THE CITY FRAUDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12213, 7 March 1903, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE CITY FRAUDS.

! ABSCONDING SECRETARIES OF NEW ZEALAND COMPANIES. OWEN'S RETURN AND ROWE'S BANKRUPTCY. [PROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] London, Januarv 23. On Monday the Pacific Company's steamer Orotava landed at Liverpool William Parker Owen, late secretary of the Glenrock Company and Premier Sunrise Company (of New Zealand), who was brought from Lisbon under extradition on a charge of embezzling money of the company. Owen abscouded from London last November, and being traced to Lisbon he was arrested there by Inspectors Bell and Cox, of Scotland Yard, and was at once brought to London. Next day, Owen, whose age is said to be thirty-six, and who was described as a secretary, was charged at the Mansion House with embezzling and stealing various sums, amounting to £2050, belonging to the Indian Glenrock (Wynaad) Company, and other sums, amounting to £1750, the property of the Premier Sunrise (New Zealand) Gold Mining Company, and with forging and uttering two transfers for 2500 shares and 1200 shares respectively in the Indian Glenrock Company, with intent to defraud. Inspector Painter, of the City Police, stated that on November 26 he found the prisoner at Lisbon. In reply To the charge he said he was sorry, but he knew it had got to come. It was all owing to the slackness of supervision exercised over the affairs of the two companies that he had had opportunities of doing what he did. The accused was remanded.

This week also the case of Anthony Stanley Rowe (late secretary of the Great Fingall Company and director of the Talisman Consolidated and other companies), was before Mr. Registrar Linklater in the Bankruptcy Court. The debtor was described as of 22, Hyde Park Square, and of 20, Coptliall Avenue, E.C., mining engineer. The petitioning creditors were Messrs. Walbrook and Co., of Whitefriars-street, London, who claim £231' 19s 8d on a guarantee of the debtor for the payment of accounts in connection with a weekly paper called Gleam. The act of bankruptcy alleged was that the debtor, on or about December 3 last, with intent to defeat or delay his creditors, departed from his dwelling-house or otherwise absented himself, and a receiving order was made. An application for a warrant for the debtor's arrest for having obtained some £60,000 by means of the forgery of share certificates was recently made on behalf of the Great Fingall Consolidated. The warrant was stated in Court (as I informed you recently) to have been issued and is in the hands of the police. A receiving order has been made, and the debtor's liabilities are stated to exceed £80,000.

One signing himself " A Victim Who Wants Justice" writes from the New Oxford and Cambridge Club, as follows regarding Mr. Howe: — "Do you not consider it is due to the shareholders of the Great Fingall Company that strenuous efforts should be made to bring their late defaulting secretary to justice? So far as lam able to ascertain, the company have not yet offered any reward for Mr. Rowe's arrest, mid a description of the ' man wanted' was only published in one paper, and on one day only. It would appear that the company did not wish to prosecute. Let us hope that such is not the case, as it would be a scandalous thing to give other men in a similar position the idea that they might commit a like offence and escape scot free."