ALLEGED IRREGULARITIES

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 25 May 1915, Page 5

ALLEGED IRREGULARITIES

CHARGES AGAINST MHJTARr

BX lELEQBAPH— PBESS ASSOCIATES. ' a* «-i DUNEDIN, May 24 tarn J. R. Henderson, of alleged tbe^t or various sums received tor the 14th (boutn Otago) Regiment were called on. Mr w. C. MacGregor Prosecutor) appeared on benalf of the prosecution and Mr D, Reid and Mr inomson defended McClyinont Henderson was first charged with nfeife s' K abo£ t-June 10 > 1912 > vhe sum n £T° **'■ bem -S a portion of £1292 ys bd received by him in May 191 > on behalf, of the Government tor %£- ---f,!? Bof the olficers and men of tha 14th Regiment during a camp at Milton. Mr MacGregor said that there were several charges against Henderson Mr Hamilton, his counsel, was, unable to attend and had arranged for an adjournment. The case *as adjourned until June 1.

Mcoiymont was charged with -stealimt about August 9, 1913, £21 7s, bein«? the amount of a cheque paid to him +v a™??^ of, the canteen profits of ti e £ 4th ut^ OtaS°) Regiment. Mr MacUregor said there was a series of charges of theft against the accused ait Milton of the 14th (South Otago) Regiment. The books of the regiment were examined by the Audit Department and found not to be in order. There was a deficiency of about £300. The accounts were not in a satisfactory state. The bank account had been improperly operated on by accused on several occasions, and the r^imental account was not in a satisfactory state £urther enquiry disclosed defalcations, tor which the accused as conimandißg officer was responsible. On August 9, 1913, Colonel Smith sent a cheque for £21 7s to the accused, who paid it into his private account at the bank, instead of to the regimental account. Accused said he credited it in private bosks he kept, and that he paid oat of it certain amounts.

Chief. Detective Herbert said he satr accused on February 6. Accused admitted receiving a cheque for £21 7s, and said he paid it into his own private account. He produced a book showing the money credited to the 14th Regiment ("special") and said what was loft* was still in the bank, and amounted to £6 13s sd. The difference was disbursed as follows: £7 for making up the deficit for the regimental ball, £3 to George Reed for a regimental' picnic organised by himself, £3 5s to Jbha adjutant for the camp expenses, 16s *ld to Ji. Stewart, leaving £7 3s Id in. tne private account, iie further said fcne officer commanding the regiment had a right to spend all requirements of -moneys outside the Government grant at his own discretion for the good of the regiment. The accused reserved his defence, and was committed for trial.

Accused was further charged with. the theft of £10 7s Jd, being the purchase price of a cooking range *'or the officers' mess at the Matarei camp. The case for the prosecution was that the payment for the range out of the regimental account was an improper one. The case was dismissed.

The accused was then charged with, stealing £3 14s 6d, the price paid toHallenstein Bros, for a sword and bag presented by him personally to George Thomas Catto.

The evidence for the prosecution was to the effect that Catto understood the present to be a personal one from the accused, but that payment for it was. made out of regimental funds. - H! T. Thomson (Government Auditor)* said he had attempted to aiidit the accounts, and had found a deficiency oi about £400.

Accused was committed for trial.

McClymont was further charged with stealing £50, the amount of a ehequ» drawn by him on the banking account of the 14th Regiment on or about March 6 ISI3. Counsel for the prosecution stated that early in 1912 aecuvsed purchased 60C bed mattresses at Is 6d each and sold them at Is 8d each, to the regiment. On June 10, 1912, accused gave a cheqiie m payment, and nearly a year later he received another cheque for £50, so that he had been paid twice. In his account of the matter accused was somewhat involved, and mentioned the sum of £50 which he held in trust for the band of the old regiment.

Chief Detective Herbert said accused had informed him that the £50 belonged to A Company and the band, and had nothing to do with the 14th Regiment. He got the cheque from Captain Henderson and cashed it, paying the money into his private account! H» still held it in trust for A Company. The entry in accused's private book; was under the heading "14th Regiment, special." Accused was committed foe trial.

Charges of stealing £50 and £25 received by accused as commanding officer on behalf of the 14th. Regiment from the Drill Hall Trustees, were withdrawn.

Mr Thomson asked if these amotmta were included in the £300 mentioned by the Audit Inspector as the amount of the defalcations.

Mr MacGregor said he could cot say whether they were or not. There would probably be further charges, and counsel could refer to the matter again. Accused was admitted to bail, himself in £230 and ono surety of £20CL