MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1317, 21 December 1911, Page 3

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

(Before Mr. AW G. Kiddell, g.M.) THEFT ALLEGED. FROM THE WORKING MEN'S CLUBTHE LATE SECRETARY. Frederick AYiiliam Green, until recentemployed as clerk and librarian at the Working Men's Club and Literary Institute, in Victoria Street, was charged with having stolon .£,'175 15s. .Od. from the iunds of the club. The ofTence was alleged to have Ix'on emnmitted between July 1. I!)ll, and November '20, 1911. Chief-Detective Jirnljerg prosecuted, and .Mr. A. L. Herdnum appeared for Green.

In the evidence for the prosecution the | following wns alleged: Green had been employed for 3.1 years at the Working Men's Club and Literary Institute. Ite was a salaried officer, and part of his duty was to receive money on behalf of the club, and hank it to the credit; of the trustee?. On November 20 last ho was asked to resign hjs position, and his duties, for the time being, were taken over by Edward Mace, president of the club. The latter endeavoured to balance tho books early in December, aud found that there were discrepancies between the figures in the cash book and those in the bank pass book. There was au item in tho cash book of ,£lsl 6s„ but the bank pass .book .showed only ,£ol Gs. as having been paid into tho' trustees' account. Similarly, with an item of ,£ltfi 6s. in the e.asli book, only X'lfi was shown in the bank pass book. Accused, on being interrogated regarding a sum of £25, which was usually kept in the safe, accounted for it by receipts for accounts paid. It was then discovered by tho. president that Green had paid several accounts by cash, instead of following the usual custom, and paying them by cheque. There also were a number of erasures in the books, aud those in tho bank pass Iwok were found, on inquiry, not to have been made' by the officers of the bank. An audit of tho books was then! made. It was the: custom to have an aumdit every, six months. One had been completed in Juno last, and Messrs. Eolton and Morris, the present auditors to the citil). went through the books on December 13 nnd '1-1. The result of this audit was that Green was shown to have received on the club's behalf XSBBB Ss. Gd. (including .£7l ■ Is. 3d. brought forward)' from July 1 until November 20. The amount paid into the bank .during, that period was AMOS!) 195., leaving a-deficiency of <£201 9s, (id., which, however, was reduced bv the cash payment of accounts already mentioned. In some months the amount paid into the bank was less (lion the amount of actual receipts,-while, in other months, it exceeded the actual receipts. Subsequently Green was arrested by Detective-Sergeant M'llveney, 'anil charged with appropriating the club's money. In answer to the charge he said: "There must be some mistake. I did not steal any of their monev. I was there for 31- years, and left without a penny.

Witnesses for the prosecution were De-tcefive-Sergoant M'llveney, Edward Mace, president of the Club, Davil Alexander Smith, treasurer, Bolton anil Morris, accountants, auditors to the club; J. Loughnan and D. A. Jones, both-of the National B.ink.j During cross-examination'- of the witness, Bolton. .Air. Herdman drew from him the statement that, when Green paid <131,65. .into tho bank-and entered ,£lsl os. in the cash book, there was no record to show that he (Green) had more than .C.y fis. of-the club's. funds in his possession. The same remark applied to the entry of .Cl-KJ fis. in the cash book, and the payment of <£!G Gs. to tho bank. It was possible that Green could make a mistake. • but witness, knowing Green's habits, did not t.hink it probable that he had done so in these eases.

Green, on being formally charged, pleaded not guilty. He reserved his'defenee, and was committed to the Su--proine Court for trial. Bail was.allowed in <filOo'hiiil a surety of c£ICOJ FORGERY ALLEGED. ~ Granville Hunt, who hud been arrested at Kihikihi, in the AVnikuto district, on Monday last, was indicted on two charges of forgery and uttering. The offences arc alleged to have been committed on July 29. 1910,-and the charges refer to promissory notes bearing the name of- \Y. H. Nash—one for J;l-12 Bs. lOd. and another for .siloO "sOn the applicatoin of Chief Detective Rroberg. accused was remanded until Wednesday next. Mr. K. C. Levvey asked for boil for accused". This was allowed in .SKiO, and two sureties of ,£75 each. serious chai;gi:s made. Lewis Witte'.i, alias H., L. Witlen. a native of England, (I years of age, was charged (J) with criminal assault on a girl six years «r age, and (2) with a certain other act. Sub-Inspector Sheehan conducted the prosecution, accused not being represented by counsel.

When the evidence for the prosecution hiil been tendered, accused pleaded not guilty, reserved his defence, . ruul was c-ommitted to the Supreiiic Court for trial on both .charts'. A young man. named Albert Henry Hughes, was charsred with carnally knowin? at Petoue on December 9. On the application of Chief Detective Broberg.. accused was remanded until December 20. COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE. Arthur Thompson, an Australian, 3D years of age, chargcd with attempting a certain offence at ICilbirnio, on December 9; pleaded guilty when (ho evidence had-been tendered against him, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Chief Delective Broberg conducted the prosecution. The accused was not represented by counsel. REMANDED. Michael Lane was charged with failing to account to .lolin Lane for .ifi /?. Cd., which sum ho had 'received on terms requiring' him lo account for it. Accused . was remanded until to-morrow morning. OTHER CASES. \ .lolin David Speight was called on to answer charges of (1) drunkenness; (2) resisting Constable Bates, while the latter was in the execution of his duty; and (3) damaging, a glass panel valued at 12s (id., the property of A. 11. Cock. Accuscd pleaded guilty to all three offences and on the' application of SubInspector Sheehau ho was remanded until this morning for sentence. ■ Samuel Smith and William Hodgson, irlio appeared on charges of insobriety, were fined 10s. each, the alternative being 18 hours' imprisonment. Ada Edwards, alius Stewart, and Mary Ann Wilkins,, charged with insobriety, j .-ere fined .is. each, ill default 21 hours' imiirisonment.

. Two first-offending inebriates, who did not appear, were ordered-"to'forfeit their bail of 10s. each, or undergo Hi hours' imprisonment. Another first-offender■ was convicted ajid discharged. JUVENILE COURT. ' A lad, 13 years of age, appeared in the Juvenile Court yesterday morning on a charge of stealing a bicycle, and a. lamp .and bell. He was convicted andordered to receive six strokes of' the birch.