ALLEGED FORGERY

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10519, 6 January 1912, Page 6

ALLEGED FORGERY

YOUTH COMMITTED FOR TRIAL.

At S.?a. tA.-r.rt in Ma,:.terton) yesterday morning, before Messrs E.

G. I'.iton and J. j>rowni, J.'sP., Arthur Reginald Boyd was aharged with' halving forged the name of Bert Welch to. a cheque for £lO and uttered 'same to Wm, J. Harvey. Serjeant Miil'ler conducted the prosecution, and Mr P. L. H'olTings appeared for accused. Bert- AYek:b, of the finn of Wefch and Hope, builders, of Lansdowne,

stated that hie gave accused a cheque book co take to hisi partner, \\ A lio was at t/lie Ojpaki racecourse, with instructions tfliat certain' cheques tSiomld be iS'igned by Mr - Hope. Ao | cused subsequently brought the cheque book back to the shop. W. Hope, partner in the firm of Wel'di and Hope, stated that accused Iliad been •in Iris, employ for abonlt 8 or 9 mxwulois. On December 20th aoouis»d brought the lii-m'is cheque book to witness, -who was ait the Opaki racecourse, with a request from his ■partner that certain cheques, totalLing seven, be signed. Witness handed "he book back to accused. On December 23th Ire had been inif armed that a. cheque was lying at the Bank of AustiraJasia wkui B. Welch's name attached, and which was a forgery.

Witness saw accused subsequently, I and asked him if he had token a cheque out of the firm's book. He denied tlhis, but on December 2-St-h admitted tlrat lie had done so. Accused also admitted that, he had signed Bert Welch's name to the cheque, and cashed it. Accused also stated that he had cashed it a.t Harvey's liw.cyc.lo shop, a.nd said to witness that hie would pay the £lO back when he had earned the money. By Mr Holdings: On Lecember 28 accused made a ci-ean breast of the anattier. He Iliad made no' attempt to diiisgun.se ihii® handwriting. WitoeiSß' ttila/d.always- found accused honest and

stra.ighti..>.. r.: d, and a:ever had a-uy hesitation in trusting him.

William jciiwii Harvey, cycle agent, of Masterton, said that the a ecu sod came into liis ; shop on December 23rd an'd tendered a cheque for £lO in payment cf an account oi itis. The cheque was ttxie 011 c produced. Wartimes did not have the cash a.t the time, and told, accused to call again, ha doing so: iai the evening. Accused tendered the same cheque, and witness gave him £9 4s in change." About uui 'hour later he sent the dhieque by lu'S darugihter to the , W.F.0.A., as he was short of casfoi. . His daaiiglrcer br.ou.ghii hack tihe, chlange. ' By ivn- HoJlings : Accused came to [ witness a- few days after, and asked j lAin not to cash the cheque, as lie' ' would redeem it on the following 1 Saturday. Constable Dauniphy stated that. on December 28th', at o p-ni., he saw tine accused in Queen Street, and stowed, hum the cheque in question, a,sking him iS he knew anything about it. ' Accused replied, "\e&, X know ail', a'bout it. J filled it,he cheque in, and signed Bert Welch's name to 'lit." \Mitness>.bhen. asked accused-if he uttered the cheque to, Mr Harvey, and leeeiveoi a .reply in (the affirmative. Accused further stated that he had steen Ma- Hope anid had fixed matters up. Witness then, [placed, accused under arrest for the offence. Walter S. Jiago, secretary oi the W.F.0.A., Masterton, said that on Decemiber 23rd he cashed 1 tlhe cheque produced for Mr Harvey. The cheque was paid into tlio Bank of New Zealand on Ltoc-niibar iioiAi and hiis firm was subsequently notified by the Bank that t!h!e isiignature on tine cheque wa>s incorrect. Norman Ohamherjiain, teller in the Bank of Australasia, Masterton, said that in the ordinary course of business the chcquecame to the Banik. The signature "Bert W'elch" was irregular. Accused reserved litis defence, and wa® committed for trial at the nexrt isiittiinsgS' cif the Supreme Court at Masterton. -• IZ'a'il'i was allowed in one surety of self £25 and two sureties of £25 ■each.