AN EXTRAORDINARY WILL FORGERY.

Inangahua Times, Issue 03, 9 October 1878, Page 2

AN EXTRAORDINARY WILL FORGERY.

The trial o.f a singular ens'* of will for* Kery, after ocmipyinjc tho Grown Court: nt the Leudfl Assizus two days, onclu'lod on Saturday nvoninjj, Tho prisoners vrcro | Biohnivl ITypri, a hooch solicitor, n«c<t 01; Chares Wollmm, -It, butcher; and BtHijimin Joy, niMtioneer, nefod 5Q t wha wore c-hnrnod with conspiring totjaihor tn for<;o a document purporting to be the [ will of Mr James Hal field, n cnntlonian { who died noar LeedH in May, 1877. Tho I forgery was Raid to havo been committed thus :—ln 1867 Mr Uutfi-ld mado a will, bequcnlhini? about £20,00.') oqually b rt< « tweou his wifo nnd four children. Ho kept the document iahis bed 'room and i

[ookod at it oneea year, also allowing his oldest son, a balk oashicr, of Menstono, near Otley, acwss to it. Ou tho day of tho tostutor'sdoath tho will was niissod ; ~CTrm--n-V.an yomc Mr Hatfiold inqairod for jt, his raothor jhowod l»im n will of recent date, in which nil tho money wns loft to hor. Tho laUor document was eot aside by the Court of Probate, and a pencil draft of tho 1807 will held to bo valid. Tho present action has shown that Joy, hearing of tli« ilca^h of tho testator, at onco induced a man jiaincd Glunn to forgo tho flignaturo ' Jama Kntfiold ' to v form of will ; Joy nnd jtVeliiam >ddod their Bi«naturos, and then Myers assisted in concocting tho sputjous document iv tho hope of <Mvertm<i tho wholo of the logncios. The jury iound nil the prisoners Ruilty. Mr Justino Lindley, in passing sentence, told Jiy that ho was nt tho bottom of tho wl^lo fraud— that he had ! «ot it up in tho injerest of hi« sister. Ho would bo scntcnctjl to ponal servitude for Gftrou years. Ajyor.f, said his lorJship, had been brought up to Iho profession of tho law, and had availed him>e!f of bis professional kno\v|ed«o in the porpotrution of a very serious jVantl. tits punislinunt would bo penal so(vitu.lo for fifteen yearsWoihnm, who had boon more of n tool in tho bunds of others, would ho sentenced tp Hevon jonrs' jennl sorn'rudo. Myers, befro God anil, niiin <lee!arod ho wns innouont. '