KEPT BOND MONEY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 52, 23 October 1931, Page 4

KEPT BOND MONEY

LARGE SUM OBTAINED FROM WOULD-BE EMPLOYEES : BY WOMAN. MOTOR TRANSPORT ENTERPRISE WELLINGTON, * Wednes. After hearing evidenee from 13 of her ex-motor drivers, in addition to that of other drivers, and of other embloyees, of how they had entered into fidelity bonds to secure employment, 1 Und Of how they had never seen their ; bond money, Nelly LimpUs, described ! as a domestic, aged 48 years, , altered j her original plea and * answered ! guilty to 13 charges of 'theft of -bond i moneys involving over £700, and one 1 of f alse pretences, brought * against ; her in the Police Court. " ; " : j The magistrate, Mr. E. Page, S,M., comrnitted her to the Supreme Court for ' sentence. s f f Twenty witnesses were called. Nearly all of these answered an advertisement ealing for drivers who would be required to enter into a fidelity bond of £50 if engag.ed by the j accused's company, the Hodgson Transport Co. ' With one eXception, they said, they had not received their bond money back again. Most of them also had not received wages. Counsel for ' Mrs. Limpus stated at the end of the day that he would reverse the plea of not guilty originally entered. Evidenee was given of the purchase of trucks and of the engagement of the drivers, who were required to enter into bonds of £25 or £50. Aecused managed the business. Her home, after the receipt of the bond money, was run more extravagantly. She drove to work in taxis. Detective Fell stated that he had seen Mrs. Limpus on September 8, when he told her that it was alleged that she was running her business on bo3id, money which belonged to her employees. She denied this, but when seen on September 11 she stated that she had lent £200 to her brother, a farmer, at Te Kuiti. She refused to give the name of her brother, however. Witness had been unable to find any trace of him. Accused was then arrested.