STRATFORD DISTRICT PAGE

Taranaki Daily News, 18 November 1926, Page 10

STRATFORD DISTRICT PAGE

Telephone Nos. 152 Office 218 Private

(FROM OUR RESIDENT REPORTERS)

Telephone Nos. 152 Office 218 Private

FOLLY OF THEFT. LAW CLERK’S LAPSE. ALL OVER HALF-A-CROWN. The foolish action of a young. Stratford law clerk, who used half-a-crown of his firm’s money to lend to a friend, was discussed in the .Stratford Court to-day. Being unable to repay the amount at once, he adopted the criminal proceeding of altering the numbers on certain postal notes and letters passing through his hands, thus delaying the necessity of repaying the original “loan” until such time as he had a spare 2s 6d of his own. His action had a farreaching effect which involved him in a maze of difficulties which culminated in his appearance at the Stratford Court yesterday to answer three criminal charges and One summary charge. Before Messrs W. L. Kennedy and W. Mclnnes, J.P.’s, Charles William Hall, an employee of Messrs Malone and King, solicitors, of Stratford, was charged with making two false documents, one on October 20, by erasing from a letter addressed by his firm to the PostmasterGeneral the figures 998285 and substituting therefor the figures 058429 with intent that they should be acted upon as genuine, and the otljer by erasing the figures 058429 and substituting the figures 998,285 in a letter addressed to Malone and King, and signed by G. MeNamara. Accused was also charged, with wilfully detaining, on September 20, a letter containing a postal note for 2s 6d which should have been delivered to Malone and King. ’ The summary charge, which was dismissed on accused’s plea of guilty to the other three, was that, on July 6, at Stratford, accused stole 2s 6d from his employers. After hearing the evidence for the prosecution as subniitted by Detective Meiklejohn, the bench commented upon the paltry nature of the charges and regretted that they had no option but to commit the youth to the next, sitting of the Supreme Court at New Plymouth' for sentence. LENT 2s fid TO A FRIEND. The evidence went to show that accused was originally instructed to send a 2s 6d postal note to- the Royal Insurance Company. On his way to the Post Office he was asked by a friend foi the urgent loan of 2s fid, and not having any of his own money with him, handed over the firm’s coin. A few days later (June 28) lie was sent lor another 2s fid postal note to be despatched to the Victoria Insurance Company’s office at New Plymouth, as the fee for a policy made out in respect ol one, Hinton. Accused used this postal note for the one to be sent to the Royal Insurance Company. About a week Inter ho was required to despatch yet another £s 6d postal note to the Victoria Insurance Company with a letter covering tne policy of one, Brown. This postal note was placed in the Sinton letter and eventually accused was able to supply 2s 6d of his own to accompany the Brown letter. Thus he repaid the original “loan,” but in such a roundabout method that the Victoria Insurance Company began to communicate with Malone and King complaining, in the first instance, that the letter containing tne Hinton policy arrived nine or ten days late. The legal firm naturally were at a loss to explain this delay and further correspondence ensued in which Malone and King asked for the return of their letter dated July 6 and the policy contained therein. As the result of the non-acknowledgment of a further letter written by accused’s firm on July 25, certain correspondence passed between Malone and King and the general manager for the Victoria Insurance Company at Dunedin, but at no time was the letter of July 6 returned to the legal office. Further, a letter written by the general manager of the insurance company, dated September 7, which should have been received by Malone and King on or about the 10th of the same month, never came to hand. LETTERS INTERCEPTED.

Under threat by the Victoria Insurance Company of seeking assistance from the police, Malone and King communi cated with the Postmaster-General ask ing for particulars of a postal not dated July 6 and numbered 998,285 From the reply it was discovered tha

the number of the. postal note had been altered to 058,429. Then, on November 8, the firm wrote to the PostmasterGeneral in connection with the note and handed the letter to accused to post. This letter was later returned and the clerk who handled it agreed that the indications pointed to the fact that the number of the postal note on the firm’s letter had been altered to agree with the change already made by accused. It was unfortunate for accused that modern business methods require copies to be taken of all business lette/s, for when the original of the letter of November 2 sent from the Postmaster-Gen-eral’s office to Malone and King was compared with the carbon copy, it was at once seen that the number referring to a particular postal note had been altered from 058,429 to 998,285 without authority from the writer. When Arnold Bell Meiklejohn, detective, of New Plymouth, interviewed accused, he at once admitted responsibility for everything that had occurred in connection with the letters and postal notes. He was candid and truthful and made a statement explaining that the numbers on the letters referring to the postal note had been altered so as to mislead both the Post Office and Malone and King. Accused admitted having I opened the letter sent to the PostmasterGeneral, altering the number, re-sealing the envelope and placing it among his employers’ general correspondence. When the detective accompanied him to his jhome accused produced the missing letter from the insurance company, which ;he had been afraid to hand over after jgetting it from the P.O. box. SHOW PREPARATIONS. A., AND P. EXECUTIVE MEETING. The executive of the A. and P. Association met on Tuesday night, when Mr. J. W. Boon presided. The secretary, Mr. A. J. Barr, reported that entries were coming in satisfactorily. Votes of thanks were accorded to Messrs E. H. Linnell and H. A. Hunt for their work in this connection. The offer of Messrs Kempthorne Pros'ser and Co., to donate a silver cup to the association, was accepted with thanks. The secretary reported that satisfactory entries were being secured for the steer-riding competition and that as many animals as were required had been secured. The following new members were elected: —Messrs T. H. Gooch, G. Cork, Clark Bros., W. G. Loving (Huinga), A. J. Griffiths, T. A. Rowe,’ A. Ferguson, D. Richaids, J. R. Podd (Toko), J. H. Bodie, A. R. Gower (Elthani), H. Henderson, H. Hawke, J. Charters (Kaponga), J. G. Vickers (Radnor Road), R. A. Thompson, E. McCullough, W. Lonsdale, V. Johnson, W. O. Phillips, J. Roberts, W. F. Lawrence, W. Lovett, 11. Summerfield, B. Kerswell, G. Lamplough, W. Good, L. H. Johnson, R. F. Harkness, (Stratford), T. R. Anderson (Malice), D. Morris (Bird Road); D. Kovaleski, j. B Woodmore (Waipuku), C. Carry jun. (Cardiff), J. Dalton (Skinner Road). METHODIST SUNDAY SCHOOL. ANNIVERSARY SERVICES. On Sunday last the Methodist Sunday School held three special anniversary services, and On Tuesday night the annual meeting of the school was held in the schoolroom. During the evening the pupils rendered several hymns in a very creditable manner. The annual report of the, secretary, Mr. E. Hale, showed that the number of scholars on the roll was 145, an increase of 15 over the previous year. The average attendance was 100. The teaching staff consisted of thirteen lady and three gentlemen teachers. There were 40 names on the Cradle Roll. On July 4 an examination was held under tho auspices of the Auckland Sunday School Union. One scholar gained a secondclass certificate and two gained firstclass certificates, while one who obtained over 80 per cent, of marks received a special prize. Nine scholars sat for the Methodist Church Young People’s Board examination and all passed. There were about 30 names on the roll of the Young Worshippers’ League. The school library was in good order, having just been overhauled. In order that each child might receive a prize special efforts were made to raise funds, a sum of £6 being raised for the purpose. , I After the adoption of the report, the

Mr. E. G. Foster, superintendent of tlie school, then addressed the meeting. He was pleased, ’he said, to sec the number of certificates presented that night, because the winners had had to work hard to obtain them. The secretary (Mr. Hale) was a wide-awake person who had his eyes open to everything that was going on, and a great deal of the success of the school was attributed to his exertions. There were two departments of the work, which, if they prospered, would keep the school prosperous. The first was the Cradle Roll, consisting of .Methodist babies. They were enrolled and after joining the kindergarten went through the school. The other important department was the Bible Classes. The church was proud of its young men and women, who were always ready to take up teaching or to help the school in other ways. Of the present staff of teachers the majority came from the Bible Classes. Personally, he had been connected with the Methodist Sunday School for 30 years, most of the time as superintendent. He hoped the coining year would be a prosperous one. Votes of thanks tp the superintendent, the teachers, and all those who had done special work to ensure the success of the anniversary, concluded the meeting. GIRL GUIDES. On Tuesday the District Commissioner of Girl Guides (Mrs. Hodgson), anid Mrs. Brewster, of New Plymouth, paid an official visit to Stratford. They were entertained to afternoon tea by members of the local committee, after which a well-attended meeting was held in St. Andrew’s Hall. Badges were presented to the guides who had earned them, and a number of those who had qualified were enrolled in the movement. Mrs. D. Steven was elected a member of the committee, and badges for helpers were presented to Mesdames J. C. McDowall and C. J. Hiekson and Miss Lusk. The visitors expressed pleased surprise at the progress of the movement in Stratford. ? GENERAL ITEMS. ; In view of the fact that the North : Island Friesian championship is. being decided at the Stratford A. and P. Association’s show this year, Friesian cattle will head the parade at the show. The following team has been selected to represent the'Stratford Tennis Club against Eltham, at Eltham on Saturday next, November 20. The team will leave the post office at 1.30 p.m. sharp. Ladies: Mrs. Weston, Misses Mackay, Martin and Knight. Gentlemen: Messrs Chadwick, Wilson, Curtis and Lawrence. Emergencies: Misses Walker and Murray, Messrs Munday and Clements. Any member unable to play is requested to notify the club captain, Mr. H. Chadwick. i Borough workmen are at present engaged in remetalling Regan Street west. This part of the street has been in a bad state for some time and the present work will effect a great improvement. The following will represent Avon Bowling Club in a friendly game against Stratford to-day, on the Stratford green: Martin, Rogers, Cropton, White (s); Baker, Clemow, Hill, Hoskin (s). A collision took place on the Te Popo bridge at Midhirst yesterday between a Ford motor-lorry and a privately-own-ed New Plymouth Hudson car. Both vehicles were proceeding towards Stratford and it is understood the Hudson car endeavoured to pass* the Ford lorry .and got jambed between the lorry and the bridge railings. / The Hudson car, a new one, had its mudguards badly bent, that being the only damage sustained by either vehicle. In aid of the Taranaki Sailors’ Rest a shop day will be held in Gibberd s shop on Saturday. Donations of any saleable goods are solicited. Goods will be received at "the shop on Saturday morning. ’Enthusiasts of surrounding' districts are reminded of the dance in the Doug, las Hall next Friday. The committee is leaving no stone unturned to assure dancers of as good a time as at the novelty ball. Boulton’s orchestra is engaged, and a dainty sit-down supper is being provided by the ladies. The dance is in aid of hall funds,, and the committee would like to see a large attendance. All roads lead to Douglas. A free bus leaves the Marble Bar, Stratford, about 7.20. and with a fine, moonlight night, it is hoped to have a bumper house. -Don’t forget the date, Friday night next, November 19.

Rev. G. P. Hunt presented the prizes to the scholars.