DRAPERY PURCHASES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 275, 9 August 1918, Page 3

DRAPERY PURCHASES

ALLEGED FORGERY

SOLDIER AND A WOMAN

CHARGED

The criminal sessions of the Supremo Court were continued yesterday before ; Eis Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout). ~ . Frederick Michael Marshall, alias A. B. Sanders, and a young married woman named Myrtle Lilian Coley were jointly charged that on May 21, with intent! to defraud, they did obtain goods and cash to the value of .£2B from le Aro House Drapery Company, Ltd., Cuba Street, by means of a valueless cheque; and they were also charged with forgery. Mr. P. S. K. Macassey appeared for the Crown, and Mr. A. Dunn represented the female prisoner.', Mr. Macassey, in opening, outlined the case, and said that on May 21 last the male accused went to Te Aro House, andasked Miss Rodgers, the ledgerkeeper, it she could cash a cheque on the Takapau bank. When asked what name was on the cheque he replied A. B. Sanders, and he-also showed Miss Rodgers a bank deposit 6lip which showed that A. B. Sanders had deposited £W. The accused then went away, and said he would return in the afternoon with his wife. When he returned he was accompanied by the female accused, whom he introduced as "Mrs. Sanders." The latter was asked what goods sho wanted to buy, and- she replied a costume. Sh* was taken to the showroom, and at the suggestion of the male accused Mrs. Sanders signed her name on the back of the cheque. The female accused made purchases amounting to ,£lB 19s. lid., and the sum of £9 was paid out in change on the cheque tendered by the male accused. Two days later Miss Rodgers received a telephone message from \\anganui. The speaker stated that he was "Sergeant Barker," and that Miss Rodgers had cashed a cheque two days previously which would be dishonoured. The voico asked who was with - the woman at the time the cheque was cashed, and ho was told it was a soldier. The voice stated that tho girl was his sister, and that the soldier was getting her into trouble. On May 22 tho cheque was lodged at the bank, and was dishonoured. Evidence in support was given by several witnesses on the lines of that given in the Magistrate's Court. Mr. Dunn, for the female accused, said ho did not intend to call accused. Marshall said he wished to call one witness, but this witness, who had not been summoned, was not present. Marshall then a'ddressed the jury, and showed considerable ability and not a little confidence. Throughout tho hearing he displayed a remarkable familiarity with court procedure. In his address, Marshall said he was a non-commissioned officer in tho Expeditionary Forces," and he would tell them how he carAo in possession of the cheque. He referred to a divorce case pending, in which the female accused was interested, and he would not Tefer to matters that would be likoly to affect that case. He stated that tho men in camp had much spare time, "especially in the evening, and ho and three others, Ross, Baker, and Sanders, were in the habit of playing cards. He and Ross were partners, and had won over a hundred pounds from the other two, and on May 15 they had a settling. Sanders offered to pay by cheque, a 6 he said he wanted to close his account -with the bank at Takapau, as ho was-leaving the following dav/for tho front. Marshall asked Sanders to cut up tho cheques into small sums, and they would accept them. This was done, and Sanders gave them three cheques, and Sanders also gavo him the deposit slip. 3aker handed him the cheque which he presented at To Aro House, and he Inter met Baker at Wanganui, when the latter told him that tho cheque handed to Te Aro House would he dishonoured, as Sanders had previously closed his account. Baker telephoned from Wanganui to the manager of To Aro House, and told him that the chequo would be dishonoured, and asking that it bo held until Monday, when' Baker said he would come down to Wellington and see the manager. Baker asked him (Marshall) to keep tho appointment, which he did. When ho tendered the chequo he honestly believed that there was money in the bank to meet it. Baker and Ross went away, with the Thirty-eig'qth Reinforcements. Referring to tho female accused, he said when ho met her she was destitute,, and had been deserted by her husHo took her to Te Aro House to get hor some clothes, and claimed that sho was entirely innocent. She might have been wrong in allowing herself to be introduced at Te Aro House as his wife... He denied committing the forgery, and claimed that he was tho victim of Sanders. Mr. A. Dunn also addressed the jury at some length on behalf of the female accused, but Mr. Macassey did not address tho jury. His Honour summed up strongly against the male accused. The jury retired at 4.30 p.m., and returned fifteen minutes later, and brought in Frederick Michael Marshall guilty and Myrtlo Lilian Coley not guilty. His Honour, addressing the prisoner, said he was sorry to see him in court again. Since he was eighteen years of age he had been continually before the Court. Jle had thirty-one previous convictions, and had been declared an habitual criminal. The Prisons Board had given him every consideration, but it ■ seemed to no purpose.

Marshall was sentenced to five jiars' imprisonment, * and was declared an habitual criminal.