CHARGE OF FORGERY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2675, 22 January 1916, Page 6

CHARGE OF FORGERY

ALTERING BANK PASS-BOOK

ACCUSED PLEADS CUILTY,

By Tcleirr.ipli.—Prcsg Association,

Christchurch, January 21

At tho Magistrate's Court to-day Constance Moon, at one time employed m the Christchurch bureau of the Tourist Department, appeared to answer a charge of forgery. Tlio charge was that on May 10, 1915, at Christchurch, accused made a false document by altering an entry in the bank passbook from £15 10s. to £115 10s.

Goorgo AVashington Coutts Moon stated that up to October 29 last ho was tho ollicer in charge of tho Government Tourist Office. He had charge since 190(5. Accused was his daughter, and was employed as a clerk at the office for live years. . She was transferred to AVellington in May, 1915. Her duty was to take charge of the books and cash, but he was tho' responsible officer ; she attended to the banliing of all moneys. The bank deposit slip (produced) was in her handwriting. In May last Mr. Freethey, the chief clerk at tho AVellington office of the Department examined the accounts of the Christchurch office, and discovered £84 2s. short. In June last Mr. Eames, the Government auditor, audited the books of the Christchurch office, and discovered a deficiency of £128 9s. Id; (inclusive of the previous shortage), which sum 1 witness subsequently mad© good to the credit of tho Department. On December 11 lie, with his daughter, attended an inquiry in Wellington. into the discrepancies in connection with the present charge. The bank passbook was produced at the inquiry, and he satisfied himself that the entry £115 10s. had reference to a deposit slip for £15 10s. The day after the inquiry ho spoke to his daughter about the matter, and she wrote a statement which she handed to him in a closed envelope. Tho statement was as follows: —

"6 Burnell Avenue, Thorndon, December 12, 1915.—1 admit altering the bankreceipt at the Christchurch agency. At the time I was terribly upset and worried about the shortage in cash, and in a moment of weakness made the alteration, - thinking to shield father, who, ihough I knew he had not appropriated any of the money, was responsible. 1 am truly sorry for having done such a silly thing, but I did not realise for one moment the seriousness of tho offence, rttt.! 1 have suffered very much, and trust you will not deal too harshly with mo.—Constance Moon."

Witness handed the letter unopened o Freethey, who, on opening it, diew ■ttention to the absence of signage He took the document to lis . laughfer, who freely .signed it. He. ■ nert&inlj did not take the money, ajid he was perfectly sure his daughter did not take it. During tho period fie had cbaige of the Ohristchurch office he • had two cadets under him. In the earlier part of the season last year the offico staff was overworked, and the books got very much in arrears, and got very much into a. middle. Between . Christmas, 1914, and Easter, 1915, his ■ daughter was away ill for a month, and witness and a cadet ran the Department. About this time he became aware of the shortages, and when his daughter 'l'eiurned both,, had a go at trying to put . natters riglit. He realised then there vero considerable shortages. The cusom had grown up under which commer■ial firms 'got tickets on credit. They ,vould give instructions over 'the telo>hono for the issue of tickets, and would jay by cheque a few days later. Witness- knew occasions when the cadet omitted to debit various firms .with these amounts, and a good deal of the shortage ivas due to that cause. . He did not intend suggesting dishonesty on tho part of anyone. He discovered seven firms who, on consulting their own books, found that they had hot paid what they OTyed the Department, totalling £75. Witness collected_ the amount, and reimbursed himself (in. part) for the £123 he had made good. Ihe shortages were due partly to under-charging, resulting from tho issue of coupons instead of the ordinary railway tickets, at excursion time, when tho fares were reduced. There ought to have been a check in Wellington week by week on tho returns from the Christchurcb agency, but the Headquarters' check was nine months behind. Had the Ohristchuroh returns been checked ho would have known from week to week about all the shortages, and would have made good the shortages as requisitioned for as a result! The inquiry was held in May and June, and it was not till December last that tho falsification of the deposithook was discovered. , William Henry Freethey, Chief Clerk of the Tourist Department, Wellington, stated' that he examined the books and documents of the Ohristchurch office. There was a deficit of something over £120. There were serious errors both on the debit and credit side, whilst there was a large number of omissions to extend values on the returns. There was clear oyidence of muddlemont in the accounts'. Moon informed witness that he know nothing 'about the shortage. He dismissed as impossible tho suggestion witness made as to where the money had gone, and intimated that ho -was prepared to accept responsibility for the deficiency, and also asked that another and; complete audit should be Augustus W. Eames, Government Audit Inspector, Ohristchurch, stated that on June 5-12, 1910,. he audited the books of the Tourist Department, Christ, church, covering a period from January 1,1914, to May 21,1915. He examined tho paving-book, and treated an entry an May 10, 1915, of £115 10s. as bonafide. Talcing this as correct, he dis--overed a deficiency of £128 9s. Id. The total shortage, after discovering the alteration of figures in the paying-book, vas £228 9s. ■ Accused pleaded guilty, and 'was renanded for sentence. Bail, which was orthcoming, was fixed—accused £100 ind two i sureties of £50 each.