In this story from our archives reported in 1922, the Cape Argus shares a story of how a man was found guilty of stealing a cheque for £5.
As part of our festive season content, the Cape Argus retrieved articles from its archives looking at what made news in 1922 and 2002.
The article below was published in the Cape Argus dated Cape Town, Tuesday, June 15, 1922.
(Note: The author of the original article is not mentioned or referred to in the article.)
Theft of a cheque – heavy fine paid
Frederick John Young, coloured, a native of St Helena, age 39 years, was found guilty of stealing a cheque for £5, the property of the St Vincent-de Paul’s Charity Society in Rondebosch.
He was sentenced to a fine of £20 or in default two months’ hard labour. The fine was paid.
Head-Constable Keegan, treasurer of the St Vincent-de Paul’s Charity Society, Rondebosch, stated that on March 12 he received a cheque for £5, drawn on account of Wilmot in favour of St Vincent-de Paul’s Charity Society.
The cheque was endorsed by J Callenham and F Ingham, president and secretary of the society.
Between March 12 and 16, he lost the cheque in Mowbray. He notified Standard Bank and did not see the cheque again until the 7th inst (abbreviation for instante mense, meaning a date of the current month).
It had been presented at the Mowbray branch of the National Bank and credited to the accused’s account. He knew that the accused had made an affidavit about the cheque to the police.
Walter Everts, 12-years old, stated that while conveying medicine to the house of the last witness, in Mowbray, he picked up the cheque in Princes Street and gave it to his father.
Walter Everts, father of the last witness, who works for the accused, stated that his son gave him the cheque and he gave it to the accused.
Last week, the accused said: “We must go to the police station as there was something wrong with the cheque.”
In answer to the accused, the witness stated that the accused told him to say that he gave him the cheque along with others he had collected, and he did so. It was not true.
In answer to the court, the witness stated he did not write “W Everts” on the cheque.
Stanley Adendorff, teller at the National Bank, Mowbray, stated that the accused had an account at the bank.
On March 27, the accused paid in the cheque to the credit of his account. The signature on the cheque was that of the accused.
After Detective Holdren had given evidence of the arrest of the accused, the magistrate gave judgment, as already stated.