ALLEGED FORGERY

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3604, 26 February 1927, Page 3

ALLEGED FORGERY

TWO RAILWAY CLERKS CHARGED.

Christchurch, February 25

Many forgery charges which it is understood involve a sum of approximately £5,009 will be preferred against two clerks in the Christchurch office of the Railway Department. They appeared in the Magistrate’s Court tins morning, when two charges were preferred against them.

John James Nelson, aged 29 years, was charged that on December 17, at Christchurch, he forged a pay sheet of the Maintenance Department of the New Zealand Railways for the sum of £lO 7/2, which purported to be signed by' It. A. Binuie, and caused Thomas Lawless to act upon it as if it were genuine. Gavin Gordon Watson, aged 2 i years, was similarly charged in respect of a document purporting to be signed by C. L. Fitzgerald Nelson was represented by Mr C. S. Thomas and Watson by Mr F. D. Sargent. Chief-Detective Lewis, applying for bail for Nelson, said he was a married man with four children. As far as the amounts were concerned, the matter was serious, but Nelson had made a full breast of everything to his superiors before he was arrested. ,

Mr Sargent, making a similar application on- Watson’s behalf, said that he was\ a married man with two children and had been in the service of the Railway Department for fourteen years.

The chief detective said that the amount involved was beyond' any lio2>e of restitution. The remand was granted, and bail was allowed for each man in £2OO, with two sureties of £IOO each. They were also ordered to report daily at the police station.