CRIME LIST.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1514, 9 August 1912, Page 2

CRIME LIST.

' fßofore ffip Hoixonr Mr. justice - . ' : CH(ipmnn.) ' THE CHEQUE AND THE RACES. SUPREME COUBT. , , With tho exception of ono case, which como'3 up for retrial, the criminal sessions of tho Supreme Court -were eonoliuled before iTr. Justice Chapman yesterday. Mr. ! IV'£' K. Marassey, of tho Crown Law Offied, represented t]ie Crown..... 1 ■' Yesterday's trial had to do with two youn£ Men—-Josodli Wilson and albeit Cutbllsli—who' woro charged with having forg<j(l tho nnmo of E. 11. Robinson ta a : chcqrjo for ,£2O lis., and having uttered tho phoquo to Ernest Batclielor. Mr. P. ,■ \V. . |aekson appeared for both accused, phospleaded not .-guilty. 1 '* - -

1 Ths Cheque, the Accountant, and the * Bank. ! Evidence for-thVprosecntion.w.as-to-the i , effect- that on'-ApriT- 23-' the" two young- nien .' bougfit two overcoats' * at"'flie Economic', ! tendering a''cheque '■ 'as payment.''' v Thd .. firm,-!however, refused to accept- tho ■V. choqije, and the accused then visited Hill '■ .and Sons, Quay:',.Trefe; I 'they/purchased twb'cba'ts'for 4sV"ond' • £3 155., and tendered, a chequo for : Jc2o , Us. ,I'he' cheque was submitted to the firm's"' accountant; Mr. Ernest Batchelor, tvho,"titter some inquiries, cashed it. In-' ~ terrogated by Mr. Batchelor, tho young I men said they were Hokitika l|(jys Landthat they had got tho cheque.frt.iu Mark Sprott and Co., a i /.. iWestypoast. Tho chequo was not occepted ,at.th v ! National Bank, and the : po!ico were' at once notified. ■'. On"•■. t Detective-S»rgcßnt | !; M'llvenoy interviewing accused)'''Cu'tbhsh then said that he had cashed.-the cheque for man on the Hokitika " racecourse. .Subsequently, Mr. E. H. Robinson, nran- '•" ageribf tho firm of Mark Sprott and Co., ... was called to Wellington. Air; .Robinson stateil. that some time ago'a" cheque had , been{made out in tho office by one. of ,tho (■ clerks, and when it had been given to wit- !.' ness to sign he had discovered an error ;"' in it£ He had handed the cheque ai.d the ] ; account back to the''clerk for a chequo form'to be-filled' in correctly. -The form • which had been wrongly rilled >.n shculd liavo*boen destroyed, but, apparently, bad !, been'left about.. That particular torn;- bad ! ■ iiover"'been sfguectAby lifin. Thei'signature ' / on the cheque-; form produced in ! court was .-• not his, and had riot .been written ■by any. ~ employee <jf 'the firm':' The'rwritfng re-' ; . Eembled the writing of Cutbush, os it ap- -■' peared in the firm's wages book.' Cutbush had been employed casually by Sprott and Co., and had done one day's work there :' since 'tho cheque form mentioned had been I .TVTongly .filled in. .:■/ ~ ■-'- "."Dolly Varden." • ■.':'■ For'tho defence; evidence was given'ljy ".; 'Albert Cjvtb.ush, one of -the- accuseds - He : j/. stated tka-Wn A^ril'-'iff-he'-'WontUO'the" .Taces at'lldlltikrf, antf won <ibo>it-,£20 by .'•'backing a horse named-Dolly Var.lcn. .AS ~... witness was coming from the tofaiisatJra stranger-had J asked him to" tashii cheque.' i Witness, seeing that the chequo Was "one of Mark Sprott and Co.'s, did. to. , (in &r- ---; rival in Wellington, witness -.'tt WjJson. ,• and.as he owed the latter some ihoreylie V went with, him to.cash.tho chcqiuv■'■'.'' :- Beautiful-Suggestion Crushed;- ' ; . Mr. Jackson, in the course of his address to tho jury, mentioned that Cutbush and ~ Wilson were anxious' that'Dias.'fjltartd Sons should not bo losers, and that if they .(Cutbush and' Wilson) got "out of the 1 trouble which they, were in, they would . endeavdu'fto make restitution for ths loss suffered. •>*; .- .'.»vv*..,-». ,«">.;i " |- His said that^'Mi-.'JJocksori's*. • .reference was a highly improper me, and . ivas calculated to .invite'' the nury to. bring' :, -• m a ifetdifitla'gMnstJthfe ovideuce.". ■ 3lr. Jackson disclaimed any sach inten- .- tion. -'■■ -i -■.':'■-' '.: ■ Hiauflonour directed counsel;to make !'• a<j' fnipwirefersnoa toithe iratter.,- .-■ . The.jury, after;a..ietirem'en.tiof-atont ; lo. - . irninntes, found both accused gniltyof ut-~':tenng-a;rorgcd;oheque.-.. ■ .',■ ■■' -■.:. . t. . Sentenco„was deferred until this inorn- '•" Jng. :, ',-. ■