RAILWAY THEFTS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 110, 12 May 1927, Page 12

RAILWAY THEFTS

TOTAL OVER £7000

TWO MEN PLEAD GUILTY

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Pleading guilty to the theft from the Eailway Department of sums totalling £7763, two ex-servants of the Department, Gordon Gavin Watson and John James ■ Neilson, 'who came before the Supreme Court to-day were remanded till to-morrow morning for ■ sentence. The fifteen charges against them included six of having forged signatures on pay-sheets.

The trial proceeded of Michael Lyons, who pleaded not guilty to the theft of & 1193 and to six charges of forgery. Outlining the case for the prosecution against Lyons, the Crown Prosecutor said that the three men had worked together at the same desk in the maintenance branch of the Department. The men in the maintenance branch, of whom there were 800 or 900, were paid fortnightly on Fridays. The pay-sheets had columns for the time worked, the amount due to each man, and signatures for the receipt of 'pay. Tho thefts were committed by, putting on the paysheots the names of men who either perhaps, did not exist, or were not entitled to payment. The offences had been committed practically every fortnight for two years. The pay-sheets were prepared in advance. The timesheets were signed by a foreman and the pay-sheets were later taken to the chief clerk who signed a cheque for the amount of wages ty be paid. During the whole of the,three years the three men were working in the same room, and it was reasonable to suppose that Lyons would be acquainted with the frauds. ■