FORGERY AND UTTERING

FORGERY AND UTTERING COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE,

In the Magistrate's Court this morn ing, before Mr W. B. Haselden, S.M.a young man named Arthur Vivian Wells, of respectable appearance, was charged that at Manaia on or about February 8, 1918, he did forge the name of J. W. Patterson, Manaia, to a cheque for £8 18s 6d, and did utter same to Ching Sheen Chong. John William Patterson, farmer, residing at Kapuni, deposed that he banked with the Bank of Australasia, Manaia. A form was missing from his cheque book and the cheque produced was from his cheque book. He did not fill this chequa in, and he had not given the blank cheque form to anyone. He knew the accused, who had recently commenced to work for him. The accused had on one occasion been left in the house alone. Accused slept i» a hut and had his meals in the house and could go into it on lawful occasions. The signature on the cheque was not witness' signature. His cheque book was kept in a coat pocket which was hung up in the bedroom. Ching Sheen Chong, fruiterer, Manaia, stated that last Saturday night the accused brought the cheque (produced) to the shop and asked fo> change, which he gave him. Witness paid the cheque into his banking account at Manaia, and he was siibse quently told that there was something wrong with it. Frederick George Kimbell, manager of the Bank of Australasia, Hawera. deposed that the cheque came to him from the Manaia branch. The Hawera branch had a client named J. W. Patterson, but the signature on the cheque produced was not like his client's, and j was certainly not his. Constable Liston gave formal evidence of the accused having admitted the offence. The accused, who had nothing to say, pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court, Wellington, for sentence.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, 16 February 1918, Page 5