ALLEGED EMBEZZLEMENT

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5116, 29 August 1895, Page 2

ALLEGED EMBEZZLEMENT

A. L. WEBSTER COMMITTED FOlt TRIAL. From Our Own Correspondent. Thursday. At Grey town yesterday, before Mr T. Hutchison, S.M., and Mr J. McKerrow, J.P., A, L, Webster, lato Town Clerk at Grey.town, was .ciiargetf on tho information' of jthe Govei'nmeijt' iudit'tiepnr.tnienl, with Stealing from the Jjpi'oiigli'.qf Grey . town, on the Gtli May, 1895, aclieqiig for £l2 0s 7d on tho Bank of New Zealand. Mr C. A. Pownall appeared for tho Crown and Mr H, S. Izard for defendant, J.' W. Diddams, manager of tho Dank of New Zealand at Greyt'ou'h, Srgduced it chequo on tlio'&reytowii .qipugh Gqjm6j|, for £l2 (|s"'7d, dated May (jtl), qnd purporting tf) ha?e liee/}' paid in Ijy t(ie on May 9th. J. I), Heagerty, farmer, residing in Greytown, and likewise Mayor of the Borough, said he was Mayoi of ftreytown on tlio date in question, The cheque produced boro his signature as Mayoi' of the Borough. Saw t|ie ljutt of cheque when bo signed it!, \vliiclj >yas piid in l)y the Towii Clerk, Mr A. L. Weljster. PjS jioji see Ibe Ojepk sl} ii) the Ibnfct. Believed the handwriting |o l;e tha]fc of accused. The cheque was given for paymout on account of the Borough. Tlio checjuo was left with the accused. 6

By the S.JI.: In the ordinary course of tlio Clerk's duty tlw chequos were left with tho Clerk for payment of tho accounts, for whi.cli they were drawn, but did not know of any resolution preventing him paying anyaccouuts in any way he pleased, so long as they were P# ' : ' ' Tho S.lf. remarked .that the way in which the cheques wer<) draw^ was not bnsinoss-iike, ' 1 k W, f/oveday, Secretary of the Wolliugton-Wnfrarijpij jjliiiritaJjlo Aid Board gave oyid'encethat op tlio 6th Jlay there was duo by the Greytown Borough Council, to tlio above Board, the sum of £l2 0s 7d, Did not receive the chequo produced, The amount had beon paid, tho cheque being received by him on the 17tl Of'this-month, It was dated 16th August, 1895; paid the cheque jflip flip flank so could noli' prpdus same, The cheijuo'was npt paid by accused,

t. Mi' Izard, to the S.M., said lie had t no objection to say that the cheque t 'was bis own, : T.g Mrlzai'd: The chequo was due ; quarterly. Due pn 4tli of May. ' J. R, Nicol, book-keeper, U the ; Greytown branch of the W.F.C.A., j deposed that the slip " B," produced! i l| is ■ih his hand-writing.- Could not recognise tbo cliejjijjj, except ; by No,, i. and date. Paid 'a sininrii' ofieque ■; into tlie Bank on the'day in question in the ordinary way.' 'Was not sure 1 as to the number of the'cheque. J. .Carjile, Government Auditor, i on being spra, said": rinojf 1 WW ' Ho \vas ; time I agdliptj. I jfppw his barn}I writing. The. bijtfc ppflduced mapped "o"isin the liaml-wfitipg 0 f the aecused. There is an ontiy ill tb§ : cash book of the Council " 6th May 1895, United Charitable Aid Board! £l2 Os 7d," I commenced to audit the books of tho Council on the 18tb of the present month, The cheque did not roach tbo Charitable Aid Board until three days after my my arrival in Greytown, being presented to me by a .second party, I was siiiipiciouil tjjat something was wrong, 'So 1 interviewed''tbo Ifaypi', whorecpmmende(fme 'fir. nee Mr Loasby, a Councillor. "The deficiency was njetby yarioufj partieg. " • 1 Mr Izard, for the defence, sajd J ftere was no evidence ig prove that ' accused lijic} pfpjep the cheque. j A. L.'Webster, tlje accused, ye- ' served his defence, and was committed 1 to lake bis trial St the next sitting pf \ ttie Supremo t Coui't, Bail was £ j allowed us at present, bimself £IOO 1 two sureties at £SO each, ' Accused was committed for trial ' ou two other charges, c