CHARGE AGAINST A SOLICITOR

Otago Witness, Issue 2896, 15 September 1909, Page 53

CHARGE AGAINST A SOLICITOR

NEW ZEALAND LADY'S LOSSES.

(From Oub Own Correspondent.) LONDON, July 23. John Spencer Chapman, a solicitor, of Bloomsbury square, was charged before fair A. de Rutzen yesterday with fraudulently converting to his own use £838 belonging to Miss Mary Scott, of Yarrell Mansions, West Kensington, and formerly of Milton, New Zealand* Mr H. H. Curtis Bennetr prcascuted; Mr Horace J. Rowlands deMr Curtis Bennett said he should also ask for the committal of th^accused. for misappropriating a furthc/ £1250 belonging Miss Scott, making-- £2088. vi All. In J9oa Miss Scott, who had nome from New Zealand, .received a» introduction to the prßsoner, and in "March of that year she handed him £2000 to- invest for bar:- Of that sum, £1000 waa still outsiandin.g on proper seotf--rity, and could therefore be dismissed from this case. The books of the prisoners firm showed -tnatr- the -remaining £1000 wa* invested upon a mortgage of come property, bslongin* to a Mrs WalUs. In the course of the next two or three months Miss Scott sent the accused a further £1238 to invest for her. Out of that amount £100Q appeared from the books to have been lent? on security to a Mr Raffety, and to have, bsien repaid a* the end of two mon-ths. xno £238 \yaa never invested, or, at all events, not until September, 1907, but it was described in the prisaner's. books as- beingj temporarily invested. Mrs WaUis repaid her £1000 loan in September, 1900. In ths next quarterly account which the pruoner, rendered to Miss Scott that £1000 was represented a3 being -temporarily invested, but so far as could be discovered th» investment was in the prisoner's pocket. He had since lent £250 to one of his clerks upon the security of a lif * insurance policy, and a second charge on a houso worbhr. £1200. For a time the prisoner regularly paid Mis 3 Scott interest varying from 3* to 5 par cent, but in the summer of last year the payment fell in aurea-rs. Miss Scott then saw the prisoner, who told her he had had some difficulties, but be woulc? see that she received her full rate of in- . terest, and he would be personally responsible for £120 a y*ar. That promise had never been carried out, «nd in May last the matter was placed in the hands ot Messrs Burohall, solicitors, which- reauKed in an application for a warrant. Miss Scott gave evidence as to her dealings with the prisoner, adding that she--^ asked him to be careful in hie selection oP * the investments, as the money she had handed to. him was all that she had to d-opend upon. Cross-examined: Sh>3 was aware that in*'* Novembsir last one of the prisoner's clerksi was sentenoad to 10 years' penal servitudo for forgery and fraud involving a total sum of £17,000. In consequence of thoss losses a proposition was made that the prisoner should compound with his creditors. Butl fche did not say that a gentleman acting on, her behalf assented to the proposal. There had been civil proceedings in respect of part of the money which the prisoner had had from h*ir. Sir A. cc 1 © Rutzen granted a. remand, . and admitted tho accused to bail.

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