FORGERY ALLEGED.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 January 1921, Page 5

FORGERY ALLEGED.

AUCKLAND FIRMS INVOLVED. A STORY OF MANY CHEQUES. I , By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. Extensive operations with alleged valueless cheques and an almost empty bank account, resulting in a number of well-known Auckland firms being involved, were described in the police Court to-day, when Wm. O’Dwyer (34) had a number of charges preferred against him. Evidence was given that in a number of instances accused described himself as being in the fish trade, and the bait he used was evidently swallowed by his victims. The secretary of Tonson, Garlick, Ltd., obliged by cashing a £l,O cheque, the traffic manager of the Devonport Steam Ferry Co. was good for £4, David Anderson rose to the tune of £3l, and Arthur Cleave was alleged to _,be mulcted in two sums of £45 and “ £l5 Bs. No fewer than twenty-five cheques were Stated to have been dishonored, the total value being £345 18s fid. A bank clerk from Palmerston North deposed that O’Dwyer opened an account by depositing £3 7s on September 21. He added £4 5s 3d, and a week later £5 was withdrawn, and the total standing at the credit of accused was then only £2 12s 3d O’Dwyer asked this witness why he had not been notified that his account was overdrawn.

The Chief Detective remarked that it would not be very difficult for accused trf come to this decision himself when he had cheques out for £345. Accused: I will prove otherwise at the Supreme Court.

Detective-<Sergt. Hammond stated that when he showed accused a list of cheques issued at Auckland and told him he would charged with obtaining these amounts by false pretences, O’Dwyer explained that one of them was a gambling debt amounting to £l7 12s. No complaint had been received in respect to that cheque. Accused pleaded not guilty and reserved his defence. He was committed to the Supreme Court for trial.