"STORY TOO THIN."

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 127, 1 June 1931, Page 3

"STORY TOO THIN."

» CHEMIST BEFORE COURT. "ROBBED FRIEND RIGHT AND LEFT." MR. F. K. HUNT ANNOYED. Upon a series of charges, George Clifford Butterworth, chemist, aged 32, appeared at the Police Court this morning and pleaded not guilty. Mr. K. C. Aekins appeared for accused. The charges against accused were that on April 2 he obtained clothing worth £10 16/ from a city firm by falsely representing that he was A. J. Heighway, editor, of Wellington; on April 20 with obtaining £2 from Ethel Coop by a valueless cheque; fraudulently omitting to account to A. J. Heighway for £5, thereby committing theft; fraudulently omitting to account to D. A. Haslip for £3 15/, thereby committing theft; and on April 3 with stealing five cases of lemons valued at £2 10/, the property of A. J. Heighway. Mr. Heighway, editor, of Wellington, said he owned a lemon farm at Henderson. Some time ago accused called on witness at Wellington and said that he was out of work. He asked if witness could help him. Witness secured for Butterworth several casual jobs. Accused said he would be pleased to get a position at "live bob a week." Later witness gave accused a position on his farm at Henderson at £1 per week, plus 5/ which witness paid for rent of a cottage for accused. He gave Butteiworth his fare and £5 in cash and sent him' to Auckland. Early in April it came to his knowledge that Butterworth had obtained goods valued at £10 from an Auckland firm by representing himself as witness. Butterworth failed to pay £3 15/ which was handed to him as wages for a youth employed on the farm. Subsequently witness discovered other things about Butterworth and made up his mind to dispense with his services. However, before he came to Auckland, Butterworth left the farm. Other witnesses gave evidence. It was shown that five cases of lemons had been left at an hotel. Detective Moore, who arrested accused on May IS, said Butterworth explained that Mr. Heighway had given him authority to purchase goods on his behalf. He intended to refund the money to him out of his wages. Accused, who gave evidence, said the money handed him to pay the youth's wages had been spent on expenses in connection with the running of the farm. Respecting the sum of £5, which he was charged with failing to account for, Butterworth said he kept this in lieu of notice. Butterworth added that he had taken five cases of lemons to the i city to try and sell them, but not being able to dispose of them he left them in an hotel. Later he returned them to the farm. Detective-Sergeant Kelly said accused purchased an Alsatian dog by paying £1 down. He afterwards bought some fowl feed in Mr. Heighway's name charged it up to him, and gave it.to the man from whom he bought the dog, in settlement of the account. "Your story k too thin and I don't believe it," Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., told Butterworth. "Here's a man who befriends you and you show your appreciation by robbing him right and left. You are 'convicted on the charges and remanded until Thursday next for sentence. I feel too annoyed with you to sentence you now. In the meantime I will obtain a report from the probation officer about you."