CHARGES OF FORGERY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 671, 23 November 1909, Page 5

CHARGES OF FORGERY.

''':■ "A,:MOST 'REMARKABLE RECORD.";•'.;.'] '!, ■'.;:(By-. Telegraph—Press '; Association.).;..,'• "•:'•:' '•■-.'•'! : •. K:!;;Christchufchi November 22. •■'■ At ;: the!' Supreme: Court, George .' Allen ; was found, guilty-' ori two, counts of -having;'forged cheques.' .'Th4 prisoner .said that 'he was ;47 years -of'age::. He- asked, the Court' ■ W take into' .consideration ■ the! faot 'that:, he;; was. already, undergoinJT a sentence of ; twelve months', imprisonment." He also drew,attention:to the: accident 'which he had' sustained 'owing to the capsize of the:"BlackMaria'-lastw*ek;alleging that: it was due to the police packing sixteen, men into the' van, - which should only; have taken six. He had to go:back tpjthe hospital -at •'night,:' ;! ~'.'. ,'-■'-;: .', : ;'' '•'.-'■ ':■'.' .■'''■"■':.'■ '!'.!''-' ) His Honour said that if tho matter hadbeen a.trifliiig oho;he might have sat the prisoner's suffering /'to some .extent against-.the .offence which nad been - committed;.'' Prisoner said that he had never, 'been -.before ,|:he Supreme Court before. .'His Honour expressed, astonishment that' this' should .be the case; It, showed! that there - was something .very''defective in the'manner in which prisoner had been dealt with, and that with: a knowledge of his previous career he should ha,ve;been brought before- the ;Court.'.,V A; \ ■■'-■■''■'■'■' -J- -.' -.Mr. Stringer. (Crown, Prosecutor);. He. has a variety, of Barnes, and tha'tVmight: account for.

His ;Honour; said that the 'country-< would have been saved 'a grerit ' deal of trouble and expense. ,Prisoner: had< had a most, remarkable record,-. and seemed . to"" have spent his lifo in gaol:. There: were 24' convictions for. various offences sinra 1897. ■:;.,; . Prisoner said he 1 had never committed for : geryVbeforei-;, •-.■ ~'- •:■:■■,.■ -:-:' •.•'•'.■-•'. •'./.• i His Honour,.said that there were convictions for. false : : pretences, "He: seemed to "have, tin ingenious system of c6mmitting his, frsnds. :The Habitual, Criminals Act was.intended to .apply,;to men of prisoner's description..' The sentence of tho' Court. was three years' iiriI nrispriment, /prisoner:, to be dealt with as an habitual criminal. ■'■ :.. ■[:■ ■■ '■,'; ">',. ■".■■■:

;Llewellyn Price, who had pleaded giu'tv to forgery, and who was brought;n£ for sentence, was sentenosd to thr*'e years' imprisonment. His; Honour, stating .that in consideration of prisoner's yonth, he would not declare him an habitual criminal.,' ■■