system call to a Unix shell script utility fails with code 256 ($?)

I have a CGI script written in Perl, issuing a system call for a utility I wrote with Bash shell script. The utility attempts to create a new file.  

I capture the command (print it on the web page), copy and paste it into the command line and from there it works perfectly.
I can also use the same utility for reading files and directories with no trouble (thru the Perl script), only the creation of new file fails.

Thanks
Jack

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$topicn=$_[0];
$txt=$_[1];
$topictime=time();     # EPOCH TIME WILL BE THE KEY (IN SECONDS GRANULARITY)
$wcommand="/home/js3104/simplestore write N15928458/topic/$topicn/$topictime \"$txt\"";
`$wcommand`;           # WRITE A NEW VERSION (OR FIRST) OF A TOPIC
 
if ( "$?" != 0 ){
$error="Cannot update topic at the moment, error code: $? $! $wcommand";               
}
#### utility name: simplestore