The Sun.
London, England, 1858-11-12 00:00:00

THE FORGERIES AT WIGAN.

Wednesday being appointed for the third ap-
pearance of John Pollard before the magistrates,
on charges of forging scrip to the amount of about
£2,000, during the time he was secretary to the
Wigan Benefit Building Society, the Public Hall
was crowded with people anxious to hear the pro-
ceedings. Mr. Hilton , solicitor, appeared for the prose-
cution, and Mr. Marshall defended the prisoner.
Mr. Ralph Leigh, solicitor to the association, was
in attendance. Mr. Hilton opened the case by
stating that Mr. Pollard had been in receipt of
money belonging to the members of the Wigan
Building Society, and when any of them wished to
withdraw Mr. Pollard's duty was to inform the
treasurer and draw the money. It frequently hap-
pened that cheques were given to Mr. Pollard to
hand over to the parties who wished to withdraw.
Mr. Hilton had no less than 24 such cases, but he
thought it would only be necessary to go into one
or two, in order to substantiate the charge. He
would put in a document said to be signed by a
person named Hart, on which Mr. Pollard received
£l3B. This receipt would be proved in evidence.
When the affair broke out, Mr. Pollard gave up
the key of the safe—the documents were found, and
the whole business was manifest. William Lea, of
Chapel-lane, was then called and said he was a
member of the Wigan Union Benefit Building So
ciety, of which he was treasurer from its commence-
ment, six years and a half ago. Mr. Pollard was
the secretary from the commencement. On the
27th October he went to Mr. Pollard's and inquired
for him ; he was not there. Waited an hour. The
safe belonging to the society was kept at his shop.
It contained the books and papers of the society.
Pollard kept the key. After waiting an hour wit-
ness assisted in removing the safe ; took it
to the shop of Mr. Smith, president of the so-
ciety. The key was afterwards brought, and the
safe opened. The key was brought by Mr. Mar.
shall, solicitor. A partial examination of the con-
tents was made, and the safe was again locked, the
key being given to Mr. Smith. In July last witness
was called upon by Pollard about Thomas Hart
withdrawing his three shares, amounting to £l3B,
and he asked witness to sign the cheque, as Thomas
Hart was going to call at his shop for it. The
cheque was on Messrs. Woodcock's bank. The
cheque was then produced and identified by the
witness. Mr. Smith, president of the society,
detailed an interview which he had with Pollard
on the 28th October, when Pollard agreed to give
obtained with some difficulty. The books were
morning, which were
up the books on the following
scripre ceipt, purporting to be signed
cards were found, marked
3examainnded3,oa2n,
with
voa
by Thomas Hart on the 7th July, 1858. Receipts
of that description ought to be kept by the secre-
tary, and it was his duty to produce them before
the committee.—Thomas Hart was then called, and
said he was a carder. Produced his three scrip
cards for shares 300, 301, and 302; received them
in 1852, when the club started, and has had them
ever since. The notice and the receipt produced,
signed Thomas Hart, were not in his handwriting,
and ho never authorised any person to sign it for
him. Had not received £l3B purporting to have
' been paid on that receipt. The scrip cards which
accompany the receipt had never been in his pos-
session, but the scrip cards which he produced were
those which he at first received.—Mr. Hilton said
this was the case for the prosecution.—Mr. Marshall
said that the prisoner would reserve his defence.—
The prisoner was then committed on this charge.