ALLEGED FRAUD.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1122, 9 May 1911, Page 6

ALLEGED FRAUD.

LONDON LEATHER TRADE SMASH. THE BOWRONS IX COURT. At Tower Bridge Police Court yesterday, says the London "Times" of March 2(1, before Mr. Cecil Chapman, John Allan Bowron, GB, and Sidney Bowron, M, leather manufacturers, of Kirby Street, Bormondsey, together with Thomas Loonan Knight, a wharf foreman, one of their employees, wore charged with conspiracy to defraud Messrs. Booth and Co,, skin merchants, of 15 and 16 Railway Approach, Loudon Bridge, of the sum of Jt28,750 Mr. Travers Humphreys, instructed by tho Hon. F. T. Macnaghten, appeared for the prosecution; Mr. T. Howard Doighron for tho two Bowrons; and Mr Arnold for Knight. At the request of the solicitors for the defence the clerk read the informations upon which the warrant was. granted. the first, on behalf of Messrs. Booth and Co stated that for many years Messrs. Booth and Co. had been acquaint- ™ »> business with Messrs. Bowron Brothers.. New Zealand merchants, of ,m . j 'p ' Strcct ' Snowsficlds, Bertnondsey. I his firm consisted of John Allan Bowron and Sidney Bowron. Bowron Brothers imported skins from New Zealand, and Booth and Co. were in the habit of advancing money to Bowron Brothers at their request to enable them to take up the shipping documents on skins in course of transit from New Zealand to Phoenix Wharf, Narrow Street, Rotcliff. According to the course of business, where the goods were always landed, accompanying the request would be a consignment note giving details of the casks of skins upon which the advance was asked. Booth and Co. would then make the advance by cheque, and Bowron Brothers would hand them a delivery noto upon Phoenix Wharf for tho goods, and upon their arrival this delivery note would Ih? exchanged for a wharf warrant signed by the manager of Phoenix Wharf. These warrants were always signed by T. L. Knight, and were guarantees from him and the proprietors of rhoenix Wharf that the goods mentioned in them were at the wharf and were held there to the order of Booth and Co. On March 15 last Booth and Co. held warrants from Phoenix Wharf for 799 casks, upon which they had advanced to Bowron Brothers between March 7 and October 12, 1910, JC28.670, none of which had been repaid. On that date, owing to certain information, a clerk named Claude 1\ Little, cmployed by Booth and Co., was instructed to go. to" Phoenix Wharf and check tho goods there belonging to Booth and Co. On March 21, 1911, John Allan Bowron and Sidney Bowron presented their.petition in bankruptcy. They therein described themselves as trading as Bowron Bros, and as tho Phoenix Wharf Company. Messrs. Booth and Co. always believed Phoenix Wharf to be a separate and independent business from that of Bowron Bros., and had they known that the wharf was the property of Bowron Bros, they would not have advanced any money to them, as their security for such advances consisted entirely.of the wharf warrants, / which they believed to bo signed by an independent concern. Soma of the 799 casks had been traced, and it was found that some of them were sold to leather factors and others were taken to Crayford, where Bowron Bros, had a tan yard. The London manager who signed the information on behalf of Messrs. Booth and Co. also said in tho information:—"l am informed that Bowron Bros, estimate that, after realising all their ass?ls. there will be a deficiency of over .£200,000."

In the second information Claude Frederick Little, a clerk employed by Messrs. Booth and Co.. said that on going to the wharf to check the goods with tho warrants he saw the wharf manager, T. 1.. Knight, and told him his business. Knight said, "I must refer you to Bowrons." He remarked, "Bowrons have nothing to do with us," and he produced, the warrants. After some slight hesitation Knight ?aid, "I cannot show . you the goods." He asked, "Why?" and Knight replied, "Because Bowrons have had thorn." "Have they had the lot?" lis questioned, and Khi."ht said. "Yes." In applying for bail, Mr. Deighton said his clients had known for a fortnight that criminal pro-.eedings worn threatened, and they said they would certainly "fneo the music." The accused were remanded, bail fixed at .£2OOO for »ach of the Bowrons •and .£SOO for Knight.