MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1913, 22 November 1913, Page 13

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

« CLERK IN TROUBLE. CHARCES OF THEFT & ARSON. Tho hearing of the caso in which Alfred Edward Tomlinson is charged with having failed to account for £50 3s. 6d. belonging to his employers, Messrs. Gollin and Co., Ltd., with having stolen tho same amount, and with having set iire to books and papers in Messrs. Gollin and Co.'s building, and with having stolen £6 10s. belonging to the Imperial Oil Company, Ltd., was continued before Mr. W. G. Kiddell at tho Magistrate's Court yestorday afternoon. Mr. M. Myers appeared to prosecute. Mr. P. W. Jackson represented the defendant. Fredrick Hawthorn, storeman at Gollin arid Co.'s, stated that, on the morning of November 8, he arrived at the office and found the lock of the storeroom broken. He had also noticed a smell of kerosene about one of the ledgers. , W. J. Goddard, clerk, stated that he had a set of tho office keys. On November 7 ho had received a note from accuscd asking him to leave tho keys at a cortain address in Sydney Stroet, and,, at lunch time, he had handed those keys over to Tomlinson. He did not get them back till tho following day. David Fitzmaurice and Arthur Lang, clorks, also gave ovidcncc. Tho latter s evidence was to the effect that he kept a set of tho office keys, there being four other sets beside his. ' Witness did not know, till November 8 that Tomlinson had had a set. He had noticed a strong smell of benzine or kerosene when inspecting the ledger on the morning* of November 8. Joseph Jamison, clerk, gave evidence to tho effect that on a Monday afternoon (about 5.40 p.m.) he had noticed accused tako a copy of a newspaper, and, tearing off a page, go into the strongroom. There witness had heard tho rustling of paper, as if accused were wrapping something up. Later Tomlinson emerged from the strong-room with a parcel, wrapped in newspaper. He had afterwards gone to the store-room, and had returned with a parcel wrapped in brown paper. Witness had informed Mr. Hamilton of what he had ,'seen. Later he had noticed the same parcel taken possession of by Mr. Lang. It was opened, arid witness saw that it contained charred paper. • Detective A. E. Andrews stated, inter alia, that when he had informed Tomlinson that he was suspected of stealing tho firm's money, he (accused) had met this with a denial. Witness had asked him to como into Mr. Hamilton's room, and there accused had admitted the theft. Subsequently Tomlinson had made a written statement, in which ho had ndmitted stealing a sum which ho thought might have been in the neighbourhood of £50. In this statement accused mentioned that his straitened circumstances and his wife's continued illness had led to the theft. Ho had takeu the money fully intending to return it. Ernest William Hunt, public accounts ant and .auditor for Gollin and Co., stated that ho had been investigating the company's books, and also those of the Kottiku Oil Company. In respect to tho. latter company he had fouud that the sum of £100 was missing, anß also an amount of £12 10s. His investigation of Gollin and Co.'s books had shown that tho amount missing was not £50 3s. Gd., but only £23 15s. 10d., while the amount missing from tho Imperial Oil Company was £5 ss. 4d., not £6 10s. At tho conclusion of the evidence, Mr. Myers asked that tho amounts as sot out in the charges bo altered from £50 3s. 6d.-to £23 15s. 10d., and from £6 10s. to £5 ss. 4d., in accordance with Mr. Hunt's investigations. Accused entered a plea of not guilty on each of the three Charges. In regard to tho charge, of arson, he wished to say that he was not at the offico on tho night of the fire, but was at tho pictures. In regard to the other charges he had nothing to say. Aocused was then committed to the Supreme Court for trial. / Mr. Jackson, on behalf of aocused, applied for a reduction in the amount of the bail, as the most that accused could offer from his friends was a sum of £90, and tho security of his father-in-law. His Worship said that the mattor could come up again. In the meantime it could be ascertained whether prisoner could increase tho £90 already put forward. SEAMAN BROACHES CARGO.. "What's tho use, it's five against one," answered Patrick Celcman, an able seamon of tho s.s. R-emuera, when asked if ho had anything to say in answer to a chargo: nf stealing eight packets of soap extract, one pound of candles, and one bottle of gin, of a total value of 6s. Evidence was given by three officers of tho Remuera as to finding tho stolen property under tho pillows and bunk occupied by accused, and of other ship's cargo having been found tampered with. "Had he any right to go to my room without my bein' there?" asked accused. The question was unanswered. Accused, who was stated to have previously borne a good character, was fined £3, with the option of twenty-one days' imprisonment. PASSENGER'S OAR FAKE. Edward Bloomfiold made no appearance on a charge of attempting to ovado payment of tram fare on October 24. Conductor Bramley state:! that on the date in question defendant had travelled by car on the- way to the Post Offico at Lyall Bay. . Witness had several times asked for fares, and defendant had led him to think that he had already paid by holding a used ticket in his hand. Accused was fined 55.,. with costs 255., in default 48 hours' imprisonment. OTHER COURT CASES. Samuel Mitchell Gribblc, charged with being found drunk, was convicted and ordered to pay 17s. 6d., the cost of medical attention. For failing to render personal service under the Defence Act, A. E. Anderson was ordered to pay Court costs, 7s. The option was 24 hours' military detention. MOTOR REAR LIGHTS. ' Otto Jerusalem and James Troctor were each dharged with driving motor vehicles after dark without a rear light attached. The former was fined 10s., with costs 75., and tho lattor 55., with costs. 7s. '