THEFT CHARGE FAILS.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19462, 8 November 1928, Page 6

THEFT CHARGE FAILS.

COMPANY SECRETARY ACQUITTED.

(PBESS ASSOCIATION TELEOEAM.) AUCKLAND, November 7. A verdict of not guilty was returned by the jury at the trial of Frederick William Webster, charged with the theft of £1498 from the Whangarei Co-operative Building Society, of which he was secretary. ■ MV Justice Blair, in summing up, said ft was' necessary for the Crown to show that'accused received the money, that he appropriated it, and that that appropriation was fraudulent. So far as the Crown case was concerned there were some elements of doubt as to the Erecise sum that could be shown to avo been teceived by the accused at certain stages. The books did not show the actual amount received. There had been very slipshod methods of carrying on the Society's business, and so it was very difficult for the jury to say what amounts had been received. The confusion that had arisen was not of the accused's making. When the auditor, Rust, was asked why he had himself purchased a ledger and journal, his answer was "because it pleased me to do so."_ Rust had not bspn so frank either with the directors or with the Court as one would expect. He apparently connived at the method adopted by accused of failing to synchronise the bank payments and receipts. He had put down the balance in. a. way that amounted to blinding the directors to the position. He allowed books to be prepared in a way that would make it impossible for anybody to check the receipts with the bankings. The jury's verdict of acquittal was returned after an absence of four hours.