IMITATION OF COURT DOCUMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 464, 10 July 1909, Page 4

IMITATION OF COURT DOCUMENTS.

Samuel Jackson McKee was charged at Napier on Monday with having sent to one Sarah Burton. Westshore, “a docu* ment likely, by reason of its wording and appearance,, to cause every person ignorant Of the law, to believe, contrary to the fact, that such document had been issued by th« authority of a court.” Defendant pl.eaded not guilty, explaining that he did so for the purpose of getting His Worship’s decision as to whether the notice which the defendant had sent to persons indebted to his firm, came within the meaning of the section quoted ,in the information. The document in question was printed on blue paper, and read as follows :—•“ New Zealand. Final notice of intention to proceed in the Magistrate’s Court under the Small Debts Recovery Act. Failing payment of'this account or return of hired goods within seven days final proceedings will be entered at the Stipendiary Magistrate’s Court, Napier. Dated this glh day of June in the year of our Dord 1909 at Napier. B .lance due 17s. (Signed) Ryan Bros., S. J. McKee, Manager.” Sergeant Folley said in this case the document had actually deceived ihe person who received it, as the money was sent to the court to pay the debt. His Worship said he thought .the document certainly came within the meaning of the Act. Anyone issuing such a notice was liable to a fine of and if the docum\ nt went a little further than the present one it might be treated as forgery, and the person issuing it sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment. Such a document might be used not only for debt collecting, but also for extorting from timid people money they had no right to pay. As this was the first time a case of the kind had come before the court only a small penalty would he imposed. The defendant would *be fined 10s, with costs 15s.