A Queer Story

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 282, 1 May 1914, Page 5

A Queer Story

CASUAL DEALER IN CHEQUES. CHAMPION CYCLIST ACCUSKD OF • THEFT. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night.. An extraordinary combination of circumstaneos led to the appearance in JJeMw Court to-day of Frederick * Wells, a young sheep farmer, and cycle champion of New Zealand, on a charge of stealing a cheque for 18. It appears that in January last Jackson, solicitor, « Waihi, sent this cheque to a Francis Wells - at. Bonsonby post ofi'we, together with a letter explaining the nature of the payment. He made the cheque payable and addressed the letter to F. Wells. •p cheque disappeared. Fred Wells in January was competing m the Exhibition sports «arnival, and sent urgently to his brother, a partner in the sheep station, for a e&eque to be sent to Ponsonby post office. At tfle latter place an envelope containing gi , ven him - He only noticed that the cheque was on the National Bank, which was his brother's bank, and that it was signed by a lawyer, and went off to cash It The letter, which he put into bis pocket to read some other time, he soon after- | wards lost. When he returned Bomc he [ discovered that his brother had declined to send the money, but as he did not know from whom the letter came he decided to wait for something to turn up. This came in the shape of a policeman with a warrant for his arrest. It was further stated in, evidence that the accused was worth two or three thousand pounds. Accused's counsel pleaded that accused gave more time to developing his body than his mental powers, and, not being expert in clerical matters, conld scribed madC th ® mi3takes de-

„ i T . he magistrate was satisfied with the explanation, and the accused, on agreeing to pay the cqpts of the prosecution, was discharged from custody.