FORGERY AND THEFT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 807, 30 October 1929, Page 11

FORGERY AND THEFT

WOMAN DENIES CHARGES HANDWRITING TEST Points of resemblance in hand■writing were features of the evidence against Sarah Brown, aged 64, a widow, who was on trial on charges of forgery and theft before Mr. Justice He''liman in the Supreme Court today. The charges were of forging the endorsement In the name of F. Shelton to a cheque for £lB 9s 4d and also forging the same name on two orders for goods, and stealing a letter containing the cheque belonging to Shelton. Mr. Osbuvne-Lilly prosecuted tor the Crown and Blr. Singer represented accused. A cheque for £lB Ps 4d. representing rents collected from the house, 11 Hardinge Street, was sent to Shelton on June 4, according to a clerk emjiloyed by Samuel Vaile and Sons. Shelton was fhe owner of the Hardinge Street dwelling, which was rented to a “Mrs. Jamieson” until June 4, witness said. The manager of the collection department of the Farmers’ Trading Company, Sydney William Woods, said that an order signed “F. Shelton,” accompanied by a cheque, had been received and executed by the firm. Another order similarly signed was charged by the firm to Shelton's account. Witness interviewed Mrs. Brown, who had been living at Hardinge Street, but she denied all knowledge of the orders. Frederick Shelton, a Rotorua farmer, and ovyner of the house in Hardinge Street, said that he understood the tenant was “Mrs. Jamieson,” whom he now knew as accused. He used a room at the back of the house when in town. He had asked accused if a cheque for him had been received and was informed by Mrs. Brown that she had put a letter under his door. Neither of the orders for goods delivered by the Farmers’ Trading Company at Hardinge Street, nor the endorsement of the cheque had been signed by him. When interviewed, accused denied endorsing the cheque,, stated Detective Snedden. He searched the house, but found none of the goods delivered under the orders and paid for by the cheque. In a written statement accused asserted that a stranger, who gave his name as Foster Shelton, stayed the night at the house early in June and asked for the goods which had been delivered. She handed over the parcels. Since then she had missed papers relating to her pension of £2 5s weekly. A retired bank manager, Clarence C. Spedding, experienced in handwriting, expressed the opinion that copies of the order made by accused at the instigation of the police, and the orders sent to the Farmers’ Trading Company, were written by the same person. Mr. Singer did not call evidence for the defence, and addressed the jury. (Proceeding.)