A TOWN CLERK'S THEFTS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2154, 21 May 1914, Page 5

A TOWN CLERK'S THEFTS

TAIHAPB IiOROI'GII ACCOtiXTS.'

. » Bt ®elcffrs.pls,--Pr(!E« As.focintioii.) Palmorston North, May 20, u Court to-day, beforo tho Chief .1 ustko (Sir Robert Stout), .'t-corge Sutherland, Into Town Clerlr afc laihiilpc, was. cjtar.Rcd (1) that on or -ruiout April TJ, I'Jl.'i, at Taihapo, -hp stoto i lii- suiii 'if £.14 from his. ■ omi plo.vers: (2) that oi: April 14,1913, with | intent to defraud, he omitted to mako ; sb fitftry irt "tlio libolts* of' thoYK)i-porfi-tion frodvtiiii; Alfred \ViUiani llirfcll witJi h.ivtug paid iqn behalf -of tins corporntimi tlio sltm <jf £1.4; (3) tliat o'ii .or ■ o'wit May "1S)!3, he stole .Co Is. Hid. frow the corporation = (•!) thai oil ilm ■ sa-mo cla'tp, ..with il!t : (Mvt to .defraud., 'lid omitted to inaite an entry in ilm corporation's books crediting Pavid Will;jo '■with- having paid to him on behalf <>f ib.c .cexpaxaii(i!ij2S.afi...Jod.; -that; «" or about May 3, I'JK), ho stole Mi.; "om the '^'ouijoratioft •*• $} tha,t on. tho siffii® dnto, with fnthilfc to (]efriuid r .ho omitted to make an entry in- tlio corporation's book? crediting tho Malta- ■ wtetu timber Co., xvitli having ..paid to Mill, On lje.iiajf of rho corporally'', tho sum of £1.1; and (?) that, on •.rivers date? butv;iHMi Felfrimry fij 1013, and 'January .'iO, .T9l4 c lie stole .ilie-sum of £352 18s. from tlio corporation; ~, Accused stated that, ho had been Towlv Clerk l sineo !!!!)(), and during tlio last- two years lio- had been in receipt of "jCIiOO per. aliiivim. Until 19Q9 ho hadall tiro work of tlio office. to transact. Tho work had mostly increased of last, aiid iidditioti" to • liavir.g" bis pfiteo duties to, perform, he engineer of Stiver's] borough works, returning Officer.- and ■ jireparcfi the elcetfjr.nl ro'ls. . He., was three parts .<>s his time out of the office. Hu had asked the. council twice for assistance.- and was reurscil. , lie knew thai, on o.nn occasion. tlie. books did not balnnoo within .€"(), and; lie borrowed foO io make up the. deiieicncy. His beoks wr-ro bciliffil, ai iio eoVjfd hot ©yc "the-tii .nro..per atteul-ion. Do iret|Wirtly r.eoeiwd money in theTSfovt, but. ho could i-lvn no reason as to what caused the dcficieuc.v. Uc did r.oi- cumpnrn receipts with amounts'. Ho had at various .tfoics paid money out of his own pocket to make up riofieicncios ... ; The . Jtidgo 'suijiiiieij up strongly against accused.' and tho jury returned a, verdict,of. ''CI uilty". on. counts Ito 15, and "Xot guilty" oil ilm seventh count.

The prisoner will bo sentenced in. the morning.