MAGISTRATES' COURT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 92, 17 April 1880, Page 2

MAGISTRATES' COURT.

YESTERDAY. [Before 11. E. Curtis and A. Jones, Esqa., J.J.P.] Charge of Embezzlement. , . William Carter Webb was brought up on remand, charged with embezzling the sum of £G 17s, which sum he received on account' of the New Zealand Insurance Company, whose servant he was. Mr Atkinson prosecuted on behalf of the Insurance Company, and Mr Pitt defended the prisoner. The case having been opened, Mr Atkinson called James Wilson, who deposed : I am the manager for the New Zealand Insurance Company at Nelson. I know the prisoner, who was formerly manager of the Nelson branch. I took Over the charge of the bu»iness from him under Mr Pearce's direction in consequence of the ill-health of the prisoner. Mr Lowrio was sent down, and he discovered that things were not quite right. After an interview that Mr Pearce, the General Manager of the Company, had with the prisoner, he placed me in charge. This was about the 12th March, and the prisoner was present.' Mr Pearce requested me to go through the books to see how they stood, and I found the cash book had net been posted from November. I posted ifc, the prisoner being by my side the greater part of the time to give me information. I posted it from vouchers and the cheque book. I came to an item of £6 17s, the date being November 11th. When we came to that item 1 observed tbe " heel " of thd cheque waa marked " expenses," whereas the amount on the Bank pass book of the same date was charged to Neale and Haddow. I asked the prisoner how this was, and he replied, that is oue of the deficiencies. Generally the prisoner has admitted that ho was deficient in his accounts, and has blamed himself very much. He said he paid this sum to Messrs Neale and Haddow. Cross examined by Mr Pitt : I have seen the prisoner on several occasions since he baa been here. He has not displayed any irregularity of health in my presence, nor did he seem eccentric. I saw him last Monday whfcn he was brought up, and he seemed extremely wretched, very weak, and gui c vacant in expression. The prisoner bad power to sign cheques on behalf of the Company, and had to pay his own salary. Re-examined : The account in the Bank was in the name of the Company. By the Court : An inspector visits the branch periodically at no stated time. He was here last October, and the time previous to that was in January, 1878. The piisouerat this stage stated that he admitted the offence, whereupon their Worships sentenced him to six months' imprisonment with hard labor.