THE NAPIER ROBBERY.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 250, 9 October 1911, Page 6

THE NAPIER ROBBERY.

accused BErorti: thi: magssTR.\ TITHE t (H'RT ( i.’OWDEi'. The Napi»‘i” I omr v-a* crow*lt'd tl.i' ti ’i z t” I 1 t!.<* cast* a , j;ui , 't Alfred I*■ >tm;*i- r *n "f varitf',' i h;trg*'< of theft. ]>’ib!i-h p<i last v.-«*ek. viz.. 11. ■tl left ft m**n< from tli“ H.B. tl’ig l *;- I ri;o»» ar.d from the llirt’t.ia!: Coi;t*i :i. The Inspector *>f Poth pr ■ut cd .and Mr. B. J. D'd.'in d* AI! w itnee-t”. »»■;••• ordered out of court. Insptftor Dwyt-r briefly opened the i*;i«e by poh.ting out that Donaldson had been r<"-pon-!o!e Driiir collection of rm*: l *;-. tit t!.>- football mat cites on Saturdays anti Le had not accounted for the mom;. -<> *-ol

leered. Evidf nee in the ea- * of the H.B. Rugby I nion was ttr~: taken. Mr. Dolan at f-r-r r;>i-ed objection to the form of ihe information. He held tiiat r.o >p'! tt;e •>u:ii wa< alleged IO h.ive been stolen. They »vre only charg'-d with the ti.eft ot br.lanees ■ 011-. ted on various dates. He quoted from .Archibald i!*P>. to chow tt .'.t a -pteiric sum should be stared trial they would know w! at to an-wer. His Wn-.-hip di.-allowed the objection but took a note of it. William Peter .Mit. ’ii* il. tn usurer, said Donaldson wa< appointed :-ei - retar.’ to the Rngl*-. Union at a salary of £:>>> per annum. I: wa~ his duty to collect the it.one;, at football mateLe- and the rides -aid that the li;t>nev 'O r-ollr-.-teil was to be paid into the bank. Donald-on had paid him money at various times an«l this had been plac'd in th.' hank. Th* la~t payment of £’l odd was paid to him by Donaldson on , September sth. Several matches had since been held at which gate money was collected. On Friday 29th he saw Donaldson and asked ; what about a statement for the meeting on the following Tuesday. Don-, aldson promised to fix it up. On the ; following Monday he asked Donald- |

son again for the money and was given seven sovereigns. In the afternoon, in company with Mr. McGrath (chairman of the I'libm) they asked Donaldson about the money and he gave them another three pounds. Pressed for the remainder of the money Donaldson mad.* an appointment to pay £l3 2ft at 7 p.m. that evening. He had Donaldson's statement of the accounts, but had mislaid it. Accused sail! he would get the money from his home. To Mr. Dolan: The charge was laid in respect to the takings of four events. Tlie events were all mentioned on his statement. Meetings were held on the Tuesday night after matches, but he could n<>; say if Donaldson had accounted to the meetings for the money. He could not give dates, but the money collected was on four occasions between sometime in August and the time of accused’s arrest. He had no statement of accounts until Monday last. The statemen t |hen supplied was complete, but had been mislaid. Des-bur-cments were recorded, but no accounts and vouchers sttppind. Hr would not swear receipts were not given to him on Monday niorniiig. but did not remember receiving them. He could not remember th** gross takings for the four days in question. The next quart: r's salary would be due to Donaldson on November sth. Accused was not sunpr»M d to make more than petty cash disbursements, but witne<- did nut think definite instructions l:r»d been issued. Donaldson would pay the expenses of visiting teams and gatekeepers. His first visit to accused last week was at 9.30 on Monday. He hail told Cr. Crowley before going in that he intended asking for the money. Ho wn= sati'fifd to await Donaldson's payment at 7 p.m. The information r.gai.i't Donaldson was in no way at the suit of the I mon ; the members of the Executive had dissented.

To the In -pictor : The Executive; considered the tiioitcy wou.d have ; been paid. He cmilil not it men.her | getting recrijits <>;t Monday morning. Mr. McGrath saw the s.nl* men; plifd by i)er.a.dso:i. Exptnoiturc by ai-eti<t<i w.ts r b*.un. At this St.’.ce wirn*-.- v.-;;< ■>’■•!» d to g” b»r th” b"' ks of ti.e I mon. and another »*tm>s cal!**d. W. J. Met Datli. Clnirman ot t.’; * H.B. Rngliv I mon. D* ■'.th.- *n .- diiUt**- wire t h rmal i.- ’k. :*> t::ef ting.-. :*.*:» nd to .-•! r. -I’oi’.ien' i*, see that all w.*.- in **: 1* r for f*. •H*'’. ! . , matrhc:-. ar 1 r* ■■■:'. * u<*:vy troii gatc-kerp>rs. Arcmini' v.tte t*» be supplied to th'* Un. mi at tin’ mei tirigs held mi the Tuod.ty a.ti t t a., t. match. A nicnt Li'.d n* t In vn supplied nt t-at il n’.nt’.ng Oil coii.dav afternoon la-t ii . ii'i l pniuiii'; *! a statement wh'..-h com spend•’<! with one in Mr. Mitcln ’l's dl '.ri -unpl.t •! Hv the gate ket pt r. Ht ab«> pi” £3 from a drawn’ In hi* r.-m:*. itni said he would pay the balance <*f £l3 to Mr. M't hell 7 j».m. ti.it

tveniuz. To Mr. Po’..*i: II * c*. i:*i n»t say that the inform::! :mi wr.< .- inert or incorrect, lb* lad not seen the inforinatinn. ami ’’"t kt’-ow h*>w many ’’gat,- " D.niaht'Oii Had eount for. At n*.*.*tinc< of th * Union geciisctl said I.? han giv.-n a -..ate inent to Mitche’l. Meeting- were held after the fin: ’ ' gate-” in question ami jivrlian- <>:*. ‘>m* ’-r lw-> u ''" casions Doi’.aLi-on ha.l said L<>w liinch w.a< taken. V. itnrss v..« n<>' present at till meetings and accused ? might ha*. .* : :a*i'* st ’.ten*, nt< y hen he wa< not tl.i re. H>* w;>- -at!-fi**ti with used s .ihihi'iil that hi*; v.oiihi y.*y ti <• Lnlance due at . p.m. ■ The Union o'd ml ant ho: i-* the pro-; reedings. Aw-ised s statement agreed with all ,r.<*..-k-i kept itj’on it. On. Inst Ti ■ l:iv v.i-'k m-mised said Mitchell find the m.»m*v. To Mr. Dolan: A. ;- •> said he ' did not kn'-w ti; l‘<’-::t< !!>■ Lan liandetl e verything r-.i’r to Mitchell ; and further said i kww mnhirm of ’ t’.-- I'luuniial Mr. .Vh’:<-!:,*!l kept tin* Looks as Ir> a-.irer.

Witli.tr.i I‘. J!r it .1 in t tie !»>•. pm<i :< >■•! ;■»>?' bonks of she I ni<>n and lit.- i•• nt which had been mislaid. The statement showed

•' ,|- in Sep:, mb. ;- mil. 16th. 2: r-i mid totalled 2 and di-ciro-mrir - £'2 having a bai.'irii e uiic of l -2.; - A' - ' .I*' d was appointed on May ■ There nothing in the minutes defining Li, liioies. F aton's statement only’ allowed him to r.mghly check gross taking*-. Everything was right up to -••i-t -mbs r 5t;.. He had ;*.t, ended no t.>- . • ing- -iii. e September sth and •ie-r - h'ld l» *i*:i no squaring up I no I, .. had b.-e.i triv i-u him. To N-r. Dolan: lb' Lad found the r. (cip;- g:v. n him L*. Donald-on. lentr.;/, ruiiidly ;i'gr-*d with accused s. J. 11. Fi.-id *r. '• ' rotary of the Napier Hecrcaticn Ground Company, said i rii'.'.n was appointed to check g.r ■ ti-kit'g-. H<* Lad record; of t ikm-g, ;*t all m.-’< he-. On September ten the amount was £5 2 ♦>: loth, -it; 2 : iHili. :i o: Lttrd. nil (match

abandoned). His r<- -ord was correct. To. Mr. Dolan : The Company re|•■■’■.,d one-third of the gate money. Sv.i-e S. pr-mb.T sth the gross takings were £*ts ig j. •lol.n I'r.'st \Vi!i‘.-'ibot,tom. said he a- I 'e.i I’cnio.i to col|-r-t tickets. Tie-re v.> re n atches on 2nd. 9th. 13th and Pith. No match was played on 2i!iu. The amounts taken were £;• 7 . £’!.-> 7-. 1! •; and e i;{ j re . spect ively . To Mr. Do.ar*.: He handed his :,k.*ts to ?Jr. I’enton. He would wear that £.’!• 7 - v. a ; taken on 2nd. and he eouLl not say why Fenton oi.:-. ae ounted for L‘7 •; .. He U;;s m.-pri.-ed to hear thru Fenton only 1 eoimtod for t‘s 2 9 on 9th. ; The l uiirt tnen adjourned nnt’D -i-h’- % ’ i