“LADY BOUNTIFUL”

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 May 1944, Page 6

“LADY BOUNTIFUL”

FRAUD AND THEFT CHARGES LONDON, February 5. Allegations that since 1936 a woman ,T.P. had engaged in the robbery oi two companies by a system wmen was “practically -waterproof were made at Barnsley yesterday. Miss Dorothy Elliott, 47, a West Riding magistrate, Hemingfield-roaa, Wombwell, was charged with fraudulent conversion, stealing as servant, and falsification of accounts. Mr Myles Archibald, prosecutin ß , said that Miss Elliott had been associated with Wombwell Mam Colliery Co. and Wombwell Coking Co. since 1916. Since 1929 she had been secretary with a salary of £6OO year. Investigations showed that £9l,oJu had disappeared from the assets of the ,two companies. The prosecution alleged that Miss Elliott had printed special books identical with passbooks, and had made up these passbooks to show figures more favourable to the company than, those disclosed by the real passbooks. In recent years, said Mr Archibald. Miss Elliott had bought a farm, ana she had become the Lady Bountiful of her district. She paid £l5O lor a picture, and several firms had supplied a large Quantity of goods. In one instance she paid £l,lOO in £1 notes and a man she sent to buy pedigree stock received from her a gift of a £lOO note. Miss Elliott/ said Mr Archibald, was a well-known public figure. Sne had gained the implicit confidence of the directors, the workpeople, the banks and the firm’s auditors. Sir Samuel Roberts, who was chairman of the colliery company and also a director of the bank with which the company did their business, at a bank meeting in London, was “surprised and horrified” to see that an overdraft had been granted to the colliery company. The investigation followed. It was alleged, continued Mr Archibald, that Miss Elliott had falsified balance sheets and had altered a cheque for £37,000 payable from the Coking Co. to the colliery company to £27,000, because’she knew that there was only £28,000 in the Coking Co.’s account. All correspondence had been addressed to Miss Elliott who was always first at lhe office and who had not taken a holiday for several years, although pressed by the directors to do so. .Accused was committed for trial. '•INGENIOUS ANDAUDACIOUS” LONDON, March 18., Sentence of six years’ penal servitude was passed at Leeds Assizes yesterday on Dorothy Elliott. The jury, after little more than half-aii-hour’s deliberation, found Elliott guilty on all counts of . the theft of money from the Wombwell Main Colliery Co., Ltd., and Wombwell Coke and By-Products Co., Ltd., of which she was secretary, and falsification of accounts and forgery. It was stated that the total defalcations were £91,630. Elliott heard the verdict apparently unmoved’. Asked if she had anything to say, she replied in a low voice, “No, I have not.” Mr Justice Hallett said that in so far as there was anything in her mental conduct which required treatment he had no doubt she would be in the hands of competent medical men while serving her sentence. “There is nothing to excuse your conduct on medical grounds, ’ the judge added. “For nearly seven years, under the guise of a faithful ’servant, you have been robbing these two companies, robbing them to a large extent by ingenio'us and audacious devices. Such crimes must be severely punished.” Tn evidence two doctors had slated that Elliott, had a “split mind” and really had two personalities. One doctor said that her main personality .was unaware that it had taken the money of the colliery companies.