SUPREME COURT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 207, 21 May 1918, Page 7

SUPREME COURT

MISAPPROPRIATION OF COUNTY FUNDS

N A STRANGE STORY

Hie Honour Mr. Justice Edwards presided over a,sitting of tho Supremo Court yesterilay, and had before iiim Martha ilutchins for sentence.

Tho woman, who was clerk to the Woodvillo County Council, pleaded guilty to misappropriating .ESGS, tho property ot' that local body. Mr. SI. Myers, who appeared for tho prisoner, fiaiil the misappropriation was admitted. The woman, ho believed, had been reported by the authorities to the Court as a woman who had borne an excellent character. She was a woman of whom no one would have said that Bhe was spending money that was not her own. Sho was not spending rooro than, a person in her position would spend. Therefore when it was known that there was such a shortage in her accounts the people of Woodvillo were unable to credit the statement, aid could not account for how it oame about. Sho qame to Wellington last woek, and information was givon by her to the authorities as to ho;v the misappropriation took place. Certain information was given to tho polioo which, if true, would indicate that this woman was more sinned against than sinning. She was forced to give this information by tho members of tho family, who indicated that no matter how painful the circumstances were it should bo given. There must have been sonio way , - in which this monoy was disposed of; it was.not spent by her. Tho position was this; Some few years ago, she, an unmarried woman, had a child. This was about six years ago, in 1912. Some time afterwards, about threo years ago, a certain man whose namo was supplied to tho polico-he has since' been killed at the front-obtained the information about the birth of tho illegitimate child, and threatened to expose tho woman unles3 eho gave him money. Tho man was killed in Juno last year. It appears that I another man then came to tho woman I and said thero was owing to him by tho I doad soldier ft sum of .£93. Ho also posi erased the information that the dead i soldier had, and demanded further sums ! from her. This second man died recently from consumption. It might be snid that this -woman had a way out of tne dillii culty, but tho result of any such proceedings would have been just what she hnd been trying to avoid, namely, the exposure of-her previous trouble. Money was demander. from her from time to time, and her books became muddled. That was tho statement made by her, and it was unfortunate that tho police wero nniiale b verify all the facts, but it was liarulv iikeiy that ehe would concoct a story of this character, since it involved her Rood name. With respect to tho question of restitution, counsel stated that she' fas covered by a fidelity guarantee policy for ,£SOO, and the ehortago wan therefore SM, while tho exi»Rsa ot the audit would probably amow, to ,£IOO. Tho relatives of tho woman wero not people of means, but she had friends who wero prepared to help to the extent of finding this hundred odd pounas. If that amount wore restored it would in. doninify tho local body, though not tho insurance company. The accused had had her wholo lifo spoilt by what had taken place, and her sufferings had beon terrible,- particularly as regards the disclosure she has ken compelled to make. Under tho circumstances tho question arose as to whether any good purposo would be served by further punisHng this woman after the moral punishment sho had undergone. He ventured to ask His Honour to deal with tho caso as one in which the accused should bo convicted and ordered to come up for sontenco when called upon. Counsel then placed the accused in tho witness box to repeat on: oath the statements made to the authorities. After cross-examining the accused, air. Mncassey, who appeared for tho Crown, asked for an adjournment for a iortnight for further inquiries to be mado as to the statements made by the woman. This was grunted, and tho prisoner was iillowcd bail as previously. i

DUNBIN CRIMINAL- SESSIONS By Telußraph-Press Asoociation. Dunedin, M«y '20. At the Supreme Court this morning, 'prisoners wero sentenced as follow:—William Amour Michio Kilt (breaking a!;d entering and theft), nged 18, admitted I to probation for- three years; Patrick ! Joseph Oliver (forgery), aged 19, ordorj cd to come tip for sentence, ooxtein con- ! ditions being imposed; Mory Geary (concealmont of birth), admitted to probation for three years.

! AUCKLAND CIIIMINAL SESSIONS

] By Tclesrapb— Press Association. J , Auckland, May 20. I The criminal sessiocs opened to-day. : The calendar is a light one, and tho i offences are. of. a commonplace nature, i Cyril A. B!oskins was sentenced to two I years' imprisonment on a charge of.ob- ' taining by false pratonoea a cheque tor I .CIS. Tiipeie "ffKiwfti was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, on eoveral charges of forgery of a cheque, and falso pretences.

JN DIVORCE

■.£SOO DAMAGES AWARDED AGAINST A CO-RESPONDENT. Hy Teierrdpt— Preee Association. Christchurch, May 20. In tbe' Supreme Court to-day Jauiea Hides Parkinson petitioned for tho dissolution of Ms marriage with. Alice May Clinton, Leslie Poison beinj joined us co-respondent, and .£'soo damages claimed. A decree nisi was granted, and damages as claimed awarded against tho co-re-, epondont.

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

At the Magistrate's Court yesterday, Mr. L. G. Reid, S.M., presided, and dealt with the polico and inuintenau.ee cases. David Wilson Oughlon, a young and able-bodied man, pleaded guilty to being an idle and disorderly person, in that ho possessed insufficient lawful means of support. The defendant was before the Court a few days ago on a similar charge, and was convicted, and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, this chanco being given him in order that ho might get to work. However, he preferred knocking about town instead of working, consequently- tho Magistrate sentenced him to a month's imprisonment; on a second charge of travelling in a railway carriage between j Lover Eutt and Wellington without paying the fare ot Iβ. 3d., he was convicted and discharged. John Edwin Henderson, whose record was a bud one, was sentenced to three months' imprisonment for stealing 125 cartridges, valued at 305., tho property of W. H. Treiigrove. A sentouce oi fourteen days' imprisonment was inflicted on Joseph Nohra for tho theft of n singlet valued at Gs. from a boardinghouso. For insobriety, William Barker, Patrick Mangan, and William T. Waters wero each lined 10s.. with the alternative of seven dayt>' imprisonment. Three first offenders who did not appear had their bail of 10s. each estreated, another first offender was convicted and discharged. MAINTENANCE CASES. For disobeying maintenance order.-' Albert Waltor Cooke, whoso arrenra totalled J313, aud Frank .Frederick Towneiid. whose arrears amounted to .£4 is., wero each sontenced to fourteen days' imprisonment, no warrants to issue unless applied for by complainants.