MISDIRECTED

NZ Truth, Issue 1183, 2 August 1928, Page 7

MISDIRECTED

Culture's Fall -^- Name Suppressed (From "N.Z. Truth's" Dunedin Hep:) The benefit;s of a brilliant academic career at the Otago Boys' : High School .were apparently wasted on a youth who came be- - fore Magistrate Bundle m the Dunedin City Police Court, last week on two charges of stealing money from- his employers, the > New Zealand Government. . : " THE method * "employed 'by the ac- ■* cused, indicated that it ivas In no :; moment of weakness wheri'V^-let oul- % tured- training,- school spirit and char- :';■ acter forsake him. - v ■ - ~ ; A loose system of receipting for ';, monies passing -between the Public :: Trust Office and the Lands -• Registrar, m: r'espfect' of propertied coin- 7 ing under the" 1 administration of the JPublic Trustee, gave this ypvmg thief r -? an opportunity for petty' peculation 5 and, being pushed . for money' at . the : time, he took- advantage of it. ; : 'VL, The, amount involved m the two i charges was £3/15/o."* . ' . V The case was described by Lawyer '-. W. , Hay as a tragedy, a? : boy m '\ the history p£ I^uriedihl. Had :.ia?; more : brilliant scholastic record. ; .., ... ,' , No Need For It ,-■■'. "I will not go into the details of his record, as if they were; published;- his . identity \ might become known," re-,;v marked counsel, apparently .banking i: on a successful application for sup- V; pressioh of name, but he handed up a ..-- ; summary, of his- attainments for the ■• Magistrate to peruse. ■'■ f The accused, who. pleaded guilty to/j. both charges, might have been charged :| with forgery, btit was favored wlth^ summary charges 'of :thef t.C.'the/ CHieE-.> ]. detective remarking' that :;the lends: of justice could be met by. his case being^ dealt with m the lower court. ■'?_■_■ The Public Trustee' regarded the ac- : ; cused as * a servant of exceptional v ; ability and on account of 'his., excel- -\\ lent service since -joining the , depart-^; ment ,three years ago, he 'had : been'^transferred to Christchurch. . l_[ No explanation was offered,' ''■' however, why the accused did his *'.. best to conceal his crime, beyond : V his own statement that he was ; i pushed for money to pay a debt X and I;hat he, was ashamed to ap- .-y proach his father. V The Rev. V. 6.' Bryan King spoke oriy) .behalf of the accused who, he said, if had the advantage of a good home 5S life and was getting . a fair wage. "* : He canie from a highly respected ; ;•• Dunedin family, and :ih view' of his ■? ; superior talents it ' had come as. a . i great shock to^ his family , 7 and to the otßcers'- m h^s department.. . . \f' ._/■ .The 'magistrate to conyict r .; accused and)^.dmit # him to -probation for. a period 'pf twelve months, but on. counsel's application for suppression , of name, the court increased! the term of probation to. two years, and granted the application. •';■.-■■ '-;--.■. •,,.;;. ■;.. „.,.:;;; - ::...;; V