J. T. Vaughan appeared before Mr. G. W. King in H.M. Police Court on Wednesday afternoon on a charge of having obtained $12.90 and $35 by icans of false cheques from J. Soto, the proprietor of 2 Japanese restaurant, in Seward Read.
Inspector O'Toole, who appeared to prosecute, said the case against Vaughan was that he went to the restaurant on May 27 and, after having been served with food, tendered a cheque for $12.90 in payment.. The cheque was accepted, and accused shortly afterwards returned to the restaurant and cashed a cheque for $55, saying that he was temporarily short of cash. When the cheques were presented at the American Oriental Bank they were found to be worthless. Defendant left Shanghai and went to Peking, but returned and gave himself up at Hongkew Police Station the pre~ vious morning.
Accused was remanded in custody until next morning.
At, Thursday's hearing—the complainant, J. Soto, proprietor proprietor of a restaurant in. Seward Road, gave evidence that accused vis: ted the house with 'a friend on May 26 last and had a bath and massage, followed—by tiffin, defendant giving a cheque for the bill, $12.90. They then left, and later accused returned and requested witness to cash a cheque for $55, saying that the bank was thea closed, and witness instructed his wife to give him the money. Both cheques were returned when. presented to the American Oriental Bank.
Mr. A. B. Parker, assistant cashier at the bank, stated that the cheques were returned because Vaughan had no funds. His account was closed on May '15, a balance of 10 cents being struck off as service charge.
His Worship—Was he informed that his account was closed?
Witness—No. He still had a balance of 10 cents, and we did not debit that service charge until May 29, His Worship—I ask. because most of us do not know what our balance at the bank is, and may overdraw unless the bank has told us.
Defendant admitted the charge' and had. nothing to say.
In reply to his Worship, Inspector O'Toole said that since the accused had left the employ of one of the telegraph companies he had been living a more or less riotous life in Shanghai, with companions who were no good ta him, but the police had had nothing against him before. This was his first appearance in court.
Defendant, in answer to the court, repeated that he had no excuse to offer.
His Worship—If, in a commer-* cial community, one overlooks the misuse of cheques, I don't know where we are going to stop. It is an offence people must understand they cannot do, Asked why he returned from Peking, accused said he was told by a friend there the best thing he could do would be to return and on arriving fire his mother. to Shanghai and give himself up, told him the same thing.
His Worship—I_ am sorry to have to do it, but I shall have to send you to prison for one month, with hard labour?
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.