Man and Woman in Court

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1062, 28 August 1930, Page 12

Man and Woman in Court

SIGNING OF MONEY-ORDERS Forgery Charges Faced CHARGES of forgery of names on I’ublic Works Department money-orders were preferred in the Police Court this afternoon against a married woman. Dorothy .Myra Adams, and a single man, Josephus Fisher. The evidence for the prosecutiop in the cases, which were taken jointly, was heard by Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M.

Adams was charged with forging the name of ”D. Fisher” on money orders for £1 16s 8d and £lO 5s 2d on May 14 and April 11 respectively, with intent that they should be acted upon as though they were genuine. Similar charges were preferred against Fisher in respect of the same orders. Chief-Detective Hammond prosecuted and Mr. Hall Skelton appeared for the accused. Ue.'t ribing the case as complex and uniqu *. Mr. Hall-Skelton submitted that there was ample authority to support the contention that the woman had not committed forgery. The sum of £2O was owing, to the woman for hoard .by Fisher, he said, and the male accused had got the order and she signed the receipt in a fictitious uame. Counsel argued that before forgery was committed, the document itself had to be false, also that the person making it knew it to be false and that it was made so that it should be acted upon as though it were genuine. The magistrate, however, held that the action was forgery. Evidence that Fisher had applied on February 18 for employment on relief works, representing that he was married. with three children, was given by Douglas F. Whitmore. The applicant gave his wife’s name as Dorothy Fisher, of 7 Islington Avenue. Mount Eden, and gave a written authority to the P.W.D. to retain half of nis earnings to send to her. On the strength of his being married. Fisher was given employment front February 20 to April 9. Postal orders for £1 16s Sd and

£lO 5s 2d issued on May 14 and April 11 had been signed for as “D. Fisher A Public Works Department clerk at Rotorua. Leslie Dent, stated that the money-orders had been dispatched to “D. Fisher,” at the address named, in accordance with the authority givea by Fisher to the Department.

A clerk in the Newmarket Post Office. Annie G. Cooksey, described how on April 11 a woman called and cashed one of the money-orders for £lO 5s 2d, signing the name -jj Fisher.” The woman, on being asked from whom the money was expected, replied, “J. Fisher, Rotorua.”

Harold Walden, supervisor of tjj e Newmarket Post Office, gave similar evidence relating to the payment to a woman who signed “D. Fiehei "’ of aa order for £1 16s Sd on May 14.

Dorothy Myra Adams said that Fisher boarded at her home between November last year until May this year. In February he informed her That he had obtained work through the Labour Bureau, adding that he had advised the Public Works Department he was married, with three children He also told her he had represented her to be his wife. At first she refused to have anything to do with the receipt of any money from Fisher, but he urged her to do so, otherwise he would get into trouble through hold ing himself out as a married man. finally agreed and when he returned from the relief works, he handed ih* envelope addressed Mrs. D. Fish?', care of Newmarket Post Office.” h contained a money-order, which she cashed. (Proceeding.)