ALLEGED THEFT

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 125, 23 November 1944, Page 9

ALLEGED THEFT

CHARGE LAID IN 1923

MAN SENT FOR TRIAL

Evidence regarding an alleged theft of £175 in 1923 was heard in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, four witnesses being called by the prosecution. At the conclusion the accused, George Bentley, cleaner,49, pleaded not guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial by Mr. J. L. Stout, S.M.

David White, a caretaker, of Heretaunga, said that in June, 1923, he answered an advertisement in a Welington newspaper for a partner with £200 in a dry-cleaning business, the partner to have a third share. He subsequently met the accused, who was known as, George Bolton, and another man called Freeman. A solicitor drew up a working agreement and the witness deposited £200 in the Bank of New Zealand, in the name of the Kohn Dry-cleaning Company. The bank account was to be operated on by the witness and either one of the other two men.

The witness said that he inspected the books and business of the two men and they then told him that they could expand the business if they could buy some more modern machinery. They agreed to do that, but the witness had to leave Wellington on other business, and so left three blank cheques with which machinery would be bought. When he returned to Wellington he went round to the business at Courtenay Place, but it was closed up. He made inquiries at the Bank of New Zealand and found that £175 had been drawn cut of the account. He had not seen either of the two men since.

To accused's counsel, Mr. G. C. Kent, he said that his memory regarding minor details might be vague but he remembered the main events.

Eric William Mollison, official of the Bank of New Zealand, produced a ledger of 1923 showing that an account had been opened in the name of the Kohn Dry-cleaning Company in June of that year, £190 being lodged by "D.W." On June 28 a cheque "in favour of Bolton was charged against the account, on June 29 a cheque in favour of Freeman for £45 \ was charged, and on the same day a cheque for £32 10s in favour of Bolton was charged. The cheques had been destroyed.

Senior-Detective William McLennan gave evidence regarding inquiries he made at the time, and said that informations had been laid for the arrest of the accused and a man named Freeman. "My inquiries show that the man named Bolton referred to in the partnership is identical with the accused," he added.

Detective William Couling Harper gave evidence regarding his arrest of the accused on November 2, 1944 He said that he told the accused that a warrant had been issued for his arrest on a charge of theft in 1923. The accused said he could not remember anything about it. but asked to read the •}i ce + uGazette of that year dealing with the matter. "He was allowed to read it." said the detective, "and he said: Oh, I remember that. We had a dry-cleaning business in Courtenay Hace and we signed some cheques and got away with the money." Accused then pleaded not guilty and was committed for trial.