NOT GUILTY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 8 November 1928, Page 5

NOT GUILTY.

WEBSTER. ACQUITTED. 0 (By Telegraph—Pre»n Association.) AUCKLAND, Nov. 7. A verdict of .not guilty was returned hy the jury at the trial of Frederick William Webster, charged with the theft of £1498 from .the Whangarei Cooperative Building Society, of which he was secretary. Mr Justice Blair, summing up, said it was inecetssary for the Crown to show that accused received ( the money, that he appropriated it, and that that appropriation was fraudulent. As far as the Crown calse was concerned there were some elements of doubt as to .t'h'e precise sum that could, be shown, to. ha/ve .been received iby accused: at certain stages. The books did not show the actual amount received. There, had been very slipshod methods of carrying on the society’s 'business and so it was very difficult for the. jury t'o say what amounts had been received. The confusion that had arisen was not of accused ’& making. When the amditor, Rust, was asked why he had himself purchased the ledger and journal his answer was “because, it plealsed me to do so.” Rust had not been so frank either with the directors or with the court as one would expect. He apparently connived at the method adopt-, cd by the accused of failing to synchronise bank payments and receipts. He 'had put down the 'balance in a way that amount to blinding the directors to the position. He allowed the books to be prepared in a way that would make it impossible for anybody to check the receipts with the bankings. The jury’s verdict of acquittal was returned after an absence of four hours.