RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Kumara Times, Issue 3159, 18 December 1886, Page 3

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Friday, December 17.

[Before A. 0. Campbell and P. Dungan, Esqs., J.Ps.] PASSING A VALUELESS CHEQUE.

Thomas George Calthorp was brought up charged with obtaining the sum of ■£l 10s of the moneys of one Emil Peters, hotelkeeper, of Dillman's Town, by means of a valueless cheque, drawn ! on the Bank of New Zealand, and purporting to be signed by William Heinz. Sergeant Watson conducted the prosecution. Prisoner pleaded guilty. The following evidence was taken : Emil Peters, sworn, said : I am an liotelkeeper at Dillrnan's Town. On the 15th December, I went home at about 5 o'clock, when a young lady in my employment, named Margaret Dnnn, informed me that she had cashed a cheque for £1 10s. I went and interviewed the manager of" the Bunk of New Z-aland, on which bank the cheque was drawn, Bnd ascertained that the cheque was valueless. Margaret Dunn, sworn, said : I am in the employ of Mr Peters, (the previous witness). I recognise the prisoner as the man who gave me a cheque. I cashed it for him. The cheque produced id the same.

John Watson, swon:, said : I am a Sergeant of Police, stationed at Kumara. On the evening of the 15th Mr Peters carae to me informing me that he had ca.shed a cheque, which proved to be a forgery, as the cheque was marked "No account." The cheque produced is the same. Patrick Minogue, sworn, said: I am a constable of Police, stationed at Kumara. On the evening of the 15th I was instructed to proceed along the Christchurch road, and, under warrant, to arrest the prisoner. I called at Harris's Hotel, and learned that a man answering to the desciiption of the one I was in search of had taken tea there, and left again at six o'clock. I went on to the Taipo, and inquired at Mr M'lnerney's if he had any stranger in the. house. He replied " Yes, he had one." I proceeded to the room where he was, and on knocking at the door, a voice replied "Who is there 1 ?" I demanded admission. Prisoner denied that he was the man, but afterwards admitted the fact. I put the handcuffs on him and left him in bed till next morning, and then brought him to town.

Richard Kilgour, sworn, said : lam a clerk in the Bank of New Zealand, Kumara. The cheque produced was marked by me yesterday. I wrote the words " No account " on it.

Henry Brown, sworn, said : lama storeman, residing' at Kumara. Prisoner came into the store, and, after some conversation, asked me for a blank cheque, which I obtained from a friend, and gave it to him. I mentioned that, being Wednesday, the banks would be closed. The Bench stated that this was a mosL serious offence, and required to be dealt with very severely. The public, hotel-keepers too (who often pay cheques to oblige people and accommodate strangers) must be protected from practices of this kind. It was a breach of confidence; as well as a loss. Business people should also take warning l>y this not to give cheques to people who were entiiely unknown to them; it was a facility to the perpetration of dishonesty and fraud. The limit for offences of this kind was twelve months' hard labour. But as this was the first offence, and nothing known against the accused, the Bench were inclined to be lenient and not inflict the full penalty. Prisoner would he sentenced to iwo months' hard labour in the Hokitika gaol.