THE FORGED CHEQUE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1716, 5 July 1883, Page 2

THE FORGED CHEQUE.

At the Hamilton Polic« Court, on Tuesday, Annie Qtunn was charged, on iemand, with having on the 29th June feloniously uttered a forged cheque lor £'40, purporting to be diawn by Isaac Coates, well Knowing the same to be forged. Sergt. McGovern prosecuted, and Mr Hay appeared for the defence. The fii\it witues-s called w.ms Isaac Coates, farmer and contractor, residing at Kirikhhoa. Knew the accused, whose husband and son had been woi king for him The son left on tiie 2oth mst., and witness paid him by cheque. Gave a cheque to him on the 2(ith for £3 7s. This cheque was cashed at the Bank of New Zealand. Had not d i awn any cheque pa\ able to P. Quinn since that date. The cheque pio.luced was a forgeiy. Did not sign it oi authorise anyone else to do so There was a sunilaiity to his writing in the signature, but it was heavier. Uio^ examined bv Mr Hay : There ib a strong smulaiity between the forged signature and my own. though not sutfieient to deeeh c me. I could detect the foigeiyata glance. I remember Monday, the 11 tli June, bein<» at a Masonic banquet at Cambridge. Ido not lcmembor signing a cheque on that night. Had no eomeisation with anyone on that night legaidmg a cheque. Did not' speak about paying Quinn to anyone. There was a man named Wilson there, who said Quinn had spoken about him, but nothing further occurred. Will swear I did not sigu <t clieque, or promise to do so on that oeeassion. Re-e\amined : I did not owe Quinn any money on the 11th June. A person not well acquainted with my wilting might be deceived by the forgeiy. Bv the Bench : I have received a lawyer's letter claiming some money on account of P. Quinn, but I took no notice of it, knowing that I owed Quinn nothing. This would be about six weeks ago. J. F White, accountant in the Dank of New Zealand at Hamilton, rememheied the 27th .luue, on which date accused pie&enled a cheque signed by Isaac Coates (pioduced), which heeashed. On the 29th accused again came into the bank and piescnted a cheque, purporting to be signed by Mr Coates, tor C4O (cheque produced). Suspected at once that it was a foigery. Compared it with a cheque of Coates previously cashed, and saw at once that the forgeiy was very unlike the, ordinary signature. He, theicfoie, felt justified in lehising to ca&h it. She saidhhe wibhed it cashed. He said he could not do so, and then she made a rambling statement about Coates owing them sonic money, He asked her if she got the cheque from Coates diicct. She said she leceived it from the post-olfice, and showed him the envelope (pioduced) Accused then went away, but returned in the altemoon, when he told her lie had been unable to see Coates, and lequcsted her to call atrain in the morning Made enquiries as to wheie the cheque was obtained, but could not see the peioou to whom the cheque was issued until the next day. That poison was Mr Hatiick. Saw Ha tuck on Satin day morning, and asked him if he had given any loose cheques lo anyone, and lie io plied that he had given two to Mrs Quinn Tnc number of one of them was ielentical with that of the foigcd cheque. On Saturday morning accused came to the bank, and witness again said he could not cash it. She asked for his reason, and he said he had seen Coates, who had told him iie had not given ail) Mich cheque 1 . She then asked to have the cheque back, and lie refused to give it. Cioss examined by Mr Hay : Accused's manner was confused each time she called at the bank. Do not think this was on account of my telling her I could not cash the cheque. Have no other lc.ison tor supposing accused knew the cheque fco be a foigery. Don't think, to the best of my knowledge, that she was confused when she picsented the first cheque. I can tell when a poison is contused or not. Re-examined : The manner of accused was not the same on the 20th as on the 27 th. J. E. E Ha trick, a draper residing at Hamilton, deposed that on the 20th of June accused came to his .shop and asked for two blank cheques, which he gave hei . She said she wanted them for her husband. The No. of the cheque produced cone&ponded with the number of the block. Did not know what accused did with the blank cheques. On the 3'Jth she told witness that the cheques weie for somebody else. Sergt. McGovern deposed to arresting the pnsoner on the previous day. She said she had received the cheque through the post-office, and that was all she knew about it. This was the case for the piosecution. Mr Hay s.iid the evidence did not sot up a case of uttering. There was no evidence of a guilty knowledge, The prisoner's mouth was shut. He might say, however, that ho was informed by Ins client that she had not got the cheques half-an-hour before sue lost them. His Woi ship : Then why did she not tell the witness (Hatiick) so on the 30th? Mr, Hay said it was possible that the whole thing was a hoax perpretrated by .someone who had a down on the Quinns. .Pin ther there was nothing to show that there was not another Isaac Coates. J. F. White, re-called, said there was only one Isaac Coates who had an account at the Hamilton Bank. To the best of his knowledge there was no other Isaac Coates with an account at any of their banks in Waikato. The hearing was adjourned till the following morning in order to admit of the attendance of the manager of the bank. Yesterday morning Mr White was again put in the witness-box, and stated that the manager of the bank (Mr Hume) had no means of stating positively whether or not another Isaac Coates kept an account at one of the agencies. Sergt. McGqvern deposed that he had lived in. the dish-jet for upwards of 18 years, and up to that day had never heard of another person. iiamed Isaac Coates in Waikato. Mr Hay reserved his defence, and the prisoner was then fully committed to take her trial at the next criminal sittings of the Supreme Court at Auckland. Bail was allowed in two sureties of £150 each, and on the husband's recognisance for £200. Sureties, in the persons of Mr George Iftays and Mr P. OBrien, wer§ found last night.

Mr Daley, flautapu, has a sheep dog for sale. Te Aroha goldmining .notices appear elsewhere. An Auckland schoolmaster advertises for two boy boarders. Mr Goodfellow, Alexandra, advertises a stray bullock on his farm, ,