GUARDIANS' FRAUD.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 272, 10 August 1908, Page 7

GUARDIANS' FRAUD.

EXEMPLARY SENTENCES. AN EX-MAYOR GETS TWO YEARS' CAOL. TEN CONVICTIONS. (BT TELEGRAM—PRESS ASSOCIATION— COPYRIGHT.) (Rec. August 9, 4.15 p.m.) London, August 8. . After a twenty days' trial, all the Mile End Guardians, who were accused of corruption, wero found guilty. Mr. Justico Phillimoro sentenced Alderman Hirst (who was tlirico Mayor of Stepney) to pay a fine of £250, and to undergo two years' imprisonment. Alderman Warren was fined £250, and was sentenced to ono year's imprisonment. The other eight wero fined £25, with various terms of imprisonment ranging from six to fifteen months, except Gilsou, who was only fined £250. ROBBERY BY CONTRACT. The list of the persons charged in connection with these proceedings was:— Alderman Rowland Hirst, aged fifty-nine, exMayor of Stepney, licensed victualler, of MileEnd Road, and the Eagle, Snaresbrook. - Alderman .Tolin G. Warren, aged fifty, grocer, of Rliodeswcll Bond, E. Councillor Samuel Gilder, aged fifty-eight, secretary, of New Road, Stepney. , Archibald Hidpath, ■ aged forty-two, licensed victualler, of the AVliite Horse, Baldock, Herts. John Edward Loftus, thirty-one, tailor, of Mile End Road. Edward Stammers, aged thirty-sis, licensed victualler, of tho Salisbury Arms, Burdett Road. J. G. Kemp, builder, of Stepney Green. : Thomas Gould, aged seventy, feather dyer, of Burdett Road, Bow. Joseph Gilson, aged fifty-nine, butcher, Oxford Street, Stepney, and Southend. Waiter Trott, aged forty-six, greengrocer, of Burdett Road, E.

The accused were charged with having fraudulently combined and agreed together with James Calcutt, building contractor, already convicted, to obtain largo sums of money, with intent ti defraud, from the guardians of the liamlet o: Mile End. Mr Bodkin, for the prosecution, stated in Court that there was an organised group on tho Board of Guardians, who sought to benefit themselves alone. , "This group appeared to bo advocates of a particular contractor, Calcutt, and they combined to prevent any one else tendering for a contract. Not only was Calcutt by this conspiracy paid excessively. for work he had done, but he was paid for work never done at all. In this way ho had been paid thousands of pounds of the ratepayers' money to which ho was not entitled. The evidence will show that tho ten defendants have been parties to a great conspiracy. Some of the accused have-been concerned in it for seven years, and others have come in later and kept the game going. You will see, as this remarkable case unfolds, that there has been a systematic abuse of tho powers which the Legislature has given the defendants as persons occupying the position of guardians of the poor, and of tho ratepayers' purse." A gold cigar case, a gold Masonic charm, gold watches and chains, costly ornaments, and unlimited whisky, cigars, and turkeys at Christmas, were among the gifts received by certain guardians from Calcutt. Sums of money from from .£5 to .E2O were regularly distributed by Calcutt among the importunate guardians who surrounded him. "Money was at Calcutt's house, refreshment was thero —and so were the guardians," Mr Bodkin declared scathingly. Tho contractor Calcutt was sentenced in May to sis months' imprisonment.