THE CHARGE AGAINST A MATE COLLECTOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8585, 5 June 1891, Page 5

THE CHARGE AGAINST A MATE COLLECTOR.

[FROM OUR OWN OOEBESPONDENT.] I . , Dabqaville, Tuesday. THEchargoof embezzlement against Frederick Lewis Beart, late rate collector to the Hobson County Council at Dargaville, was not proceeded with to-day, a further remand of oue week being applied for by Mr. N. McLeod, solicitor. The. reason for the re- j mand was owing to the documentary evidence inproof of payment notbeing forthcoming from Auckland. Only one charge has at present been preferred, namely, that he (the accused), being a servant of the Hobson County Council between the Ist January, 1889, and the 31st March, 1890, having received the sum of £41 13s 4d for and on account of the said Council, did fraudulently and feloniously embezzle and steal the same. Mr. J. M. Dargaville was the only Justice of the Peace on the Bench, and on making the remand until next Tuesday, agreed to admit the accused to bail, himself in £200, and two sureties of £100 each. It has transpired that the discovery of the irregularity was caused by a wire being received from the Property Tax Department abouta fortnight since stating that a mistake hud been made in rating the Opanako block, Kaihu Valley. This block i» owned by the Kauri Timber Company, and appeared on the Council's books for the past two years to have been rated for £8022 instead of £18,022. The attention of the Council having been thus called, it was decided to place the matter in the hands of a solicitor for the recovery of the balance, whereupon Mr.' VV. M. Woodhead, the County chairman, who is also manager of the Kauri Timber Company's mills in the Wairoa, found that the company had been actually charged for the rate on the full amount, and which had not been accounted for to the county. It is believed that two other charges are pending, but matters are left until the Government auditor has made his Inspection of the books and accounts, which ho is expected to do on Friday next, One remarkable feature in the affair appears to be that an endeavour was made on behalf of the accused by his friends for his sureties to make good the defalcation without instituting criminal proceedings, but one out of the three sureties objected on the ground that the alleged offence was committed prior to tho completion of the sureties bond and he therefore declined to accede, and there was no alternative left but to put the law in operation against tho accused. Much sympatny has been expressed for Mr. Beart, who has placed himself in this unfortunate position, but it has not assumed the practical form of any; of his friends submitting themselves as bail for his appearance and he still remains in custody.