VALUELESS CHEQUES.

Putaruru Press, Volume IV, Issue 134, 27 May 1926, Page 6

VALUELESS CHEQUES.

adjt m-JK-tL? c .t-tMtc MAN PLEADS GUILTY. Case at Ivtforrinsville. Bo'Bert ‘Barker pleaded guilty before Messrs. H. J. Clifford and J- B. ' Thomas, J.’sP., at the Morrinsville Court on Thursday, to five charges of false pretences by issuing valueless Three such cheques, one for -£4 and too. of £2 each, were given to Alexander Beange, the licensee of the hotel, at Morrinsville, and two of £2 each to Walter Henry Palmer Long, of the Palace Hotel at Te Aroha, all cheques being drawn on the Bank of New Zealand, Matamata. A .further charge was laid of issuing a valueless cheque for £3 on Alexander McMekin, of Putaruru. Constable Jackson said that on May 6, accused booked up as a boarder at the hotel at Morrinsville, and a few days later asked Beange for a blank cheque form. Mr. Beange replied that he did not make a practice of giving blank cheque forms and suggested that the accused should obtain some from the bank. Accused accordingly went to the bank, where he represented himself as being g. R. Harding, who had an account with the bank. Accused’s signature was similar to that of Harding’s, and he was given three forms. At Te Aroha accused received blank cheque forms from Long. Alexander Beange, in evidence, said accused had previously resided at the hotel about two years ago. On the day accused left the hotel (May 11), he gave witness a post-dated cheque.

1 Witness did not notice that the dhecpte! i was post-dated. ! Walter 'Henry 'Pafmer Long said he k new apeused, who had stayed at the hotel a few years algo. Accused booked 1 at the hotel on May 12. Accused ask- j ed witness for a blank cheque form, j and as witness had had satisfactory dealings with him previously he thought, it quite safe,to supply him with a blank cheque form. Accused had said there was plenty of money to his account at Matamata. Accused was arrested at the hotel by Constable Monson, but witness did not know at the time that the cheques were valueless. _. 4 Constable Monson, of Te Aroha, said that as tlje result of a telephone message from Morrinsville, he 'arrested accused on May 14, accused saying that he would plead guilty to issuing valueless cheques on Beange and said he issued one at Putaruru and also admitted giving some to Long. Accused: Was I sober at the time? Constable Monson: You were sober, , but in a stupid condition. L. W. Mehrtens, of the Bank of New 1 Zealand, Matamata, gave evidence to 1 the effect that accused had no account ; at that bank. i On the Morrinsville and Te Aroha j charges accused pleaded guilty, and 1 v/as committed to the Supreme Court, Auckland, for sentence, while on the Putaruru charge he was remanded to appear at Putaruru to-morrow.