SUPREME COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 September 1917, Page 7

SUPREME COURT.

4 'A GISTJORXE CASE. By Telegraph—p-ess Association) Gisborne, SepL. is), At the Supreme Court Arthur Gordon riunn, a well known local dealer, was charged with having on May, 1917, at Gisborne procured To Paea. Tait to forge an endorsement to a till of exchange purported to be drawn by E. Tait for £2o'9 4s Od. Accused was further charged with having on the tame date ufed or acted upon as if it wore genuine a false document, knowing the same to be false in a material part, namely the order in question in favor of Neilson and Co., and purporting to be endorsed fey Neilson and Co. The ease arose out of a charge of forgery heard at last session against Te Paea Tait, a married Maori woman, wM was convicted of forging her husband'i name to certain bills of exchange, and of causing them to bo acted on as if genuine. The facts were that Mrs.°Tait owed Gunn money, and tendered him in payment orders on the M'angatu station account, ii.cluding one for £209 4s (id, drawn in favor of Xelison and Co. This had been wrongly endorsed '''Neilson and C 0.," and when the bank pointed out the mistake Gunn got Mrs. Tait to reendorse the order, "Nelison and Co." He admitted this while giving evidence against Mrs. Tait iu the lower court.

Accused pleaded not guilty. After hearing the evidence the jury returned R verdict in the form of answers to three questions as follows: (1) Did accused procure Te Paea Tait to endorse "Xelison and Co.' on bill of exchange ?—Yes; (2) did accused knowingly procure such endorsement believing that Mrs. Tait had authority to sign the same? —Yes; (3) did accused negotiate the bill believing the endorsement to be a forgery ? **~Xo.

His Honor said this was equal to a verdict of not guilty, and accused was discharged.