ALLEGED FORGERY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIII, Issue 23, 24 May 1912, Page 4

ALLEGED FORGERY.

MAORI BEFORE THE COURT. At tho Magistrate’s Court this morning John P. Manaia was charged before Mr W. G. Kenrick, S.M., with the name of Athol Meredith to a £5 cheque and uttering same at the Bank of Australasia at Whangamomona. Sergeant McXeely conducted the case for the police. Accused was stated to be deaf and ■ partly dumb. Mr John Adams, firstclass licensed interpreter, i wrote , out" " the | charge in Maori and accused sag- : nifidd that lie understood it,‘ replying* ■ “Couldn’t' manage it wife the hank/', and. got caught.” ‘ ’• , j i i Atiaol, Richard Meredith, sawmiller,.! i ■ residing at Strathmore, deposed that ' 1 he had rtn account at the Bairkjof V ( , Australasiaqt. ( Wjliaiigfiiponiona 'apd H th a y. .accused , was •in , his i employ • upl ias to the 13tlr instant. He generally *'■ l paid him his wages by cheque, though he had on occasions advanced accused small sums of money in cash. The cheque (produced) signed ‘"‘Athol Meredith” did not bear his signature, nor was the body of the cheque written in his handwriting. He had lived about eighteen years in the Whangamomona district and had never heard ■of any Athol Meredith ' besides hint-' 1 ’ self.

Alfred Oollingwood, clerk’ at the Bank of Australasia at Whangamomona, said he knew accused by sight, though not personally. Manaia was , generally known as “Dummy.” l : He (accused) last come to the bank on May 13th at about a quarter to three, and handed in a cheque, purporting to be signed, “Athol Meredith.” He did not cash’ the cheque, for the reason that he was satisfied it was not Mr Meredith’s signature. He tried to explain to accused, but could not make him understand. Manaia then loft the bank and came back again a few minutes afterwards and said:' “Five pound, all right, me cheque, tear him up.” The manager was in the bank at the time and told accused to go and see Constable Scanned if he wanted the cheque back. William Baker, a farmer at Whangamomona, being duly sworn, said he had a cheque book on the Bank of Australasia at Whangamomona. He identified the cheque-book (produced) as his own and bearing his handwriting. He had been in the hospital for some time and when he left his home at 'Whangamomona the chequebook was in “a little box under the ■table.” He did not remove the cheque No. 6551 from this book or authorise anyone to remove it from the book.

.Tc.hui Good King, a partner of Mr til’s on a farm at Whangamomona, deposed that lie occupied a whare with Mr Baker. Manaia was living in a tent about a chain away, and had often come into his whare. The last time ho saw him go into the whare was on May 13th. He (witness) knew where the cheque-book was kept. The box in which it lay was not locked. On the evening of the 13th lie looked for the book at the request of Constable Scannell and found it on the top of the papers, winereas, before, it was near the bottom of the box.

Constable Scannell stated that on Monday, 13th inst., in consequence of information received, lie arrested the accused and charged him with forging and uttering. Accused said, per medium of an interpreter, that lie got the cheque from a man named “Peteris.” He was acquainted with most of the people at Whangamomona hut did not know of a man of that name in the district, nor, after making diligent inquiries, could he find anybody named “Peteris.” He identified the cheque as the one handed him by the manager of the Bank of Australasia. Witness also identified a certain piece of writing (produced) as being written by accused. It was partly in English and partly in Maori. The case was then adjourned to allow the interpreter time to translate the evidence into Maori for the accused to read.