OFFENCES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9442, 23 February 1894, Page 2 (Supplement)

OFFENCES.

ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO CHEAT AND DEFRAUD.

A case of considerable interest to merchants and others, as bearing upon the system of credit with regard to dealings with foreigners, was commenced at the Kesident Magistrate Court on the 7th February, before Mr. H. W. Isorthcroffc, R.M. > The accused were three Persians, men of medium height, and about thirty to thirtyfive years of age. There names were Moses Shein (alias James Miller), Nathan Shein (alias Frank Jackson, alias Miller), and Leon Shein (alias Frank Smith, alias Perle), and they were charged with having unlawfully, fraudulently, and deceitfully conspired, and agreed together, to cheat and defraud of their goods and chattels, certain firms and persons, to wit, William McArthur and Co., John Trenwifch, and Abbott, Oram, and Company, all of Auckland, merchants. Mr. Hugh Campbell (Russell and Campbell), instructed by Messrs. Cook and Gray, conducted the prosecution. Mr. W. J. Napier represented the accused. Mr. Campbell in the opening for the prosecution took nearly an hour in going over the evidence that he intended to submit. He said the amount due to McArthur and Co. was £430, to Trenwith £105, and to Abbott, Oram, and Co. £222 14s 4d. The first transaction with McArthur and Co. was on the 10th August, 1893, and the last on the 17th November last. He explained to the Bench that before the proceedings closed he hoped to be able to prove that the accused were brothers, and had been working together. The mode of procedure by which the goods were obtained was as follows:—Onet.or the accused commenced business in Auckland, and purchased to a large extent from one of the firms mentioned ,in the ; information. < In order to obtain : credit he paid a considerable sum of money down, and by this means obtained the confidence of , the firm. The firm continued j to supply goods for some time, and the accused always made payments on account. Having obtained goods from this firm, little difficulty was experienced in getting credit from other r persons. , The, goods were disposed of chiefly by hawking, amd opening up stores through the island. The accused shifted , about, and had many different names. The' goods we're disposed of as quickly as possible, at a low figure. Mr. Campbell said he would prove that large sums of money had been remitted Home by the accused. r i Lengthy evidence was given, during the course of which it was ' stated that Messrs. McArthur and Co. sold goods to Miller to the value of £1098 13s 3d, and the amount

received in cash and bills £668 12s 4d, leaving a balance due by the accused of £430 Os lid. Accused were committed to take their trial at thai next criminal sittings of the Supreme Court, bail being allowed each of the accused in two sureties of £50 and themselves in £100,

' A daring burglary was committed at Hastings on Sunday night, the 18th of February. The premises of J. McKay, the well-known draper, were entered, and £95 I in cash stolen, besides some of the goods. This is the second robbery committed in this block during a short period. At the Police Court, on Friday, February 16, before Mr. R. S. Bush, R.M., an elderly man named William Pilkington Harris was committed for trial on two charges of attempting to cheat and defraud. ' The annual offences returns for the police district of Wellington have been compiled. From these it appears thab the total number of offences reported in 1893 amounted to 2528 as compared with 1910 reported in the previous year. In 1893 97 men and 5 women wore committed for trial, 72 of whom were subsequently convicted at the Supreme Court. Sixteen hundred and twenty-two males and 315 females were summarily convicted, whilst 329 men and ■54 women were discharged. The returns give a startling increase for last yoar of all cases, amounting to 618. Of this increase drunkenness appears to have been the chief offence, as there were 270 more persons arrested for thab crime than in the previous year. During the period referred to there were three cases of attempted murder, which were sont for trial. One male and one female wore convicted, and one man was discharged." In nearly every instance, especially in cases sent for trial, there is also a large increase upon the return of the previous year. In 1893 there was a large increase in the number of cases sent for trial, there being 102 in that year as against 63 in 1892.

A mean and cruel outrage was perpetrated during the night of February 5 at Timaru. Three out of four cows belonging to a man named Whelan, enclosed in a small section in the borough, were slashed with a sharp instrument. One had a teat cut off, and a long scar on the side. The animal practically bled to death. Another had an ugly gash below the haunch, and a third a light scar on the back. A few chains away Messrs. Peacock and Guiney, butcher.", had horses grazing for the night on the public school grounds, and one of them had a Ions; gash on the flank, exposing the ribs and intestines. It is not expected to live. The cutting was probably done with a sharp liedgeknife.