CHARGE OF THEFT OF MONEYS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 17, 21 January 1916, Page 8

CHARGE OF THEFT OF MONEYS

YOUNG WOMAN CLERK .BEFORE

THE COURT.

(ii mica*™.—nun assocmtion.) (

CHRISTCHURCH, This Day

Cbnatanos Moon, who wo*, v clerk in the Chrirtohureh Tourist Office during her father's occupancy of the agency, was charged before ths Stipendiary Magistrate (Mr. Bishop), to-day, - that on or about 10th May, at Chratchureh,' eha altered an entry in a bank pass-book from £15 to £115, thereby committing tho-crime of forgery. The first witness. G. W. Moon, accused's father, said accused had heM the position ,for five tomb. Her ditties were to have absolute charge of tho books and cash. She attended to the banking of all moneys. In June. 1915, the Government Auditor discovered a discrepancy of £128 9s Id. Subsequently witness made this sum good. Regarding tho shortages, he had not taken any of the money, and. he was perfectly "sure his daughter, had not. Ho believed the auditor s report had revealed an extraordinary state of muddle, but nothing woree. Witness tianded in a letter written by accused t*ter the departmental investigation, in w*mch she admitted altering the bank receipt book, saying that at the time she was terribly upset and worried about the shortage in cash, and in a moment of weakness made ihe alteration to shield her father, who, though she knew he had, not appropriated any of the money, was responsible. At a later stage, counsel for accused intimated that she would plead guilty W. H. Frethey, Chief Clerk of the Government Tourist Department at Wellington, said that when he examined the books he found there was a system of utilising one day's cash receipts for the payment of values of tickets issued considerably over the day before. The deficiency wae so serious that Mr. Mood was temporarily relieved of his dutiw. The case is proceeding.