CHARGE AGAINST A SECRETARY

Evening Star, Issue 16991, 13 March 1919, Page 6

CHARGE AGAINST A SECRETARY

The trial of Stephen Airey on a- third charge of embezzling funds belonging to the Hokianga Co-operative Dairy Coniof which he was secretary, was concluded in the Supreme Court at Auckland yesterday. The grand jury had six indictments before them, each comprising four counts— namely, theit ss a bailee, common theft, falsifying bookstand fraudulently omitting to account for moneys received. Each indictment referred to offences alleged to have been committed on different dates. The accused was tried and acquitted on the first indictment, and later he was tried and acquitted on the second indictment. Yesterday he was tried on the third indict incut -containing the four counts. At the conclusion, of the accused s examination Mr Reed referred to the action of tho Crown Prosecutor m challenging over 50 jurvmen, and said the Crown had practical! v ©elected the jury. Though he did not believe that this would affect Hi© verdict, as far as he knew the action of the Crown was without precedent in New Zealand. His Honor said it had been, done before. , Mr Reed : There have never been so many challenges. His Honor'; I think so. In this case a jury with a knowledge of bookkeeping was required, and 1 think Mr Tool© acted correctly in challenging thop-e jurymen who in Itis opinion had no knowledge of the subject. A special jury should have been eocured, chosen beforehand. Mr Reed said he had never known so many men to be stood aside by the Grown, His Honor said it. had been done before. He remembered one case in which it was necessary to recall men who had been challenged i’n order to secure the full number of jurvmen. Mr Idle paid his object had been to cure the most intelligent jury possible. The *ury returned a verdict of guilty o» tho third count—that of falsifying tr.-. books of the company with intent to defraud with a strong recommendation to mercy on Vo ground that the directors of the oc«jj»»ay were aware of the accused's intorapof»t»" habits and had failed to take propel precautions. priii ten-w was deferred.