'properly, tested in :that way.- ..;-.' -i■ '.-,:■ ' ; -..'••■.- ■-". ~*..; .• .---.'; v. ; ; .lii -most cases ..the. sham, -notes were ona'nged at various steres, whero goods were purchased. The police received many complaints, and, the members of the local detective force set vigorously to: work to find tho, man responsible for forgery and uttering;.; He was stated to.bo tall, thin, and of pale complexion.- -Clues,were obtained,'and the,: man suspected • was traced to a 7 private hotel in- Christchurch. v The, detective; set out to arrest: him; but iound -on reaching:. the hotel that tho.man, who seemed to have re-ceived-.warning in somo'waj', leftin arvio-. lent hurry just a minute-or two before, and had .m:fact not even waited to get his hat. Further trace of.the man could not then be picked up,'and the detective proceeded to" search; the room; he occupied.'. The search fruitful.vfor there was discovered in the man s portmanteau; not only a bundle of cancelled notes as beforo treatment, .but also a ; whole■■ outfit. for gumming : T on' the paper disc at the back of the note to cover the punch iole-aud for and-filling-up the blank section. . Elaborate means were then/adopted to find tho J man, but. so far without'result; 'It .'■ is presumed' that he managed; to get put of thecity. .The police in other districts have, however, been notified, and: a'Bharp'.look-out will: bo'kept on all trains and steamers. ' ' V - - , ■