ETON'S FATE

NZ Truth, Issue 1143, 27 October 1927, Page 3

ETON'S FATE

Insurance Inspector Convicted (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Rep.) With the prevailing criminal developments that are centred upon motor vehicles, an insurance cover is a big enough risk for any insurance firm. BUT for a representative of an insurance company to issue a policy on a motor-car and withhold for his own use the paid-up premium — well, he is certainly playing with fire. Henry Edward Eton (31), an inspector for an Auckland insurance company must have felt that he was on a good mark— or else he was unaware of the magnitude of the risk he took— when last January he collected the sum of £12 11s. 9d., the amount of an insurance premium on a motor-car. He issued a policy and everything was o.k. for a time. Had the car m which Henry had interested himself been built of asbestos, 'with an engine capacity for water instead of benzine, perhaps the young insurance man would not have had to face the Auckland Police Court last week m answer to a charge of converting to his own use the sum of £19 9s. 9d., the property of his employers, which he had collected on insurance policies. Including the premium for the motor-car, there were two other amounts of £3 9s. each that Eton had not accounted for. Yes, Henry Edward Eton's luck was out. The particular car on which he took insurance — like all other automobiles — was very susceptible to fire and when the machine was destroyed Eton found himself up against it. Lawyer Fawcett pleaded for accused. Eton had been m the firm's employ for two years and four months and his lapse could be accounted for by the fact that he was only earning £5 a week. This had not been sufficient to cope with certain expenses he had incurred m obtaining treatment to his face, which' was inflicted with partial paralysis. "He nas been m a position of trust," remai'ked Magistrate Hunt, m committing Eton to twelve months' probation, with an order for restitution. "He was quite old enough to know better."