A SECRETARY IN TROUBLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 March 1919, Page 7

A SECRETARY IN TROUBLE.

CONVICTED OF FALSIFYING BOOKS SELECTION OF JURY QUEST!'./NKT). Auckland, Marc 1 ) I'2 The trial of Stephen Arrcv, on a third charge cf embezzlement of funds hikinging to the Co-operative Dairy Company, of which lie was secretary, was concluded at tiie Supreme Court The Grand Jury had six indictments before them, each comprising four counts, namely theft, as being common theft; falsifying books, and fraudulently cmitiin'! «,i awount for ' moneys received. Each indictment reffrtsd to offences allrgod to have been committed on different dates. Accused was tried and acquitted on the first indictment and later he war tried and acquitted on the second indictment To-day he was tried on the third indictment, containing the four countv At the conclusion of accused examination, Mr Reed referred to \he action of the Crown Prosecutor in challenging over 3(1 Jurymen-' In the present proceeding; the Crown had practically selected the Jury, though he did not believe this would affect, the verdict. As far as counsel knew. Ijie action of the Crown was without precedent iii New Zealand. TTis Honor said it had been done before. Mr R»>d: There have never been ao many changes. TTis TTot>or: T think so. In the case a Jury with a knowledge of bookkeeping was required, rnd I think 'Mr Tole acted corrertiv in challenging. those JnrT'merv who. in his .opinion, had no kowledge of the subject. A special Jiirv should have been secured and chosen beforehand Mr Reed said he never kntovn so many men to be stood aside by the Crown . Hi«,.Tfiinof. ?!)id 't had been ddne before. . He remembered a ca=e in which it was . neee.ssary ,to recall men Who had i lieen • cba T l.ett,g"d in order to secure tha full .number of. Jurymen. Mr Tola said hi" obiect had bcSh to secure the, jryost intelligent Jury possible. The .Jury returned a verdict of sniiltv on tho ttijrd onnnt; —that, of falsifying the books'"of, the oompany.witli iritoiit to defraud—with a strong' recommendat t-ion. to-mercy on the grounds that tho flirwt.orj of ilio company Yrtor atfare of tho. accused's Intemperate' habits! and fa'ied to take proner precautions'-' Sentence wa? deferred. i. : . .