OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

Evening Star, Issue 7481, 27 March 1888, Page 2

OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

From our Melbourne Correspondent.]

Wednesday, March 21. THE SYDNEY CORPORATION FRAUDS. Extraordinary disclosures have resulted from the special audit of the city funds, directed by the new mayor of Sydney (Alderman J. Harris). A special audit last year resulted in the discovery that L 5.000 had been misappropriated, and an officer was dismissed in consequence. That audit was only in connection with the building surveyor's office; but the present mayor believing that things were not straight in the other departments determined to have a thorough investigation of the whole of them, arranging to pay the cost of the audit himself if no embezzlements were discovered. A start has been made with the city engineer's department, and a progress report which was furnished by the auditors last week shows embezzlements to the amount of L 21,708 over payments ranging from the 31st December, 1881, to the 31st December, 1885. The audit was to have included 1880, but all books and vouchers for this year are missing. A special meeting of the council was held, at which the mayor announced that he had decided to suspend Trevor Jones, the city engineer ; D. C. Robertson, inspector of water services; J. Fyfe, mechanical eni gineerandstorekeeper; and John N. Walton, assistant storekeeper. The mode in which this sum of L.21,708 has been obtained is precisely similar to that which came to light in connection with the Bradford frauds, which were discovered twelve or eighteen months ago, and resulted in the cons'iotion of one of the firm of Bradford Bros, and C. J. Forbes, their chief clerk. The frauds were perpetrated in the water branch of the city engineer's department, and to this department the investigation of the auditors has been confined. So far what has been brought to light is sufficient to show that as the examination proceeds the loss which the corporation sustained will be increased by several thousand pounds. The frauds represented by the large amount previously mentioned were committed in connection with the supply of castings by contractors with the department. In 1881 and 1882 D. And W. Bradford were contractors for the supply of these castings; but at the end of ISB2, for some reason not explained, their tender was not accepted, and in 1883 a man named Taylor, supposed to be a myth, secured the contract. la 1884 a man named Tower, whose existence is also doubted, was the contractor, and in 1885 the Bradfords again succeeded in obtaining the contract for these supplies. When any castings were required, a requisition specifying the various articles thought to be necessary was signed by the city engineer. The requisition was prepared in duplicate, one copy being kept in the engineer's office, and the other being, strangely enough, handed to the contractor, instead of to the departmental storekeeper. The contractor delivered the goods to the assistant storekeeper at the Crown street Reservoir, who entered the goods received in the books (which the auditors say were carefully and truly kept), and then endorsed the order with full particulars as a receipt to the contractor. Up to this point everything seems to have been done correctly and in order; but the fraudulent practices then commenced. The requisition retained by the contractor was then fraudulently altered. Items in the order were largely increased, units being transformed into tens, and tens into hundreds. The figure three would be made into thirteen, twenty-five into 125, and so on; while the weights given opposite each item would be increased in a corresponding degree. This is easily shown by comparing the requisitions with the duplicates or butt retained in the engineer's offices. Nearly twenty of these forged requisitions have been discovered, and in some instances the initials of the assistant store, keeper, J. N. Walton, had been forged. In the usual course the requisitions were passed on to Fyfe, the storekeeper, and to the engineer, who, on seeing the initials "J.N.W.," considered the document genuine, and signed it apparently without a careful examination. The examiner of accounts next reviewed the documents, and, without having his suspicions aroused, countersigned them, and passed them on to the city engineer, Mr Trevor Jones, who was the last to sign them, and who, nq doubt, took it for granted that all was right. The remaining stages were easily passed, and the dqcumpnts were at last honored by the Treasury. The latest r,ew& received in connection, with the frauds is. that William Forbes, tlie. chief clerk for Bradford Bros., who wag convicted of complicity in the ments previously discovered, is in a dying state, and has expressed his willingness to throw all the light possible on the frauds, which he says extend over six or seven years. It is understood that he exonerates Mr Trevor Jones, the city engineer, of all complicity, hut accuses some of the other officers of being aware of what was going oq and of accepting liberal bribes. A STRANGE EXPERIENCE. George Clark, a contractor residing in Sydney, appears to have had a most unwelcome experience. On Friday last a hat, purse, knife, and handkerchief were found on the banks of the Yarra River, nearßrander's Ferry, and were handed to the Prahran police. Tl\e articles were claimed by Clar£ on Sunday morning, who reported that he had been robbed of Llq or Lf6. He that he arrived from Sydney a few days be. : fore, and on Thursday lagt visited the races, at Flemington. On returning to the city in the evening he fell in with a man whq had been a fellow passenger from Sydney, The two went into several Intels and had $ number of drinks, and at length decided upon taking a walk somewhere. After this Clarke says he remembers nothing until he found himself in the Yarra, and was brought to his senses by his perilous position. He managed with some difficulty to gain the bank, and having found the roadway called a cab, and was driven to his lodgings, where he at once went to bed. Next morning he missed his purse, and although he remembers nothing of the occurrence he believes himself to have been the victim of a robbery. TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION IN ENGLAND. An interesting paper on technical education, by Mr M. K. Armstrong, was read at the Council of the School Boards of Advioe last week. Mr Armstrong has been on a visit to England recently, and he gave a very favorable account of the progress which was being made in this department of instruction. He urged that teohnioal education was more neoessary in Victoria, which aimed at becoming a great manufacturing country, than even in England, where industries were already firmly established. There was too great a clambering into the learned professions, such as law and medic in 3, in the oolonies. We needed more scientific practioal mechanics—the olass from which Bprang inventors. Technical instruction should be a supplement and a corollary to our primary school system. He did not think it should be left to private effort, but should be takon in hand by the State. Each State school teacher should have such a share of scientific knowledge as would enable him to teach the simpler facts theoretically of physics, chemistry, and animal physiology. There should be science colleges in every great centre, and the larger State schools should have workshops attached, where practical carpentry or pattern-making could be taught either in day or evening classes. CONSPIRACY ROBBERIES. Heavy sentences were passed by Mr Justice Williams at the Criminal Court on Monday upon George Goßsip, John Reardon/ John Holmes, and John Murray, for various charges of assault and robbery. Gossip pleaded guilty to three charges, one of having in company with Holmes assaulted and robbed one William Tinkler, a coachman; the second, of having with Reardon and Murray assaulted an;j rqbbes one Donajd v l!i , sa?V & pirder in the Melbourne Gaol; the third, with haying'wlth Reardon and Thompson (the latter of whom was not convicted) assaulted and robbed John Irvine, the manager of,the St. Kilda branch of the Bank pf Australasia. Reardon was convicted of the assaults on and robberies from Mr M'Rae and Mr Irvine; Holmes of the rqbbory from Tjnklsr; and Murray ox robbery frtfm Ijjl'Jttae. : The! prisoners faevg yc#na men/ whosfe ages varied from *b6 vegfeento twenty years. His Honor, in passing sentence, said: Tfce offenpe of assanlt and robbery in com, pany is one of the most serious known to i ur criminal tow, and its gravity is stamped,

by the severity of sentence which Parliament has by sections 111 and 296 of the Criminal Law and Practice Statute authorised to m pronounced for its commission. But tne gravity and serious nature of that crime nave in each and all of your cases been magnified by the system you pursued, by the nefarious nature of the conspiracy m which you were engaged and which bound you a I together, and by the violent, brutal, cowardly, and loathsome means which you employed to carry that system into operation and to promote the objects of your vile confederacy. It is abundantly clear that vou and others, who are not now before the Court, have for some time past habitually combined together for the diabolical purpose of making charges of the commission of a foul and abominable offence upon the person of some one of your gang against, in most cases, perfectly innocent persons—m some cases, perhaps, against persons whom you believed to be prone to, and whom you endeavored to decoy or entrap into, the commission of such an oflence—with the object of violently assaulting and robbing your victim?, whether innocent or guilty, under the false aud lying pretence that yon were merely administering punishment for the commission of an abominable crime. In each instance it appears one of you acted as a decoy ; others of your gang, generally three or four in number, followed up ; and when an opportune time arrived, or an opportune spot was reached, the accusation was made, and decoy and confederates falling upon their victim, violently and brutally assaulted and robbed him. Vou, and each of you, have combined and conspired to assault and rob by night in gangs members of the community returning to their homes. To yourselves from prosecution for so serious a crime, you and each of you have further combined and conspired to accuse your victim of having committed or attempted to commit a foul, abominable, and unnatural offenco upon the person of one of your confederacy, knowing full well the improbability of your victim —as exemplified in two at least of the cases before the Court-setting the law in motion ■when he was conscious that by so doing he might expose himself to the risk of having to face a hideous charge against himself, even though false in fact, brought by, and supported by the evidence of, a band of miscreants like those of whom you form a part. You are a danger to the person, to the reputation, to the property of evory member of thi3 community. Your numbers, and the union of your numbers, render that danger immeasurably greater and more alarming. The at ocity of the erimes which you have committed has been deepened and blackened by the loathsome villainy and the cowardly brutality which you have displayed in their perpetration. I must pass such sentences upon you as will ring in the ears of the rest of your confederates, and of those who might otherwise feel tempted to ondeavor to pluuderandrobby theemploymentof similarmeans. Imustpass such sentences upon you as will servo most effectually to guard the persons, the character, and the property of the public. I must pass such sentences upon you as you deserve for your crimes. His Honor then sentenced Gossip to eighteen years' imprisonment and two whippings of ten lashes; Reardon to twenty years', and three whippings of fifteen lashes ; and Holmes and Murray, each to teu years' and three whippings of fifteen lashes. THE BRUN"SWI(!K BUECILARY. Nothing of material consequence has yet been discovered calculated to load to the apprehension of the burglars who entered the Caledonian Hotel, Brunswick, and robbed the landlord of the sum of LSOO. On a vacant allotment of ground, and not far from the hotel, a bag in which a portion of the Btolen money was contained, and a cash box which ha 3 been identified by the landlord as the one taken out of his safe, has been found. In the same neighborhood a pistol w<-u also discovered, which is believed to have been one of the weapons carried by the burglars when committing the robbery. EMBEZZLEMENT BY A BANK CLERK. Mr \V. S. Griffin, accountant at the Richmond branch of the English, Scottish, and Australian Chartered Bank, was suspended on the 9th inst., irregularities to the amount of about L7OO having been found in 1113 accounts. He disappeared after his suspension, but was arrested on Thursday at an hotel at Etiroa and brought back to Melbourne, MYSTERIOUS CASE OF ATTEMTTEH sriCIIiE. A strange attempt at suicide was made by a married woman named Laura Wynd, a resident of South Melbourne, last week. She was seen by a man named George Files to jump into the river Yarra from the South Wharf, near the Falls Bridge. Files immediately sprang after her, and swam to where she was struggling in the water. He was able to reach her in time, and to fasten a rope thrown from the steamer Casino found her waist. By these means the woman was hauled on board the boat, and from thenc3 transferred to a cab, in which she was convoyed to the Melbourne Hospital. After treatment at that institution she was taken to the city watch-house and locked up on a charge of attempting to commit suicide. There was found in her possession a purse, in which was contained a piece of paper, with writing upon it, to the effect that she had determined upon taking her life in consequence of persons distressing her. She was apparently quite sober.

QUEEN'S COLLEGE. The new Queen's College, erected by the adherents ot the Wesleyan denomination, was opened on Wednesday by His Excellency Sir Henry B. Loch. The company present included tho dignitaries of the Melbourne University, arrayed in their academic robes ; the masters and professional Btaft" of the Trinity and Ormond Colleges; a representative gathering of the ministers of the Wesleyan Church ; and a large number of ladies and prominent citizens. Tho Rev. W. A. Quick, who acted as master of the ceremonies, gave a brief history of the work from its conception to its completion; and His Excollency then declared the college opened. The company then adjourned to a large mar(|uee erected in the grounds, whero light refreshments were provided. His Excellency the Governor, in replying to the toast of his health, propessd "The Chairman" (the Rev. W. A. Quick), and congratulated the committee of management on the succaseful accomplishment of their great work, and expressed a hope that the college would prosper. In dealing with the oharaoter of the education to be taught, His Excellency referred to a speech recently delivered by Mr Goschen, Chancellor of the Exchequer, on his election to the position of rector of the Aberdeen University, wherein that gentleman drew attention to the fact that success in every walk of life depends upon a person having an intellectual interest in his work. Ilia Excellency concluded by proposing " Success to the Queen's College."

THE GLEN lIDNTLY OUTRAGE. William Grocock, who was found feuilty at the February criminal sittings of the Supremo Court on a charge of woundiDg and robbing William Collins, the railway station-master at Glen Huntly, had a legal point reserved in his favor, which waa argued before the Full Court last week. The circumstances of the case were that on the night of the 10th December Grocock struck Collins a violent blow on the right aide of his head, which caused him to fall on the floor of his olfice. While lying on the floor Collins received several blows on the head which caused c'angerous wounds. Collins heard the prisoner say : " Here goes for the cash." He then became insensible. It was afterwards discovered that money had been taken from the safe in the office. The prisoner was found guilty of the offence, the punishment for which by the Victorian law is death. ' Mr Justice Kerferd did not pass sentence of 4eath, br f t on]y directed that sentence p/ death' ohoujd be recorded, so as to ipave it to ths Executive to determine what the punishment should be. The legal point raised was that, os Collins was insensible at the time the money was stolon, the larceny could not be said to have taken place in hn presence, and therefore, the offence was not a capital one, but amounted .to simple larceny or to assault, with intent to disable, jlia'Court overruled the objection, and decided "that, : os t|io prisoner }iad himself Luck the blow v/hic.h rendered Collins inLsjbJe,' he copld not be allpvod to ?ay■ tW the robbery bad not taken place in GplUns's presence. The conviction was therefore affirmed. The Executive Council will now determine what punishment the prisoner jfiall receive,

PRIZE FIGHTS IN NEW SOUTH WALES. The police in Sydney have been successful in proceedings taken for the suppression of a prize fight which was arranged to take place between Jack Burke, the American pugilist, and Lawrence Foley, the Australian ex-champion. The men were matched a few weeks ago to fight to a finish, with 2oz gloves, "for LSOO e-iide, on May 1, and they were therefore brought before the Central Police Court on a charge of having entered into an agreement to commit a breach of the peace. Both men swore that the match was off; that the deposits had been drawn some time befora the summonses were issued ; and that they had no intention of fighting now. Burko protested against the hardship of being bound over to keep the peace, as he would be prevented giving public exhibitions of boxing; and Foley also represented that hi 3 business would be greatly interfered with. The Bench, however, determined to prevent the fight, for which articles had been signed, and bound the men over to keep the peace until the next quarter s3ssions, on April 5, bonds of LIOO each having to be entered into. SI'ITRI'.SSION OF THE RABBIT PE*T. A bit of a scare has been created in Victoria at the prospect of the introduction of M. Pasteur's chicken cholera microbes into the colony. The Government have decided upon exercising the greatest care in ivgard to any experiments which may take place to prevent the spreading of a disease that may be disastrous to other animals than rabbits, and they have been commended by the council of the National Agricultural Society for the caution they have displayed in the matter. A member of the council aflirms that the chicken cholera was very prevalent among poultry in the early days of the colony's history, when it caused settlers a good deal of trouble. The following resolution was passed by the Field Naturalists' Club at their last meeting in reference to the matter:—" That the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria view with alarm the proposed introduction of chicken cholera into Australia as a means of destroying rabbits, believing that such an introduction cannot be confined to rabbits alone, and will lead to the extermination of native and domesticated animals and birds, and trust that the Governments of the Australian colonies will not allow the proposed introduction without extended experiments under competent persons."