YOUNG WOMAN'S CRIMES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 227, 13 June 1918, Page 7

YOUNG WOMAN'S CRIMES

SERIES OF THEFTS ADMITTED

FORGERY AND FALSE PRETENCES

oj A series of charges of llieft and forgeil)' wji< admitted by a married woman, i, 25 years of age, named Ldiih Annie . Dorathona Flaherty, at the .Magistrate's f Court yesterday, Jlessrs. R. Ilanlonanii . 1. Siuek, J.I Vs. were on the bench, i Chief Detective lioddam prosecuted, and r -Mr. J. Scott appeared for the accused. Tho first charge preferred against tlie - woman, who wept bitterly tho wluilo time 1 sho was in the dock, was that on or i about Hay 21 last she forged a Post i Office Savings Bank withdrawal slip for ; .13 and caused AValter Smart to act | uipon it; as if it were genuine. She was ' also charged with obtaining ,C2!I from , AValter Smart by falsely representing that she was Mrs. Jlarv Dewe.s, owner , of a Past Office Savings 13aak book, with ■ an account at Napier. Other charges i against, accused were:—On May 15, theft of a leather trunk, containing a quantity . of_ clothing, a Savings -Bank book, and ■X' 7 iu money, of a total value of ..fci7 His., the property of Alary Madeline Dewes; about February 2S, theft of a tin trunk, containing a quantity of clothing, of a total value of J!l3 ss. Gd., belonging to Alan Tolmio Hawken; on May 28, at Waikanae, theft of three overalls and a blouse, valued at .tl 55., the property of Airs. I. G. Duncan; and on jlay 11 the theft of a tin trunk and a quantity uf clothing, of a total value of J,'s, the property of Miss Louisa RusseL. In outlining the case Glibf Detective Boddam stated that on May 15 lost Mis. Dewes, a widow, of Napier, left by the mail train for AA'ellinglon. Prior lo her departure she gave instructions Hint- her trunk was to be placed on board the train. When she arrived in Wellington no trace of her trunk was to be found. Inquiries vyero made, but for some days without auy result. Anion® other tilings in Airs. Dewes's trunk was a I'osf Office Savings .Bank book, containing entries of deposits amounting to about ,£IOO. In the hook there were also two or three single notes and a ,C 5 note. Alxmt Jlay 20 it came to the knowledge of 'lie detectives that some person was trying to withdraw money from Mrs. Dowes's account. at the bank. The matter was placed in the hands of Dete;live-Sergeuni. Scott and Detective Torranie, with the result that accused was arrested two or three days later. AVhen arresled recused denied the charge, -but subsequently admilted taking tiie trunk and the bank book, which latter she said .she had operated npon. Evidence was given by Airs. Dewes on the lines indicated by Chief Detective Boddam. AValter Smart, pawnbroker, of AVellington, said, that on Jlay 21 last accused went to his shop and stated that her name was Mrs. Mary Dewes, who kept a fruit shop nt Napier. She produced a bank book, and showing that thero was a credit, asked him to advance her ,£SO. He told her he could not advance money on the bank book. She then went away and returned with a Post Oflice withdrawal slip, which she filled in for , .£3O nnd signed her name a.s Jlary Dewes. Thinking the transact!}ii was genuine, witness enclosed tilic withdrawal slip and bank book in an enve- t lopo, sent it to the postmaster at Napier, and advanced accused tho sum of .E'2!l.

( Alan Tolmio Hawken. cleric in the New Zealand Railways Department, staled , that oil February 28 ho camo to Welling- , ton on transfer, ami brought a good deai of his belongings with him. Amongst \ his luggage was. a tin trunk, which he stored with his clfecls at Wellington, i Somo days later, when, he went to recover the tin trunk, he found it was > missing. He next sa v the lru.nk at the police station. Louisa Russell, of Kaetihi, said she left AVaimate, ill the Soutli Isiand, ou Jlay 7 last for L'netihi, whero she was going lo keep liouso for liee brother. llor luggage was checked right through, but on arrival at Iwr destination she ascertained that all the luggage had arrived with tho excopLion of a tin trunk, containing goods to tho valuo of about ■£,">. Detective-Sergeant Scott »aid that on Jlay 29, in company with 'Detective Tornance, ho saw tho accused on Thorndon railway station about 12.30 p.m. He interviewed her and accused became indignant at first, saying "T mi afraid you are making a mistake; lam Mrs. Flaherty." In further conversation accused 6aid sho had operated on the bank book belonging to Jtrs. Dowcs becau.se -she had received bad news from Home. She also, stated that she only had a small trunk in the railway carriaito. Witness took her to tho police station, wlnro she made a statement to tho effect, that she had got some, bad news from hor relatives in England, and had no money, and as she was in poor circumstances she decided to operate on the account in Jlrs Dewes's bank Ixiok, which she said she picked \ip in JJambton Quay. AVit.li Ihe money she obtained from Jlr. Smart she had bought some clothing. In tho watchlionse, whilo waiting for. the matron, witness noticed that accused put her handkerchief to her mouth and attempted to swallow something. Detectivo Tornanco and witness forced hor mouth open • and recovered a check luggage ticket. Accused still- denied all knowledge of Jtrs. Dewes's trunk. As a result of finding the check mggago ticket the railway authorities had the checked luggage sent back to Wellington, and it turned out to be tho trunk belonging to Jlrs. Dewes. Upon this, accused made another statement in which sho said that in Jlay 15 she left Palmerston North for AVelling-, ton. and on arrival at Thorndon her luggage was put out of the van and another trunk was placed-on top cf hers. Sho did not havo tho other trunk 'cmoved, and later she opened it and found the bank book. As she had no money she decided to operate on tho bank book. She subsequently confessed to taking the articles enumerated in the r.tlier charges.

Detectivo Torrance gave corroborative evidence.

On tho charge of stealing tho articles belonging to Jli-s. I. G. DmiM.n, accused was seiitencixl to fourteen days' imprisonment, and for tho theft of Jliss Itu.s-

sell's trunk she wiis sentenced to a term of one month, both sentences to bo con-

current. Accused iv.is committed to the Supremo Court I'ot sentence on tho other charges.