CHARGES OF THEFT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2550, 26 August 1915, Page 9

CHARGES OF THEFT

AN INTERESTING CASE, By. Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, August. 25. ■Charges of theft against Ernest Geo. Nurse, aged, about 35, occupied the Supremo Court yesterday and to-day. The case for tlie Crown was that for, some time prisoner bad carried on business as Nurse and Co. in the Dominion, and. in Birmingham, tlieri lie and his brother started a firm known as Nuksj': Ltd., having-shops in Auckland and Christohuroh. They arranged to givo their bank a "bearer debenture" for j £8000, one of tile provisions being that' they were not to dispose of any of tlie stock except by ordinary means of sale. Later .on the bank made a further advance of a smaller amount, after which tho business was considered unsatisfactory, and a receiver was put in. Wliile negotiations were in progress, accused went into one of the company's shops and took away 59 diamond rings, valued at £799, while on the same day he entered a' second shop and took 33 rings, valued at. £502, and three days later, he took a large quantity of rings ,to "Wellington. ■ Some of the jewellery had been recovered, the balance, which accused said he .had posted to : Birmingham, had not been traced. .The defence, was that the value of tho. jewellery taken, away Vas not sufficient to endanger the, bank's security, that the jewellery was taken by Nurse for the benefit of his other creditors, that Nurso's actions were .. open; and above board, and not intended to defraud. _ The jury,- after a lengthy retirement, returned .a verdict of not guilty,