Forgery at Wateringbury Post Office (1873)

Post date: Aug 05, 2012 10:47:57 AM

Extract from Lloyd's weekly newspaper of Sunday 16th March 1873:

CHARGE OF FORGERY-SAD CASE

-John Charles Anderson, 21, writing clerk, was indicted at Maidstone for forging and uttering a savings bank notice of withdrawal for £8. 10s., the moneys of the Postmaster general-The prisoner, a younger brother named Walter and some sisters resided at Wateringbury with their father, and it appeared that they were on very affectionate terms, and that a sum of money had been placed in the Post-office savings bank at Wateringbury, which was intended to be increased to a larger sum for the exclusive benefit of the youngest boy, Walter, and the prisoner and the sisters seemed to have contributed to the proposed fund.

In the month of February the prisoner appeared to have made a representation to the Post Office authorities that the deposit book had been lost, and he signed the notice in the name of his brother, and after some correspondence obtained the money. When the brother of tho prisoner was examined before the magistrate he said that the signature to the warrant for paying the money was a forgery, and that he had never given the prisoner any authority to sign his name. When he was now called, however, to support the prosecution, he made a totally different statement, and said that his brother (the prisoner) had been out of a situation for some time, and was in difficulties, and he was anxious that he should have the money out of the Post Office bank, and the roundabout proceeding adopted to obtain possession of it was carried out because the mother had the bankbook in her possession, and she would not consent to the prisoner having the money.

-Mr. Justice Brett, in summing up, said the principal witness must have perjured himself either before the magistrate or on the present occasion. It was, however, for the jury to decide.-After a very brief deliberation they returned a verdict of "Not guilty."