FORGING AND UTTERING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2371, 11 December 1908, Page 4

FORGING AND UTTERING.

ACCUSED COMMITTED Folt SEX-

TENGE

An elderly man named ’William James Imrie, alias William James, who is serving a sentence of three months’ imprisonment for false pretences, appeared at the Police Court yesterday morning, before Captain T. Clirisp and Mr. W. A. Akroyd, J.’sP., on a charge that on or about November 15 he did forge a cheque on the Bank of New Zealand at Riverton for £2B, in the name of W. IfAbittle, and did litter the same to one Walter lies. Sergt. Hutton conducted the prosecution, and accused was not represented by counsel. Walter lies, tailor, stated that accused was a customer of his. He crJ led on witness .and said he wanted to pay for a suit of clothes, and also another account, which altogether amounted-to £l4 2s Gd. The cheque produced was the one accused gave witness. Witness remarked at the time that the cheque was an old one, and accused .said jt had followed him down to Dunedin and back to Gisborne. Accused said he received those cheques every year. Witness took the amount of the account out of the cheque and gave accused the change, £l3 17s 6d. Subsequently witness saw accused on the wharf as he was leaving for the boat, and told him the cheque was no good, and asked him for £2B. Accused said, "All right,” and returned towards town, accompanying witness -to his shop. Accused offered to give witness what money he had then, and promised to square up the rest next morning. This witness agreed to do, and accused gave him £7, and returned the new suit of clothes, which was worth £5 15s. The cheque was dated September, 1909, but this witness did not notice until later on. Accused did not settle up next morning as he promised, and had never done so since. Donald Ferguson, boarding-house keeper, deposed that accused boarded off and on at his house, andthe Casttime for six weeks. About, November G accused asked witness for a couple of blank cheques, and the one produced was one which he had given him.

Herbert James Grieve. jeweller, stated that- accused made exit tlie cheque produced, which was the subject of other proceedings. Frank Dalton McGavin, accountant in the Bank of New South "Wales, gave evidence that the handwriting on the two cheques produced was of the same character. There was no doubt that the body of the cheques wore written by one and the same person. iScrgt. Hutton stated that he had ascertained that no such person as Abittle had an account with the Bank of-. New Zealand.

Accused pleaded guilty, and. was committed for sentence at the next sitting of the Supreme Court at Welliligou.