A VALUELESS CHEQUE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5288, 18 June 1928, Page 3

A VALUELESS CHEQUE.

ALLEGED FALSE PRETENCES. ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. At the Paeroa, Police Court on Friday, before Messrs F. E. Flatt an(d E. Edwards, J’s.P., a canvasser named Robert Stewart Wylie was charged that on October 8, 1927, at Pa,eroa, he obtained the sum of £5 15fe 6d from Mr, F. C. Blyth by means of a valueless chleque drawn on the Bank of New Zealand, Auckland, and signed by A Butler. A second charge was preferred, that accused had: committed forgery by making a false document with the intention that lit should be acted upon as; if it were genuine. Sergeant D. L. Calwell conducted the prosecution, but accused' was unrepresented: by counsel. Frederick C. Blyth, bookseller, Paeroa, said that during October last accused Visited his sh'op and bought some cigarettes- and. tobacco, and in payment tendered a cheque signed A. Butler. He said that the cheque was all right, and that he would be responsible for it. The amount was for £5 15s 6d. Witness said that he paid the cheque into his account at the Bank of New Zealand, Paeroa, and some time afterwards re’elived notification from the bank that the cheque was valueless. He did not communicate, the fate of the cheque to accuis.ed, who had in the meantime left Paeroa. The money had njot been, refunded or the tobacco paid for. Accused had previously purchased goods and paid cash, and when the cheque was tendered by accused 1 he was quite satisfied to accept it. To accused witness said that he had previously cashed cheques for him and they ihad been honoured. Cross-examined by Sergeant Calwa,ll, witness said that he could, not recall cashing any other cheque signed by A v Butler. Robert Lyon Miller, teller in the Bank of New Zealand, Paeroa produced the lodgement slip showing that the cheque had been deposited on October 12, 1927. In the course of time information was received that, the cheque was valueless. No person named A Butler was known to him. Clarence Cecil Spedding, retired bank manager, living ,at Onehunga, anfl- who had had 18 years’ experience as a hand-writing expert, said that he had examined the cheque, and after comparing /the-- writing bn it-'with specimens of the signature of Robert S. Wylie, he was satisfied that all the writing had been done by the same person. Cross-examined by accused, witness said that in his opinion the writing in the body of the cheque and the signature were written with on.® pen. ' Accused said that ihe had to defend himself, and had everyone against him. AjS-a, matter of fact, the cheque and the signature were not written with the one pen. To accused vyi.tness said that there was a/similarity in handwriting, and certain characteristics were the same, but no two persons -wrote exactly alike. ’ In. evidence Sergeant Calwell said that accused was arrested! at Whakatane on the present charges on, June 11. On that date he interviewed accused with reference to a statement he had made at Op’otiki on April 14 with, reference to the charge. Accused rea.d the statement, acknow-, ledgeci and signed it. The statement was produced, and accused was shown specimens of handwriting which had been compared with the writing .on the cheque, a,nd admitted that the samples were in his own handwriting. Accused pleaded not guilty anld reserved his defence. He was committed to the Supreme C,ourt, Auckland. In answer to the Bench the police said that no objection, would be made to bail being being granted so long as it was substantial-. Bail was accordingly fixed at accused 'in himself of £250 and one surety of £250.