TOOK MONEY

NZ Truth, Issue 1203, 20 December 1928, Page 9

TOOK MONEY

- — . — «. Dentist's Assistant As Thief (From "N.Z. Truth's" Christchurch , Rep.) . ■ ■ , In her brief span of 27 years, Florence May Heath has found^no primrose path to tread. Ih heistruggle for existence, , blighted with the dismal fortune" of facing life an orphan, she fought and lost.v Her only attributes are a pretty face and a pleasant' manner, and m her battle for .a living she stooped to dishonesty. JTI-ORENCE had never known, the! ■ kindly warmth of a mother's love, for all she knew, the influence of good home life was purely mythical. In, the v dental parlors of Almond Ed 7 ward Hope, m Cashel Street, Florence earned "lier -living 'in v the role of attendant; but behind the spotless cap and gown the girl suffered the pangs of fear and remorse. Early m. October her employer gave her a letter to post containing sixteen shillings, . m change, to a Mrs. White, who. had paid an account. When inquiries were made concerning non -delivery of the letter, the girl declared that she had posted it, and the matter was taken up with the postal authorities. Because of her action, suspicion fell on the Post Office officials and on Mrs. White, and when the girl realized this, she confessed her guilt., In submitting a list of previous convictions, the chief-detective said that the ,girl had previously served a "three years' sentence, and the sixteen shillings was; not the only amount stolen from Hope. . 7 The girl had admitted to; the police that the amount involved was from £60 to £70, but she had arranged to settle this with Hope, who had not made any complaint to the police on that account. Counsel stated that the cause of . ■ the. girl's downfall was the failure of some country dances which she had been running m an endeavor to supplement her income. She had got into debt, and, being pressed, had yielded to dishonesty. The girl could go to an elder sister if the court could grant probation. The magistrate considered that it was late m the day for repentance, and for the next two mpnths Florence will have impressed upon her that, even with pretty young /yvomen, 7 honesty is the best policy and the*-.surest\ method v to success m life. 7 I