THE OHIRO HOME.

NZ Truth, Issue 84, 26 January 1907, Page 5

THE OHIRO HOME.

PERKY PECULATING PURVIS. Thieving Secretary Admits His Guilt. Sent to the Supreme Court for Sentence.

After many adjournments, the charges against Alexander Waite Purvis, late secretary to the Benevolent Trustees of Wellington and master of the Ohiro Old Men's Home, were heard at the S.M.s Court on Monday last, before Dr. McArthur, S.M. There were- a dozen on: more charges against Purvis, being comprised of theft and false pretences. The amount of money stolen by Purvis is £136 12s 2d, though the Trustees will not lose a penny, as the accused, when his frauds were discovered, placed £150 m the hands of Mr C. H. Izard, M.H.R., and this sum is intended to cover the defalcations known. Purvis, moreover, has saved himself a considerable lot of trouble by pleading guilty, which he did at the conclusion of the evidence^ against him, and he was accordingly committed to the Suprejne Court. to, receive "^ntence, being lillefated 'ih'ftne meantime on £200 bail.

The thefts commenced m. June, 1905, arid 1 continued up. till July 26, 1906, and the various amounts pur-' loined were £>8. £41 10s, £8 19s 6d, £33 12s, £22 12s, and £21' 18s. In addition to the aelf-confessed charges against this thief of charitable funds, an employee of Te Ard House, named George Ingram was accused of having aided, abetted and counselled Purvis m the commission of various offences ; but Ingram denied his guilt, reserved his defence, and was committed for trial.

Briefly, it seems that; Purvis was m the .habit of running private accounts at Te Aro House and at Hannah's boot-store. Cheques were passed for payment for goods, represented to be for the Ohiro Home, by the Benevolent Trustees, s These cheques were then transferred to Purvis' own account or utilised to pay his own private bills. - '. .

The manager of TeAro House, m giving his "evidence, said that he had placed every confidence m Ingram and considered that he had not m any wav robbed his firm. Thus challenged. Mr H. D. Bell, who prosecuted, said the contention of the prosecution was that Purvis and Ingram had been

conspiring m systematic robbery for some time.

Purvis seems to have tumbled that trouble was looming on his horizon, as, without authority, he wrote a letter to Te Aro House management requesting them to allow no one ( to examine their books without the written authorisation of the Benevolent Trustees. When David Robinson, the Chairman of the Trust, was asked if Purvis was ever requested to write such a letter he promptly denied it. Purvis' defalcations were discovered when all his vouchers were critically examined ; there may have been more, as Purvis had without authority destroyed all .'in existence prior to the past eighteen months.

Mr Skerrett, -who appeared for Purvis, made a good plea for mitigation of punishment by eliciting the fact that by the practise of strict economy, Purvis and his wife had removed a debt of over £1000 that the Trust was liable for when accused received his appointment, and had succeeded m placing over £1000 to its credit. The Benevolent Trustees had also been receiving £7500 per annum from the Wellington and Wairarapa Charitable Aid Board. That amount had since been reduced to £3500.

When Acting-Detective Wiliiams arrested Purvis on December 18, be seemed to have been m readiness for it and coolly requested to have certain gentlemen sent for who would go bail for him, m addition to which he wanted his counsel, Mr Skerrett notified. Williams remarked to Purvis that he seemed to be anticipating things and the thief replied, "I knew it was coming." He wanted to know the amount he had collared and was quite cocky m assuring the detective that £1000 would be forthcoming if necessary. He went on to say, "I am not alone m. this ; I am the tool of a lot." The lot, he explained to Williams, belonged to Te Aro House, and mentioned two „ names. ' Hayine: said that he had confessed his crime to the Trustees, Purvis showed the sort ol "ho"f>r among thieves" that he possessed by declaring "that he would fight it out and let them all fall m like himsell.

Evidently he thought better of fighting it out and pleaded guilty, trusting no doubt to be leniently dealt with when he is before the judge. Pending that event nothing more will be said here as Xo mosc discreditable facts about Purvis which will be published after he is sentenced, as a warning to the trembling or truculent trustees and the general public; as well as m the interests of the poor old men whose lives at the Home he rendered so brutally bitter.