MISSING £5 NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 23, 27 July 1933, Page 12

MISSING £5 NOTES

UNION DELEGATE CHARGED

Whether in fact, as the accused contended, three £5 notes had slipped out of his pocket into a large open refuse drain at the Waingawa Freezing Works, Masterton, and in that way were lost, was the issue involved in the ease of William Gunn at his trial in the Supreme Court today before Mr. Justice Kecd and a jury. Gunn was charged with the theft on February 23 last of. £15 in money, the property of the Waingawa .Freezing .Workers' Union.

Mr. P. S. K. Macassey prosecuted, and Mr. T. P. McCarthy was counsel for the prisoner.

The circumstances, as outlined by the Crown Prosecutor, were that Gunn was appointed by the union to'collect fees, and was given six membership ticket books. The accused collected £15, and on 'February 23 reported that lie had lost the money and tho ticket books down a drain.

The particular drain, said Mr. Macassey, was a large open concrete drain which ran through paddocks, and the refuse it brought down was spread out by a man at the point where it was deposited. It was claimed that any books or paper put into the drain was recoverable. Gunn was told to look for the books and the money, but Mr. Maeassey said the evidence would show that he made no really diligent attempt to recover the money; Subsequently five of the ticket books were found in the drain, but there was no trace of the £5 notes.

Evidence for the Crown was being heard at the time of going to press.