ALLEGED DEFALCATIONS IN SYDNEY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12268, 12 May 1903, Page 3

ALLEGED DEFALCATIONS IN SYDNEY.

ACCUSED BEFORE THE POLICE COURT.

EXTRADITION' ORDER GRANTED.

The young man Frank Stuart, on remand, was charged at the Police Court yesterday before Mr. H. W. Brabant, S.M. —(1) with the theft of a cheque for £10 10s, the property of Duncan McPhail, at Sydney, on April 20, and (2) forging an order on the game day for £172 13s, with intent to defraud. Chief Detective Grace conducted the case, and asked His Worship to grant an extradition order for accused to be taken back to Sydney to stand his trial. Detective Mcllveney, of the local force, was then placed in the witness-box. He deposed to arresting Stuart on the arrival of the Westralia in Auckland from Sydney on April 26. A sum of £3 8s was found in his trousers pocket, and in the cabin occupied by accused on board the boat a further sum of £120 was found, this latter sum being in a hamper, which had since been claimed by a woman named Edith Stevens, who accompanied Stuart on the trip across from Sydney. Accused, who had travelled under the name of Frank Stevens, admitted that the sums recovered were part of the stolen money. In his pockets three letters were found addressed to his father and mother, in which he admitted taking £1000 or more. , When asked if he wished to ask a question or say anything to the detective, accused said, " No, there is nothing I wish to say at all, thank you." Constable John Irvine, of the New South Wales police service, sent across in connection with the case, produced the warrants issued in Sydney by a magistrate for the arrest of a-ccused, one being for alleged embezzlement and the other for alleged forgery. Accused having no questions to put to the officer when called upon. His Worship then made an order for his extradition to the State of New South Wales.

A young and fashionably dressed woman, ■whose name appeared in the charge-sheet as Edith Stevens, alias Alice Stuart, was then placed in the dock and charged with that she did. on April 21, at Sydney, receive the sum of £50 of the moneys of Duncan Stuart McPhail, she then knowing the same to have been dishonestly obtained. Chief Detective Grace handed in a cablegram intimating that a warrant had been issued in Sydney on Saturday, and had been posted to Auckland. He asked for a remand Mr. Baume appeared for the accused, and Stated that the case was a peculiar one. His client, on arrival in Auckland had been forced to go with her husband to the lock-up, where she had been searched without a warrant being issued. It was only when he made application for the return of the money found on her, some £34. which he held had been illegally taken, that any steps appeared to have been instituted. It did not appear to him that the application had been made in good faith, and pointed out that it was no crime for a married woman to receive money from her husband. Mr. Grace said that the story that she was married was her own; ho had reason to believe that she was not married to the man with whom she came across from Sydney. Mr. Baume. in reply to this, said his client had since discovered that Stuart had committed bigamy. Mr. Grace said that according to the cabled information the sum involved in the man s alleged defalcations totalled something like £1200. and there was reason to believe that the woman had in her possession a considerable nm-mnt. She had admitted receiving the £34 found on her from the man m Sydn His Worship said that the warrant had been issued, and argument on the points-raised would have to be heard en its arrival. The accused was then remanded for a week, bail beincr fixed at £50. A bondsman was forthcoming, and she was released.