TRUST NOT KEPT

Evening Star, Issue 19919, 16 July 1928, Page 5

TRUST NOT KEPT

THEFT BY STATION MASTER While station master at Karens* hourne Stanley John Pringle betrayed the trust reposed m him, and alter misappropriating a sun. or money ho falsi lied' his returns to conceal dm the It. in the Police Court to-day, before Mr 11. W. Bundle, S.M., Pringle pleaded guilty to stealing, on January S, at llavcnsbonrne, £9 tis Sd, the pro-; perty of the Government. Ho was re-, presented by Mr W. G. Hay. ■ Gbicf-dctcctivo Cameron said accusedj had been station master up to three* months ago. An application had been ] made to him lor a fifty-trip ticket j available between Waikouaiti and Pa-j vensbonrne, tho amount of the value | of tho ticket being handed over to j Pringle by the intending passenger. Tho application was forwarded to the) district office, and the ticket was sul>-j sequcutly handed over to the applicant.-! Hie accused did not enter the amount in the cash book or enter the ticket* in the book. A monthly return had to bo forwarded to tho head office at WoLj lington, and in it accused stated that* the ticket was still on hand. He continued to bring that incorrect entry forward for three or four months. He, was then transferred from Havens-■ bourne, and the relieving officer furnished the correct return. It was then, disclosed that Pringle had issued the* ticket and misappropriated the sum o£| £9 Cs Bd. Mr Hay said Pringle was a married man with, one child. Ho had been seventeen years in the railway service, having risen to the important position of station master at _ Havensbonrno. There was nothing against him up to the time of the present offences. Ho would endeavour to show the court that Pringle had not inetnded that tho Railway Department should suffer from his actions. The amount lor the ticket had been given to Pringle when ho was very busy, and he had placed .the money in his pocket. Later accused made up Ins hooks lor the day without stating the debit. Pringle intended to repay the money on receipt of lus salary, which was £3IHJ a year. But accused had sent in a return that tho ticket had not been issued, and that was where the trouble had commenced, as the theft would not have been discovered if no return had been forwarded. Tho accused had attempted to conceal the theft by falsifying Ho returns. Later Pringle bad found that he could not the money wiiffiont revealing the calling on his superior officer and admitting the the It, Pringle had foolishly and improperly ialsillcd bis returns, knowing full veil that he would ultimately bo discovered. The money had since been restored to the department. . , “ I do think that ho did not intend to keep the money from the department in the long run,” said Air Hay. Tho Magistrate: A man seldom does. Mr Hay: No doubt this is an offence of theft, but bo made use of tho money with tho intention of repaying Horn his salary at the end of tho month. H. P. West, retired district railway traffic manager, said Pringle had been station master at Tahakopa for one year and at Ravonsbourne lor three years. Tahakopa had a reputation for, being a “pretty wild place, and was! not an outpost to which tho depart-j ment would send a man who was not; trustworthy. When stationed at labs-; kopa Pringle had created the utmost; confidence. Pringle was a very reliable* servant, and witness was much surprised to boar of bis present trouble. “ The difficulty is to ecal with a man who held tho trust accused held,” said tho Magistrate. ‘‘Ho is remanded m custody till Friday, tho probation officer to make a report.” 1