Woman Acquitted on Forgery Charge

Camden Courier-Post – June 29, 1933

Swedesboro Farmer’s Wife Freed of Accusation Made by Camden Man

A jury of 12 men returned a verdict of not guilty at 3:55 p. m. yesterday on charges of forgery brought against Mrs. Olive S. Roberts, wife of a prominent Swedesboro farmer. The case was in common pleas court before Judge J. Forman Sinnickson.

Mrs. Roberts was not in court when the verdict was brought in. She had become hysterical shortly after the afternoon session opened.

As her lawyer closed his case to the jury, Mrs. Roberts collapsed and had to be assisted from. the courtroom. She was accused of forging the name of George W. Miller, 63, of 577 Stevens Street, Camden, to checks.

Mrs. Roberts bad been sobbing most of the morning and broke down just as court adjourned for the noon recess. A woman companion and court constable assisted her from the court.

After being shown the nine checks alleged to have been forged by her with a cross mark, Miller not being able to write, Mrs. Roberts said:

“He held the pen and I guided it at his request.” She added that the checks were made out by her and that she signed Miller’s name on them, but that he always held the pen to make the mark.

When asked why she assisted Miller in drawing the checks, she declared he had been told at the Swedesboro Trust Co. he was reducing his account and not replacing it; and that he became angry and asked her to go with him to the bank.

Mrs. Edna McCormick of Philadelphia, an employee of a Philadelphia. department store, testified that Mrs. Roberts, accompanied by Miller, purchased silverware of her in February. 1928, and that Mrs. Roberts made out a check for $106 in her presence. She said that Miller held the pen while his mark was made.

That check is the only one which Miller admits Mrs. Roberts helped him to make. Testifying Tuesday he said the check was a loan and that Mrs. Roberts, never repaid it.

Mrs. McCormick declared the check was not used to pay for Mrs. Roberts’ purchases and said she could not remember whether there had been another check drawn on Mrs. Roberts’ account.

Miller went to work on the Roberts farm in May, 1926, and worked there until last January. During that time, it was testified by Paul Peterson, secretary and treasurer of the Swedesboro Trust Co., $2640.40 was withdrawn from his account.

Nineteen character witnesses, most of them from Woodstown, where the Roberts formerly lived, testified Tuesday for Mrs. Roberts. Mrs. Roberts was indicted by the May grand jury. Both she and her husband charge the complaint is a conspiracy.