'A native glazier and a cash-shop assistant were charged with being concerned together in having in their possession and knowingly uttering nine counterfeit Hongkong and Shanghai Bank five dollar notes, thereby defrauding several native complainants, on various dates.
In connection with the same case a cash: shopkeeper was churned with being in possession of counterfeit coin, with intent to simulate same, on the 13th instant.
Mr. ©._R. Holeomb appeared for the defence.
Inspector Bourke stated the charges and said that the first prisoner, when arrested on a charge of uttering two of the forged notes, told the police that the second prisoner was his accomplice. The second prisoner was an assistant in the cash shop kept by the third prisoner. The latter denied all knowledge of the forged notes.
Detective-sergeant Burnside said that on the 7th instant he received information that some forged Tientsin bank-notes were being circulated. He at once began to make me pumes, which led to the arrest of the Prisoners. The first prisoner had tried to cash three forged notes at a shop, but the shopman detected the forgeries and detained the man. The latter was released, however, on a friend going security for him. The notes were returned to him, with characters endorsed on them to show that they were forgeries. The same evening the first prisoner took some forged notes to a shop in Shanse Rod and offered them in payment of an account. The shopman did not ike the look of the notes and asked the prisoner to put his chop on them. The latter said he could not write, 90 the snop-man wrote the prisoner's name on them and told the prisoner he would have re. course to him if there was anything wrong with the notes.
Cross-examined by Mr. Holcomb—When the first prisoner went to the shop to try to change the notes he was detained, and released on giving security. The security was given to save the prisoner from being taken to the Police Station. Witness got his first information from a man who had cashed two of the notes in good faith, but who, on hearing that some bad Tientsin notes were in circulation, brought his notes to the Station and reported the matter. He believed the prisoner had all along maintained that the notes were good.
Evidence was then given by the assistants of various shops at which the first prisoner had tried lo cosh notes.
For the defence, Mr. Holcomb said that the prisoners had' all along acted in good faith. Every act done by them showed their bona fides. When told that the notes were bad, the first prisoner gave his name and address, gave security, and also stated where he obtained the notes. The other Prisoners also acted like ionooent men. The hooks of account (produced). showed that their story as to the source of the notes was correct.
Detective-sergeant Burnside pointed out that after he was told that the notes were forgeries, the first prisoner tried again cash them. An innocent man would in all probability have gone to the shop where he obtained the notes and told the shopkeeper that they were bad. months?
The first prisoner was sentenced to six assistant was discharged; the notes were ordered to be destroyed. ju Te Gharze against the shopman of being in possession of counterfeit coin was then proceeded with, _Detective-sergeant Burnside said that on visiting the priceer's chop in connection with the previous charge, he asked the wers she was there if there was any bed money in the shop. She said there was not, but witness detected her taking a parcel out of a drawer, and saw her take it upstairs. He followed her and seized the parcel, which was found to contain a quantity of bed dollars and smaller coins.
Mr. Holcomb said it was no crime to have bad money in one's possession; in fact, it was often unavoidable. As long as there was no intent or attempt to utter, there was no offence. It was quite natural that a cash shop should contain a quantity of bad money as they came across it in the ordinary course The prisoner was sentenced to a fortnight's imprisonment, and the bad money was ordered to be destroyed.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.