YOUTH IN TROUBLE

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 214, 10 October 1929, Page 8

YOUTH IN TROUBLE

FALSE PRETENCES CHARGE AGAINST MAORI. CASE HEARD IN HASTINGS. At the Hastings Police Court this uiorning, before Messrs A. A. George and Foster Brook, J's.P., John Tahu Andrews, a Maori youth, aged 19, was charged with (1) on September 25, 1929, forging and ut*ering a cheque for £5 10s, purpoi-ting to be drawn by P. W. Lasrelles. on the Bank of New South "Wales. Hastings, and causing Joe Tos.to act upon it as genuine; (2) on September 21 at Hastings, forgmg and uttering a cheque for £4 10s, purporting to be drawn by P. W. Lascelles on tlie Bank of New Soutli Wales, Hastings, and causing John Redman Murtagh to act upon it as gennine. Detective Farquharson prosecuted. Defendant was not represented by counsel and was unable to speak English, the evidence being interpreted for him. , . John Redrnond Murtagh, who is emnloyed by his "brother, a mercer in Hastings, stated that on September 21, a Maori came into his shop to purchase some trousers. These cost £1 15s and in payment, the Maori tendered a cheque for £4 10s signed by "P. W. Lascelles." The cheque was cashed and the chaime given to the iMaori. Witness could not remember the Maori. The cheque was later returned as the signature was not in order. Joe Tos, a Chinese fruiterer, who took his oath in the Chinese manner of blowing out a lighted matcli, stated that on September 25 a Maori came into his shop and .purcliased lls worthof goods, for which he tendered a cheque for £5 10s signed "P. W. Lascelles," in payment. The cheque was returned from the bank. Witness had often cashed clieques for P. W. Lascelles, wliom Ke had known siuce a young boy. Witness recognised »c" cused as the Maori for whom he had cyffied the cheque. ■ ' Percy William Lascelles, farmer, of Mangateretere, stated that the signatures on the cheques produced were not his. Witness knew the accused, who used to work for him. On one occasion accused was paid "wages by cheque, and accused's -father had often been paid witness' cheques, so accused had plenty of opportunity of seeing the signature., .. . . Constable P. Alsop said he inter" viewed accused on September 27_ and accused admitted tliat he had siS^1, the'name of P. W. Lascelles to the cheques, which he said he liad srtlen from a man named Walker at Easfc Clive. The accused . had been qmte frank over ihe ' matter aird made a signed statement. ' This concluded the evidence - after the hearing of ' which the •accused pleacled guilty to both charges and was remanded to the Supreme Court at ■NTtinipr for Kentence.