BOYS’ ADVENTURE.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 October 1924, Page 4

BOYS’ ADVENTURE.

STORY OF A FORGERY

DESERTED IN -MONTEVIDEO

CHRISTCHURCH, October 11

A story which reads more like a 'boys’ romance than anything else "as told at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, when three men appeared to answer a charge of forgery. 'I he years since 1910 have been filled with adventure for them, and the last tinu they met was in Montevideo. I heir re-union took place in the Christchurch Police Station. It appears from statements made that in 1910 the tluce men, then in their teens, determined to go to South America, hut lack of money was the ebstaae. However, money was raised, and the manner in which it was acquired led to the appearance of the three ad vent mors >osterday. They were Malcolm Dane Howarth, George Arthur Grainger and Hubert William Grainger, who were charged with having forged the name “W. Howarth” to an authority to withdraw the sum ot £lb> from the Post Office Savings Hank, causing 'Sydney Pope to act upon it as if it were genuine. dan nary .T, ’l9lO was the date upon which the alleged offence was committed. Mr Thomas appeared for G. A. Grainger and Mr Cuthhcrt represented the oilier two accused. Sydney Clias. L. Cox said that he was a dork in the Post Office Savings Hank, in 1910. A person named Howarth had an account in the hank, and be remembered the withdrawal 01 £lls from the account, lie passed the withdrawal slip and he discovered that the signature was a forgery, although it was passed as genuine at the time. It was a hoy between 12 and 15 who tendered the withdrawal slip. All the documents and slips were destroyed alter a, period of six years elapsed. ’1 he department paid back tlu* £lls to Howarth, hut the department had not got the money hack. William Howarth, a Customs officer, said that the accused Howarth was his soil. and in 1910 the other two accused lived next door to him. Towards the end of 1999. his son disappeared from home, lie found later that the Post Office hank book was missing, lie did not sign an authority to draw tbe sum of Clio from Hie bank. Alter his son’s disappearance, the two Graingers also left home. To Mr Cuthhcrt: Ilis son was fourteen veal's old when lie left home. ’1 he Graingers were older than his son. lli.s ; t:ii went to the Argentine and he 'corresponded with the witness for i-onm Ijjiie. Daily in |9l! h* - eoli'l' d in all English iegiu'"iit. and served with distinction right through the war. In 1919 the witness told him to ref urn to New Zealand, because ho heard that legislation was to lie passed which would prevent men who had served through the war from being punishd for pieviotis wrong-doing.

To Mr Thomas: Ilis soil would be the only person having access to the chest-of-drawcrs containing the book. THREE IN IT. Detective .lames Bickordike said that on 'October 2 he arrested 11. W. Grainger for the offence. 111 answer lo the charge he said “the throe i»f us are in it.” On the same day he airested G. A. Grainger, who made a statement. In the statement he said that in 1910 Howarth came to him and his brother with his father’s bank book and suggested that they should withdraw some money. He (G. A. Grainger) forged the elder Hownrth’s signature to the withdrawal slip for £lls. The money was divided between them, and soon after the three of them went to South America.

Constable W. G. Kencaly produced a. .statement made hy Howarth, who said that in 1910 ho and the Grainger’s were males. They planned to go to South America but had no money. George Grainger then suggested that Howarth should get his lather’s hank honk. This he did, and George Grainger forged the withdrawal slip tor £lls. He (Howarth) signed Ills name as his lather’s agent, all the transactions being done in Grainger’s home. A cheque was obtained at the Post Office, and at Grainger’s instruction was cashed at the Hank of New Zealand in gold. Two and a half passages were then hooked for .Montevideo. When the hoys arrived in South America the G ini tigers cleared out with the money and left Howarth stranded. He went to England in 1911 and joined an English regiment on the outbreak of war. lie had never set eyes on the Graingers until he saw them after their arrest.

All the accused pleaded guilty and "'ere committed to the Supremo Court for sentence, bail being allowed each •in £SO, each with one surety. . The Magistrate (Mr Wyvern Wilson) remarked that the case was a most unusual one. The three accused, now arrivod at man’s estate were charged with an offence which they had committed as liovs.